European Monitoring of Biodiversity in Agricultural Landscapes (EMBAL) 2028

European Commission DG Environment has published a planned service tender (EC-ENV/2026/OP/0028) for European Monitoring of Biodiversity in Agricultural Landscapes (EMBAL 2028) to carry out harmonised field surveys across all EU Member States in 2028 and 2029 and to analyse the collected data. The contract is estimated at €5,400,000 and requires surveying at least 4,500 sites per year (minimum 9,000 site-surveys over two years) following the EMBAL protocol. Scope includes survey preparation, execution, data post-processing and analysis, and organisation of a dissemination conference, and submissions must be made via the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission with Participant Identification Codes (PICs). Bidders should be able to mobilise multi-country field teams, deliver LUCAS-compatible standardized data workflows, and meet the quality assurance and reporting requirements set out in the tender dossier.

Who can apply

Eligibility overview

Open tender by the European Commission DG ENV. Eligible bidders are economic operators (organisations, consortia or joint bids) able to deliver large-scale field monitoring, data processing and analysis across all EU Member States; registration in the Participant Register (PIC) and electronic eSubmission are required.

What the contract funds:A two-year delivery (2028 and 2029) of the EMBAL field survey across all EU Member States, post-processing and analysis of the data, and organisation of a results conference; the survey must cover at least 4 500 sites per year (minimum 9 000 site-surveys total) following the EMBAL 2022/2023 protocol ¹.

1. 1Preparation of field survey (sampling design, recruit surveyors, equipment, digitised workflows, QC and contingency)
2. 2Execution of the field survey in all EU Member States
3. 3Data post-processing and quality assurance
4. 4Data analysis and reporting
5. 5Organisation of a conference to present results

Key deadlines:initial expression of interest/queries period ends 2026-09-29; tender submission deadline 07 October 2026 16:00:59 Europe/Brussels. Open tender documents, questions and eSubmission via the Funding & Tenders Portal F&T Portal.

Footnotes

1. 1Tender specifications and EMBAL toolkit are provided in the tender documentation; EMBAL 2022/2023 protocol, dataset and analytical reports are linked from the procurement page and the JRC dataset (see portal).

Opportunity identification and administrative details

Title:European Monitoring of Biodiversity in Agricultural Landscapes (EMBAL) 2028. Call identifier: EC-ENV/2026/OP/0028. Contracting authority: European Commission, DG ENV - Environment. Procedure type: negotiated middle-value call for tender (published as an open tender on the Funding & Tenders Portal and Contract Notice OJ S 144/2026). Tender submissions must be made electronically via the eSubmission system on the Funding & Tenders Portal. Two important deadlines were published: an initial deadline 2026-01-01T14:00:59.000Z (contextual/administrative) and the formal closing date for receipt of tenders 07 October 2026 at 16:00:59 Europe/Brussels timezone. An open tender event (opening) is scheduled on 08 October 2026 10:30:00 Europe/Brussels. The procurement is for services with an estimated overall contract value of €5,400,000 and a planned contract duration of 48 months. The procurement main CPV code is 90700000 (environmental services).

Primary objectives:Contribute to establishing a robust data series on biodiversity in EU agricultural landscapes and to improve understanding of biodiversity trends and policy impacts. Specifically, to undertake the EMBAL field survey in all EU Member States in 2028 and 2029, surveying at least 4 500 sites per year (minimum 9 000 site-surveys across two years), and to analyse the collected data.

Scope of work and tasks

The contract covers full survey delivery and analysis, strictly following the EMBAL survey protocol and technical guidelines prepared and executed during EMBAL 2022/2023. The major tasks specified in the tender documents are:

1. 1Preparation of the field survey including sampling strategy and design, pre-processing of monitoring sites, selection and recruitment of surveyors, provision of material and equipment, digitised data workflow, helpdesk services, quality control and contingency planning.
2. 2Execution of the field survey across all EU Member States in 2028 and 2029 covering at least 4 500 sites per year.
3. 3Data post-processing (data cleaning, harmonisation, metadata, quality assurance and integration with existing EMBAL datasets).
4. 4Data analysis (statistical analyses, trend assessments, evaluation of policy impacts, creation of indicators and reporting at EU and national level).
5. 5Organisation of a conference to present results (planning, logistics, content production and dissemination).

Deliverables and expected outputs

Key expected deliverables include:a validated field dataset for 2028 and 2029 following EMBAL protocols; post-processed and documented datasets ready for analysis; analytical reports describing biodiversity status and trends, and policy impact analysis; metadata and data products compatible with EMBAL 2022/2023 outputs; and organisation of a dissemination conference presenting results to stakeholders. The contractor must follow the EMBAL toolkit and technical guidelines and replicate the 2022/2023 survey quality and methods.

Essential reference documents:Applicants must consult and follow the EMBAL survey protocol and technical guidelines and the EMBAL 2022/2023 dataset and analytical report. These documents are available from the Commission and JRC sources and are explicitly referenced in the tender specifications EMBAL toolkit EMBAL dataset Analytical report Appendix to analytical report ¹

Eligibility, consortium and procedural rules

This is a tender for provision of services aimed at DG Environment. The tender documentation includes detailed selection and award criteria. Tenders must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission tool. Economic operators (single entities or groups) must be registered in the Participant Register and use Participant Identification Codes (PICs). The tendering instructions require strict compliance with the procurement documents and the tender specifications provided in the portal.

Eligible applicant types:Eligible bidders include organisations and legal entities able to enter into a public contract with the European Commission. Typical eligible applicant types are: research institutes, universities, NGOs, nonprofit organisations, SMEs, large enterprises, environmental consultancies, survey companies, consortia and public bodies. Joint tenders (consortia) are explicitly envisaged: the portal and tender annexes explain rules for groups of economic operators. Individuals are not typical contracting parties for a contract of this scale. Read the tender specifications and invitation letter for exact admissibility and qualification requirements.

Consortium requirement:The procurement allows either a single economic operator or a consortium (joint tender). Given the geographical coverage (all EU Member States) and multidisciplinary tasks (field surveying, taxonomy, GIS, statistics, event organisation), the tender documentation and selection criteria strongly favour consortia with complementary technical capacity, national coverage and demonstrated experience.

Beneficiary geographic eligibility:Beneficiaries must be legal entities able to contract with the European Commission. The survey covers EU Member States (EU-27). The procurement is launched by DG ENV and is therefore targeted at entities established in the European Union. Tender documents will specify any requirements regarding establishment, registration or representative capacity in Member States.

Funding, contract value and financial rules

Funding type:procurement (service contract) awarded by the European Commission (DG ENV). Estimated overall contract amount: €5,400,000. The tender is a negotiated middle-value procedure published for transparency and competition; the contract will be procured under public procurement rules and executed under the draft contract terms provided in the tender documentation. Payments follow the contractual payment schedule in the draft contract and are not grants; this is a fee-for-service contract. See draft contract in portal documents for payment modalities.

Co-funding requirement:No co-funding from the applicant is indicated as a requirement in the tender summary: the contract is a fee-for-service procurement with a defined estimated contract value. Applicants must price their offers in line with the award criteria and the draft contract. If subcontracting is proposed, the tender rules treat subcontract costs as eligible within the offered price; any requirement for co-financing or matching funds would be specified in the tender specifications.

Evaluation and award

Award criteria are quality (weight 60) and price (weight 40) as specified in the lot tendering terms. The quality evaluation will require detailed methodology, track record, staffing, quality assurance, risk and contingency planning, and compliance with the EMBAL protocol. Applicants must consult the tender specifications and annexes for precise scoring, pass/fail criteria and documentary evidence required for selection and award. An electronic opening event and clarifications timetable are included in the tendering timetable.

Application stages and process:Application submission is single-stage (submission of full tender via eSubmission). However, the procurement workflow includes: expression of interest (for negotiated low/middle value procedures where applicable), submission of tenders via eSubmission, administrative checks (conformity and selection), technical and financial evaluation, and contract award. Practically applicants should expect at least 3 formal stages: preparation and expression of interest (if applicable), formal submission, and evaluation/award.

Success rates:The tender documentation does not publish explicit success rates. Typical EU DG ENV competitive tenders of this nature receive a limited number of competitive bids (often between 3 and 10), but success rates vary by market and prior experience. No guaranteed statistical success rate is provided in the procurement documents.

Project maturity and target sectors

Project stage:operational implementation and demonstration. The procurement requires operational delivery of field surveys and applied data analysis rather than basic research. The project targets immediate implementation at scale across Member States and subsequent analytical outputs.

Target sectors and disciplines:Primary thematic areas: environment, biodiversity monitoring and agriculture/food systems. Required disciplinary expertise includes ecology and biodiversity science, field survey design and execution, taxonomy and pollinator monitoring, GIS and spatial analysis, data management, statistics and modelling, and science communication and event organisation.

Technical and capability requirements (summary from tender documents)

Applicants must demonstrate capability to:design and implement a large-scale coordinated field monitoring campaign across the EU; recruit, train and manage surveyors; supply appropriate field equipment; implement digitised data workflows and helpdesk support; apply strict quality assurance, data post-processing and harmonisation following EMBAL protocols; undertake advanced statistical and trend analyses; prepare reports, metadata and deliverables compatible with EU and JRC data infrastructures; and organise a final conference to present results.

1. 1Proven track record in multi-country biodiversity surveys or LUCAS-compatible surveys.
2. 2Capacity to mobilise and manage qualified surveyors in all EU Member States during peak phenological periods.
3. 3IT and data management capacity to implement secure digitised workflows and comply with data policies.
4. 4Statistical and ecological modelling expertise to analyse trends and policy impacts.
5. 5Experience in stakeholder dissemination and event organisation at EU level.

Application materials, templates and submission format

Submission method:mandatory electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission tool. Required documentation and templates are provided in the tender dossier on the portal, including: Invitation Letter, Tender Specifications (Tender specifications PDF), Draft Contract and annexes. The dossier includes Annexes to tender specifications in Word format, qualification forms, and detailed technical requirements. Economic operators must be registered in the Participant Register and include Participant Identification Codes (PICs) for each legal entity. For eSubmission instructions consult the eSubmission Quick Guide on the portal. The draft contract included in the documents defines contractual terms and payment milestones.

How the application forms look and structure applicants should follow:Application forms follow the standard F&T Portal eSubmission structure and the tender-specific annex templates. Expect the following sections in the eSubmission package: administrative forms (legal entity and PIC information), declaration of honour and exclusion criteria, financial offer (price breakdown and summary), technical offer (methodology, work plan, timing, staff and competence profiles, quality assurance and risk mitigation), subcontracting plan (if any), and supporting documentation (CVs, previous project descriptions, certificates). The tender specifications reference specific selection and award evidence to upload; applicants must follow the exact file naming and template requirements provided in the tender dossier.

Key dates and procurement timetable

Estimated contract value and payment context

Estimated overall contract amount:€5 400 000. This is an indicative total procurement value for the services described. The draft contract available in the tender dossier defines the payment schedule and invoicing rules. This is a service procurement; payments will be made to the contractor under the contractual terms and not as a grant.

Recommended bid preparation checklist

1. 1Register all legal entities in the Participant Register and obtain PICs well before submission.
2. 2Download and study the Tender Specifications, Invitation Letter and Draft Contract from the F&T Portal and Annexes (including EMBAL toolkit and EMBAL 2022/2023 reports and dataset).
3. 3Assemble a multidisciplinary consortium covering field surveying capacity in all EU Member States, taxonomy and data analysis capability, data management and IT infrastructure, and dissemination expertise.
4. 4Prepare a detailed methodological proposal that demonstrates strict adherence to the EMBAL survey protocol and guidelines, including sampling strategy, surveyor training, QA/QC procedures and contingency planning.
5. 5Provide CVs and proven track record for key personnel, and examples of relevant previous projects (multi-country biodiversity surveys, large-scale monitoring projects).
6. 6Complete the financial offer and price breakdown consistent with the award criteria balancing quality and price and respecting the procurement rules.
7. 7Plan for subcontracting and partnerships explicitly and include subcontracting details in the offer, ensuring compliance with procurement rules.
8. 8Ensure all supporting documents are in the required formats and uploaded to the eSubmission system before the deadline.

Mentioned countries and geographic scope

The tender explicitly covers all EU Member States (EU-27). The procurement is issued by the European Commission and is available to economic operators established in the EU; no non-EU countries are specified as eligible in the summary. Refer to the tender specifications for precise rules on establishment and participation.

Success factors and competitive advantages for bidders

1. 1Demonstrated experience delivering large-scale, harmonised biodiversity field surveys across multiple EU Member States (ideally involvement in EMBAL 2022/2023 or LUCAS-compatible surveys).
2. 2Strong consortium composition with national partners or subcontractors able to deploy trained surveyors during peak phenology windows.
3. 3Robust digitised data collection and management pipeline with capacity for quality control, metadata creation and timely post-processing.
4. 4Established analytical capacity to produce policy-relevant indicators and trend analyses and experience interfacing with EU JRC and DG ENV data infrastructures.
5. 5Clear quality assurance and contingency plans to achieve the high minimum site survey numbers required.

Legal and administrative references

Procurement documentation available in the Funding & Tenders Portal includes:Invitation Letter OP0028_EMBAL 2028_INV_V1.pdf, Tender Specifications 0028 EMBAL 2028_final_V1.pdf, and Draft Contract OC 0028 SER EMBAL CONTRACT_V1.pdf. The contract notice is published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJ S 144/2026). Applicants must comply with the procurement procedure, eSubmission rules and the draft contract's legal terms.

Concluding summary

This tender is a procurement from DG ENV to implement and analyse the EMBAL monitoring campaigns in 2028 and 2029 across all EU Member States. The contractor will prepare and execute large-scale harmonised field surveys (minimum 4 500 sites per year), process and analyse the resulting data in compliance with EMBAL 2022/2023 protocols, and organise a conference to present findings. This is a service contract with an estimated value of €5.4 million, requiring strong multi-country operational capacity, ecological and statistical expertise, rigorous data management and QA/QC processes, and experience in EU-level reporting and stakeholder dissemination. Submission is via the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission tool and applicants must follow the detailed instructions and templates in the tender dossier. The successful bidder will deliver a validated biodiversity dataset and analytical outputs that support EU and national policy assessment and the development of biodiversity indicators.

Footnotes

1. 1Primary EMBAL reference documents and prior dataset: EMBAL toolkit and technical guidelines available at biodiversity.europa.eu; EMBAL 2022/2023 dataset at data.jrc.ec.europa.eu; EMBAL analytical report at op.europa.eu; Appendix at op.europa.eu.

EMBAL 2028 is a planned EU service tender led by DG Environment to carry out harmonised biodiversity field surveys in agricultural landscapes across all EU Member States in 2028 and 2029 and then analyse the collected data. The available sources indicate an estimated contract value of €5,400,000 and describe it as a planned call for tenders with OJ S publication ¹.

Opportunity snapshot

Scope and deliverables

The contract seeks to build a robust EU data series on biodiversity in agricultural landscapes and to improve understanding of policy impacts on biodiversity trends at EU and national level. The contractor must survey at least 4,500 sites per year using the EMBAL protocol and technical guidelines from the 2022/2023 survey ²⁴.

1. 1Preparation of the field survey, including sampling strategy and design, pre-processing of monitoring sites, recruitment of surveyors, materials and equipment, digitised data workflow, helpdesk, quality control and contingency planning ².
2. 2Execution of the field survey ².
3. 3Data post-processing ².
4. 4Data analysis ².
5. 5Organisation of a conference to present the results ².

Who should consider applying

This is a procurement opportunity for organisations that can deliver large-scale, harmonised field surveys and data analysis across the EU. The methodology is LUCAS-compatible and based on 500 by 500 metre plots on a 2 by 2 km grid, so bidders should be able to manage field logistics, geospatial workflows and quality-controlled biodiversity data collection ²³.

1. 1Demonstrated experience with standardised ecological or agricultural field surveys ².
2. 2Capacity to recruit, train and supervise surveyors across multiple Member States ².
3. 3Reliable digital field data collection, validation and post-processing workflows ².
4. 4Ability to analyse harmonised biodiversity datasets and produce technical reporting ².
5. 5Ability to organise dissemination or conference events at the end of the contract ².

Deadlines and submission

The supplied metadata lists two deadline timestamps, but the publicly visible third-party listings are inconsistent, so the Funding and Tenders Portal notice should be treated as the authoritative source for the final bid deadline ³. EU tender submissions must be made through eSubmission, and each participating organisation needs a Participant Identification Code ³.

Useful background documents

The earlier EMBAL materials are the best technical starting point for bidders because they show the survey protocol, the 2022/2023 data structure, and the analytical baseline ⁴.

• EMBAL survey protocol and technical guidelines EMBAL toolkit.
• EMBAL 2022/2023 dataset JRC EMBAL dataset.
• EMBAL 2022/2023 analytical report Analytical report.
• EMBAL 2022/2023 appendix to the analytical report Appendix.

Footnotes

1. 1Official portal notice: Funding and Tenders Portal tender page. Third-party coverage reports a planned call for tenders with estimated total value €5,400,000 and procedure identifier EC-ENV/2026/OP/0028-PIN.
2. 2EMBAL methodology source: EMBAL wiki and JRC EMBAL dataset. These describe a LUCAS-compatible field survey using 500 by 500 metre plots on a 2 by 2 km grid across EU 27 and recording land cover, landscape elements, habitat types, plot-scale biodiversity and pollination resources.
3. 3Submission guidance: European Commission environment calls for tender. Tenders must be submitted via eSubmission and organisations need a Participant Identification Code. A third-party listing shows a conflicting submission date of 26 Jul 2026 Conflicting listing.
4. 4Background documents supplied in the prompt: EMBAL survey protocol and technical guidelines, EMBAL 2022/2023 dataset, EMBAL 2022/2023 analytical report, and EMBAL 2022/2023 appendix.