EEA/CCE/TC/26/012 - Topic Centre on Energy System Decarbonisation

EEA/CCE/TC/26/012 is a restricted European Environment Agency call for tenders to establish a Topic Centre on Energy System Decarbonisation under a framework service contract with an indicative ceiling of €1,005,000 for 2027–2030. Only organisations formally designated as Topic Centre Organisations may tender and bids must be submitted by a consortium of at least three designated organisations from at least two different EEA member countries via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal by 23 November 2026 at 14:00 Copenhagen time. The framework (maximum duration to 31 December 2030) will be implemented through specific contracts delivering data services, analytical knowledge products and stakeholder/networking activities and requires compliance with EEA IT, data and AI rules. Award is by best price-quality ratio with technical merit weighted 70% (minimum 49/70) and price 30%, and tenderers must meet detailed selection, turnover and expert CV requirements in the procurement documents.

What it funds

Scope in one line

Framework service contract to establish a Topic Centre supporting the European Environment Agency (EEA) on data, quantitative analysis and targeted case studies to monitor and assess energy-system decarbonisation, electrification, low-carbon flexibility and associated benefits, trade-offs and just-transition implications.

Budget, duration and award

Indicative total budget for the Topic Centre over 2027–2030 is €1,005,000. The award will be a single framework service contract (non-exclusive) with a maximum duration to 31 December 2030 and estimated minimum six specific contracts to be called under the framework.

Key administrative facts

What the contractor must deliver

Core services include maintenance and development of harmonised energy datasets and analytical tools (including high-temporal carbon-intensity metrics), preparation of quantitative knowledge products and case studies (policy-relevant analyses, pilot/sandbox assessments), and Eionet/ stakeholder events, webinars and dissemination support. Work must follow EEA quality, IT and data rules (Common Workspace) and open-access publishing where agreed.

Eligibility and practical requirements

Only organisations designated as Topic Centre Organisations by the EEA Management Board may take part. Consortia must nominate a coordinator and a contract manager (non-subcontractable). Core tasks must not be subcontracted; subcontracting to non-designated entities is capped at 10 % of the contract ceiling. Tenderers must meet specified financial, staffing and technical capacity thresholds (turnover and minimum CVs for contract manager, senior and junior experts).

Footnotes

1. 1Full procurement documents, specifications, annexes and eSubmission access are on the Funding & Tenders Portal tender page Tender details.

Opportunity summary

Key dates and procedural milestones

Documents available (selected)

Who may apply / Eligibility

Only organisations designated as Topic Centre Organisations by the EEA Management Board under the EEA-Eionet implementing rules may participate. Eligible bids must be submitted as consortia of at least three designated Topic Centre Organisations established in at least two different EEA member countries. The consortium must nominate a coordinator (group leader). No designated Topic Centre Organisation may participate in more than one consortium for this procurement (participation in multiple consortia will lead to exclusion of the consortia concerned). Tenderers must be registered in the Participant Register and have a PIC. Subcontracting is allowed under strict conditions: core tasks must not be subcontracted, subcontracting to non-designated TCOs is capped at 10% of the contract ceiling over the whole duration, only one level of subcontracting is permitted, and any additional subcontracting not foreseen must receive prior written EEA authorisation.

Mandatory administrative and selection checks

Technical and professional capacity requirements (selection)

Minimum human resources and experience required (to be supplied in Annex 4 template and CVs): contract manager (minimum 1 CV, >=5 years relevant experience, English C1); senior experts (minimum 6 CVs, each >=7 years relevant experience, English B2); junior experts (minimum 10 CVs, each >=3 years relevant experience, English B2). The collective team must demonstrate end-to-end expertise across data services and knowledge services described in the technical specifications (data harvesting, ETL, metadata, high-temporal datasets, electricity-system and market data, infrastructure data, heating and cooling, energy efficiency product data, GHG inventories and scenarios, scenario analysis, electricity system adequacy, storage and flexibility, demand-side flexibility, heating/cooling transition, comparative case studies and pilots, NECP analysis). Tenderers must provide at least five relevant projects/contracts in the area of energy system decarbonisation in the last three years (each >= €130,000) with descriptions and contract values. Environmental management measures and an environmental policy must be described.

Award criteria and scoring

Award is by the most economically advantageous tender, using combined quality (technical merit) and price. Quality (technical merit) weight: 70 points maximum (minimum pass score 49). Price weight: 30 points maximum. Tenders must pass minimums per quality sub-criterion and achieve at least 70% of the quality score (49/70) to be considered for price. Price scoring uses the supplied daily-rate template and three service categories: P1 Contract manager (EWF 10%), P2 Senior expert (EWF 30%), P3 Junior expert (EWF 60%). Financial offers must use the Annex 1 template, be all-inclusive in EUR (excluding VAT) and include travel cost for first kick-off meeting; ad-hoc travel reimbursed per Annex 3 rules.

Budget, contract form and payments

Contract duration, structure and expected delivery model

The FWC maximum duration runs until 31 December 2030. The FWC is expected to be signed in early 2027 (estimated 29/01/2027) and will be implemented via a minimum of six specific contracts over the FWC period. The FWC is concluded for an initial 24-month period and is renewable twice and then up to the maximum duration as set out in the special conditions. Specific contracts will detail timelines, deliverables, milestones, reporting, quality assurance, IT environment requirements (Common Workspace) and publication requirements (EEA corporate standards).

IT, data and AI requirements

Applicants must comply with EEA IT and data management policies (Annex 6). Contractors are required to use the EEA Common Workspace (CWS) for data acquisition, processing and analysis. All deliverables (datasets, scripts, notebooks, documentation, dashboards) should be stored in the CWS and EEA GitHub following EEA guidelines to ensure reproducibility, versioning and traceability. Reportnet integration and ETL tools (e.g., FME), MS Azure/Databricks, Tableau, ArcGIS, Plotly, etc. are part of the environment. Generative AI and agentic AI use is allowed only under strict rules: any planned use must be declared in the tender and will be assessed against AI Act requirements, data protection, human oversight and quality assurance; introduction of new AI tools during execution requires prior written EEA approval. If generative AI is used in deliverables, explicit acknowledgement plus confirmation of human oversight is required in those deliverables.

Submission format and required attachments

Tenders must be submitted electronically via eSubmission (EU Login account required). Required elements (see Annex 7 checklist) include: administrative data form (coordinator), identification form and bank references, declaration on exclusion criteria (all partners and subcontractors), simplified financial statement (all partners), evidence of technical and professional capacity (CVs, Annex 4 table, list of relevant contracts), technical offer (max 40 pages), financial offer (Annex 1 completed), and any requested supporting documents. Files must meet eSubmission size and format requirements. The eSubmission system encrypts attachments and provides a submission receipt timestamp which is the proof of timely submission. The contracting authority will not accept tenders by email or post.

Evaluation process and stages

Risk areas and common pitfalls for applicants

Eligible Applicant Types

Funding Type

Consortium Requirement

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility)

Target Sector

Mentioned Countries

Project Stage

Funding Amount (Indicative)

Application Type

Nature of Support

Application Stages

Success Rates

Co-funding Requirement

Templates and application structure

How to prepare a competitive bid (practical checklist)

Footnotes

1. 1Official tender page and all procurement documents are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal at the URL provided above in the portal link.

EEA/CCE/TC/26/012 Topic Centre on Energy System Decarbonisation

This is a European Environment Agency procurement opportunity for a framework service contract supporting energy system decarbonisation analysis, data services, knowledge products, stakeholder engagement and collaboration across Europe. It is a tender for services rather than a grant, so successful participants will be paid for contracted services and deliverables rather than receiving grant funding for an independently designed project. The official Funding and Tenders Portal record is the authoritative source for the procedure and documents 1.

The opportunity is highly restricted. Only organisations formally designated by the EEA Management Board as Topic Centre Organisations may participate. A consortium must contain at least three designated Topic Centre Organisations established in at least two different EEA member countries.

Opportunity classification

Purpose and policy context

The future Topic Centre will strengthen the EEA's capacity to monitor, analyse and communicate the transformation of the European energy system towards a climate neutral, efficient, integrated and electrified economy. The work is intended to support implementation of European energy and climate policy, including energy efficiency, renewable energy, electrification, energy system integration, flexibility, heating and cooling, infrastructure, energy security, affordability and just transition objectives.

The assignment combines quantitative analysis with targeted case studies. It is expected to examine indicators, trends, scenarios, benefits, co benefits, trade offs and distributional, procedural and recognitional implications of the energy transition. Case studies may include desk research, stakeholder mapping, structured questionnaires, EUSurvey based evidence collection, expert workshops and interviews.

The successful Topic Centre will operate as part of the EEA and Eionet knowledge infrastructure. Outputs must preserve scientific excellence, methodological robustness, policy relevance and the EEA's institutional independence.

Main service areas

Data services

The contractor will support the maintenance, update and further development of energy datasets, databases, analytical tools, dashboards, websites and visual products. Work may include data harvesting, integration, quality control, gap filling, metadata documentation, traceability and publication.

Expected data themes include electrification, energy demand and supply, energy efficiency, renewable energy, fossil fuel dependence, energy security, electricity carbon intensity, demand side flexibility, storage, smart appliances, distributed energy resources, heating and cooling, industrial heat, energy infrastructure, grids, emissions and scenario data.

Knowledge services

Knowledge services will translate data, evidence, research findings, country experiences and stakeholder knowledge into policy relevant products. Deliverables may include analytical notes, briefing documents, report chapters, assessment reports, web articles, comparative assessments, case study modules, methodological documentation, indicators, visual materials and annual lessons learned.

Priority analysis may address electricity system adequacy, storage, demand response, consumer centred electrification, smart meters, flexible tariffs, heat pumps, vehicle to grid applications, distributed storage, industrial flexibility, waste heat, financing mechanisms, fossil fuel subsidy reform, National Energy and Climate Plan implementation, infrastructure commissioning and decommissioning, and the replication of pilots and regulatory sandboxes.

Network and collaboration services

The contractor will support structured collaboration with Eionet countries, EU institutions, other agencies, research organisations, practitioners, businesses and civil society. Activities may include webinars, workshops, conferences, consultations, outreach materials, stakeholder engagement, peer learning, technical responses and cooperation with other Topic Centres.

Budget and payment structure

The indicative total budget for specific contracts during 2027 to 2030 is €1,005,000. This is an estimated overall value and is subject to available EU budget appropriations, EEA priorities, annual work programmes, assigned revenue and other applicable funding sources. The framework agreement does not guarantee that the full amount will be ordered or that any specific contract will be awarded.

At least six specific contracts are foreseen over the duration of the framework agreement. Specific contracts will define the detailed tasks, deliverables, timetable and payment arrangements. The framework contract itself creates a purchasing mechanism and does not impose an obligation on the EEA to conclude specific contracts.

The financial offer must be submitted in euros and exclude VAT. Prices must be all inclusive and cover management, administration, personnel costs, social security contributions, allowances, insurance, equipment, travel and other expenditure required to perform the services. The financial offer template requires daily rates for a contract manager, senior experts and junior experts. All fields are compulsory, and non compliance may lead to exclusion.

Contract duration and delivery model

Eligibility and who can apply

This opportunity is not open to all companies, universities or research organisations. Only Topic Centre Organisations designated by the EEA Management Board under the applicable EEA implementing rules are eligible to participate.

Eligible tenders must be submitted as a joint tender by a consortium of at least three designated Topic Centre Organisations established in at least two different EEA member countries. The consortium must appoint one organisation as coordinator and primary interface with the EEA.

No partner may participate in more than one consortium seeking this framework contract. A breach of this requirement may result in exclusion of all affected consortia. Organisations linked through ownership or control may submit separate tenders only if they can demonstrate that their tenders were prepared independently and autonomously.

Each participating organisation must be registered in the European Commission Participant Register and must have a valid nine digit Participant Identification Code. Each consortium member, subcontractor and other relevant entity must be correctly identified in the administrative data form.

Subcontracting conditions

Subcontracting is permitted but restricted. Core tasks may not be subcontracted. Subcontracting must concern only a limited and justified part of the services and the contractor remains fully liable to the EEA for the contract as a whole.

Subcontracting to legal entities that are not designated Topic Centre Organisations is capped at 10 percent of the contract ceiling over the entire contract duration. Only one level of subcontracting is permitted. Additional subcontracting by subcontractors is not allowed.

Subcontracting that was not identified in the tender requires prior written authorisation from the EEA. An organisation may subcontract for several independent tenderers, but it may not be a consortium partner or coordinator in one consortium while acting as a subcontractor to another consortium.

Selection requirements

Required expert capability

The proposed team must collectively cover end to end management, analysis and dissemination of energy datasets from European and national sources, including Eurostat, the EEA, the European Commission, the Joint Research Centre, ENTSO E, ACER, national statistical authorities, energy regulators and transmission and distribution system operators.

Relevant technical expertise includes energy balances, detailed sectoral and end use data, electrification, energy demand and supply, energy imports, energy security, energy efficiency, renewable energy, electricity markets, wholesale and retail prices, high temporal resolution electricity data, storage, flexibility, transmission and distribution grids, interconnections, hydrogen, carbon capture infrastructure, heating and cooling, district energy systems, waste heat and energy related product efficiency.

Relevant knowledge expertise includes assessment of EU and national energy and climate targets, National Energy and Climate Plans, policy implementation, scenario analysis, electricity system adequacy, storage, demand side response, sector coupling, consumer participation, smart meters, flexible tariffs, appliance interoperability, affordability, financing, industrial decarbonisation, heating and cooling transitions and comparative case studies.

Evaluation and award

Technical merit is expected to assess the proposed methodology, understanding of the assignment, organisation and management, expert resources, quality assurance, risk management, flexibility, stakeholder engagement, data and knowledge methods, and the credibility of the proposed delivery approach. The exact scoring subcriteria and documentary requirements must be taken from the tender specifications.

Artificial intelligence requirements

Tenderers must state whether large language models or other artificial intelligence systems were used in preparing the tender. If artificial intelligence is proposed for contract delivery, the tender should explain its purpose, the stage or deliverable concerned, expected added value, risks, mitigation measures, human oversight and quality validation.

The use of artificial intelligence must comply with Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 and applicable data protection law. Prohibited artificial intelligence practices may not be used. Human oversight and validation are required for activities and deliverables, and generative artificial intelligence use in deliverables must be transparently acknowledged.

Introducing a new artificial intelligence system during implementation, where it was not included in the original methodology, requires prior written approval from the EEA. The EEA may refuse the request where quality, legal compliance or the substance of the original tender could be affected.

Deliverables and indicative timetable

Submission requirements and deadlines

Tenders must be submitted exclusively through the electronic submission system available in the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. Submissions by email, post or other channels will be disregarded.

The principal tender deadline is 23 November 2026 at 14:00 Copenhagen time. The public opening session is scheduled for 24 November 2026 at 10:00 Copenhagen time. The EEA is not bound to reply to clarification requests submitted after 13 November 2026 at 23:59 Copenhagen time.

The tender invitation indicates an evaluation period from 25 November 2026 to 13 January 2027, estimated notification on 18 January 2027 and framework contract signature on 29 January 2027. These dates are indicative unless expressly stated otherwise in the procurement documents.

A tender received after the deadline will be rejected. Tenderers should rely on the electronic submission receipt and its official timestamp as evidence of timely submission. A tender may be withdrawn or replaced before the deadline, but the replacement must contain all required information and documents. If multiple tenders are submitted and not withdrawn, only the latest tender is considered.

The tender validity period is six months according to the procurement data. Tender preparation, submission and attendance costs are borne by tenderers and are not reimbursed.

Submission checklist

Applicants should complete the following actions before submission:

Key risks and practical assessment

The principal eligibility risk is the restricted Topic Centre Organisation status. Organisations that are not already designated by the EEA Management Board cannot overcome this condition simply by forming a conventional research consortium.

The principal delivery risk is breadth of required capability. The team must combine energy data engineering, high temporal resolution electricity analysis, scenario and policy assessment, social and distributional analysis, case study research, stakeholder engagement, communication and EEA compliant quality management.

The financial ceiling is modest relative to the breadth of work and is distributed through future specific contracts. Applicants should therefore demonstrate a flexible staffing model, efficient mobilisation, clear prioritisation and strong control of daily rates and indirect costs.

The 70 percent technical weighting means that a low price alone is unlikely to compensate for a weak methodology, insufficient expert coverage, unclear quality controls or inadequate understanding of EEA and Eionet working practices.

The framework agreement does not guarantee a minimum volume of work or a minimum payment. The consortium should assess whether the opportunity remains commercially viable under partial call off, delayed specific contracts or changing EEA priorities.

Overall opportunity assessment

This is a strategically relevant but highly specialised procurement for established European energy, climate and environmental knowledge organisations. It is best suited to an existing network of designated Topic Centre Organisations that can combine complementary data, modelling, policy, social research and stakeholder engagement capabilities.

A strong tender should present an integrated consortium rather than a collection of unrelated experts. It should map named experts and past contracts directly to the technical specifications, explain how data quality and reproducibility will be assured, show how outputs will be made policy usable, and demonstrate the ability to mobilise rapidly for multiple specific contracts through 2030.

The opportunity should not be treated as a conventional open grant call. Eligibility, consortium composition, mandatory documents, tender validity, financial offer requirements, procurement contract terms and the detailed technical specifications are decisive. Any proposed qualification, limitation or refusal to accept the draft framework contract may result in exclusion.

Official source and document set

The complete official record and procurement documents are available through the European Commission Funding and Tenders Portal opportunity page, including the invitation to tender, technical specifications, financial offer template, draft framework service contract, reimbursement rules, corporate standards, expertise overview, EEA IT and data management policies and eSubmission checklist 1.

Footnotes

1. 1Official Funding and Tenders Portal record: EEA Funding and Tenders Portal opportunity.