EU Economic Policies and Social Objectives: Macroeconomic Governance, EU Social Bonds and Social Investments

The European Parliament Secretariat General, Directorate-General for Cohesion, Agriculture and Social Policies, plans a negotiated procedure (EP-CASP/2026/MVP/0010-EXA) for research services to commission a study on how EU economic policies can support social objectives, with a focus on macroeconomic governance, social bonds and social investments. The estimated contract value is €100,000 and the maximum duration is 13 months under CPV 73110000. Participation is restricted to entities within the scope of the EU Treaties, specified Overseas Countries and Territories, EEA members Iceland Norway and Liechtenstein, SAA Western Balkan countries and international organisations, with others only as subcontractors. Expressions of interest must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal (EU Login) with the EoI period starting 23 September 2026 and closing 7 October 2026.

What it funds

Scope

A commissioned study for the European Parliament Committee on Employment and Social Affairs analysing the capacity of EU economic policies to support social objectives. Topics: incorporation of social objectives into EU macroeconomic governance, potential and role of EU social bonds (as borrower instruments and to mobilise private investment), and the support to social investments at EU and Member State level.

Budget:Estimated total value €100000; maximum contract duration 13 months.

1. 1Deliverable: empirically sound, policy relevant analytical study.
2. 2Minimum team: 3 experts with postgraduate degrees and proven experience in macroeconomics, social policy or finance.
3. 3Contract type: planned negotiated procedure for low/middle value contract (research services, CPV 73110000).

Who can apply

Participation open to natural and legal persons within the scope of the EU Treaties, entities from Overseas Countries and Territories, EEA members Iceland Norway Liechtenstein, and SAA countries North Macedonia Albania Montenegro Serbia Bosnia and Herzegovina Kosovo. Entities outside these jurisdictions may participate only as subcontractors. International organisations are eligible.

Key dates and procedure

Lead contracting authority:European Parliament SG Directorate-General for Cohesion Agriculture and Social Policies. Submissions require an EU Login account and must be sent electronically via the Funding and Tenders Portal.

Footnotes

1. 1Full tender reference EP-CASP/2026/MVP/0010-EXA and original notice available at Tender details.

Opportunity identification and purpose

Overview

The European Parliament (Lead contracting authority:European Parliament, SG - Directorate-General for Cohesion, Agriculture and Social Policies) intends to commission a study titled EU Economic Policies and Social Objectives: Macroeconomic Governance, EU Social Bonds and Social Investments. The study must deliver an empirically sound and policy-relevant analysis for Members of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) on the capacity of EU economic policies to support social objectives at Member State and EU level. The analysis should: assess how social objectives are incorporated into the EU macroeconomic governance framework; evaluate the potential role of EU social bonds both as an instrument the EU (as borrower) could use on financial markets and as a mechanism to mobilise private investments for welfare sectors; and assess the extent to which the EU, especially through macroeconomic governance and social bonds, supports social investments.

Procedure identifier and classification:Procedure identifier EP-CASP/2026/MVP/0010-EXA. Main CPV code 73110000 Research services. Nature of contract: services. Procedure type: planned negotiated procedure for middle/low value contract.

Estimated value and duration:Estimated total value €100,000. Maximum contract duration 13 months.

Who can apply and mandatory applicant requirements

Eligible applicants and geographic scope

Participation to this procedure is open to natural and legal persons falling within the scope of the EU Treaties, to natural and legal persons established in third countries which have a special agreement with the EU in the field of public procurement, and to international organisations. The announcement explicitly grants access to entities based in: EU Member States; Overseas Countries and Territories associated with the EU; EEA members Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein; and countries under the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA): North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. Entities outside those named jurisdictions may only participate as subcontractors.

Eligible applicant types:Eligible applicant types include: research institutes, universities, consultancy firms, think tanks, specialist policy research organisations, NGOs and international organisations established in eligible jurisdictions, legal persons (companies) and natural persons meeting the minimum requirements. Startups, SMEs and large enterprises are eligible if they meet the legal and technical requirements and are established in eligible jurisdictions. Individuals can participate only where national rules and the contract terms allow and provided they meet minimum requirements. Subcontracting is allowed under the rules but subcontractors from outside eligible jurisdictions are limited to subcontracting roles.

Minimum team and expertise requirements:Minimum requirements for any tenderer: a team composed of at least three experts holding post-graduate university degrees with demonstrable and relevant professional experience in subjects clearly related to the study (macroeconomics, social policy, finance). The tender must show proven professional experience and qualifications matching the study topics.

Funding, procurement and application mechanics

Funding type and contract nature:This is a procurement contract awarded by the European Parliament. The primary financial mechanism is a service contract (public procurement) to deliver a study; beneficiaries receive payment for services rendered under the contract (money).

Contracting and submission method:The planned procedure is a negotiated low or middle value procedure. Expressions of interest and subsequent submissions must be electronic through the EU Login / Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission tool. An EU Login account is required for electronic submission and portal access EU Funding & Tenders Portal. ¹

1. 1Start date for expression of interest: 23/09/2026 Europe/Brussels
2. 2Deadline for expression of interest: 07/10/2026 00:59 Europe/Brussels (EXA registration deadline also listed as 06/10/2026 23:59:59 Europe/Brussels in the detailed fields)
3. 3Indicative date of launch of the negotiated procedure: 16/10/2026 Europe/Brussels

Technical scope and expected deliverables

The contractor must deliver a study that provides:an empirically grounded assessment of the capacity of EU economic policies to pursue and support social objectives across Member States and at EU level; analysis of how social objectives are currently reflected in EU macroeconomic governance (rules, fiscal and economic surveillance, economic policy coordination); an assessment of the potential for EU social bonds to complement public spending both as an instrument enabling the EU as a borrower on financial markets and as a means to leverage private investment into welfare and social services; and an evaluation of the extent to which the EU, particularly through macroeconomic governance and social bond instruments, supports social investment priorities.

The study should be policy-relevant and empirically based. The contractor will need to demonstrate methodological approach, data sources, empirical strategy (quantitative and qualitative where appropriate), stakeholder mapping, and policy recommendations tailored for Members of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. The tender should include team CVs, evidence of prior comparable assignments, detailed workplan, milestones, and a clear dissemination/quality assurance plan for final and interim deliverables.

Selection, consortium and subcontracting rules

The planned negotiated procedure allows the contracting authority to negotiate with applicants. The announcement does not impose an exclusive consortium requirement; a single legal entity may submit, provided it meets all requirements (including the minimum team composition). Consortia are permitted if they meet eligibility and technical requirements. Entities outside the enumerated eligible jurisdictions may participate only as subcontractors. The tender dossier (to be published at the call launch) will specify selection, exclusion and award criteria in detail; applicants should monitor the Funding & Tenders Portal for the negotiated procedure launch and full documentation.

Co-funding and financial obligations:No explicit co-funding requirement is stated in the EXA publication. This is a procurement contract: the contractor will be remunerated under the contract terms up to the estimated value. Standard public procurement financial rules and invoicing conditions will apply and will be specified in the call documents.

Administrative and evaluation information

Classification (CPV):73110000 Research services. The procurement is flagged as not SME suitable. The contracting system type is none (no framework agreement indicated). The award will follow negotiated procedure rules for middle/low value contracts. Full award criteria, weighting and scoring will be published with the tender documents when the negotiated procedure is launched.

Application stages and success rate:The EXA notice indicates an expression of interest stage and an anticipated subsequent negotiated procedure. Based on the EXA text: at least two application stages can be expected — 1) expression of interest/registration (electronic) and 2) negotiated tender submission and evaluation. The exact number of stages (for example whether there will be a shortlist and interviews or presentations) will be defined in the formal tender documents. No success rate or historical award rate is provided in the EXA notice or accompanying metadata.

Practical guidance for applicants

Applicants must create an EU Login account and be prepared to submit electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission tool. Prepare to demonstrate compliance with eligibility (jurisdictional), minimum team composition (three post-graduate experts), and to provide CVs, prior project references in macroeconomics/social policy/finance, a detailed methodology and workplan, anticipated deliverables and milestones, and a clear budget and invoicing schedule consistent with the €100,000 estimated overall contract amount.

1. 1Register EU Login and Funding & Tenders Portal account and ensure eSubmission access.
2. 2Form an application team with minimum three post-graduate experts in macroeconomics, social policy and finance.
3. 3Prepare technical proposal: methodology, empirical approach, data sources, workplan, deliverables and dissemination plan.
4. 4Prepare administrative and financial proposal aligned with procurement rules and estimated contract value.
5. 5Submit expression of interest by the portal before the deadline, then follow instructions for the negotiated procedure launch.

Explicitly mentioned countries and territories

Countries and territories explicitly named in the EXA notice as eligible:EU Member States (unspecified list of all Member States), Overseas Countries and Territories associated with the EU, EEA members Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein, and SAA countries North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. Other jurisdictions are excluded from direct participation except as subcontractors.

Additional metadata and references

Tender reference:EP-CASP/2026/MVP/0010-EXA. Portal link: ec.europa.eu. CPV 73110000 Research services. Estimated overall contract amount: €100,000. Planned launch of negotiated procedure: 16/10/2026 Europe/Brussels.

Templates and expected application structure:The EXA publication does not include templates. Typical structure to prepare in advance for the forthcoming negotiated tender (the contracting authority will publish exact forms and any templates when the procedure is launched): 1) Administrative form(s): legal entity identification, proof of eligibility, declarations on exclusion and selection criteria, EU Login/eSubmission receipt; 2) Technical proposal: executive summary, understanding of the task, methodology and empirical strategy, detailed workplan with milestones and deliverables, team composition and CVs/resumes of minimum three experts, relevant past projects and references, quality assurance and risk management; 3) Financial proposal: itemised budget, including staff days by expert, overheads (if allowed), travel and incidental costs, total price consistent with the procurement rules, invoicing schedule; 4) Annexes: legal documents, signed declarations, sample deliverable or previous study examples, letters of intent (if consortium) and subcontracting details.

Unspecified or missing information applicants should expect to find in the tender dossier

The EXA notice does not publish full award criteria, weighting, evaluation method, contract conditions, detailed payment terms, intellectual property rules, data protection clauses, or precise deliverable format/length. These will be set out in the tender documents at launch of the negotiated procedure. Applicants should monitor the Funding & Tenders Portal and prepare clarifying questions to the contracting authority once the call documents are published.

Summary and how to explain this opportunity

This is a European Parliament procurement to commission a 13-month policy and research study worth around €100,000. The study will inform the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs on the interplay between EU macroeconomic governance and social objectives, and the potential role of EU social bonds and social investments. Eligible applicants are organisations and individuals established in EU Member States, EEA EFTA states Iceland Norway and Liechtenstein, Overseas Countries and Territories and the listed SAA Western Balkan jurisdictions; others can only be subcontractors. A minimum team of three post-graduate experts in macroeconomics social policy and finance is required. The procedure is a planned negotiated middle/low value procurement; expressions of interest must be submitted electronically through the Funding & Tenders Portal by the published deadline. Full tender documents with award criteria and templates will be made available at the launch of the negotiated procedure.

Footnotes

1. 1EU Login account is required for electronic submission and portal interactions: ec.europa.eu. The Funding & Tenders Portal hosts the eSubmission tool and will contain the official call documents when the negotiated procedure is launched.

Opportunity summary

This is a planned negotiated procedure for a middle or low value services contract, not an open call for tenders yet. It concerns a study for the European Parliament on how EU economic policies can support social objectives, with a particular focus on macroeconomic governance, social bonds and social investments.

The opportunity

The contracting authority is the European Parliament, specifically the Secretariat General Directorate General for Cohesion, Agriculture and Social Policies. The procedure identifier is EP-CASP/2026/MVP/0010-EXA, the estimated value is €100000, the maximum duration is 13 months, and the contract is for research services under CPV 73110000.

What the study is about

The study is intended to provide Members of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs with an empirically sound and policy relevant analysis of the current and potential capacity of EU economic policies to support social objectives at Member State and EU level.

The main analytical tasks include assessing how social objectives are incorporated into the EU macroeconomic governance framework, examining whether social bonds can complement public spending as an EU borrowing instrument and as a way to mobilise private investment in the welfare sector, and evaluating how far the EU is supporting social investments through these policy levers.

Background and policy relevance

The subject fits into a broader EU debate on social investment, economic governance and the use of financial instruments for social policy objectives. EU institutions and related policy documents have described social investment as a way to strengthen human capital, capabilities and social resilience, while the European Commission has also explored social bonds as a social finance instrument and the broader role of EU borrowing in supporting strategic policy objectives.[1][2][4][5][11][13][15]

Who can apply

Eligibility is restricted. Participation is open exclusively to natural and legal persons within the scope of the EU Treaties, to natural and legal persons established in a third country with a special agreement with the EU in public procurement, and to international organisations.

The opportunity specifically indicates access for entities based in EU Member States, Overseas Countries and Territories, EEA members Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein, and countries under Stabilisation and Association Agreements, namely North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. Other entities may participate only as subcontractors.

Minimum team requirements

A bid must include a team of at least 3 experts with postgraduate university degrees and proven professional experience clearly relevant to the topic, covering macroeconomics, social policy and finance.

Commercial and procedural details

The procedure type is a planned negotiated procedure for a middle or low value contract. Expression of interest is electronic and must be submitted through the Funding and Tenders Portal with an EU Login account.

The start date for expression of interest is 23 September 2026. The deadline for expression of interest is 7 October 2026 at 00:59 Brussels time. The indicative date for launch of the negotiated procedure is 16 October 2026.

The contract is marked as a services contract and no framework agreement is indicated. The public Q and A section shows no questions or answers at the time of the captured page.

Assessment of opportunity for applicants

This is a focused policy research assignment rather than a large implementation contract. It is best suited to universities, policy research institutes, consultancies, think tanks and multidisciplinary consortia that can combine EU economic governance expertise with social policy and financial market analysis.

Applicants will likely be expected to demonstrate strong methodological capacity, familiarity with EU fiscal and social policy frameworks, and the ability to produce concise, policy relevant analysis for parliamentary use within a short and clearly bounded contract period.

Key points for applicants

1. The opportunity is limited to a narrow eligible geography and legal scope, so consortium composition matters.

2. The team requirement of at least three relevant experts should be satisfied explicitly in the offer.

3. The subject mixes macroeconomic governance, welfare financing and capital market instruments, so interdisciplinary expertise is essential.

4. The assignment is relatively small in budget terms but highly policy sensitive, which increases the importance of a strong technical and drafting profile.

Practical interpretation

In practical terms, this opportunity is a preparatory notice for a future negotiated procurement. Interested organisations should monitor the portal closely, ensure EU Login access is active, and prepare an expression of interest that demonstrates eligibility, team strength and direct topical experience.

Official source

The opportunity is published on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal under the title EU Economic Policies and Social Objectives: Macroeconomic Governance, EU Social Bonds and Social Investments.

Official portal record

¹

The authoritative publication is the EU Funding and Tenders Portal notice for EP-CASP/2026/MVP/0010-EXA, which identifies the contracting authority, value, deadline and eligibility scope.

Sources used for context on the policy topic include European Commission and EU institutional material on the Social Investment Package, social bonds, EU macroeconomic governance and social investment debates.[1][2][4][5][11][13][15]

Footnotes

1. 1EU Funding and Tenders Portal notice for EP-CASP/2026/MVP/0010-EXA, EU Economic Policies and Social Objectives: Macroeconomic Governance, EU Social Bonds and Social Investments. The portal record states that it is a planned call for tenders notice for a future negotiated low or middle value procedure.