Longitudinal support contract on specific risks and harms that minors face in the EU digital environment over time

The European Commission, specifically the Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CNECT), has released a call for tenders identified as EC-CNECT/2025/OP/0055. This procurement contract is for a longitudinal study focusing on the specific risks and harms that minors experience in the digital environment across the European Union. The primary aim is to gather comprehensive and representative data regarding children's online experiences over time as influenced by the Digital Services Act (DSA).

The total estimated value of the contract is €2,000,000 with a maximum duration of 36 months. The successful contractor will collect systematic data on trends related to children's online experiences, linking specific risks and benefits to particular online platforms and features. This contract is structured as a service contract, not a grant, and involves ongoing research aimed at informing future policies.

Eligible applicants include any economic operators capable of providing the required services, which may involve single organizations or consortia. However, the tender is noted as not suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) alone, indicating that applicants will need substantial capacity and relevant expertise.

The application process must be conducted electronically, with a deadline for submissions set for September 15, 2025, at 16:00 Brussels time. A competitive procedure with negotiation is in place, involving two stages: initial evaluation of requests to participate and a subsequent evaluation of full tenders from selected candidates.

Key milestones include the publication date of the tender on August 1, 2025, and the public opening of tenders set for September 16, 2025. Successful bids will be evaluated based on the best price-quality ratio, with quality accounting for 60% and price for 40% of the total evaluation.

Potential contractors must register for a Participant Identification Code (PIC) and meet specific technical submission requirements as outlined in the tender documents. This procurement opportunity offers significant scope for organizations looking to engage in vital research regarding the online safety and well-being of minors in the EU.

The European Commission, DG CNECT - Communications Networks, Content and Technology, has published a call for tenders, EC-CNECT/2025/OP/0055, for a longitudinal support contract on specific risks and harms that minors face in the EU digital environment over time. The TED reference for this tender is 146/2025 504408-2025. This is an open procedure, and submissions must be electronic.

The tender aims to provide comprehensive and representative data on children’s online experiences in the EU over time, accompanied by a monitoring measurement framework. This primary research will monitor trends regarding the risks, harms, and benefits children face online across the EU, their perceptions of different platforms, and how they navigate their digital environment. The contract should link specific risks, harms, benefits, perceptions, and behaviors to specific platforms, features, and/or uses thereof, to assess the impact of EU action on platforms via the Digital Services Act (DSA).

The estimated total value of the contract is 2,000,000 EUR. The maximum contract duration is 36 months. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio. No framework agreement is associated with this tender.

Key milestones include:
TED publication date: 01/08/2025
Date and time of public opening: 16/09/2025 10:00 Europe/Brussels
Deadline for receipt of tenders: 15/09/2025 16:00 Europe/Brussels
Deadline for questions: 05/09/2025 06:00 Europe/Brussels. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after this date.

The main classification (CPV) code for this tender is 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services. The nature of the contract is for services.

The following documents are available for download:
ENEN-Invitation to tender EC-CNECT2025OP0055 2M Longitudinal Study PoM (Invitation to tender/request for offer), published on 01/08/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
ENEN TENDER SPECIFICATIONS EC-CNECT2025OP0055 2M Longitudinal Study PoM (Tender specifications), published on 01/08/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
ENEN Service Contract EC-CNECT2025OP0055 (Draft contract), published on 01/08/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
Annexes to the TS (Other invitation to tender document), published on 01/08/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
Annex 2 - Declaration-on-honour-en (Declaration on honour/tender), published on 01/08/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
Annex+6-+Financial+form (Financial offer form), published on 01/08/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
Appendix 1 Security requirements en (Draft contract annex), published on 01/08/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
Appendix 2 Security baseline en (Draft contract annex), published on 01/08/2025, Version 1, no translations available.

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

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In summary, this tender is a call for proposals to conduct a longitudinal study on the risks, harms, and benefits that children encounter in the EU's digital environment. The European Commission aims to gain a better understanding of how children's online experiences evolve over time, especially in light of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and related guidelines. The selected contractor will be responsible for collecting comprehensive data on children's perceptions, behaviors, and exposure to various online platforms and features. This research will help the Commission assess the impact of EU regulations on children's safety and well-being in the digital world. The project has a budget of 2 million EUR and a duration of 36 months. Interested parties must submit their tenders electronically by September 15, 2025.

Eligible Applicant Types: The content does not explicitly specify eligible applicant types. However, given that it is a call for tenders for a service contract, eligible applicants are likely to be organizations or companies, including potentially research institutions or consultancies, that can provide the required services. The FAQ section mentions the need for a PIC (Personal Identification Code) for tenderers, suggesting that any organization intending to submit a tender, either as a single entity or as part of a consortium, is eligible, provided they register and obtain a PIC.

Funding Type: The funding type is a service contract.

Consortium Requirement: The FAQ section mentions that a PIC is mandatory whether participating as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium), indicating that both single applicants and consortia are eligible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The description mentions that the support contract aims at providing comprehensive and representative data on children’s online experiences in the EU over time. This suggests that the geographic eligibility is the EU.

Target Sector: The target sector is related to the digital environment, specifically focusing on the risks, harms, and benefits that minors face online. This includes areas of ICT, social media, online safety, and potentially policy and regulatory aspects related to the Digital Services Act (DSA).

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions the EU.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on primary research and monitoring to understand the evolution of risks, harms, and benefits for children online, and to assess the impact of EU actions. This suggests a stage of research, data collection, and analysis, rather than idea, development, or commercialization.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the contract is 2,000,000 EUR.

Application Type: The application type is an open call for tenders, with electronic submission.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for services provided under the service contract.

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly mentioned, but it can be inferred that there are multiple stages, including submission of the tender, evaluation, and award of the contract.

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

Co-funding Requirement: The content does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This is a call for tenders (EC-CNECT/2025/OP/0055) issued by the European Commission, DG CNECT, for a service contract focused on a longitudinal study of the specific risks and harms that minors face in the EU digital environment over time. The contract has an estimated total value of 2,000,000 EUR and a maximum duration of 36 months. The primary objective is to gather comprehensive data on children's online experiences in the EU to monitor trends related to risks, harms, and benefits, and to assess the impact of EU actions under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

The call is open to organizations or companies capable of conducting research and providing data analysis services. Both single applicants and consortia are eligible to apply. The geographic scope is the EU, as the study focuses on children's online experiences within the European Union. The submission method is electronic, and the deadline for receipt of tenders is September 15, 2025, at 16:00 Europe/Brussels time. The contract will be awarded based on the best price-quality ratio.

The selected contractor will be responsible for providing comprehensive and representative data on children’s online experiences in the EU over time, accompanied by a monitoring measurement framework. This involves linking specific risks, harms, benefits, perceptions, and behaviors to specific platforms, features, and uses thereof, to evaluate the impact of EU action on platforms via the DSA.

The tender documents include the invitation to tender, tender specifications, a draft service contract, annexes, a declaration on honor, a financial offer form, and appendices related to security requirements. The FAQ section provides guidance on the electronic submission process, technical requirements, and other relevant information for potential tenderers. A Participant Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation.