Mapping underground reservoirs of natural hydrogen in Europe and developing the necessary legislation for sustainable production.

The European Commission, under the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship, and SMEs (DG GROW), has released a call for tenders identified as EC-GROW/2025/OP/0057. The tender's purpose is to map underground reservoirs of natural hydrogen in Europe and to create the necessary legislation for its sustainable production, aligning with the EU's Climate Law and various energy strategies. The estimated contract value is €3,000,000 and the maximum duration is set at 12 months.

This tender represents a procurement contract, explicitly focused on legal services in the sector of energy and environmental legislation. Eligible applicants are legal entities capable of providing the required services, which may include but are not limited to companies, research institutions, and consultancies. While the content does not specify the necessity of forming a consortium, it does mention that a Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation, which implies that both single entities and consortia can submit tenders.

Geographically, the tender is primarily aimed at entities based in EU countries, although specific geographical restrictions are not explicitly stated. The project is at the research and development stage, focusing on energy legislation and resource mapping.

Applications must be submitted electronically, adhering to an open-call format, with a deadline for submissions set for August 22, 2025. The evaluation of submissions will prioritize quality 70% and price 30%. There is no requirement for co-funding from tenderers and the bidding process will occur in a single stage without pre-selection rounds.

Documentation related to the tender includes an invitation letter, tender specifications, a declaration of honor, a financial offer form, and a draft contract. Successful bidders must comply with technical requirements for document submissions, and submissions will be encrypted for confidentiality.

Key deadlines include the public opening of tenders on August 25, 2025, and the last date for inquiries, which is August 13, 2025.

The European Commission, DG GROW - Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, has published a call for tenders with procedure identifier EC-GROW/2025/OP/0057. The TED reference for this call is 124/2025 427871-2025. The call is for mapping underground reservoirs of natural hydrogen in Europe and developing the necessary legislation for sustainable production in the framework of the EU’s Climate Law, the strategy on energy system integration and the European Economic Security Strategy and European Energy Sovereignty.

This is an open procedure, and submissions must be sent electronically. The estimated total value of the tender is 3,000,000 EUR. The TED publication date is 02/07/2025. The main classification (CPV) code is 79100000, which refers to legal services. The nature of the contract is for services, and the maximum contract duration is 12 months. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio. There is no framework agreement associated with this tender.

Key milestones include the TED publication date of 02/07/2025, a public opening date and time of 25/08/2025 at 11:30 Europe/Brussels, and a deadline for receipt of tenders on 22/08/2025 at 16:00 Europe/Brussels. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after 13/08/2025 at 05:00 Europe/Brussels.

The following documents are available for download:

1. ENEN-Invitation to tender EC-GROW2025OP0057 Natural hydrogen Invitation letter, published on 02/07/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
2. ENEN TENDER SPECIFICATIONS EC-GROW2025OP0057 Natural hydrogen Tender specifications, published on 02/07/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
3. ENTS Annex 2 DoH declaration-of-honour-tenders Natural hydrogen EC-GROW2025OP0057 Declaration on honour (tender), published on 02/07/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
4. ENTS Annex 6 Financial offer form OP 0057 Financial offer form, published on 02/07/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
5. ENDraft contrat-direct-service-2024 FR Recast-en OP 0057 Draft contract, published on 02/07/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
6. ENCt Appendix 1 Security requirements en 2025 Draft contract annex, published on 02/07/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
7. ENAnnex V DSA and accommodation L 202500693EN.000101.fmx.xml Draft contract annex, published on 02/07/2025, Version 1, No translations available.

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

Some frequently asked questions (FAQ) and their answers related to the eSubmission system are provided:

1. 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 on the Internet browser.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Where can I find my submissions in Manage My Area, in the Funding & Tenders portal? Submissions can be found in ‘My Submission(s)’: tenders in response to open calls for tenders, requests to participate.
5. Which size should attachments have? eSubmission accepts files that are less than 50 MB in size.
6. How should I name attachments in eSubmission? Follow the System Requirements for attachment names.
7. Can I submit a video in eSubmission? Which formats are supported? Check the System Requirements of eSubmission.
8. 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”.
9. 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).
10. I have an issue uploading a file in eSubmission and it’s giving me an error. What do I do? Make sure it follows the technical requirements of the system.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. What is the validity period of a PIC? A PIC is unique and its validity is not limited in time.
15. How many languages does the system support? The system is multilingual and supports all 24 official EU languages.
16. Which is the character set encoding in the system? The character set encoding is UTF-8.
17. 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.
18. 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.
19. 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.
20. 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.
21. 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.

In summary, this is a call for tenders by the European Commission, DG GROW, seeking a contractor to map underground reservoirs of natural hydrogen in Europe and develop the necessary legislation for its sustainable production. The project aims to support the EU's Climate Law, energy system integration strategy, European Economic Security Strategy, and European Energy Sovereignty. The tender is open to all eligible organizations, with submissions due electronically by August 22, 2025. The contract, valued at an estimated 3,000,000 EUR, will be awarded based on the best price-quality ratio and has a maximum duration of 12 months. Interested parties should download the provided documents, including the invitation letter, tender specifications, declaration of honor, financial offer form, and draft contract, to prepare their submissions. A key requirement for participation is obtaining a Personal Identification Code (PIC). The eSubmission system supports multiple languages and encrypts uploaded documents for confidentiality.

Eligible Applicant Types: The content does not explicitly specify the eligible applicant types. However, given that it is a call for tenders, eligible applicants are likely to include companies, research organizations, and other entities capable of providing the required services. The mention of a Personal Identification Code (PIC) being mandatory for participation as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium) suggests that a wide range of organizations, including those that may form consortia, are eligible.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is procurement, as indicated by the "Call for tenders" title and the nature of the contract being "services." The contracting authority is seeking to procure services related to mapping underground reservoirs of natural hydrogen and developing relevant legislation.

Consortium Requirement: The content suggests that both single applicants and consortia are eligible, as indicated by the statement that a 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).

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The content does not explicitly specify geographic eligibility. However, given that it is an EU funding opportunity related to the EU's Climate Law, energy system integration strategy, and European Economic Security Strategy, it is highly likely that the geographic eligibility includes EU member states. Further details would need to be confirmed in the tender specifications.

Target Sector: The program targets the energy sector, specifically natural hydrogen, and also the legal sector, as the tender involves developing the necessary legislation for sustainable production. It also touches upon climate and environmental concerns, given the reference to the EU's Climate Law.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the focus on the EU's Climate Law, energy system integration strategy, and European Economic Security Strategy implies that the opportunity is primarily relevant to the EU.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on development, as the tender involves mapping underground reservoirs and developing legislation. This suggests a move beyond basic research towards practical application and policy implementation.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the tender is 3,000,000 EUR.

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

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for services rendered, as this is a procurement contract.

Application Stages: The content does not explicitly detail the number of application stages. However, as a tender, it would likely involve at least two stages: submission of the tender and evaluation/selection.

Success Rates: The content does not provide information on success rates.

Co-funding Requirement: The content does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required.

Summary:

This is a call for tenders (EC-GROW2025OP0057) issued by the European Commission, DG GROW, with the aim of mapping underground reservoirs of natural hydrogen in Europe and developing the necessary legislation for its sustainable production. This initiative aligns with the EU’s Climate Law, the strategy on energy system integration, the European Economic Security Strategy, and European Energy Sovereignty. The procedure is an open one, with an estimated total value of 3,000,000 EUR. The contract duration is a maximum of 12 months, and the award method is based on the best price-quality ratio.

The TED reference for this tender is 124/2025 427871-2025. The TED publication date was 02/07/2025, and the deadline for receipt of tenders is 22/08/2025 at 16:00 Europe/Brussels. The date and time of the public opening are scheduled for 25/08/2025 at 11:30 Europe/Brussels. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after 13/08/2025 at 05:00 Europe/Brussels.

Submissions must be sent electronically. A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation, whether as a sole candidate/tenderer or as part of a consortium. The maximum number of documents that can be uploaded per tender is 200, with each file being less than 50 MB in size. The system supports all 24 official EU languages and uses UTF-8 character set encoding. The system encrypts all uploaded documents.

The tender documents include an invitation letter, tender specifications, a declaration on honour, a financial offer form, a draft contract, security requirements, and a draft contract annex. Potential tenderers are advised to use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox for eSubmission and to consult the System Requirements for technical recommendations. The content of the submission is not accessible after the deadline, as the system encrypts all attachments upon upload.