Methodological support for literature reviews for evidence-based scientific assessments

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) invites tenders for a framework contract to provide methodological support for literature reviews, including systematic, scoping and narrative reviews, to underpin evidence-based scientific assessments. The estimated total procedure value is €2,000,000 for a framework of up to 48 months (initial 12 months renewable up to three times), with award based on quality (70%) and price (30%). Eligible applicants include research institutions, specialised consultancies, academic groups or consortia with proven expertise in systematic review methodology and evidence synthesis, and submissions must be made electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. The deadline for tender submission is 24 August 2026 at 14:30:59 CEST and tender documents including specifications, financial template and draft framework contract are available on the portal.

Tender summary

Essential facts

Contracting authority:European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Purpose: provide methodological support to perform and/or appraise systematic reviews, and to carry out scoping and narrative literature reviews for evidence-based scientific assessments.

Estimated budget:Estimated overall contract amount: €2,000,000. Framework contract duration: initial 12 months, renewable up to 3 times (planned total duration 48 months).

1. 1Who can apply: service providers (organisations/consortia) meeting the tender qualification criteria in the procurement documents.
2. 2Submission method and deadlines: eSubmission via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Main closing date 24 August 2026 14:30:59 (CEST). An earlier date 1 January 2026 appears in metadata but the official closing is 24 August 2026.

Award criteria:quality 70% and price 30% (see procurement documents). Additional procurement documents include invitation letter, tender specifications, financial offer template and draft framework contract. Full details and submission are via the portal Tender details ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement documents published on the Funding & Tenders Portal include Tender specifications, Annexes and Draft Framework Contract.

Basic tender identifiers and administrative data

Call identifier:EFSA/2026/OP/0013. Lead contracting authority: European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Procurement type: services (CPV 73110000). Estimated total procedure value: €2,000,000. Contract nature: framework agreement (framework contract concluded for an initial period of 12 months, renewable up to three times; planned overall duration 48 months). Submission method: electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal (eSubmission).

Primary purpose and scope:Provision of methodological support for literature reviews to underpin evidence-based scientific assessments. Support may be requested to perform and/or appraise whole systematic reviews or parts thereof, and may include scoping reviews and narrative literature reviews.

Deadlines, timetable and important dates

Official closing date and time for tender submission:24 August 2026 at 14:30:59 (Europe/Rome timezone) as published on the portal. An earlier date (2026-01-01T12:30:59Z) appears in the metadata but the published and enforceable closing date in the procurement record is 2026-08-24T14:30:59+00:00. An open tender event is scheduled on 25 August 2026 at 14:30 (local time). Additional information request period ends 14 August 2026 (see procurement documents).

Where to access the procurement documents:Tender documentation published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal includes: Invitation letter, Tender specifications, Annex 1 - Financial Offer Template (Excel), and Annex 2 - Draft Framework Contract. Full documentation is accessible from the tender details page on the portal Tender details page ¹.

Eligible Applicant Types

Tender is published by a European Union agency (EFSA). The procurement is open to economic operators that meet the selection and exclusion criteria set out in the tender documents. Based on the procurement nature and the documented requirements, eligible applicant types include: SMEs, large enterprises, universities, research institutes, independent consultants and consortia formed by combinations of the above, nonprofit organisations and specialised service providers in evidence synthesis and systematic review methodology. Public bodies may participate where consistent with the procurement rules and the selection criteria. Specific qualification, exclusion and evidence requirements are detailed in the tender specifications; tenderers must consult those documents for mandatory documentary proof.

Funding Type

Primary financial mechanism:procurement (service contract), implemented through a framework contract. This is not a grant, subsidy or loan. The authority will pay contractors under the contractual terms described in the draft framework contract and the financial offer template.

Consortium Requirement

The procurement documentation allows for single tenderers and economic operators forming consortia or subcontracting arrangements, subject to the selection and qualification rules stated in the tender specifications. The tendering terms include a tenderer qualification request and specific tenderer requirements; consult the Tender specifications for precise conditions and any limits on subcontracting or consortium composition.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility)

This is an EU procurement initiated by EFSA. Eligibility follows the procurement rules published in the tender documents and the Funding & Tenders Portal access rules. Typically, economic operators established in EU Member States and countries eligible under EU procurement rules (including specific third countries where allowed) may participate. Tenderers should consult the tender specifications for an exhaustive list of eligible countries and any nationality or registration requirements.

Target Sectors and Thematic Focus

Primary thematic focus:evidence synthesis and methodological support for literature reviews in scientific assessments. Secondary/related domains: food safety and risk assessment (EFSA domain), public health, environmental science, veterinary science, consumer safety, and other domains where systematic reviews, scoping reviews, narrative reviews and evidence appraisal are used to inform policy or scientific opinions.

Mentioned Countries

No individual countries were explicitly listed in the descriptive text. The contracting authority is the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), an EU agency. Geographic references and eligibility should be confirmed in the tender specifications; regionally this call is administered within the EU context.

Expected Project Stage and Nature of Work

Work required is methodological and technical support for literature reviews. Expected maturity: projects should be able to deliver evidence synthesis outputs and methodological appraisal at a production-ready level (research, development and validation stages through to demonstration and delivery of review products). Tasks likely include protocol development, systematic review conduct, critical appraisal, data extraction, meta-analysis where applicable, reporting to PRISMA standards, scoping and narrative review production, and methodological consultancy on evidence assessment approaches.

Funding Amount and Contract Value

Estimated overall contract amount:€2,000,000 (estimated total procedure value stated in the procurement record). The framework contract is for an initial 12 months and renewable up to three times, with a planned overall duration of 48 months. Individual task orders or call-offs under the framework will define specific budgets and durations.

Application Type and Submission Method

This is an open procurement procedure published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Submission method: eSubmission via the Funding & Tenders Portal eForms and associated tools. Tenderers must submit electronic documentation by the stated deadline. The portal eForm and access tool are referenced in the tendering process.

Nature of Support to Beneficiaries

Successful bidders will receive monetary remuneration under the contractual terms of the framework contract for services rendered (service contract payments). In addition to monetary payments, awardees receive contractual tasking in the form of framework call-offs and technical guidance from the contracting authority.

Application Stages and Evaluation Process

The tender process follows standard procurement stages:1) Submission and administrative compliance check (eligibility and exclusion grounds), 2) Selection and qualification assessment (economic and financial capacity, technical and professional capacity), 3) Award evaluation including quality and price assessment as per the awarding criteria. The awarding criteria are split across quality (70 weight) and price (30 weight) as published in the procurement record; tenderers must consult the Tender specifications for subcriteria, scoring rules and pass/fail thresholds. An open tender event and additional information request period are scheduled as indicated in the procurement record.

1. 1Stage 1: Administrative compliance and exclusion criteria verification.
2. 2Stage 2: Selection (qualification) assessment – evidence of capacity, CVs, past performance, legal and financial standing.
3. 3Stage 3: Award evaluation – technical/quality evaluation and price evaluation according to the weighting published (quality 70, price 30).
4. 4Stage 4: Contract award and signature of framework contract; subsequent call-offs under the framework.

Success Rates

The procurement record does not provide historical or expected success rates. As a competitive tender with an estimated overall contract value, success depends on meeting the selection criteria and attaining a leading score in the quality/price evaluation. No numerical probability or quota is published in the procurement documentation.

Co-funding Requirement

As a procurement (service contract), there is no co-funding requirement from successful tenderers. The contracting authority will remunerate service providers under the contractual price schedule and call-off terms. Costs must be included in the financial offer and conform to the financial and invoicing rules set out in the draft framework contract and Annex 1 - Financial Offer Template.

Templates and Required Application Documents

Key template and supporting documents published with the call include (consult portal to download):

• Invitation letter (Invitation letter_V1.pdf) — contains summary and administrative instructions.
• Tender specifications (Tender specifications_V1.pdf) — contains detailed technical requirements, eligibility, selection and award criteria, contract performance conditions, documentation list and procedural rules.
• Annex 1 - Financial Offer Template (Annex 1 - Financial Offer Template_V1.xlsx) — mandatory financial offer structure to be completed by tenderers.
• Annex 2 - Draft Framework Contract (Annex 2 - Draft Framework Contract _V1.pdf) — proposed contractual terms including duration, renewal, termination, invoicing and performance conditions.

Application forms and eSubmission content typically require:completed financial offer template, technical offer describing methodology and deliverables, CVs and credentials of key personnel, evidence of past performance in systematic reviews and evidence synthesis, certificates for legal and financial standing, and any declarations requested in the tender specifications. Exact required forms, formats, and maximum file sizes are specified in the tender documentation and the portal eForm.

Selection and Award Criteria (summary)

Awarding criteria are split into quality and price. The procurement record indicates a 70/30 weighting (quality: 70 points; price: 30 points). Tenderers must consult the detailed Tender specifications to understand the quality sub-criteria (methodology, team competence, relevant experience, project management, quality assurance, timelines, deliverables, approach to systematic review methods, transparency and reproducibility measures) and how these will be scored and evaluated.

Contractual and Operational Notes

The award will result in a framework contract under which EFSA may issue specific task orders or call-offs for individual literature reviews or review components. The framework contract contains provisions about duration, renewal, ordering procedures, invoicing, intellectual property, confidentiality and reporting. Tenderers should carefully review the draft framework contract (Annex 2) for obligations and risk allocation.

Procurement documents and guidance

All relevant procurement documents and templates are available on the call page on the Funding & Tenders Portal and were published with the procurement record on 4 June 2026. Tenderers must refer to those documents for exact requirements, formats and compliance checks. The portal provides eSubmission support and helpdesk services for technical submission issues.

Reference to published procurement files:Key published documents include: Invitation letter_V1.pdf, Tender specifications_V1.pdf, Annex 1 - Financial Offer Template_V1.xlsx and Annex 2 - Draft Framework Contract _V1.pdf. These are the authoritative documents for tender preparation and must be consulted for the complete rules, forms and templates ¹.

How an applicant should prepare (practical checklist)

1. 1Download and read the Tender specifications and Draft Framework Contract in full to identify mandatory requirements and contractual clauses.
2. 2Complete the Annex 1 - Financial Offer Template with rates and pricing aligned to the contract terms and expected resource categories.
3. 3Prepare a technical offer demonstrating methodological competence in systematic reviews, scoping and narrative reviews; include protocols, templates, reproducible workflows and QA processes.
4. 4Assemble CVs and evidence of previous systematic reviews or methodological guidance delivered (references, links to published reviews, project summaries).
5. 5Ensure legal and financial documentation required for selection/qualification (company registration, declarations, financial statements) is current and conforms to portal eSubmission requirements.
6. 6Register on the Funding & Tenders Portal (if not already registered), prepare e-forms and test file uploads well before the deadline. Use the portal helpdesk if needed.
7. 7Submit the complete eSubmission package before 24 August 2026 14:30:59 (Europe/Rome or portal local time as stated).

Tenderers are advised to consult the tender specifications for page limits, formatting, evidence thresholds, mandatory statements, permitted subcontracting rates and any security or data protection clauses related to the handling of scientific data and confidential information.

Summary and concluding explanation

This procurement is for a framework contract to provide methodological support for literature reviews required to underpin evidence-based scientific assessments led by EFSA. The contractor(s) will be expected to undertake or appraise systematic reviews and to provide scoping and narrative review services to support scientific workstreams. The procedure is an open electronic tender on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal with an estimated total contract value of €2,000,000 and a framework duration that allows multiple renewals and subsequent call-offs. Tenderers should be organisations or consortia with proven methodological expertise in evidence synthesis, systematic review conduct and critical appraisal, and must comply with the selection, qualification and award rules listed in the Tender specifications. The award will be based on a quality/price evaluation where quality has a predominant weight. All mandatory templates and the draft framework contract are published with the call and must be used and accepted as part of the offer. For authoritative procedural and contractual details, consult the procurement documents on the Funding & Tenders Portal Tender details page ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement record and documents available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: ec.europa.eu. Documents published on 4 June 2026 include Invitation letter_V1.pdf, Tender specifications_V1.pdf, Annex 1 - Financial Offer Template_V1.xlsx and Annex 2 - Draft Framework Contract _V1.pdf.

Opportunity Overview

This tender seeks a framework contract provider to deliver methodological support for literature reviews essential to evidence-based scientific assessments conducted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) [[2]]. The scope includes performing and/or appraising systematic reviews, scoping reviews, and narrative literature reviews to support EFSA's risk assessment activities [[1]].

The estimated overall contract amount is €2,000,000, covering a planned period of 48 months (4 years) with an initial 12-month term renewable up to three times [[2]].

Who Should Apply

Ideal applicants include research institutions, specialized scientific consultancies, or academic groups with proven expertise in systematic review methodologies and evidence synthesis for food safety or public health [[1]].

Tenderers may submit bids as single entities or as joint offers with partners, provided they meet EFSA's selection criteria regarding technical capacity and professional qualifications [[23]].

Key Eligibility and Technical Requirements

Methodological Expertise Required:Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in PRISMA guidelines, Cochrane Risk of Bias tools, AMSTAR 2 checklists, and the use of databases like PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science [[1]].

Quality Assurance Standards:Proposals must include protocols for duplicate study selection, independent quality assessment, and transparent data extraction to minimize bias and ensure reproducibility [[4]].

1. 1Experience with systematic, scoping, and narrative review methodologies
2. 2Capability to appraise existing reviews (meta-research)
3. 3Knowledge of food safety, toxicology, or related biological sciences
4. 4Adherence to EU public procurement transparency and non-discrimination rules [[3]]

Award Criteria and Contract Details

The contract follows the MEAT (Most Economically Advantageous Tender) principle, prioritizing quality over lowest price to ensure high-value scientific output [[6]].

This is a framework agreement allowing EFSA to issue specific tasks (letters of order) over the 48-month period without renegotiating terms for each request [[12]].

Deadlines and Submission Process

The final deadline for tender submission is 24 August 2026 at 14:30:59 CEST [[2]].

Submissions must be made electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using the eSubmission method [[2]].

Tenderers must consult the official procurement documents, including the Tender Specifications, Financial Offer Template, and Draft Framework Contract, available on the portal [[2]].

For inquiries, contact EFSA Procurement directly at EFSAProcurement@efsa.europa.eu [[2]].

Footnotes

1. 1Official Tender Details: EFSA Tender 5b19c4de
2. 2EFSA Procurement Portal: EFSA Calls for Tenders