NL-Petten: New gas detection system and maintenance services for GASTEF

The European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) invites tenders for supply, installation, commissioning and an 8-year preventive and corrective maintenance contract for a gas detection system at the GASTEF high-pressure hydrogen testing facility in Petten, Netherlands. The scope includes approximately 12 oxygen detectors, 4 hydrogen detectors and a central control unit with ATEX Zone 2 (Gas Group IIC) compliance and the ability to operate in nitrogen inert atmospheres. The estimated contract value is €113,000 and the contract term is an initial 15 months with up to 7 renewals for the maintenance period. Bids must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by 17 August 2026 at 16:00:59 (Europe/Amsterdam).

What is funded

Scope summary

Procurement by the JRC (European Commission) for a new gas detection system for the High-Pressure Gas Testing Facility (GASTEF): supply of oxygen and hydrogen detectors (approx. 12 oxygen, 4 hydrogen depending on chosen technology), a central control unit, installation and commissioning on site, plus preventive and corrective maintenance for 8 years. Some detectors must operate in inert (nitrogen) atmospheres and meet ATEX zone 2 (hydrogen) requirements.

Who can apply:Open tender for economic operators/suppliers able to deliver, install and maintain certified gas detection systems; bidders must meet the technical, security and administrative requirements set out in the tender documents and submit electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal Tender notice ¹.

1. 1Contracting authority: European Commission, DG JRC - Joint Research Centre (site NL-Petten)
2. 2Procurement type: supplies with installation and long-term maintenance
3. 3Submission method: eSubmission via Funding & Tenders Portal

Bidders should consult the procurement documents (administrative and technical specifications, draft contract and annexes) available on the portal before submitting. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Full notice and procurement documents: NL-Petten: New gas detection system and maintenance services for GASTEF on the Funding & Tenders Portal Tender details.

This is a public procurement tender (Call Identifier EC-JRC/PTT/2026/OP/0960) issued by the European Commission, DG JRC - Joint Research Centre, for the supply, installation, commissioning and long-term maintenance of a gas detection system for the High-Pressure Gas Testing Facility (GASTEF) located in Petten, the Netherlands. The estimated overall contract value is €113,000. The contract covers equipment (oxygen and hydrogen detectors and a central control unit), installation and commissioning on site, and preventive and corrective maintenance for a period of 8 years. Some detectors must be capable of operating in inert atmospheres (nitrogen) and comply with ATEX zone 2 (Hydrogen) requirements.

Key administrative and procedural facts

Procurement type:supplies. Procedure type: public procurement tender published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Submission method: mandatory electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (ESUBMISSION). Main CPV codes: 38431100 (Gas detection and alarm systems) and 50000000 (Other business services) are listed as classifications.

Deadlines:Invitation and procurement documents published 8 July 2026. Tender submission deadline (closing date): 17 August 2026 at 16:00:59 (Europe/Amsterdam timezone). An open tender event (likely opening) is scheduled on 18 August 2026 at 10:00 local time. An additional information request period ends on 7 August 2026. The procurement documents include dates and versioning; consult the portal for any changes EU Tender Details. ¹

What is being procured

Scope of supply and services:supply of a new gas detection system comprising approximately 12 oxygen detectors and approximately 4 hydrogen detectors (final quantities depend on chosen technology) and a central control unit; installation and commissioning at the GASTEF facility; preventive and corrective maintenance services for 8 years. Functional and safety requirements must be met for operation in high-pressure hydrogen testing environments. Some detectors must be certified for inert atmosphere use (nitrogen) and compliant with ATEX zone 2 (hydrogen) standards. The tender documentation includes detailed technical specifications and safety/regulatory annexes.

Contract duration and renewal:Planned contract initial period: 15 months with the possibility to renew up to 7 times, resulting in a planned period of up to 99 months (as indicated in the procurement lot). The maintenance obligation stated in the description covers 8 years. Exact renewal and extension mechanics are defined in the draft contract.

1. 1Procurement reference: EC-JRC/PTT/2026/OP/0960
2. 2Estimated overall contract value: €113,000
3. 3Publication date: 8 July 2026
4. 4Submission deadline: 17 August 2026 16:00:59 (Europe/Amsterdam)
5. 5Open tender event: 18 August 2026 10:00 (local time)
6. 6Mandatory e-submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal

Eligibility, bidders and consortium rules

The contracting authority is the European Commission, DG JRC. The tender is published on the EU portal and therefore typically open to economic operators established in the European Union and other eligible countries under EU procurement rules. The administrative specifications and selection criteria are defined in the procurement documents (Part 1 Administrative specifications). Specific tenderer qualification requirements and selection criteria are published as part of the tender documents; bidders must consult those documents to confirm eligibility, required evidence and certificates.

Eligible applicant types:Eligible bidders are economic operators able to deliver supplies and services under EU public procurement rules. Typical eligible applicant types include: single companies (SMEs and large enterprises), consortia/associations of economic operators submitting joint tenders (when allowed by the tendering rules), specialised system integrators, certified installers, maintenance service providers, and authorised distributors. Public bodies may participate only if the procurement rules and administrative specifications permit. The tender documents specify required declarations and capacity evidence.

Consortium requirement:The procurement does not mandate a consortium; a single economic operator can submit a tender. The administrative specifications, however, include selection criteria and may accept joint bids / consortia if documented. Bidders should consult the tender Part 1 Administrative specifications and Declaration of honour for permitted forms of participation and requirements for joint tenderers.

Technical and sector details

Target technology and sector:gas detection and alarm systems for hydrogen testing facilities. The tender addresses industrial safety hardware and integration (sensors for oxygen and hydrogen, detector housings suitable for inert atmospheres, ATEX zone 2 compliance for hydrogen environments), plus a central control unit capable of monitoring detectors, producing alarms and interfacing with facility systems. The project falls within the hydrogen safety, laboratory test infrastructure, and industrial gas detection sectors.

Technical requirements and safety:Key technical and safety requirements (summary of procurement description and technical specification references): detectors for oxygen and hydrogen; detector count approx. 12 oxygen and 4 hydrogen (final numbers depend on technology); some detectors certified for operation in inert atmosphere (nitrogen); hydrogen detectors compliant with ATEX zone 2; robust sensor selection for use in high-pressure hydrogen experimental environments; central control unit for system monitoring, alarm handling and logging; installation and commissioning onsite at GASTEF; preventive and corrective maintenance regime for 8 years; certificates and maintenance acceptance forms are part of the draft contract annexes. Detailed specifications are contained in the document named '2.2 Tender specifications - Part 2 - Technical specifications 0960_V1.pdf'.

Financial details and type of funding

This opportunity is a procurement contract (purchase and service contract) financed by the European Commission (JRC). It is not a grant, loan or equity instrument; it is a public contract under procurement rules. The contracting authority will pay for delivered supplies and services according to contract terms. The procurement is EU-funded and uses a standard draft supply contract attached to the procurement documents.

Funding amount:Estimated overall contract amount: €113,000 (currency EUR). This figure is provided as the estimated overall contract amount in the procurement metadata and should be treated as indicative; bidders must price their offers using the provided financial offer form '2.1.6 Annex 6 - Financial form 0960_V1.xlsx'.

How to apply and required documentation

Submission process:mandatory electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (ESUBMISSION). Bidders must follow the portal's eSubmission rules and upload the required administrative, technical and financial documentation by the stated closing time. The portal contains an Invitation to tender and detailed tender specifications split into administrative and technical parts, plus draft contract(s) and annexes.

Application type and stages:Application type: open call / public tender published on the EU portal (eSubmission). Typical evaluation stages: (1) submission and administrative compliance check; (2) selection criteria and qualification evaluation (evidence of legal, financial and technical capacity); (3) award evaluation based on awarding criteria (price is indicated as the principal awarding criterion in the metadata); (4) award decision, notification and contracting. The official tender documents and draft contract describe exact post-award processes and appeal mechanisms.

Required documents and templates available:The procurement package contains the following core documents and templates (all available from the tender page on the Funding & Tenders Portal): 1. Invitation to tender 0960_V1.pdf; 2. Tender specifications - Part 1 - Administrative specifications 0960_V1.pdf; 3. Tender specifications - Part 2 - Technical specifications 0960_V1.pdf; 4. Annex 2 - Declaration of honour 0960_V1.docx; 5. Annex 3 - 4 - 5 in Word 0960_V1.rtf (administrative annexes); 6. Annex 6 - Financial form 0960_V1.xlsx (financial offer template); 7. Draft supply contract 0960_V1.pdf; 8. Annex III - Safety regulations for third parties_V1.pdf; 9. Appendix 2 Security requirements 2025_V1.pdf; 10. Annex IV - Certificate of maintenance and acceptance form_V1.pdf; 11. Annex V - Order form model_V1.pdf. Bidders should download and complete the financial offer form, declaration of honour and any required administrative annexes, and prepare a technical offer that directly responds to the Part 2 technical specifications.

Evaluation, award criteria and contractual matters

Awarding criterion:price is indicated as the primary awarding criterion (weighting: 100 according to the metadata). Additional technical compliance and conformity to specifications, delivery and maintenance capabilities, and contractual acceptance of draft contract terms will be important for awardability. The draft contract and its annexes specify acceptance processes, maintenance certificate forms, order forms and security requirements.

Co-funding and financial guarantees:No co-funding by the bidder is required. The contracting authority pays for supplies and services under the contract conditions. Tenderers may need to provide evidence of financial capacity, bank references or performance guarantees if required in the administrative specifications or draft contract; consult the tender documents for any required guarantees, insurance or performance bonds.

Geographic and beneficiary scope

The contracting authority is located in Petten, Netherlands. The tender is published on the EU portal and follows EU procurement rules; therefore eligible bidders are typically from the European Union and other countries eligible under the Funding & Tenders Portal procurement rules. The procurement metadata does not list specific excluded countries; bidders must consult Part 1 Administrative specifications for specific nationality or establishment requirements and any restrictions.

Mentioned countries:Netherlands (Petten) is the location of contract performance and the facility. The contracting authority is the European Commission, DG JRC (Joint Research Centre), an EU institution. The procurement is published on the EU portal and therefore targeted at suppliers eligible under EU procurement rules.

Procurement documents and where to find them

All procurement documents, templates and annexes are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal under the tender details page for EC-JRC/PTT/2026/OP/0960. Documents available include the invitation to tender, administrative and technical tender specifications, declaration of honour template, financial offer form, draft contract and contract annexes addressing safety, security and acceptance/maintenance certification. Bidders must consult these documents for full technical requirements, legal terms, selection criteria and submission instructions.

1. 11. Invitation to tender 0960_V1.pdf (instruction and overview)
2. 22. Part 1 Administrative specifications 0960_V1.pdf (eligibility, selection criteria, submission rules)
3. 33. Part 2 Technical specifications 0960_V1.pdf (technical and performance requirements)
4. 44. Draft supply contract 0960_V1.pdf (contractual clauses and extension rules)
5. 55. Annexes: Safety regulations, Security requirements, Maintenance certificate, Order form model
6. 66. Declaration of honour and Financial form templates (to be completed and uploaded via eSubmission)

Application advice and checks

Bidders must prepare a bid that includes:fully completed administrative forms, the Declaration of honour, proof of legal and financial standing if requested, a technical offer demonstrating compliance with the technical specifications including ATEX and inert atmosphere operation where required, a detailed financial offer using the provided financial form, and acceptance or justified comments on the draft contract. Ensure all required annexes are completed and uploaded before the portal closing time. Requests for clarification must be submitted before the end of the additional information request period (7 August 2026).

Application templates structure (what to fill in):The financial offer template (Annex 6) is an Excel workbook capturing price lines for supply, installation, commissioning, annual preventive maintenance and corrective maintenance rates. The Declaration of honour must be completed and signed by an authorised representative. Administrative annexes request company information, proof of legal status, VAT/tax identification, and any required certificates. The technical offer should be structured to mirror the technical specifications (device descriptions, ATEX certifications, test reports, proposed central control unit features, installation plan, commissioning procedures, maintenance plan covering preventive and corrective services, spare parts strategy, response times, training and documentation). The Certificate of maintenance and acceptance form in Annex IV will be used post-installation for acceptance and for each maintenance event if required.

Risk, success rate and other considerations

The tender metadata does not provide a success rate or number of expected awards. Success depends on meeting all technical, administrative and contractual requirements and competitive pricing. Evaluators will apply the award criterion(s) and may disqualify offers that do not demonstrate compliance with essential technical or safety requirements (for example ATEX certification for hydrogen detectors or operation in inert atmospheres). Bidders must ensure timely eSubmission and compliance with format and evidence requirements.

Success rates and competition:No success rate is published in the tender documentation. Typical EU public procurement tenders of this nature attract a limited number of specialised suppliers; however the number of bids and resulting success probability cannot be determined from the published data.

Summary and final description

This procurement seeks a qualified supplier to deliver a safety-critical gas detection system for the JRC High-Pressure Gas Testing Facility (GASTEF) in Petten, Netherlands. The scope includes hardware (oxygen and hydrogen detectors, central control unit), installation and commissioning at the facility, and comprehensive maintenance services for a multi-year period (eight years). Key constraints include ATEX zone 2 compliance for hydrogen detectors and the need for some detectors to operate in nitrogen (inert) atmospheres. The tender is an open public procurement on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal with electronic submission; the estimated contract value is €113,000 and the main evaluation criterion is price. Interested bidders must download and comply with the administrative and technical tender specifications, use provided templates (financial form, declaration of honour), meet selection and certification requirements, and submit before the 17 August 2026 deadline. Full technical, contractual and administrative details are contained in the documents published with the tender on the portal; bidders must consult those documents to prepare a compliant offer. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Tender documents and publication are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal under the tender reference EC-JRC/PTT/2026/OP/0960 (NL-Petten: New gas detection system and maintenance services for GASTEF) at ec.europa.eu

Tender Overview

This tender is issued by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) to procure a new gas detection system for the High-Pressure Gas Testing Facility (GASTEF) in Petten, Netherlands ¹. The system must include oxygen and hydrogen detectors (approx. 12 oxygen and 4 hydrogen), a central control unit, installation, commissioning, and 8 years of preventive and corrective maintenance ².

Key Technical Requirements

Detector Specifications:Detectors must operate in inert atmospheres (nitrogen) and comply with ATEX Zone 2 (Hydrogen) requirements, Gas Group IIC ³.

Maintenance Period:The contract includes 8 years of preventive and corrective maintenance services ².

1. 1Approx. 12 oxygen detectors and 4 hydrogen detectors (exact numbers depend on technology)
2. 2Central control unit for system integration
3. 3Installation and commissioning at GASTEF facility
4. 4ATEX Zone 2 compliance for hydrogen detection
5. 5Operation capability in nitrogen (inert) atmosphere

Contract Details

Who Should Apply

Qualified suppliers of industrial gas detection systems with ATEX certification, particularly those experienced in hydrogen detection and high-pressure facility safety systems ³. Companies must demonstrate capability to provide 8 years of maintenance services ².

Required Certifications:ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU compliance, Gas Group IIC certification, and EU Declaration of Conformity ³.

Important Information for Applicants

The GASTEF facility is used for experimental assessment of safety and performance under pressurized hydrogen, making the gas detection system critical for facility safety ². Tender documents include draft contract, technical specifications, safety regulations, and financial offer form ⁴.

Tender Documents Available:Draft supply contract, technical specifications, safety regulations for third parties, declaration of honour, order form model, security requirements, and financial form ⁴.

Additional information requests must be submitted by 7 August 2026, 20:00:59 (Europe/Amsterdam) ⁵. The contract is concluded for an initial period of 15 months, renewable 7 times ⁶.

Footnotes

1. 1European Commission, DG JRC - Joint Research Centre, official tender portal EU JRC Tender.
2. 2Tender description specifies 8 years of preventive and corrective maintenance for GASTEF facility EU Tender Description.
3. 3ATEX Zone 2 requirements for hydrogen detection include Gas Group IIC certification and compliance with ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU ATEX Hydrogen Sensors.
4. 4Available tender documents include draft contract, technical specifications, safety regulations, declaration of honour, order form, security requirements, and financial form EU Tender Documents.
5. 5Additional information request period ends 7 August 2026, 20:00:59 (Europe/Amsterdam) EU Tender Timeline.
6. 6Contract renewal terms: initial 15 months renewable 7 times for total 8-year maintenance period EU Contract Terms.