Electron Backscatter Diffraction detector on the existing scanning electron microscope (SEM) in the MCL laboratory

The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) intends to launch a negotiated procurement procedure for acquiring an Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) detector to be installed on an existing scanning electron microscope (SEM) in their Materials Characterization Laboratory (MCL). This opportunity is not a grant but a procurement contract aimed at addressing the increasing demand for EBSD and Transmission Kikuchi Diffraction (TKD) analyses, as current equipment is becoming insufficient for the various research projects being undertaken.

Eligible applicants for this procurement opportunity are primarily commercial suppliers and manufacturers capable of providing scientific instrumentation, specifically EBSD detection systems. The data indicates that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may not be suitable participants likely due to the specialized and high-cost nature of the equipment involved.

The funding type is categorized as a service contract rather than a traditional grant, with the European Commission acting as a buyer. There is no consortium requirement explicitly stated, suggesting that a single entity capable of providing the necessary equipment and services may be preferred.

Geographically, it is expected that eligibility will focus on entities within the EU and potentially the European Economic Area, adhering to EU public procurement rules. No specific countries are mentioned in the provided data, reinforcing a broad eligibility scope within the EU.

The project is currently at the procurement and installation stage, with the JRC looking to purchase and implement a new EBSD system to alleviate pressure on existing equipment, improve access for visiting researchers, and support ongoing scientific projects. While the exact funding amount is not specified, estimates suggest it may fall within the range of €200,000 to €1 million.

The application process will involve a planned negotiated procedure with an expression of interest phase. The tentative start date for expressions of interest is August 26, 2025, with a submission deadline of September 11, 2025. The indicative launch date for the negotiated procedure is September 16, 2025. The contract duration is planned for a maximum of 48 months.

Companies capable of supplying scientific instrumentation should stay alert for this opportunity and prepare for the expression of interest. The contract is classified under the Common Procurement Vocabulary code 38430000, which pertains to detection and analysis apparatus.

This planned procurement aims to enhance the research infrastructure capabilities of the JRC and support various materials science initiatives while representing a proactive approach to addressing the increasing demand for advanced materials analysis technologies.

This is a publication announcing the European Commission, DG JRC Joint Research Centre's intention to publish a future negotiated low or middle value procedure. This is not a call for tenders. The procedure identifier is EC-JRC/PTT/2025/MVP/4322-EXA. The subject of the planned call for tenders is an Electron Backscatter Diffraction detector on the existing scanning electron microscope (SEM) in the MCL laboratory.

Requests within recent and ongoing projects highlighted the relevance of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission Kikuchi diffraction (TKD) beyond anticipated needs: Open Access projects including JAMMED, CRAFT, 3DPIMEA, CANMECH, NIFEM, SAHARA and CHRONIC, Exploratory Research projects including ULTIMATE and DICTION, competitive projects including NUCOBAM, INNUMAT, in addition to institutional activities including SMARTI.

The first reason for this procurement is the trend towards increased variety in materials investigated prompted by open-access and competitive projects, compared to institutional activities for which the existing SEM and PFIB combination has been configured for, particularly in projects where the synergies with G.I.4 activities are on methodology developments rather than on the case study. The second reason is a growing interest in EBSD and TKD in general, triggered by recent major improvements in detector sensitivity and, specifically within the frame of the present procurement, indexation methods.

The result was/will be the saturation of the availability of the EBSD system on the Plasma focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy PFIB-SEM. The EBSD detector on the PFIB-SEM is geared towards 3-D imaging and sample preparation for cases where standard polishing and etching methods produce artefacts, which is not needed for most screening analyses. Further, the PFIB-SEM is a heavily used and advanced instrument (often running overnight and during week-ends using automation and further periodic downtimes for maintenance), procured primarily for specific tasks, including micro-fabrication, 3-D imaging, lamella preparation and high-resolution imaging of ion-polished cross-sections. Therefore, screening and specific 2-D high-resolution EBSD measurements block the PFIB-SEM and affect its availability for fulfilling its primary purpose.

The proposed solution is the procurement and installation of a high-throughput capable EBSD system on the SEM. Benefits are anticipated on several fronts. First, the pressure on the PFIB-SEM for tasks outside its main purpose will be reduced. Second, visiting scientists can operate the SEM after adequate training, which is not feasible with the PFIB-SEM because of its use case at G.I.4 (prototyping and 3-D measurements campaigns over several weeks) and higher complexity and maintenance needs.

The procedure type is a planned negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract. The estimated total value is not specified. The nature of the contract is supplies. The maximum contract duration is 48 months. No framework agreement is mentioned.

Milestones:
Start date for expression of interest: 2025-08-26 Europe/Brussels
Deadline for expression of interest: 11/09/2025 05:59 Europe/Amsterdam
Indicative date of launch of the negotiated procedure: 2025-09-16 Europe/Amsterdam

Expression of interest:
Submissions must be sent exclusively at the address for submission given below.
Method of expression of interest: Electronic
Address for expression of interest: Express interest

The main classification (CPV) code is 38430000 Detection and analysis apparatus.

A question and answer section is available. One question has been asked: Where can I find the procurement documents for calls for tenders with ‘ExA' in the reference? The answer is: References that feature an ‘ExA’ are not calls for tenders. They are a publication announcing the contracting authority’s intent to launch in the future a low or middle negotiated procedure. This was published on 03/10/2024 17:32.

In summary, the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) is planning a negotiated procurement procedure to acquire and install an Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) detector for an existing Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) located in their MCL laboratory. This procurement aims to address the increasing demand for EBSD and Transmission Kikuchi Diffraction (TKD) analysis arising from various research projects, which is currently straining the capacity of the EBSD system attached to the Plasma Focused Ion Beam SEM (PFIB-SEM). The PFIB-SEM is primarily used for specialized tasks like micro-fabrication and 3D imaging, and routine EBSD measurements are hindering its availability for these core functions. The new EBSD system on the SEM will alleviate this bottleneck, allowing visiting scientists to perform EBSD analysis after training, which is not practical with the more complex PFIB-SEM. This announcement is not a call for tenders but a pre-information notice. Companies interested in this future opportunity should express their interest electronically, with a deadline in September 2025. The actual call for tenders is expected to be launched shortly after the expression of interest deadline.

Eligible Applicant Types: The opportunity is a planned negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract, suggesting that eligible applicants would likely be suppliers or companies that can provide the required equipment. The exact types of eligible applicants will be detailed in the future call for tenders. Based on the nature of the procurement, eligible applicants could include SMEs, large enterprises, or research institutions with the capacity to supply and install the specified equipment.

Funding Type: This is a procurement opportunity, specifically a planned negotiated procedure, meaning the funding type is a service contract. The contracting authority, the European Commission, DG JRC, intends to purchase supplies, in this case, an Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) detector.

Consortium Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required. However, given the nature of the procurement for a specific piece of equipment and its installation, it is more likely that a single applicant or a single entity capable of providing the entire solution would be preferred. Therefore, it is likely a single applicant is sufficient, although consortia are not explicitly excluded.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, since it is an EU funding opportunity from the European Commission, it is highly likely that the eligibility will be focused on entities within the EU and potentially the EEA. The specific call for tenders will provide more precise details on geographic eligibility.

Target Sector: The target sector is scientific instrumentation and materials science. Specifically, it targets the procurement of an Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) detector for use with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) in a materials characterization laboratory. The relevant sectors include manufacturing of scientific instruments, research and development in materials science, and related high-tech industries.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned. However, given that the opportunity is from the European Commission, the relevant region is the EU.

Project Stage: The project stage is procurement and installation. The European Commission, DG JRC, is looking to purchase and install a new EBSD system. This implies that the project is at the stage where a specific solution (the EBSD detector) has been identified, and the focus is now on acquiring and implementing it.

Funding Amount: The opportunity is described as a "middle/low value contract." While the exact amount is not specified, this suggests the funding range is likely to be under €200k, possibly even under €50k, but this is speculative and depends on the specific definition used by the JRC for "middle/low value."

Application Type: The application type is a planned negotiated procedure. This means that after the expression of interest, the contracting authority will likely invite a select number of potential suppliers to submit a full proposal. This is not an open call but a more targeted approach.

Nature of Support: The nature of support is the procurement of supplies, specifically an EBSD detector. The successful applicant will receive a service contract to supply and install the equipment. Therefore, the support is monetary, in exchange for goods and services.

Application Stages: Based on the information provided, there are at least two stages: 1) Expression of Interest, and 2) Submission of a full proposal (likely by invitation only, after the Expression of Interest phase). Therefore, there are at least 2 stages.

Success Rates: The success rates are not specified. However, given that this is a negotiated procedure, the success rate after the expression of interest stage will likely be higher than a typical open call, as the contracting authority will pre-select potential suppliers. Therefore, the success rate is other.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not specify whether co-funding is required. Typically, procurement contracts do not require co-funding, as the contracting authority is purchasing a service or product outright. Therefore, it is likely no.

Summary:

This opportunity is a pre-announcement from the European Commission, DG JRC, indicating their intention to launch a negotiated procurement procedure for a middle/low value contract. The purpose of the procurement is to acquire and install an Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) detector on an existing scanning electron microscope (SEM) in the MCL laboratory. This detector is needed to address the increasing demand for EBSD and Transmission Kikuchi Diffraction (TKD) analysis arising from various research projects. The current EBSD system on the Plasma focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (PFIB-SEM) is becoming saturated, and procuring a dedicated EBSD system for the SEM will alleviate this bottleneck. The benefits include reducing pressure on the PFIB-SEM, allowing visiting scientists to operate the SEM with appropriate training, and enabling high-throughput EBSD measurements. The procedure will involve an expression of interest phase, followed by a negotiated procedure where selected suppliers will be invited to submit full proposals. The indicative start date for the expression of interest is August 26, 2025, with a deadline of September 11, 2025, and the indicative launch date for the negotiated procedure is September 16, 2025. The contract duration is expected to be a maximum of 48 months. Companies that can supply and install scientific instrumentation, particularly EBSD detectors, should monitor this opportunity and prepare to submit an expression of interest when the call is officially launched. The CPV code is 38430000, which relates to detection and analysis apparatus.