Evidence reviews for the European Commission Initiatives on cancer screening and care

Open services tender by the European Commission DG JRC (Disease Prevention Unit) to award framework agreements for evidence reviews supporting EU cancer screening, guideline and quality assurance initiatives. Two lots cover preparation of Evidence to Decision frameworks and quality indicator worksheets for major cancers, with maximum duration 48 months and estimated lot values €3,600,000 and €1,900,000 (total €5,500,000). Award is by best price-quality ratio (quality 60%, price 40%) and requires technical capacity in systematic reviews, guideline methodology (GRADE), and named professional profiles with financial templates quoting daily rates. Electronic tenders via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal are due 30/09/2026 16:00 Europe/Rome with public opening 01/10/2026.

Opportunity type and contracting authority

Call for tenders EC-JRC/IPR/2026/OP/3522

Open procedure launched by the European Commission Joint Research Centre (DG JRC, Disease Prevention Unit) to award framework contracts for systematic evidence reviews to support European guidelines and quality assurance schemes for cancer screening and care.

What it funds:Evidence mapping and systematic reviews, synthesis and critical appraisal, and preparation of Evidence to Decision frameworks (Lot 1) and quality‑indicator worksheets and requirements (Lot 2) to support development and updates of guideline recommendations and QA schemes.

1. 1Lot 1: Evidence reviews and preparation of Evidence to Decision Frameworks (emphasis on breast, colorectal, cervical and lung cancer).
2. 2Lot 2: Evidence reviews and preparation of quality indicator worksheets (emphasis on breast, colorectal, cervical and lung cancer).

Who can apply:Economic operators established in eligible countries (natural or legal persons; sole tenderers or consortia) with documented technical capacity to perform systematic reviews, guideline support and quality‑indicator development; tenders submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Key selection expectations include track record in systematic reviews and guideline development (GRADE or equivalent), access to major biomedical databases and review software, and a proposed team with senior and junior reviewers, statisticians, librarians and health economists.

Budget, duration and deadlines

This procurement is for multiple framework contracts (cascade, max. 5 contractors per lot). Estimated total procedure value €5 500 000 across both lots; individual lot ceilings and estimated values are in the table below.

Deadlines:Deadlines for receipt of tenders (Europe/Rome): 1) 2026-01-01T14:00:59.000Z (published metadata entry); 2) closing date published on the portal 30/09/2026 16:00 Europe/Rome. Public opening: 01/10/2026 14:00 Europe/Rome.

Award method and evaluation

Award by best price‑quality ratio. Price weight 40% and quality 60% (quality assessed through simulation test, organisation of work/resources and quality control measures). See tender specifications and financial templates for calculation rules and required price breakdowns.

How to apply

Submit electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (EU Login required). Prepare required administrative, technical (CVs, evidence of experience, protocols) and financial documents using the templates in the procurement dossier.

1. 1Register organisation in the Participant Register (PIC) and EU Login.
2. 2Download tender documents and annexes from the call page.
3. 3Submit separate technical and financial tenders per lot through eSubmission before the deadline.

Full procurement documents, templates and contact/QA pages are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal call page EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Additional procurement details and templates are on the Portal call page; procurement and submission must follow the published tender specifications and draft contract ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement documents include detailed technical specifications, administrative rules, award criteria and financial templates (Annex I and Annexes 6a/€6B). See the call page for all annexes and Q&A Tender documents.

One-line summary

Open public procurement (call for tenders) by the European Commission Joint Research Centre, Disease Prevention Unit. The JRC is procuring framework service contracts to perform evidence mapping and evidence reviews, including systematic reviews, synthesis and critical appraisal, and prepare Evidence to Decision frameworks and quality indicator worksheets for European guidelines and quality assurance schemes for cancer screening and care. Two separate lots are tendered: Lot 1 Evidence reviews and EtDs; Lot 2 Evidence reviews and quality indicator worksheets.

Key administrative details and important dates

Publication / TED reference:03/08/2026, TED ref 147/2026 535174-2026. Procedure: Open procedure. Submission method: Electronic via EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission; EU Login account required. Public opening: 01/10/2026 14:00 Europe/Rome. Deadline for receipt of tenders: 30/09/2026 16:00 Europe/Rome. Contracting authority: European Commission, DG JRC - Joint Research Centre (Lead).

Estimated total value and lot values:Estimated total procedure value €5 500 000. Lot 1 estimated value €3 600 000. Lot 2 estimated value €1 900 000. Maximum framework duration for each lot: 48 months.

What the procurement buys

Objective:provide continuity for collection, analysis and assessment of evidence informing European Commission initiatives on cancer screening and care, following a uniform methodological framework. Lot 1: mapping (background/scoping reviews, identification of existing guidelines) and evidence reviews including systematic reviews, synthesis, critical appraisal and definition of Evidence to Decision frameworks (EtDs) used to develop and update guideline recommendations; emphasis but not exclusive to breast, colorectal, cervical and lung cancer. Lot 2: mapping (background/scoping reviews, identification of existing quality indicators) and evidence reviews including systematic reviews, synthesis, critical appraisal and definition of quality indicator worksheets and requirements for development and update of quality indicators; emphasis but not exclusive to breast, colorectal, cervical and lung cancer.

Eligibility and applicant requirements

Eligible applicants:legal persons and groups of legal persons (joint tenders). The tender allows sole tenderers and joint tenders. Participant Identification Code (PIC) required. Relevant professional profiles and team capacity are mandatory and assessed as selection criteria (project coordinator, senior and junior systematic reviewers, statistical experts, research librarian/information specialist, health economist, administrative assistant). Professional conflicting interests and exclusion grounds are explicitly addressed by Declaration on Honour and evidence requirements.

Eligible Applicant Types

Startups, SMEs, large enterprises, universities, research institutes, non-profit organisations, NGOs and consortia are all eligible provided they comply with the rules on access to procurement (EU/Agreement on Government Procurement countries) and are not subject to exclusion grounds. Subcontracting is permitted with conditions: subcontractors whose share exceeds 20% or who are relied upon for selection criteria must be identified, and commitment letters must be provided.

Funding Type

Primary financial mechanism:procurement contract (services). Nature: framework service contract(s) awarded via open procedure; framework agreement, without reopening of competition, implemented as multiple framework contracts in cascade (maximum 5 contractors per lot) with specific contracts (SCs) issued under the framework.

Consortium Requirement

Consortium allowed but not mandatory. Tenders may be submitted by single legal persons or by groups of economic operators (joint tenders). In joint tenders: group leader must be appointed, all group members sign a power of attorney agreement, and joint and several liability applies.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility)

Geographic eligibility:Entities established in the EU and countries covered by the EU rules on public procurement (including Agreement on Government Procurement members). Participation is open to legal and natural persons established in third countries where applicable under the tender documents and EU agreements. The procurement documents specify that transfers of personal data must remain within the EU/EEA unless transfers comply with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725.

Target Sector

Health sector:cancer screening and care, guideline development, quality assurance, evidence synthesis, systematic reviews, epidemiology, health economics, health services research. Related topics include screening programmes, diagnostic pathways, quality indicators for clinical and service processes, monitoring and evaluation of cancer care.

Mentioned Countries

Explicit country references:Italy (JRC Ispra site). Primary region: European Union (EU) — work supports EU Initiatives on Cancer Screening and Care. Participation rules reference EU, EEA and Agreement on Government Procurement countries; data processing limited to EU/EEA unless otherwise authorised.

Project Stage

Expected maturity:research synthesis, evidence review, validation and guideline development stages. Work covers mapping, systematic review, evidence appraisal, development of Evidence to Decision frameworks, quality indicator development and specification — tasks range from literature review (research) through evidence synthesis and EtD definition (validation / decision support) to outputs intended for guideline recommendations and quality assurance implementation (demonstration to policy adoption).

Funding Amount

Estimated procurement values:Total €5 500 000. Lot 1 estimated €3 600 000. Lot 2 estimated €1 900 000. Individual specific contract values will be fixed at the time of each SC and are built from tender financial forms. Lot-level ceilings are the maximum sum under the framework for each lot.

Application Type

Method of submission:Open call for tenders, electronic eSubmission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Not an open grant call: procurement procedure requires tender dossier with administrative, technical and financial offers submitted electronically.

Nature of Support

Beneficiaries will receive monetary remuneration via service contracts (payments for services performed). Contractors are paid per contract terms (interim payments and balance). Non-monetary support: access to JRC expert groups, templates, the GRADEPro tool access and JRC coordination and data. The contract includes deliverable acceptance and reporting obligations.

Application Stages

Stages in the procurement and award process:1) Publication and tender submission; 2) Opening of tenders and administrative checks; 3) Exclusion and selection checks (Declarations on Honour, evidence on economic, financial and technical capacity); 4) Technical evaluation (quality) and price evaluation; 5) Ranking and award of multiple framework contracts in cascade; 6) Signature of framework contract and call(s) for specific contracts under the framework. For each specific contract there is an internal call and short tendering round among ranked contractors in cascade.

Evaluation and Award method:Award method: Best price-quality ratio. Quality is weighted 60% and price 40% for both lots. Quality subcriteria include a simulation test, organisation of work and resources, and quality control measures. Price scoring uses a two-component calculation (tasks price 80% of price score and profiles price 20%).

Selection criteria, required team profiles and minimum capacities

Selection criteria are specified in the administrative specifications and technical specifications. Economic and financial minimum turnover for Lot 1: average yearly turnover over the last three financial years above €900 000 (consolidated assessment). For Lot 2: above €500 000 (consolidated assessment). Technical and professional capacity criteria include documented experience in systematic reviews, guideline development (use of GRADE), availability of specific software/tools, access to major biomedical databases and a pool of personnel with minimum numbers and years of experience per profile. Professional conflicting interests must be declared and managed. Exclusion criteria under Article 138 Financial Regulation apply and Declaration on Honour is mandatory.

1. 1Mandatory professional profiles to have available (minimum numbers for tender assessment): Project coordinator (1), Senior systematic reviewers (4), Junior systematic reviewers (8), Statistical experts (1-2), Research librarian/information specialist (1), Health economist(s) (1-2), Administrative assistant (1). The CVs cannot overlap across profiles and must demonstrate the minimum experience and language level (English B2).
2. 2Minimum technical resources: access to systematic review software (e.g., Covidence, EPPI Reviewer, RevMan), statistical software (R, STATA, SPSS), reference management software (EndNote) and guideline development software (GRADEpro).
3. 3Relevant experience: for Lot 1, participation in at least three evidence-based guideline development projects using GRADE in the last five years and conduction of at least ten systematic reviews in healthcare in the last five years; for Lot 2, development of quality assurance schemes or quality indicators (≥3) in last five years and at least ten systematic reviews in healthcare.

Project tasks, deliverables and reporting

Framework contract model:multiple framework contracts in cascade with maximum five contractors per lot. The framework will be used to issue specific contracts (SCs). Typical SC workplan for Lot 1: surveillance reporting, protocol development, searches, evidence synthesis and critical appraisal, Evidence to Decision frameworks using GRADEPro, final HQ scientific report, optional manuscript preparation. Typical outputs for Lot 1 across the framework: approximately 50 new healthcare questions leading to new recommendations, approx. 25 surveillances/updates, approx. 25 background reviews. Lot 2 outputs: development of QIs for around 97 new topics, updates for approx. 49 topics, ~65 background topic-specific reviews. Reporting: monthly progress notes, interim SC progress reports (if applicable), final SC report and acceptance forms. Deliverables must follow JRC templates and JRC visual identity; final acceptance by JRC required for payments.

Procurement documents and templates available

Procurement documents published with the tender include:Invitation letter; Annex I-1 Administrative specifications; Annex I-2 Technical specifications; Annex I-2-2 Development workflows; Annex I-2-3 Final HQ scientific report template (Lot 1); Annex I-2-5 Final scientific report template (Lot 2); Annex I-1 financial offer forms (Annex 6a for Lot 1, Annex €6Bfor Lot 2); Annex II Draft framework contract and numerous contractual annexes including security, environmental and rules for access to JRC Ispra site. Tenderers must use the provided financial offer templates and Declaration on Honour models. Multiple annex documents are downloadable from the procurement page.

Templates and structure of application forms:Tender structure and templates: The electronic submission must include: 1) Administrative tender (Declaration on Honour annex, legal documents, evidence for exclusion/selection as requested); 2) Technical tender — using JRC technical specifications and including CVs in preferred Europass format, project methodology, simulation test responses, organisational plan, quality control plan, and declarations; 3) Financial tender — using Annex 6a (Lot 1) or Annex €6B (Lot 2) financial offer spreadsheets. Financial offer structure: Price list per professional profile (daily rates), Table 1 calculation of daily-rate total (P2o) and Table 2 calculation of price for standard tasks (P1o). Price scores P1o and P2o are used to compute the price score P. Declarations and commitment letters are required for identified subcontractors and entities whose capacities are relied upon. The tender specifications list the exact annexes and naming conventions to upload in eSubmission.

1. 1Administrative attachments required: Declaration on Honour on exclusion and selection criteria (Annex 2), Agreement/Power of attorney for joint tenders (Annex 3), List of identified subcontractors (Annex 4), Commitment letters by identified subcontractors and entities relied on (Annex 5.1 and 5.2).
2. 2Technical tender: must include simulation test (protocol and outputs) and organisational and quality control documents. Simulation tests have pass/fail thresholds (50% minimum on the simulation test, 50% minima on other TQ subcriteria) and are scored in detail.
3. 3Financial tender: complete Annex 6a (Lot 1) or Annex €6B (Lot 2) price spreadsheets with daily rates for listed professional profiles and the calculation tables for P1o and P2o; prices in euro, VAT excluded; all unit prices must respect decimal point rules in the template.

Evaluation detail and minimum pass/fail checks

Evaluation sequence:administrative compliance and access to procurement checks; exclusion checks using Declaration on Honour and EDES; selection criteria checks (legal and regulatory capacity, financial capacity evidence, technical and professional capacity evidence); technical evaluation (quality) based on simulation test, organisation and quality control measures; price evaluation using Annex 6 spreadsheets; calculation of total score and ranking. Minimum thresholds in technical evaluation: each major TQ subcriterion has minimum passing marks (50% of maximum for simulation test, organisation and quality control subcriteria), failure to reach minima results in rejection. Details and scoring matrices are provided in Annex I-1 TS-Administrative and Annex I-2 TS-Technical. Award to top ranked tenderers up to maximum number of contractors per lot (cascade ranking).

Contract implementation, reporting, and operational requirements

Framework implementation will use specific contracts for individual healthcare questions or topic areas. Contractors must participate in working group meetings (virtual and occasional physical meetings in Ispra, Geel or Lyon), comply with JRC templates and visual identity for reports, and provide monthly progress notes, interim and final SC reports. A one year guarantee period on tasks is required for each SC. Security requirements, safety clauses and access rules to the JRC Ispra site are included in annexes; external staff presence on site requires pre-approval, ID and possible security checks. The contracting authority provides access to GRADEPro when needed and to structured workflows. Contractors must maintain confidentiality and comply with data protection obligations; personal data processing locations and transfers are restricted and must be declared.

Scoring and award formula (summary)

Price calculation:P = (P1 + P2) * 40%, where P1o (total price for tasks) and P2o (total of daily rates) are compared to the lowest bid to compute P1 and P2 using the published formulas; Price contributes 40% of final score. Quality calculation: TQ = (TQ1 + TQ2 + TQ3) * 60% where TQ1 = simulation test (max 50 points), TQ2 = organisation and resources (max 30), TQ3 = quality control measures (max 20). Total points = TQ points + P points. Tie break: higher quality marks win; then apply sequence across TQ subcriteria.

Submission practicalities and help

All submissions must be made via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission tool. Follow the eSubmission Quick Guide, comply with file type and size limits and naming rules. Maximum of 200 attachments per draft submission, and single file attachments must be less than 50 MB unless otherwise stated. Only the latest tender submitted by a tenderer for a lot is considered. PIC is mandatory. Questions during submission may be posted in the Portal Q&A. Contracting authority may not answer questions submitted after the deadline for questions listed in the procurement timeline.

1. 1Create an EU Login and ensure organisation PIC is valid in the Participant Register.
2. 2Download and complete Annex I-1 (Administrative) and Annex I-2 (Technical) requirements and Annex 6 financial spreadsheet for the lot you intend to bid for.
3. 3Prepare technical tender including simulation test, team CVs (in Europass preferred), methodology and quality control plan; prepare required declarations, subcontractor commitment letters and any legal documents.
4. 4Complete financial offer using the exact Annex 6 template and upload as the financial tender attachment in eSubmission.
5. 5Submit via eSubmission before the deadline; keep record of submission receipt timestamp as proof of on-time submission.

Co-funding and financial conditions

Co-funding:No co-funding from the contractor is required beyond the contractor's provision of services. The contracting authority pays contractors according to the payment schedule in the specific contract (interim payments possible for specific contracts exceeding 6 months and €60 000). VAT treatment: contracting authority is exempt from VAT; invoicing and VAT notes must follow instructions in the administrative specifications. Tenderers must include all costs in daily rates and fixed prices, including project management, training, overheads, travel for limited in-person meetings (unless specifically reimbursed), and any mandatory security checks. The financial spreadsheets require daily rates per profile and allocation of days per task to compute aggregate prices used in evaluation.

Success rates and competition

Success rates are not published. Typical EU procurement open procedures are competitive; success depends on passing exclusion and selection checks, achieving minimum technical thresholds, and offering a competitive quality-price ratio. Multiple framework contracts will be awarded (max five contractors per lot), increasing chances for successful tenderers that meet quality and price criteria. Exact expected number of awards per lot is specified in the tender documents.

Co-funding requirement

The procurement does not require co-funding from the tenderer. All costs associated with performance must be included in the financial offer and are payable under the contractual payment terms, except where specific in-person costs or travel are reimbursed as set out in the SC.

Contacts, Q&A and support

Questions on tender content must be submitted through the Funding & Tenders Portal Questions & Answers tool (Create a question). Technical eSubmission Helpdesk contacts are in the eSubmission Quick Guide. Contracting authority email for opening attendance requests and other procedural communication: jrc-ispra-dir-f-procurement@ec.europa.eu. The portal includes a published Q&A log for this tender with clarifications; please consult it before submitting questions.

Practical on-site requirements if attendance at JRC sites is needed

Some specific contracts may require on-site meetings at JRC premises (Ispra, Geel, Lyon). Access rules: pre-registration of personnel, submission of identity documents and recent police/criminal records where required, issuance of daily permits or badges, compliance with safety and security rules, and adherence to JRC onsite procedures (Annex V Rules relating to access to JRC Ispra site). Contractors must ensure their personnel respect safety and security rules and return ID badges on departure. Non-compliance can lead to refusal of access and contract sanctions.

1. 1JRC Ispra access requires registration at least 20 days before the planned onsite start date and submission of required identity documentation and photos; badges are property of the JRC and must be returned; penalties may apply for non-return.
2. 2Working hours, site rules and safety requirements are set out in Annex V and in Safety contractual clauses; contractors must comply with environmental and security clauses in Annex II Draft FWC.

For full procedural, technical and contractual detail, download and study the published procurement documents in full on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. FWC Draft and Annexes Tender documents and templates eSubmission Quick Guide System Requirements and eSubmission Helpdesk ¹

1. 1Do not rely on this summary alone; use the official procurement documents to prepare your tender.
2. 2Prepare Annex 6 financial spreadsheet carefully; price scoring uses the submitted Annex 6 calculations.
3. 3Prepare simulation test and required CVs as these are major components of the quality score (60%).
4. 4Check the eligibility of subcontractors, prepare commitment letters for identified subcontractors and entities on whose capacities you rely.

This summary extracts and condenses the major facts and administrative, technical and financial features of the tender based on the published procurement dossier. For legally binding requirements, tenderers must rely solely on the official procurement documents published on the Funding & Tenders Portal, including the Tender Specifications, Draft FWC and all annexes.

Footnotes

1. 1Always check the official procurement page on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for the complete and latest versions of all documents and any corrigenda or Q&A published against this tender.

This is an open services tender from the European Commission, DG JRC Joint Research Centre for a 48 month framework agreement supporting evidence collection, analysis and assessment for EU cancer screening, guideline and quality assurance initiatives, with two lots covering evidence to decision frameworks and quality indicator worksheets.[FN:1]

What the opportunity is about

The procurement supports the Disease Prevention Unit of the JRC in work on cancer prevention and rare diseases, specifically the development and update of European guidelines and quality assurance schemes for the six most prevalent cancer sites, with a methodological focus on mapping exercises, scoping reviews, systematic reviews, critical appraisal, synthesis and framework development.[FN:1]

The stated objective is continuity of the evidence base behind EC initiatives, using a uniform methodological framework across the relevant cancer topics, especially breast, colorectal, cervical and lung cancer.[FN:1]

Lot structure and scope

The estimated total procedure value is €5500000, and the contract is structured as a framework agreement without reopening of competition.[FN:1]

Who can apply

This is an open procedure, so tenderers that meet the procurement documents may participate, including sole tenderers and joint tenders, provided they satisfy the exclusion criteria, selection criteria, conflict of interest rules and the other tender conditions.[FN:2]

The documentation requires compliance with EU restrictive measures, confirmation of no established debt to the Union, and a declaration that the tender was prepared independently.[FN:2]

The procedure is marked as not SME suitable, which means it is not reserved for SMEs even though SMEs can still bid if they meet all requirements.[FN:1]

Contract model, pricing and award

The contract nature is services, with CPV codes 73110000 Research services, 73200000 Research and development consultancy services and 85100000 Health services.[FN:1]

Award is based on the best price quality ratio, weighted 60 percent for quality and 40 percent for price.[FN:1]

The financial offer templates show that tenderers must quote daily rates by professional profile, including project coordinator, senior systematic reviewer, junior systematic reviewer, statistical expert, research librarian or information specialist, health economist and administrative assistant, and those rates must include all related costs such as project management, quality control, training, support resources, secretariat, social security and salaries.[FN:2]

For Lot 1, the financial offer also uses a two part price structure that combines daily rates with task based pricing for the defined review workflow, while Lot 2 uses the corresponding task structure for quality indicator work.[FN:2]

Key dates and submission rules

1. 1Deadline for receipt of tenders is 30/09/2026 at 16:00 Europe/Rome.[FN:1]
2. 2Public opening is scheduled for 01/10/2026 at 14:00 Europe/Rome.[FN:1]
3. 3The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after 22/09/2026 at 23:59 Europe/Rome.[FN:1]
4. 4Submission is electronic only and requires an EU Login account; the portal also indicates that a PIC is mandatory for participation.[FN:2]

The tender validity period shown in the lot data is 6 months.[FN:1]

Requirements applicants should note

The public Q&A indicates that evidence reviews for the EC initiatives are expected to remain external and independent from the working groups, and that CVs may not overlap across the different profiles in both lots, which is important for consortium planning and staffing strategy.[FN:3]

The same Q&A also confirms that the authority does not consider a deadline extension beyond 30 September justified, which signals a firm submission timetable and limited room for procedural flexibility.[FN:3]

Practical assessment

This opportunity is most suitable for organisations with strong systematic review capability, guideline methodology expertise, evidence synthesis and appraisal experience, and the capacity to support long running EU health evidence work at scale across multiple cancer areas.[FN:1][FN:2]

Because the contract is a framework agreement and the lot structure is specialised, bidders should be ready to demonstrate methodological independence, team depth, prior experience in evidence based health assessment and robust pricing discipline across the named profiles and task structures.[FN:2][FN:3]

Footnotes

1. 1Official tender notice and portal details page for EC-JRC/IPR/2026/OP/3522, including title, scope, estimated values, procedure type, award criteria, CPV codes, deadlines and duration, available at Tender details.
2. 2Administrative specifications, declaration on honour and financial offer templates for both lots on the same tender page, including the electronic submission requirement, EU Login and PIC references, exclusion and selection declarations, and the detailed pricing structure.
3. 3Public Q&A published on the tender page, including clarifications on the independence of evidence reviews, non overlapping CVs across lots, and the absence of any deadline extension.