Integrated prototype for hydrophobicity testing

This is a planned negotiated procedure (ExA) by the European Commission DG JRC, reference EC-JRC/IPR/2026/MVP/2074-EXA, to procure an integrated prototype for hydrophobicity testing classified under CPV 38510000 Microscopes with an estimated value of €100,000 and a maximum contract duration of 30 months. The expression of interest period opens on 10/04/2026 and closes on 25/04/2026 00:59 (Europe/Rome) with an indicative launch of the negotiated procedure on 28/04/2026. Interested suppliers must submit an expression of interest electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using an EU Login account with two-factor authentication forthcoming, and the full tender dossier and eligibility criteria will be published when the procedure is launched.

Opportunity summary

What is procured

Procurement of an integrated prototype for hydrophobicity testing. The contract is for supplies and will be launched by the European Commission DG JRC (Joint Research Centre) as a planned negotiated procedure for a low or middle value contract.

Estimated value:€100000 (total estimated value) ¹.

1. 1Who may apply: suppliers able to deliver the required prototype; submission of expressions of interest is electronic and requires an EU Login account.
2. 2Procedure type: planned negotiated procedure for middle/low value contract (ExA reference).
3. 3Contract nature and duration: supplies contract, maximum duration 30 months.

Expressions of interest must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal; an EU Login account (with 2-factor authentication when required) is needed to express interest and access procurement documents ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Opportunity reference EC-JRC/IPR/2026/MVP/2074-EXA and procurement details available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Tender details.

This publication is a Planned call for tenders (reference EC-JRC/IPR/2026/MVP/2074-EXA) announcing the contracting authority's intention to launch a future negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract to procure an integrated prototype for hydrophobicity testing. The lead contracting authority is the European Commission, DG JRC Joint Research Centre. The procedure is currently an announcement of intent (ExA) and is not a full call for tenders. Submissions of an expression of interest are electronic and require an EU Login account.

Procedure identifier and type:EC-JRC/IPR/2026/MVP/2074-EXA. Planned negotiated procedure for middle/low value contract; this notice is an announcement of the contracting authority's intent to launch such a procedure.

Description of requirement:Integrated prototype for hydrophobicity testing. Main classification (CPV): 38510000 Microscopes. Nature of the contract: supplies.

Estimated total value and contract duration:Estimated total value: €100000. Maximum contract duration: 30 MONTHS. The contract is described as supplies and can include delivery, integration and support for the prototype over the indicated maximum duration.

Key administrative milestones and submission

Important dates published in the announcement:Start date for expression of interest 10/04/2026 (Europe/Brussels). Deadline for expression of interest 25/04/2026 00:59 (Europe/Rome). Indicative date of launch of the negotiated procedure 28/04/2026 (Europe/Rome). The expression of interest must be submitted electronically to the address for submission in the portal and requires an EU Login account. This notice clarifies that references with ExA denote an intent to launch a low or middle value negotiated procedure rather than an already published call for tenders.

1. 1Electronic submission only via EU Funding & Tenders Portal; EU Login account required.
2. 2Expression of interest: compulsory to signal interest; details and full tender documents to follow when the negotiated procedure is launched.
3. 3Procurement procedure expected: negotiated procedure for middle/low value contract; suppliers may be invited to negotiate.
4. 4Successful award will be a supplies contract with maximum duration up to 30 months and estimated budget around €100 000.

Structured categorization and detailed answers

Eligible Applicant Types:The announcement is a procurement notice by a European Commission service (DG JRC). Typical eligible applicant types for EU public procurements of supplies include SMEs, large enterprises, research institutions, universities, manufacturers, system integrators, and suppliers of scientific instruments. The notice does not specify exclusion of any of these categories; however, interested suppliers must meet the technical, legal and financial eligibility and selection criteria that will be defined in the forthcoming tender documents (e.g., company registration, financial solvency, professional and technical capacity).

Funding Type:This is a public procurement contract (purchase of supplies). The primary financial mechanism is a supply contract awarded following a negotiated procurement procedure. It is not a grant, loan or equity instrument.

Consortium Requirement:Not explicitly required; procurement may be awarded to a single supplier or a consortium depending on the final tender documents and whether subcontracting or joint bids are permitted. The ExA announcement does not mandate consortium formation.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The contracting authority is an EU institution (DG JRC). Standard EC procurement rules apply; typically bidders from EU Member States and certain non-EU countries participating in EU programmes may be eligible. The announcement itself does not list eligible countries, but submission requires an EU Login account and the full tender documents will specify legal/geographic eligibility under the procurement rules.

Target Sector:Sector: scientific instrumentation and laboratory equipment, specifically microscopes and hydrophobicity testing instrumentation. The procurement targets an integrated prototype for hydrophobicity testing, placing it within laboratory testing equipment, material surface characterization and metrology sectors.

Mentioned Countries:The announcement references Europe/Brussels and Europe/Rome time zones for deadlines and milestones. The JRC site content mentions the JRC facility in Petten, Netherlands. No other specific countries are named in the ExA text. The contracting authority is an EU institution operating across the EU.

Project Stage:Procurement of an integrated prototype implies the buyer expects suppliers to deliver a developed prototype product. Project maturity expected: development/demonstration/implementation stage (ready to deliver an integrated prototype and associated services).

Funding Amount:Estimated total value indicated in the publication: €100000. This is the budget envelope for the procurement and not a per-beneficiary grant amount.

Application Type:Method: Expression of interest followed by a negotiated procedure. Submission of the expression of interest is electronic via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and requires an EU Login account. The ExA is an open announcement; final tender will likely be a negotiated procurement requiring invited bidders or a restricted set of candidates depending on the authority's approach.

Nature of Support:The contracting authority will award a supplies contract (monetary payment to the selected supplier in exchange for delivery of the integrated prototype and any specified services). This is a commercial procurement (money in exchange for supplies).

Application Stages:At minimum two identifiable stages: 1) Expression of interest (electronic submission via portal). 2) Launch of the negotiated procedure (invitation to negotiate / submission of formal tender) leading to evaluation and contract award. The negotiated procedure may itself include multiple steps (invitation to tender, clarification rounds, negotiation meetings) depending on the authority's approach; the ExA indicates an anticipated launch date for that procedure.

Success Rates:Not provided in the announcement. Success rates will depend on the number of bidders and the contracting authority's selection method and are not disclosed in this ExA notice.

Co-funding Requirement:Not applicable in the conventional sense. This is a procurement: the contracting authority pays the supplier for the delivered supplies under the contract. No co-funding from bidders is indicated; bidders must price their offers to deliver within the budget envelope and meet tender requirements.

Templates and application format:The ExA states electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and requires EU Login authentication. The full tender dossier, selection and award criteria, required forms, and any templates (financial capacity forms, technical offer templates, declarations on exclusion and selection, subcontracting forms) will be published with the negotiated procedure launch. At this stage, suppliers should register and ensure an EU Login account with 2-factor authentication available, and be prepared to complete common procurement forms when the procedure is launched ¹.

1. 1Register and maintain an EU Login account with active 2-factor authentication as portal access will require it.
2. 2Submit an expression of interest electronically via the portal between 10/04/2026 and 25/04/2026 00:59 (Europe/Rome).
3. 3Monitor the portal around the indicative launch date 28/04/2026 for the negotiated procurement documents and instructions.
4. 4Prepare evidence of legal status, financial capacity and technical competence to deliver an integrated prototype for hydrophobicity testing and any required certifications for scientific equipment suppliers.

Procurement and technical notes

CPV classification 38510000 (Microscopes) indicates the contracting authority expects equipment in the domain of microscopy/instrumentation used for surface / hydrophobicity characterisation. The term integrated prototype for hydrophobicity testing implies a solution combining measurement hardware, sample handling, analysis capability and potentially data output or software for interpreting hydrophobicity metrics. Technical specification details, performance requirements, interfaces, delivery schedule, installation and training obligations, warranty, maintenance and spare parts requirements will be defined in the forthcoming tender documentation.

Practical recommendations for interested suppliers:Ensure capability to supply and support scientific instrumentation, provide references for similar prototype deliveries, be prepared to detail technical design, test methods, calibration and traceability, and to include proposed timelines for design, manufacture, delivery, integration and validation within the maximum 30-month contract window.

This ExA is public and intended to attract interested suppliers to express interest; treat the timeline as indicative and monitor the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for the actual negotiated procedure's publication and the full tender dossier. For technical clarifications and Q&A, use the portal once the formal tender is published and follow the portal's guidance on submitting questions and answers. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Opportunity primary page on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: Integrated prototype for hydrophobicity testing

Opportunity Overview

This is a planned negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract to supply an integrated prototype for hydrophobicity testing. The contracting authority is the European Commission, DG JRC - Joint Research Centre. The procedure identifier is EC-JRC/IPR/2026/MVP/2074-EXA, classified under CPV 38510000 - Microscopes, with an estimated total value of €100000 and maximum contract duration of 30 months.

Important note:This is not a call for tenders but a publication announcing the contracting authoritys intention to publish a future negotiated low or middle value procedure. More information on ExA references is available in the portals Q&A section.

Key Milestones

1. 1Start date for expression of interest: 10/04/2026 (Europe/Brussels)
2. 2Deadline for expression of interest: 25/04/2026 00:59 (Europe/Rome)
3. 3Indicative date of launch of the negotiated procedure: 28/04/2026 (Europe/Rome)

Eligibility and Participation

Eligible participants must express interest electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. An EU Login account is required for submission. Create an account using only an email address and password if needed. Submissions must be sent exclusively through the designated electronic address: Express interest.

As this is a planned negotiated procedure, expressing interest positions potential suppliers for invitation to the forthcoming negotiated tender. Detailed eligibility criteria will be specified in the future tender documents.

Technical Details

Scope:Supply of an integrated prototype specifically for hydrophobicity testing, likely related to microscopy equipment given the CPV classification.

Nature of Contract:Supplies (goods). No framework agreement indicated.

Location:Associated with Italy, as per external listings.

Participation Requirements

• EU Login account (mandatory for electronic submission)
• Electronic submission only via the portal
• Monitor for Q&A updates and future tender launch
• Prepare for 2-factor authentication requirement starting 1st July 2026

Access and Next Steps

Visit the primary opportunity page at EU Funding & Tenders Portal to express interest when the period opens. Log in to submit questions via the Q&A section. One public Q&A entry clarifies that ExA references announce future negotiated procedures, not active tenders.

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) provides scientific support to EU policies. Suppliers should ensure capability to deliver specialized microscopy-related prototypes for hydrophobicity testing, which measures surface water repellency.

Additional Considerations

Given the 2026 timelines, note the mandatory 2FA rollout for EU Login accounts. Detailed guidance on registering methods like EU Login app, security keys, or eID is available on the portal¹. No current Q&A items beyond ExA clarification. External sources confirm the opportunity as open goods procurement in Italy.

Footnotes

1. 1Two-factor authentication details: Two-factor Authentication Guide. JRC overview: JRC Website.