Erstellung von Vorprüfunterlagen zur Genehmigung und Errichtung eines Spaltstofflagers im Laborflügel M

This public procurement tender (EC-JRC/KRU/2026/RP/1304) issued by the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) Karlsruhe requests services to prepare permit-ready preliminary approval documents and related design, manufacturing and tender documentation for a fissile material storage facility in Laboratory Wing M. The scope includes detailed design (Entwurfsplanung) with thermal, shielding, criticality and structural proofs per KTA 2201, preparation of Vorprüfunterlagen (VPU), fabrication documents, and support through the approval and award processes. The procedure is a two-stage restricted procurement with requests to participate due by 15 June 2026 and an expected contract duration of 20 months. Submission is electronic via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and bidders must demonstrate specialised nuclear engineering, safety and German regulatory approval experience.

Kurzbeschreibung

Worum es geht

Dienstleistungskonzession / Ausschreibung durch die Gemeinsame Forschungsstelle (JRC Karlsruhe) für die Erstellung genehmigungsfähiger Vorprüfunterlagen (VPU), Entwurfsplanung, Auslegungsberechnungen und sicherheitstechnische Nachweise sowie die Erstellung von Fertigungs- und Ausschreibungsunterlagen und Unterstützung bei der Vergabe und dem Genehmigungsverfahren für das Spaltstofflager Flügel M.

Wesentliche Leistungen:Entwurfsplanung mit Systembeschreibungen und Auslegungsberechnungen (Wärmeabfuhr, Abschirmung, Kritikalität, Standsicherheit nach KTA 2201), Erstellung der VPU, Begleitung des Genehmigungsverfahrens, Fertigungsunterlagen, Ausschreibungsunterlagen und Unterstützung bei Vergabe und Inbetriebnahme ¹.

1. 1Was gefördert wird: Planung, Nachweise und Ausschreibungsunterlagen für den Bau und die Inbetriebnahme eines Spaltstofflagers.
2. 2Wer kann bieten: qualifizierte Bau‑ und Planungsunternehmen, Ingenieurbüros und Fachfirmen mit Erfahrung in kerntechnischen Sicherheitssachverhalten und Nachweisen; Teilnahme über elektronisches Einreichungsverfahren.
3. 3Laufzeit: Projektplanung/Leistungen über ca. 20 Monate (geplant).
4. 4Frist für Teilnahmeanfragen / Einreichung: 15.06.2026, 16:30:59 (Portal; Europe/Berlin).

Hinweis:Ausschreibungsunterlagen, Entwurfs- und Vertragsdokumente sind im Portal verfügbar; Bewerter müssen die geforderten fachlichen Nachweise zu kerntechnischer Sicherheit und relevanten Referenzen erbringen ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Ausschreibungsunterlagen und Dokumente sind veröffentlicht im Funding & Tenders Portal: ec.europa.eu

Opportunity summary

Contracting authority:European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), JRC Karlsruhe. Reference: EC-JRC/KRU/2026/RP/1304. Type: Tender / Procurement for services. Purpose: preparation of permit-ready preliminary examination documents (Vorprüfunterlagen, VPU) and full design documentation to enable construction and commissioning of a fissile material storage facility (Spaltstofflager) in Laboratory Wing M at the JRC Karlsruhe site. Scope includes design, safety and engineering calculations, permit support through completion, preparation of fabrication documents, and preparation of procurement/tender documents plus support during contract award.

Key deliverables:The contractor shall deliver: (a) detailed design (Entwurfsplanung) with system descriptions, design calculations (heat removal/thermal calculations, shielding calculations, criticality calculations, structural stability proofs per KTA 2201), plans and drawings, and safety engineering evidence for safe storage and handling including transport, loading and unloading facilities sized for the approved fissile material quantities for Wing M; (b) VPU preparation based on the detailed design and support the permitting process until its completion; (c) preparation of fabrication (manufacturing) documents; (d) preparation of tender documents for construction and commissioning and support during procurement/award.

Basis and constraints:Work is to be executed on the basis of an existing concept design. Planned contract duration: 20 months. Submission method: electronic (eSubmission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal). Language of documents posted: German (DE). Tender documentation available (invitation to submit request to participate, administrative annex, tender specifications, draft contract, declaration on honour) Tender documents ¹.

Categorisation and structured information

Eligible Applicant Types:Eligible applicants: legal entities capable of performing complex engineering, nuclear safety and construction documentation services. Typical eligible types include large engineering firms, specialist nuclear engineering companies, multidisciplinary design offices, consultancies with nuclear licensing experience, technical universities or research institutes acting as prime contractors or in joint ventures, public-private partnerships where allowed, and consortia combining structural, mechanical, radiation protection and criticality safety experts. SMEs could participate only if they can demonstrate required capacity, but the procurement is not SME-targeted (smeSuitableIndicator: false).

Funding Type:Primary mechanism: public procurement contract for services (tender). This is not a grant, loan or equity instrument but an awarded service contract for design, licensing support, documentation and procurement support.

Consortium Requirement:Consortium not explicitly mandatory but likely required in practice: the tender requests demonstration of multidisciplinary capabilities (engineering, nuclear safety, structural, thermal, shielding, criticality calculations) and therefore consortia or subcontracting arrangements are expected. The procurement allows requests to participate and selection criteria; tender documents include requirements for tenderer qualification. Submission may be by single body or by consortium; check tender specifications for formal rules on joint bids.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Primary geographic scope: European Union (JRC is an EU body). Tender published via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal; likely restricted to suppliers meeting EU public procurement rules and qualifications. No explicit mention of non-EU bidders; international bidders may participate if compliant with contract notice and procurement conditions—consult the Tender Specifications and Invitation to Submit Request to Participate for national/regional eligibility details ¹.

Target Sector:Sector focus: nuclear infrastructure / nuclear safety engineering, construction and technical documentation. Relevant CPV codes indicate building completion and construction-related services, architectural-engineering services and related technical consultancy (see CPV codes listed).

Mentioned Countries:Explicitly mentioned: Germany (JRC Karlsruhe). Contracting authority: European Commission (Joint Research Centre). Region: European Union.

Project Stage:Expected maturity: detailed design and licensing stage transitioning to procurement for construction and commissioning. The project assumes an existing concept design; required outputs are Entwurfsplanung (detailed design), VPU and manufacturing/fabrication documents, and tender documents for construction. TRL concept: post-research, engineering design / preparation for construction and commissioning (development, validation and demonstration readiness).

Funding Amount:No specific contract award value is published in the scraped metadata. The portal entry lists requestedTenderTotal as empty. Planned duration is 20 months, scope is comprehensive and technically demanding; prospective bidders should prepare cost estimates aligned with multidisciplinary engineering consultancy rates, specialist nuclear safety modelling and long-duration project management. Tender documents (Draft Contract, Tender Specifications) should be consulted for budget or pricing model and evaluation criteria ¹.

Application Type and Submission:Application method: open public tender via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Submission is electronic (eSubmission required). The process begins with an Invitation to submit a request to participate; candidates submit requests to participate and then full tenders according to the timeline. Deadlines: two date entries present — 2026-01-01T14:30:59Z and the official deadline 2026-06-15T16:30:59+00:00 (portal shows participation reception period endDate 2026-06-15 and time 16:30:59 +02:00). Confirm exact submission cutoff in the Invitation to submit a request to participate and Tender Specifications ¹.

Nature of Support:Beneficiaries will receive a service contract and financial payment upon award (money). The contractor will deliver non-monetary outputs (design documents, calculations, permitting support, tender documents) as specified in the contract.

Application Stages:Two-stage process implied: initial request to participate (selection stage) followed by invitation to submit a full tender (award stage). The metadata includes Two Stage Deadline Date and Invitation to submit a request to participate document. Therefore plan for at least 2 stages: selection (pre-qualification) and tender evaluation/contract award.

Success Rates:Not published. Public procurement competitions typically have low single-digit to low-double-digit award rates depending on interest and qualification thresholds. Exact success rate cannot be determined from the tender notice and must be inferred from number of participants which will be known only after submission closure.

Co-funding Requirement:No co-funding from applicant is required beyond bidder costs. This is a procurement contract where the contractor is paid by the contracting authority; co-financing is not applicable. However bidders must meet financial capacity and provide any required guarantees, insurances or performance securities per the draft contract.

Templates and Application Forms:Tender documentation published on the portal includes: 01-Spaltstofflager-ITC_V1.pdf (Invitation to submit a request to participate), 02-Spaltstofflager-AdminAnnex_new_V1.pdf (Administrative annex / tender specifications - administrative part), 03-Spaltstofflager-DoH_V1.docx (Declaration on honour), 04-Spaltstofflager-TS_V1.pdf (Tender specifications), 05-Spaltstofflager_Draft_Contract_V1.pdf (Draft contract). These documents contain templates and required forms such as the declaration on honour, selection and award criteria, and contractual clauses. Bidders must follow the structure and forms in these documents when submitting requests to participate and tenders ¹.

1. 1Mandatory documents to consult and use: Invitation to Submit Request to Participate (ITC), Administrative Annex, Tender Specifications, Declaration on Honour, Draft Contract.
2. 2Technical deliverables required: Entwurfsplanung (detailed design), system descriptions, thermal/heat removal calculations, shielding calculations, criticality calculations, structural stability proofs per KTA 2201, plans and drawings, safety documentation for storage and handling including transport/handling/loading/unloading equipment sized for approved fissile quantities.
3. 3Regulatory deliverables: VPU (Vorprüfunterlagen) prepared from the detailed design and full support of permitting process until completion.
4. 4Implementation deliverables: fabrication/manufacturing documents and procurement/tender documents for construction and commissioning, plus award support.

Assessment notes and important actions for bidders:Carefully review the Tender Specifications and Draft Contract to confirm eligibility rules, required evidence for technical and professional capacity, insurance and liability clauses, subcontracting rules, deadlines for requests to participate and full tenders, award criteria (price is indicated as weighted criterion; consult administrative annex for full scoring and subcriteria), and any security clearances or site-specific safety requirements. Prepare a multidisciplinary team able to demonstrate documented experience in nuclear facility design, criticality safety analyses, radiation shielding, thermal management of radioactive inventories, structural proofs per KTA 2201 and experience with permitting processes for fissile material storage facilities. Ensure capacity to produce permit-ready VPU and to develop procurement packages for construction and commissioning, and to support contracting authority during award.

Footnotes

1. 1Tender package and all procurement documents are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for this opportunity: Invitation to submit a request to participate, Administrative Annex, Tender Specifications, Declaration on Honour and Draft Contract. Access the portal entry for full documents and exact procedural and submission details Tender documents.

Opportunity Overview

This is a public procurement tender issued by the European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) Karlsruhe, for services related to the preparation of approval documents, support in the approval process, tender documents, and award support for the construction and commissioning of a fissile material storage facility (Spaltstofflager) in Laboratory Wing M at the JRC Karlsruhe site in Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany. The tender identifier is EC-JRC/KRU/2026/RP/1304, with reference 88d9c688-6084. It falls under CPV codes including 98113100 (Nuclear safety fuel inspection services) and related engineering consultancy codes such as 71242000, 71310000.

Contracting Authority

Europäische Kommission, Gemeinsame Forschungsstelle (JRC), specifically the JRC Karlsruhe site, which hosts the Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU). The JRC provides scientific expertise supporting EU policies, including nuclear research. Site: Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany. JRC Website

Scope of Services

The contract covers the following key deliverables based on an existing concept design:

1. 1Entwurfsplanung (design planning) including system descriptions, sizing calculations (heat removal, shielding, criticality, and structural safety proofs per KTA 2201), plans, drawings, and safety-technical proofs for secure storage and handling (transport to/from storage, loading/unloading) matching approved fissile material quantities for Wing M.
2. 2Preparation of Vorprüfunterlagen (VPU, preliminary approval documents) based on the design planning, plus support through the full approval process until completion.
3. 3Preparation of manufacturing documents (Fertigungsunterlagen).
4. 4Preparation of tender documents for implementation and support during the award process.

The project involves high-safety nuclear engineering for fissile material (Spaltstoffe) storage in a new laboratory wing extension at the ITU/JRC Karlsruhe, complying with German nuclear safety standards (KTA 2201), Sprengstoffgesetz (SprengG) for explosive substances, and related regulations. No atomic licensing is required for construction per §9 AtG and §7 StrlSchV, but approvals for storage and operations are needed.

Eligibility and Who Can Apply

Open to economic operators capable of providing specialised nuclear engineering consultancy services. This is a two-stage restricted procedure: initial request to participate (participation request), followed by invitation to tender for shortlisted candidates. Detailed selection criteria are in the tender documents. Expertise in nuclear safety, KTA standards, criticality calculations, shielding, and German approval processes for hazardous/explosive materials is essential. SMEs may participate but the project complexity suggests suitability for specialised firms with nuclear sector experience.

Key Dates and Deadlines

Procurement Details

Procedure Type:Two-stage restricted procedure (requests to participate first). Submission via eSubmission on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Award Criteria:Price (100% weighting, per tender specifications). Consult tender documents for full details.

Estimated Value:Not specified in available data; typical for such specialised nuclear services.

Lot Information:Single lot (LOT-0001). Services contract.

Tender Documents

• 01-Spaltstofflager-ITC_V1.pdf (Invitation to submit a request to participate)
• 02-Spaltstofflager-AdminAnnex_new_V1.pdf (Tender specifications - administrative part)
• 03-Spaltstofflager-DoH_V1.docx (Declaration on honour)
• 04-Spaltstofflager-TS_V1.pdf (Tender specifications)
• 05-Spaltstofflager_Draft_Contract_V1.pdf (Draft contract)

All documents available in German on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Download and review for full technical specifications, qualification requirements, and submission instructions. Contract Notice.

Additional Considerations for Applicants

• High safety requirements due to fissile/explosive materials; compliance with KTA 2201, SprengG §17 (storage permits), BImSchG for masses over 10 tonnes.
• Project context: Extension of ITU laboratory facilities for handling nuclear fuels and radioactive substances.
• Electronic submission required; electronic ordering and payment foreseen post-award.
• Legal basis: Verordnung (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509.
• Potential challenges: Strict nuclear safety proofs, coordination with German authorities for approvals.

Applicants should possess proven track record in nuclear engineering, particularly fissile material storage design and German regulatory approvals. Early review of tender specifications is recommended. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Documents updated as of 2026-05-08; check portal for latest versions.