Gender Mainstreaming research, tools and helpdesk

The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) has issued a call for tenders under the identifier EIGE/VNO/2025/OP/0006 for two distinct service lots aimed at advancing gender mainstreaming initiatives. The total estimated budget for both lots is 1,445,000 EUR, with Lot 1 valued at 830,000 EUR and Lot 2 at 615,000 EUR. The deadline for submissions is September 10, 2025.

Lot 1 focuses on gender mainstreaming research, tools, and good practices to enhance gender-transformative policymaking and practices within the EU. Lot 2 establishes an EU-level Gender Mainstreaming Helpdesk to provide technical support.

The tender is structured as an open procurement procedure where professional companies capable of delivering these specialized services are invited to participate. While the opportunity is open to companies across EU member states and EEA countries, it is particularly noted that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are explicitly excluded, as both lots are marked as not suitable for SMEs.

The contracts will be awarded based on a quality-price ratio, with 70% of the score allocated to quality and 30% to price. The execution of these contracts is expected to take 48 months, initiated by a framework agreement that is renewable.

Applicants are required to submit their proposals electronically, complying with the specifications laid out in the tender documentation. A Participant Identification Code (PIC) is necessary for participation. The electronic submission platform supports all 24 official EU languages and outlines specific file size and attachment limits.

Success rates for similar tenders are not specified, but are generally variable in competitive EU procurement processes. Furthermore, there is no requirement for co-funding; successful applicants are compensated fully for their services rendered.

Overall, this call for tenders seeks adept service providers to create impactful gender equality solutions across EU institutions, thereby supporting broader social policy goals related to gender equality.

The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) has published a call for tenders, EIGE/VNO/2025/OP/0006, for services related to gender mainstreaming research, tools, and a helpdesk. The procedure is an open procedure, and submissions must be electronic. The TED reference is 129/2025 445924-2025.

The main objective is to establish framework contracts with companies capable of providing these services. The specific objectives are to increase gender-transformative policymaking and the implementation of gender mainstreaming in the EU, and to provide technical support for gender mainstreaming via an EU-level Helpdesk.

The estimated total value of the call is 1,445,000 EUR. The TED publication date is 09/07/2025. The lead contracting authority is the European Institute for Gender Equality. The main classification (CPV) code is 73200000, which refers to research and development consultancy services.

The call is divided into two lots:

Lot 1: Gender mainstreaming research, tools, good practices, and other resources. The specific objective for Lot 1 is to increase gender-transformative policymaking and the implementation of gender mainstreaming in the EU. The nature of the contract is for services, with a maximum contract duration of 48 months. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio. The estimated value for Lot 1 is 830,000 EUR. The framework agreement is a framework agreement without reopening of competition. Additional CPV code is 72253100 for Helpdesk services.

Lot 2: EU-level Gender Mainstreaming Helpdesk. The specific objective for Lot 2 is to provide technical support for gender mainstreaming via an EU-level Helpdesk. The nature of the contract is for services, with a maximum contract duration of 48 months. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio. The estimated value for Lot 2 is 615,000 EUR. The framework agreement is a framework agreement without reopening of competition. Additional CPV code is 72253100 for Helpdesk services.

Key milestones include:

TED publication date: 09/07/2025
Date and time of public opening: 10/09/2025 15:00 Europe/Vilnius
Deadline for receipt of tenders: 10/09/2025 14:00 Europe/Vilnius
Deadline for questions: 01/09/2025 04:00 Europe/Vilnius

The following documents are available for download:

EIGE2025OPER06, Lots 1-2 Letter of invitation Open Procedure (Invitation letter, Version 1, published on 09/07/2025, for all lots, no translations available)
Tender Specifications-FWC EIGE2025OPER06 Lot 1-2 (Tender specifications, Version 1, published on 09/07/2025, for all lots, no translations available)
Draft Framework Contract EIGE2025OPER06-LOT1 LOT2 (Draft contract, Version 1, published on 09/07/2025, for all lots, no translations available)
Annex to Tender Specifications (Other invitation to tender document, Version 1, published on 09/07/2025, for all lots, no translations available)
Standard Submission Forms (Other invitation to tender document, Version 1, published on 09/07/2025, for all lots, no translations available)

Submissions must be sent exclusively via electronic submission at the address provided.

Some frequently asked questions (FAQs) are answered:

How to proceed if the system is slow or doesn’t work while uploading/downloading documents? Use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. If the issue persists, clear the cache and cookies.
Which Internet browsers does eSubmission support? Use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Refer to the System Requirements link for technical recommendations.
Is it possible to view the details of the submission after the deadline? No, the content is not accessible after submitting as the system encrypts all attachments upon upload.
Where can I find my submissions in Manage My Area, in the Funding & Tenders portal? Submissions can be found in ‘My Submission(s)’.
Which size should attachments have? Files must be less than 50 MB in size.
How should I name attachments in eSubmision? Follow the System Requirements for attachment names.
Can I submit a video in eSbmission? Which formats are supported? Check the System Requirements.
I received an invitation from the F&T Portal but cannot view the procurement documents. Select an organisation in “My Invitations”.
Do I need to validate my PIC in order to submit a tender in eSubmission? Yes, the Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory.
I have an issue uploading a file in eSubmission and it’s giving me an error. What do I do? Ensure the file follows the technical requirements of the system.
How many attachments can I upload per submission? The maximum number of documents is 200 files.
Why do tenderers need a PIC? It is mandatory to register for a PIC to submit a tender.
How do I register my organisation and get a Participant Identification Code (PIC)? Check if the organisation is already registered using the Search PIC tool.
What is the validity period of a PIC? A PIC is unique and its validity is not limited in time.
How many languages does the system support? The system supports all 24 official EU languages.
Which is the character set encoding in the system? The character set encoding is UTF-8.
Does the system use encryption to ensure the integrity and the confidentiality of the information? Yes, the system encrypts all uploaded documents.
Which file types does the system support? The supported file types depend on the type of submission.
Can I view and edit my draft submission? Yes, until the deadline.
In the submission report, under the name of our entity, "Legal form: UNKNOWN" is displayed while in the system, our legal form was correctly displayed. Is this a problem for the submission? No, it is just a display issue.
I sent my submission on time and a few days later, I received an automatic email informing me that the deadline for the reception of submissions had been reached. Does this mean that my submission was not correctly sent? No, this is an auto-generated notification.

In summary, this is a call for tenders by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) seeking professional companies to provide services related to gender mainstreaming. The call is divided into two lots: one focusing on research, tools, and good practices to increase gender-transformative policymaking, and the other focusing on providing technical support through an EU-level Gender Mainstreaming Helpdesk. The total estimated value is 1,445,000 EUR, and the contracts will be awarded based on the best price-quality ratio. The deadline for submitting tenders is September 10, 2025. Interested parties should download the relevant documents and submit their proposals electronically following the guidelines provided. A PIC (Personal Identification Code) is mandatory for participation. The eSubmission system supports multiple languages and encrypts uploaded documents for security.

Eligible Applicant Types: Professional companies are eligible applicants for this opportunity.

Funding Type: Procurement. This opportunity is a call for tenders to conclude a framework contract for services.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the documentation mentions the possibility of participating as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium).

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated, but the focus on gender mainstreaming in the EU suggests that applicants should be based in the EU or have a strong connection to EU policies.

Target Sector: This program targets the sector of gender equality, specifically gender mainstreaming research, tools, and helpdesk services.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the focus is on the EU. Vilnius (Lithuania) is mentioned as the location for the date and time of the public opening.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is service delivery, specifically the production and update of gender mainstreaming research, tools, and helpdesk services.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value for both lots is 1,445,000 EUR. Lot 1 has an estimated value of 830,000 EUR, and Lot 2 has an estimated value of 615,000 EUR.

Application Type: Open call. The procedure type is an open procedure.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for services.

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly mentioned, but it is likely to involve at least two stages: submission of the tender and evaluation of the tender.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not mentioned in the provided text.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for tenders by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) to establish framework contracts with professional companies. The goal is to enhance gender mainstreaming research, tools, and helpdesk services. The call is divided into two lots. Lot 1 focuses on increasing gender-transformative policymaking and the implementation of gender mainstreaming in the EU, with an estimated value of 830,000 EUR. Lot 2 is centered on providing technical support for gender mainstreaming via an EU-level Helpdesk, with an estimated value of 615,000 EUR. The total estimated value for both lots is 1,445,000 EUR. The contract duration is 48 months. The submission method is electronic, and the deadline for receipt of tenders is September 10, 2025. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio. The procedure is an open procedure, meaning any professional company can apply. The successful tenderers will be responsible for producing and updating gender mainstreaming research, tools, and helpdesk services to support gender equality in the EU. A Participant Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory to participate in this call for tenders. The maximum number of documents that can be uploaded per tender is 200 files, and the maximum file size is 50 MB. The system supports all 24 official EU languages.