IT service for supporting the identification of independent external experts for the evaluation of proposals

The European Research Council Executive Agency has issued a call for tenders (ERCEA/2025/OP/0013) for an IT service aimed at supporting the identification of independent experts for evaluating research proposals. The contract is valued at €1.1 million, with a maximum duration of 48 months. This is a procurement contract focused on delivering AI-driven IT solutions, specifically utilizing semantic technologies and machine learning to enhance the expert identification process.

Eligible applicants include large enterprises, universities, and research institutions with the requisite expertise, as small to medium-sized enterprises are excluded. The geographic eligibility aligns with EU member states, indicating that primarily entities within the EU are eligible to bid. The tender requires a single applicant rather than a consortium.

The contract is structured around an open call for tenders, with submissions due electronically by June 30, 2025. The evaluation process will be twofold, considering both the quality of the proposal and price, with a weight of 70% quality and 30% cost. There are no co-funding requirements for applicants.

The successful contractor will implement and maintain a software solution that generates lists of suitable experts based on specific panel needs and proposal contexts. The call for tenders is part of the ERC's strategy to modernize its processes while ensuring rigorous standards in expert selection.

Details related to submission requirements specify that files must be less than 50 MB in size, and up to 200 files can be uploaded per tender. The system will encrypt all submissions to ensure confidentiality and data integrity. The submission will undergo a public opening on the same day as the deadline, after which questions submitted past a specified date will not receive responses.

Overall, this procurement opportunity presents a chance for eligible organizations to participate in a significant project designed to enhance the efficiency of research proposal evaluations within the EU framework.

The European Research Council Executive Agency (ERCEA) has published a call for tenders, ERCEA/2025/OP/0013, for an IT service to support the identification of independent external experts for the evaluation of proposals. This is an open procedure with electronic submission. The estimated total value of the contract is 1,100,000 EUR. The TED publication date is 20/05/2025. The lead contracting authority is the Agence Exécutive du Conseil Européen de la Recherche. The main classification (CPV) code is 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support. The nature of the contract is for services, with a maximum contract duration of 48 months. The award method is best price-quality ratio and it is not a framework agreement.

The ERC Scientific Council needs to appoint independent external experts for peer review of frontier research projects and ensure the quality of ERC's scientific operations. While the Scientific Council directly proposes panel members, Panel Chairs are responsible for identifying independent external experts who assist remotely. Approximately 35,000 independent experts are selected annually. The goal is to contract an artificial intelligence-based service to help the Scientific Council and Panel Chairs identify potential independent experts with suitable expertise profiles. The expected outcome is the implementation, provision, and maintenance of a software or IT solution that provides lists of potential experts based on panel recruitment needs and submitted proposals.

The deadline for receipt of tenders is 30/06/2025 at 12:00 Europe/Brussels. The date and time of the public opening is 30/06/2025 at 14:00 Europe/Brussels. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after 20/06/2025 05:00 Europe/Brussels.

Selection criteria include: Suitability to pursue the professional activity, Economic and financial standing, and Technical and professional ability. Consult the procurement documents for details.

The following documents are available for download:
Tender specifications Experts Identification, Annex 1 - List of documents to be provided, Annex 3. Agreement-Power of attorney, Annex 4. List of identified subcontractors and proportion of subcontracting, Annex 5.1. Commitment letter by an identified subcontractor, Annex 5.2. Commitment letter by an entity on whose capacities is being relied, Annex 6. Financial offer form, Annex 7 Compliance Declaration, Annex 8 corrigendum, and Annex 9 - ERC StG 2025 B2 final. All documents were published on 20/05/2025, version 1, with no translations available, except for Annex 8 corrigendum, which was published on 21/05/2025.

Submissions must be sent exclusively at the address for submission given below, using the electronic submission method.

Questions and Answers:
Question 65626: Concerns about tender award criteria favoring the incumbent supplier. Answer: The JSON files are the output of the current local extractor components. The input provided to the local extractor components are the research proposals. The test cases are based on these. Published on 28/05/2025 16:56.
Question 65624: The award criteria seem to emphasize the ability to replicate the results of the current solution. Has ERCEA considered other options? Answer: The award criteria do not emphasize the ability to replicate the results of the current solution, as the actual nominations of independent external experts by panel members show. Published on 28/05/2025 16:50.
Question 65619: The provided starting point for the expert identification exercise appears to be output provided by a previous Local Extractor Component. Answer: The research proposals that underlie the test cases are highly representative of the deployment scenario. The JSON files that form the input for test cases are based on the outputs. Published on 28/05/2025 16:41.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
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. Published on 13/02/2025 20:52.
Which Internet browsers does eSubmission support? Use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. For the most up-to-date technical recommendations, click on the link System Requirements. Published on 13/02/2025 20:52.
Is it possible to view the details of the submission after the deadline? No, the content of the submission is not accessible after submitting the tender as the system encrypts all attachments upon upload. Published on 13/02/2025 20:50.
Where can I find my submissions in Manage My Area, in the Funding & Tenders portal? Depending on the type or step of procedure, you can find the submissions in one of these sections: In ‘My Submission(s)’: tenders in response to open calls for tenders, requests to. Published on 17/10/2024 20:40.
Which size should attachments have? For attaching files to your tender submission, eSubmission accepts files that are less than 50 MB in size. Published on 17/10/2024 20:36.
How should I name attachments in eSubmission? In eSubmission, you must name the attachments for your tender draft following the System Requirements. Published on 03/10/2024 16:39.
Can I submit a video in eSubmission? Which formats are supported? You can check the System Requirements of eSubmission. Published on 03/10/2024 16:37.
I received an invitation from the F&T Portal but cannot view the procurement documents. Invited candidates can only see the procurement documents after having selected an organisation. Go to F&T Portal, “My Invitations”. Click on “Select Organisation” from the “Action”. Published on 03/10/2024 16:37.
Do I need to validate my PIC in order to submit a tender in eSubmission? The Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory to participate in a call for tenders as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium). Published on 03/10/2024 16:36.
I have an issue uploading a file in eSubmission and it’s giving me an error. What do I do? When uploading a file in eSubmission, you must first make sure it follows the technical requirements of the system. Published on 03/10/2024 16:36.
How many attachments can I upload per submission? The maximum number of documents the system will allow you to upload per tender is 200 files. Published on 03/10/2024 16:35.
Why do tenderers need a PIC? It is mandatory to register for a PIC if you intend to submit a tender or a request to participate. Published on 23/04/2024 17:14.
How do I register my organisation and get a Participant Identification Code (PIC)? First, check if the organisation is already registered using the Search PIC tool under 'How to Participate' > Participant Register. Published on 23/04/2024 16:07.
What is the validity period of a PIC? A PIC is unique and its validity is not limited in time. Published on 22/04/2024 22:55.
How many languages does the system support? The system is multilingual and supports all 24 official EU languages. Published on 01/04/2024 19:56.
Which is the character set encoding in the system? The character set encoding is UTF-8. Published on 22/02/2024 23:58.
Does the system use encryption to ensure the integrity and the confidentiality of the information? Yes, the system encrypts all uploaded documents, using an asymmetric key as an encryption mechanism. Published on 22/02/2024 23:57.
Which file types does the system support? The supported file types depend on the type of submission you want to make. The allowed file types are specified within the system requirements linked to the procedure in question. Published on 21/02/2024 23:55.
Can I view and edit my draft submission? Until the deadline for the submission has been reached, submissions in the draft status can be edited, viewed and deleted. Published on 24/03/2023 21:32.
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. This is not blocking for you: you can submit. Published on 03/08/2021 22:07.
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 sent when the time limit of receipt defined for the call for tenders has been reached. Until then, you had the possibility of withdrawing. Published on 03/08/2021 22:05.

In summary, this tender is seeking an IT service provider to develop and maintain an AI-powered solution that will assist the ERC Scientific Council and Panel Chairs in identifying suitable independent experts for evaluating research proposals. The system should leverage machine learning and semantic technologies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the expert identification process. The selected provider will be responsible for implementing, providing, and maintaining the software, ensuring it delivers lists of potential experts based on panel needs and proposal content. The tender is open to all eligible organizations, and submissions must be made electronically by the specified deadline. The award will be based on the best price-quality ratio.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given the nature of the tender, it is likely that eligible applicants include companies, organizations, or consortia with expertise in IT services, software development, artificial intelligence, and semantic technologies. The tender specifies "Suitability to pursue the professional activity - Please consult the procurement documents," suggesting that eligibility is tied to the applicant's professional capabilities.

Funding Type: The funding type is procurement. The call is for tenders, indicating a procurement process where the contracting authority (Agence Exécutive du Conseil Européen de la Recherche) is seeking to purchase services. The "Nature of the contract" is explicitly stated as "services."

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required or if a single applicant is sufficient. However, Annex 4 refers to a "List of identified subcontractors and proportion of subcontracting," suggesting that subcontracting is possible, and therefore, both single applicants and consortia could be eligible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly mentioned. Given that it is an EU funding opportunity, it is highly likely that entities from the EU and potentially EEA countries are eligible. Further details would need to be consulted in the procurement documents.

Target Sector: The target sector is IT services, specifically focusing on artificial intelligence and semantic technologies. The main classification (CPV) code is 72000000, which corresponds to IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support. The project aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of expert identification using machine learning algorithms and semantic technologies.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned in the provided text. The context suggests the opportunity is within the European Union.

Project Stage: The project stage is implementation, provision, and maintenance of a software or IT solution. The expected outcome is the delivery of a functional AI-based service, indicating that the project is beyond the research and development phase and is focused on deployment and operational use.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the contract is 1,100,000 EUR.

Application Type: The application type is an open call for tenders. The procedure type is explicitly stated as "Open procedure."

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for providing IT services, specifically the implementation, provision, and maintenance of an AI-based service.

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly stated, but it is a multi-stage process involving submission of a tender, evaluation based on selection criteria (Suitability to pursue the professional activity, Economic and financial standing, Technical and professional ability), and award based on the best price-quality ratio.

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

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not explicitly mentioned.

Summary:

This is a call for tenders (ERCEA/2025/OP/0013) issued by the Agence Exécutive du Conseil Européen de la Recherche (European Research Council Executive Agency) for an IT service to support the identification of independent external experts for the evaluation of research proposals. The ERC Scientific Council needs assistance in selecting experts to peer review frontier research projects. The goal is to contract an artificial intelligence-based service that can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the expert identification process. The selected contractor will be responsible for implementing, providing, and maintaining a software or IT solution that generates lists of potential experts based on panel recruitment needs and submitted proposals. The estimated total value of the contract is 1,100,000 EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 48 months. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio. Submissions must be electronic, and the deadline for receipt of tenders is June 30, 2025, at 12:00 Europe/Brussels time. The tender documents outline the selection criteria, which include suitability to pursue the professional activity, economic and financial standing, and technical and professional ability. The system supports 24 official EU languages and uses encryption to ensure data integrity and confidentiality. The maximum attachment size for submissions is 50 MB, and up to 200 files can be uploaded per tender.