Multiple Framework Contract for Better Regulation, simplification and economic analyses (2026-2030)

DG GROW (European Commission) is launching a Multiple Framework Contract (2026-2030) to procure external economic expertise for Better Regulation support and simplification (Lot 1) and economic analysis (Lot 2). The framework is planned for 48 months with an estimated total value of approximately €30,000,000 (Lot €1 20,000,000; Lot €2 10,000,000) and envisages multiple operators. Applications must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal following the Tender Specifications (procedure EC-GROW/2025/OP/0091) and evaluation will be based on quality and price. Key submission deadlines listed in the tender documents include 22 September 2026 at 16:00 (Brussels time); consult the official tender dossier on the Funding & Tenders Portal for full requirements and templates.

Opportunity type and authority

Tender for services — DG GROW (European Commission)

Purpose:establish a framework contract giving DG GROW access to external economic expertise for studies supporting Better Regulation and simplification (Lot 1) and for economic analysis (Lot 2). Apply through the Funding & Tenders Portal Tender Notice ¹.

Who can apply:Organisations able to deliver economic analysis and policy evaluation services (consultancies, research organisations, consortia). Submission is electronic via the Funding & Tenders Portal; consult tender specifications for selection criteria and required documents ¹.

1. 1Lot 1: Better Regulation support and simplification (service studies)
2. 2Lot 2: Economic analysis (policy and sectoral economic studies)

Key dates:call published July 2026; main submission deadline 22 September 2026 (16:00 Brussels time). There is an additional earlier deadline listed; check the portal and tender documents for exact timelines and the date for requests for additional information ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Full tender documents, invitation to tender and draft contract are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal tender page Tender Notice.

Opportunity summary

Core purpose

The European Commission Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) publishes a multiple framework contract tender to establish a pool of external economic expertise to provide studies and services in two thematic areas: Better Regulation support and simplification (Lot 1) and economic analysis (Lot 2). The framework contracts will be available on demand over a planned 48-month period (2026-2030) and are intended to ensure rapid access to specialist economic services whenever DG GROW requires them.

Call identifier:EC-GROW/2025/OP/0091 ¹

Estimated total procedure value:€30,000,000 (estimated overall contract amount). The procedure is split into two lots with estimated amounts: Lot €1 20,000,000; Lot €2 10,000,000.

Important dates and logistics

Submission is by mandatory eSubmission through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. The tender submission deadline is 22 September 2026 at 16:00:59 Europe/Brussels. An open tender event is scheduled for 23 September 2026 at 11:00 (local time). The period for requesting additional information closes on 14 September 2026. Tender validity period for submitted offers is 8 months.

Scope, lots and duration

The procurement is organised as a framework agreement with two separate lots. Each lot is a services contract for a four-year duration (planned period 48 months). Lot descriptions:

1. 1Lot 1: Better Regulation support and simplification. Purpose: provide economic expertise to support Better Regulation initiatives and simplification studies. Estimated overall contract amount €20,000,000. Planned duration 48 months.
2. 2Lot 2: Economic analysis. Purpose: provide economic analysis services to DG GROW on topics requiring specialist economic inputs. Estimated overall contract amount €10,000,000. Planned duration 48 months.

Who can apply and eligible applicant types

This is a public procurement for service contracts launched by the European Commission (DG GROW). Eligible applicants are legal entities able to conclude public contracts with the EU contracting authority in accordance with the EU procurement rules and the tender documents. Typical eligible applicant types include economic consultancies, private companies (SMEs and large enterprises), joint ventures and consortia of legal entities, universities, research institutes and think tanks, non-profit bodies and other organisations providing economic and policy analysis services. Tender documentation should be consulted for exact exclusion and eligibility rules (including financial and professional capacity and evidence requirements).

Funding type and nature of support

This opportunity is a public procurement leading to service contracts awarded under framework agreements. The primary financial mechanism is a procurement/service contract with monetary payment for delivered services. Successful tenderers will be paid for services delivered under the contractual terms and rates defined in the contract; the award is not a grant, loan, equity or voucher. The procedure uses eSubmission on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Consortium requirement and contracting model

The procurement allows for contracting models used in framework agreements. Bidders can submit as single legal entities or as consortia/consortium arrangements where permitted by the tender specification. The contracting system is described as framework agreement (fa-w-rc) and indicates potential use of a Dynamic Purchasing System style approach is not used (no dps usage). Tenderers should consult the tender specifications and contractual draft annexes for specifics on lead partner responsibilities, joint liability, and subcontracting rules.

Geographic eligibility and beneficiary scope

The contracting authority is the European Commission (DG GROW). The opportunity is published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and is open to operators who are able to contract with the European Commission per the procurement documents. The procurement is generally aimed at entities established in EU Member States and countries eligible to contract with the EU under the Commission procedures; no specific non-EU countries are listed in the tender metadata. Applicants should consult the procurement documents for exact eligibility of entities from third countries.

Mentioned countries/region:No individual countries are explicitly listed in the publicly available metadata; the scheme is implemented by the European Commission and therefore targets entities able to contract with the EU, effectively EU Member States and other jurisdictions eligible under EU procurement rules. The lead contracting authority is European Commission, DG GROW.

Target sector and technical focus

The thematic target is economic policy and regulatory analysis. Sectors include Better Regulation and simplification, public policy evaluation, economic modelling, impact assessment, cost-benefit analysis, micro- and macro-economic analysis, market studies, competitiveness analysis, and related areas of applied economics. Work will be demand-driven to support DG GROW policy development and regulatory simplification.

Project stage and expected maturity

The contracts seek experienced providers capable of delivering mature, ready-to-deploy professional services. Expected maturity of projects is implementation and delivery: proposal respondents must demonstrate proven track records in delivering studies, analyses and policy support (research, modelling, evaluation and advisory services).

Evaluation, award criteria and application stages

Awarding criteria are quality (weight 70) and price (weight 30). The tender follows the public procurement evaluation process defined in the tender specifications. The procurement indicates a tender submission, evaluation and award process. There is an open tender event and an additional information request deadline. The main formal stages are: preparation and submission of eSubmission; administrative and technical evaluation by the contracting authority; potential clarification requests or interviews; award decision and contract signature. In practice this translates to 2 core stages for applicants: submission and evaluation/award (although evaluation can include multiple internal steps).

Application type and submission method:Open public tender published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal with mandatory electronic submission (ESUBMISSION). Applicants must upload the required forms and documents through the portal by the stated deadline.

Success rates and co-funding

No explicit success rate is published in the tender metadata. Success rates for procurement competitions depend on the number and quality of bids received and are not provided here. There is no co-funding requirement specified: this is a fee-for-service procurement where the Contracting Authority will pay successful contractors under agreed contract conditions; applicants do not have to provide co-financing to the Commission. Any financial guarantees, bank guarantees or tender bonds required will be specified in the tender documents.

Documentation and application templates

The procurement package published on 13 July 2026 includes the Invitation to Tender (EN-Invitation_to_tender_EC-GROW2025OP0091_FWC BRECON_V1.pdf), Tender Specifications (EN_TENDER_SPECIFICATIONS_EC-GROW2025OP0091_FWC for BR support and economic analysis final _V1.pdf), draft service contracts for Lot 1 and Lot 2, draft contract annexes including security requirements, IPR statements, VAT annex, declaration on honour (tender) template (native .docx), and annexes covering administrative and technical requirements (Annexes 3 to 7). Applicants must use the forms and templates provided in the tender dossier and follow the structure required in the Tender Specifications for administrative, technical and financial offers.

1. 1Required documents typically include: completed administrative forms, legal and financial capacity evidence, the declaration on honour, technical offer demonstrating relevant experience and methodology, CVs of key personnel, and a priced financial offer using the provided pricing schedules.
2. 2Technical offer structure (as indicated in the tender specifications and annexes): executive summary; understanding of the contract scope; methodology and work plan; team composition and CVs; relevant project examples and references; quality assurance; risk management and delivery schedule.
3. 3Administrative offer structure: legal entity registration documents, power of attorney for signatory, declaration on honour, excluded/restricted party declarations, financial statements and turnover evidence as requested in the selection criteria.
4. 4Financial offer: priced items per the pricing schedule and any specific unit rates requested in the draft contract; must comply with the procurement pricing rules and taxes/VAT rules set out in the draft contract annexes.

Selection and award details to note

Awarding is based on the best value for money using the weighting quality 70 / price 30. Tenderers should carefully consult the Tender Specifications and all draft contract annexes to confirm the precise scoring sub-criteria under quality (e.g., technical approach, experience, staff qualifications, methodology) and the required evidence. The tender documentation contains specific selection criteria regarding professional and financial capacity and may require submission of procurement-specific declarations and supporting documents.

Administrative and procedural notes

Submission is through the Funding & Tenders Portal (access tool name 'Funding and Tenders Portal'). The tendering process includes an additional information request period ending 14 September 2026 and an open tender event on 23 September 2026. The tender validity period required from tenderers is 8 months. SME suitability indicator is false for both lots, meaning the procurement was not specifically reserved to SMEs. The procurement's main CPV code is 79311400 (research and development services in the social sciences and humanities or related economic advisory services).

Templates and where to find them

Tenderers must download and use the official procurement documents attached to the call on the Funding & Tenders Portal. Key files available in the procurement dossier include: Invitation to Tender, Tender Specifications (administrative and technical parts), Annexes 1-7, Declaration on honour (tender) template, Draft Service Contracts for Lot 1 and Lot 2, Draft Contract Annexes (IPR, VAT, security requirements). The procurement dossier contains the precise forms and templates that must be completed and uploaded via eSubmission.

Risks, recommendations and practical advice

1. 1Read the Tender Specifications and all annexes in full before preparing the submission. The awarding criteria and scoring breakdown are detailed there.
2. 2Use the exact forms and templates provided in the tender dossier, including the Declaration on Honour and the financial pricing schedules.
3. 3Ensure demonstrable capacity: provide references and dossiers of relevant past studies, CVs of proposed staff, and evidence of financial capacity according to selection criteria.
4. 4If bidding as a consortium, clarify lead partner liability, contractual arrangements and provide mandated consortium agreements if required by the tender specs.
5. 5Observe deadlines for additional information requests and the final eSubmission deadline carefully.

Contact and reference

Lead contracting authority:European Commission, DG GROW - Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs. Full tender documentation and submission are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal at the tender details page. See the official call for documents and attachments published 13 July 2026. For legal and procedural questions use the contact and helpdesk channels indicated in the portal documentation.

This opportunity is published as a public procurement procedure with procurement reference EC-GROW/2025/OP/0091 and is accessible via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal EC-GROW Tender details ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Tender details and procurement documents are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal at the call identifier EC-GROW/2025/OP/0091: ec.europa.eu

Opportunity Overview

This is a Multiple Framework Contract (FWC) tender issued by DG GROW (Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs) to establish an external pool of economic expertise for Better Regulation support, simplification studies (Lot 1), and economic analysis (Lot 2) [1][3]. The contract covers the period from January 1, 2026, to January 1, 2030, with an estimated total value of €23,000,000 to €30,000,000 [3].

Contracting Authority:DG GROW, European Commission, located in Brussels, Belgium [1][3].

Procedure Identifier:EC-GROW/2025/OP/0091-PIN (Planned call for tenders) [3].

Key Deadlines and Timeline

The tender notice indicates a closing date of January 25, 2026, which aligns closely with the first official deadline of January 1, 2026, suggesting potential for multiple submission rounds or lot-specific deadlines [3][6].

Scope and Lots

The framework contract is divided into two distinct lots, allowing bidders to apply for one or both: [1]

1. 1Lot 1: Better Regulation support and simplification studies
2. 2Lot 2: Economic analysis

The objective is to provide DG GROW with a flexible pool of external experts to be drawn upon whenever specific needs arise for policy impact assessments, regulatory simplification, and economic modeling [1][9].

Eligibility and Applicant Profile

Eligible applicants typically include economic research institutes, consulting firms, universities, and specialized policy analysis organizations with proven expertise in EU industrial, trade, and innovation policy [9][11].

Framework Structure:This is a framework agreement with several operators, with an envisaged maximum of 15 participants allowed in the final framework [9].

Experience Requirement:Bidders should demonstrate proven expertise in providing policy advice at EU, national, or regional levels, particularly in market integration and mission-oriented policy design [11].

Financial Details and Conditions

The contract value is an estimate; actual payments will depend on the specific tasks (call-offs) issued by DG GROW during the contract period [3][9]. The contract is subject to renewal, extending the potential engagement beyond the initial 48 months [9].

Application Process and Requirements

Applications must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using the official tender specifications document [1].

Key Documents:The primary document is the 'Tender Specifications EC-GROW2025OP0091_FWC for BR support and economic analysis' (PDF), which details technical and financial proposal requirements [1].

Contact Information:For procurement inquiries, contact grow-procurement@ec.europa.eu or call +32 2 299 11 11 [5].

Strategic Context and Relevance

This tender supports DG GROW's mandate to enhance the Single Market, improve industrial competitiveness, and streamline the business environment through evidence-based policy making [18]. The contract aligns with the EU's broader 'Better Regulation' agenda, which emphasizes systematic assessment of costs and proportionate analysis for delegated acts [17][19].

Footnotes

1. 1Official Tender Specifications: Tender Specifications PDF
2. 2Official Opportunity Portal: EU Tender Details