EBS Regulation (2019/2152) impact assessment support

The European Commission (DG ESTAT – Eurostat) is tendering services to support an impact assessment for a potential amendment to the European Business Statistics Regulation (2019/2152), covering problem definition, policy options, cost–benefit analysis, stakeholder consultation, data collection, reporting and adoption support. The contract identifier is EC-ESTAT/2026/OP/0016 with an estimated value of €160,000 and a planned duration of 14 months. Submission is by electronic eSubmission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and the closing date is 4 September 2026 at 16:00:59 Luxembourg time. Award will follow the MEAT principle with equal weighting for quality and price (50%/50%).

What it funds

Scope

Contracting services to support the European Commission (Eurostat) in conducting an impact assessment for a potential amendment to the European business statistics Regulation (2019/2152). Tasks include problem definition, design of policy options, cost-benefit analysis, stakeholder consultation design and implementation, data collection and analysis, reporting, development of monitoring KPIs and support during the adoption process.

Estimated contract value:Approximately €160,000 for the contract ¹.

Who can apply

Legal entities capable of delivering policy impact assessments and statistical evaluation services. Tender documents specify selection criteria, eligibility and required declarations (including confidentiality commitments).

1. 1Type: Open call for services (tender) managed by DG ESTAT - Eurostat.
2. 2Planned duration: approximately 14 months (see tender specifications).
3. 3Submission method: electronic via the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Full tender dossier, draft contract and financial form are available on the portal. Refer to the official tender page for documents and submission instructions: Tender details.

Footnotes

1. 1Estimated overall contract amount as published in the tender metadata (€160,000). Documents available on the tender page above.

Opportunity summary

Type:Tender (service contract) issued by European Commission, DG ESTAT - Eurostat. Reference: EC-ESTAT/2026/OP/0016. Objective: contract services to prepare and support an impact assessment of a potential amendment to the European business statistics Regulation (EBS Regulation 2019/2152). Main tasks include problem definition, drivers and objectives identification, policy options formulation, cost-benefit assessment, stakeholders consultation design and implementation, evidence collection and analysis, reporting and KPI development for monitoring the preferred option, and support during the adoption process. Estimated total procedure value: €160,000. Planned contract duration: 14 months. Main CPV: 79311410.

Deadlines:Deadline for submission (closing date): 4 September 2026 at 16:00:59 (Europe/Luxembourg time). Invitation to tender and procurement documents published 9 July 2026. An open tender event is scheduled for 7 September 2026 at 10:30 (local time). There is an additional information request period ending 27 August 2026. ¹

Detailed eligibility and administrative conditions

Eligible Applicant Types

Explicit list of eligible legal types is not spelled out in the summary text, however this is a public procurement for services by the European Commission (DG ESTAT). Typical eligible applicant types for this contract are: research and analysis consultancies, policy and economic consultancies, universities and research institutes, nonprofit policy organisations and think-tanks, statistical experts and consortia of such entities, and private service providers (SMEs and large enterprises) able to sign a service contract with the Commission. The procurement documents include an Annex on group members shares (Annex V), which indicates that joint bids / consortia or group members are foreseen and allowed under the tender rules; therefore consortia of several legal entities are possible provided they comply with the selection and tendering requirements in the tender specifications.

Funding Type

This is a public procurement for a service contract (fee-based contract). The financial mechanism is a service contract delivering analysis, reports and ongoing support; the contractor will be paid under the contract terms. The procurement is not a grant, loan or equity instrument.

Consortium Requirement

The procurement allows for submission by a single legal entity or by a consortium / group of entities. Annex V (group members shares for VAT purposes) and tender specifications reference group member arrangements, demonstrating that joint bids are possible. The tendering documents will specify exact rules for powers of attorney, joint liability, and lead partner responsibilities. Bidders should consult the Tender specifications and Annexes for formal requirements on consortium documentation, capacity evidence and financial sharing.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility)

Beneficiaries must be able to sign and execute a service contract with the European Commission. The lead contracting authority is European Commission, DG ESTAT - Eurostat. This public procurement is open to economic operators established in accordance with the procurement rules applicable to EU public contracts. In practice this includes operators in EU Member States and potentially other countries subject to EU procurement access rules. Bidders should consult the tender specifications for formal nationality and place-of-establishment requirements and any restrictions related to third countries.

Target Sector

Sector focus:official statistics, economic and business statistics, public policy analysis, regulatory impact assessment, data collection methodologies, administrative burden reduction, and related ICT/data processing where relevant. The contract centers on European business statistics and their compilation, sources and methods—so expertise in statistics, business registers, economic surveys, administrative data integration, and policy evaluation is required.

Mentioned Countries

No specific Member State is singled out in the tender summary. The contracting authority is the European Commission (EU-level). Geographic reference: EU (European Union) and Eurostat context. Candidates should assume an EU-wide remit and potential interactions with national statistical authorities across Member States.

Project Stage

Expected project maturity:analytical and policy assessment stage. This is a policy impact assessment and evidence-gathering exercise (research, analysis, validation and reporting). Activities include evaluation, options appraisal, stakeholder consultation, modelling of costs and benefits, design of monitoring KPIs, and support for the adoption process — therefore research and validation maturity is required rather than product development or commercialization.

Funding Amount

Estimated total procedure value:€160,000 (estimated overall contract amount). This is the procurement budget indicated in the tender metadata. Bidders must complete the provided financial tender form (Annex 6) and propose pricing consistent with the scope and deliverables in the tender specifications.

Application Type and Submission

Application method:open competitive public procurement on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Submission method: mandatory electronic submission via the Commission's eSubmission system (Funding and Tenders Portal). The call is published publicly (Invitation to tender and Tender specifications published 9 July 2026). Interested bidders must register on the portal, download the tender documentation, complete the technical and financial offers including required annexes, and submit before the closing deadline. The portal documents include the Invitation letter, Tender specifications, Draft contract, Annexes (including financial form, confidentiality commitment, declarations on existing rights and group shares).

Nature of Support

Nature of support:monetary remuneration under a service contract in exchange for research, consultancy and delivery of specified outputs. The contractor will provide non-financial services (analysis, reports, stakeholder engagement) while receiving payment under contract terms. Therefore beneficiaries receive money (contract fees) for services delivered.

Application Stages

Number of application/evaluation stages (typical procurement process implied by documents):2 to 3 stages. 1) Electronic submission of tender documents (technical and financial offers); 2) Evaluation of offers by the contracting authority (quality and price) following award criteria (quality 50%, price 50% as indicated in procurement metadata); 3) Contract award and signature, followed by contracting and kick-off. There may be clarification requests or interviews as part of the evaluation process; the tender specifications will set exact evaluation steps and possible shortlisting.

Success Rates

No success rate or historical award probability is provided in the procurement metadata. Typical single-contract public procurement success rate depends on the number of bidders and evaluation outcome; this information is not available in the published call. Bidders should assume a competitive process and prepare a compliant, high-quality technical offer and competitive price.

Co-funding Requirement

No co-funding from the applicant is required or indicated. This is a fee-based service contract funded by the Commission budget with an estimated overall contract amount; contractors are paid per the contract conditions. If subcontracting is used, cost sharing and subcontractor arrangements must follow procurement rules and be declared in the tender.

Selection, evaluation and application content (templates and structure)

The procurement documentation published with this tender contains the formal templates and requirements. Key documents published: Invitation to tender, Tender specifications (detailed scope and requirements), Draft service contract (without annexes), Annex IV - Commitment on statistical confidentiality, Annex V - Group members shares in total contract value for VAT purposes, Annex VI - Declaration on the list of pre-existing rights, Annex 6 - Financial Tender Form (Excel). Bidders must follow the structure and templates provided in these annexes and in the Tender specifications.

Typical application structure and mandatory forms (as provided):1. Administrative documentation: legal entity registration details, power of attorney for lead partner (if consortium), declarations (Annex VI), signed draft contract acceptance conditions as requested. 2. Selection evidence: financial capacity statements, professional and technical capacity references, CVs of key experts, proof of past relevant contracts and performance (e.g., previous impact assessments, statistics projects), any certifications required by the Tender specifications. 3. Technical offer: methodology and work plan addressing tasks in the Tender specifications (problem definition, options development, stakeholder consultation plan, cost-benefit approach, KPI design, reporting schedule), staffing plan and time allocation for each deliverable, quality assurance and data confidentiality procedures. 4. Financial offer: completed Annex 6 - Financial Tender Form with breakdown of costs, hourly rates, travel and other direct costs (if allowed), VAT treatment and group shares (Annex V for consortium split if applicable). 5. Confidentiality and data handling: signed Annex IV Commitment on statistical confidentiality and any required data protection statements. 6. Subcontracting plan: if subcontracting part of the services, provide details and declarations per Tender specifications. Ensure all requested annexes are completed and attached in the eSubmission package.

1. 1Award criteria and weighting: quality 50% and price 50% (metadata indicates these weightings; see Tender specifications for full criteria and scoring sub-criteria).
2. 2Contract duration and deliverables: planned period 14 months. Specific deliverables, milestones, reporting schedule and monitoring KPIs are defined in the Tender specifications and draft contract.
3. 3Confidentiality: contractors must commit to statistical confidentiality obligations (Annex IV), reflecting handling of microdata or sensitive business information.
4. 4Submission method: eSubmission via Funding and Tenders Portal; hard copy submission is not permitted.
5. 5Language: procurement documents published in English; offers should follow the language requirements in Tender specifications.

Practical recommendations for applicants

1) Read the Tender specifications and all annexes carefully including evaluation sub-criteria and mandatory documents. 2) Ensure mandatory administrative forms (Annexes IV, V, VI and Financial Form) are completed and signed where required. 3) Prepare a clear technical approach that addresses each task: problem definition, policy objectives and drivers, policy options, methodology for cost-benefit analysis, stakeholder consultation plan, data sources, quality assurance and KPI design. 4) Provide concise CVs for proposed key experts and evidence of relevant past work (impact assessments, statistical methodology projects, business statistics evaluations). 5) Set a realistic and transparent budget in Annex 6 consistent with resources and deliverables. 6) If bidding as a consortium, include formal consortium agreement or lead partner mandate and complete Annex V for shares and VAT. 7) Respect the eSubmission format and deadline (no late submissions).

What this opportunity is about — overall summary

This is a competitive European Commission tender to procure external expertise to carry out an impact assessment for a potential amendment to the European business statistics Regulation (EBS Regulation 2019/2152). The winning contractor will deliver a full impact assessment including problem definition, objectives and policy options, quantitative and qualitative cost-benefit analysis, stakeholder consultation design and execution, evidence collection and analysis, final reporting with recommended option and monitoring KPIs, and support during the Commission's adoption process. The contract is estimated at €160,000 and is planned for 14 months. Bidders must submit an electronic tender through the Funding & Tenders Portal using the provided templates and annexes, respect confidentiality commitments, and satisfy the selection criteria. The tender scores quality and price equally (50/50). This procurement is focused on policy analysis and statistics expertise at EU level and is open to qualified service providers, research organisations and consortia capable of meeting Eurostat's technical and confidentiality requirements. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Full procurement dossier, documents and submission portal: EBS Regulation (2019/2152) impact assessment support tender (EC-ESTAT/2026/OP/0016) available on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal: Opportunity page.

Opportunity Summary

This tender seeks a service provider to support the European Commission (DG ESTAT – Eurostat) in conducting the **impact assessment** for a potential amendment to the **European Business Statistics (EBS) Regulation (2019/2152)** [1][19].

The contract aims to reduce the **administrative burden on businesses** by evaluating current EBS data sources and methods, ensuring policy changes align with **Better Regulation** requirements [1].

Key Contract Details

Deadlines and Timeline

1. 1Publication Date: 9 July 2026 [1][22]
2. 2Deadline for Additional Information Requests: 27 August 2026, 20:00 Luxembourg time [1]
3. 3Submission Deadline: 4 September 2026, 16:00:59 Luxembourg time [1][22][24]
4. 4Open Tender Event (Clarification Meeting): 7 September 2026, 10:30 Luxembourg time [1]

Scope of Work and Deliverables

The contractor will perform a comprehensive impact assessment covering the following tasks:

1. 1**Problem Definition**: Identify issues with current EBS data compilation.
2. 2**Policy Options**: Define drivers, objectives, and alternative policy options for amending the Regulation.
3. 3**Cost-Benefit Analysis**: Identify and assess costs and benefits of each option.
4. 4**Stakeholder Consultations**: Design and implement consultation processes with relevant parties.
5. 5**Data Collection & Analysis**: Gather and analyze information to support conclusions on policy options.
6. 6**Reporting**: Draft the assessment report, conclusions, and monitoring KPIs for the preferred option.
7. 7**Adoption Support**: Assist throughout the legislative adoption process and draft the **Commission Staff Working Document** accompanying the proposal.

Eligibility and Applicant Profile

Eligible applicants are **organisations** capable of delivering specialized services in **policy analysis**, **impact assessment**, **economic/statistical evaluation**, **stakeholder consultation**, and **reporting** related to EU business statistics legislation [1].

Key Competencies Required:Applicants must demonstrate expertise in EU regulatory frameworks, statistical methodologies, and the ability to conduct evidence-based cost-benefit analyses ¹.

Award Criteria

The tender uses the **Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT)** criterion, with equal weighting between quality and price [1].

Procurement Documents

All mandatory documents are available in English on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal:

1. 1**Invitation to tender** (Invitation to tender _V1.pdf)
2. 2**Tender specifications** (Tender specifications EBS - final_V1.docx)
3. 3**Draft service contract** (Draft service contract without annexes - final_V1.pdf)
4. 4**Financial Tender Form** (Annex 6 - Financial Tender Form_V1.xlsx)
5. 5**Annexes**: Declaration on pre-existing rights, Commitment on statistical confidentiality, VAT shares declaration

Application Process

Submissions must be made electronically via the **EU Funding & Tenders Portal** using the ESUBMISSION method [1].

Applicants must register in the **Participant Register** and ensure their organization is validated before submitting the tender [1].

Context: EBS Regulation (2019/2152)

The EBS Regulation establishes a common legal framework for **European business statistics**, covering the structure, economic activities, R&D, ICT usage, e-commerce, and global value chains of businesses in the EU [10][13].

The current review aims to respond to **globalisation**, **regionalisation**, and **competitiveness challenges** while minimizing the administrative burden on enterprises, particularly **SMEs** [1][10].

Footnotes

1. 1Official guidance and full tender specifications are available at EU Funding & Tenders Portal.