Operation of the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative’s Coordination & Support Office - CCRI CSO II

This is a call for tenders from the European Commission, specifically through the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, for the operation of the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative's Coordination & Support Office (referred to as CCRI CSO II). The purpose of this contract is to continue and expand the existing operations of a critical mechanism aimed at supporting the circular economy transition across Europe. The total estimated contract value is €8,000,000 for a maximum duration of 48 months.

The tender process is categorized as an open procedure, which allows for electronic submissions through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. All interested parties must submit their proposals electronically by the deadline of December 15, 2025, at 16:00 CET. The contract will focus on building a more knowledgeable, competent, and geographically diverse community of circular cities, regions, and hubs committed to advancing their circular transition.

The tender aims to facilitate significant operational support for this community, emphasizing technical assistance, policy support, knowledge management services, and the creation of robust organizational capacity among participating entities.

Eligible applicants must be capable of managing complex EU initiatives and the contracting opportunity is not suitable for small and medium enterprises. Instead, larger consulting firms, research organizations, or specialized coordination bodies with demonstrated experience in managing EU initiatives are encouraged to apply.

The nature of the awarded contract is for services rather than traditional project funding. Contractors will be compensated for their service delivery, not through grants. Evaluation of submitted tenders will be based on a best price-quality ratio, with quality weighted at 70% and price at 30%. There are no co-funding requirements from applicants, as the funding is entirely provided by the European Commission.

No geographic restrictions are defined, indicating a broad EU-wide engagement, although specific countries are not mentioned. The project builds upon the work achieved by the previous Coordination Support Office I, which operated from December 2021 to December 2025.

Overall, interested entities should submit their proposals electronically by the specified deadline, ensuring adherence to the tender specifications and requirements as outlined in the documents available through the EU's eSubmission system.

This is a call for tenders with procedure identifier EC-RTD/2025/OP/0001, titled "Operation of the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative’s Coordination & Support Office - CCRI CSO II". The submission method is electronic and it is currently open for submission. The TED reference is 2025/S 211-725121.

The specific subject of this contract is the continuation of the operation of the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative’s Coordination and Support Office (CCRI-CSO II). The contractor will support the European Commission in managing, steering and further consolidating the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative. This service contract shall build on the processes put in place and results achieved by the Coordination Support Office I (operating from December 2021 to December 2025). The overarching goal is to further expand and consolidate the CCRI initiative, creating a knowledgeable, competent, larger, and geographically diverse community of circular cities/regions/hubs committed to advancing their circular transition.

The procedure type is an open procedure. The estimated total value is 8,000,000 EUR. The TED publication date is 03/11/2025. The lead contracting authority is the European Commission, DG RTD Research and Innovation. The main classification (CPV) is 73200000 Research and development consultancy services. The nature of the contract is services. The maximum contract duration is 48 months. The award method is best price-quality ratio. It is a framework agreement without reopening of competition.

Key milestones include: TED publication date: 03/11/2025, Date and time of public opening: 16/12/2025 10:00 Europe/Brussels, Deadline for receipt of tenders: 15/12/2025 16:00 Europe/Brussels. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after 05/12/2025 07:00 Europe/Brussels.

The following documents are available for download:
1. Annex I to ITT Tender Specifications Technical specifications, published on 03/11/2025, Version 1.
2. Annex I to ITT Tender Specifications Annex 6 Financial tender form, published on 03/11/2025, Version 1.
3. Annex I to ITT Tender Specifications Annex 7 Deliverables & KPIs, published on 03/11/2025, Version 1.
4. 5 Draft-Framework-Contract EC-RTD2025OP0001 Draft contract, published on 03/11/2025, Version 1.
5. Annex II to ITT Draft Contract Appendix 2 Draft contract annex, published on 03/11/2025, Version 1.
6. Invitation letter, published on 03/11/2025, Version 1.
7. Annex I to ITT Tender Specifications Editable Annexes 2 to 5.2, published on 03/11/2025, Version 2.

Submissions must be sent exclusively via electronic submission.

Regarding questions and answers, tenderers can log in to create questions. Any public Q&A will be available.

Some frequently asked questions (FAQ) and their answers are:
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. Published on 13/02/2025 21:52
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. Published on 13/02/2025 21:52
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. Published on 13/02/2025 21:50
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. Published on 17/10/2024 21:40
Which size should attachments have? eSubmission accepts files that are less than 50 MB in size. Published on 17/10/2024 21:36
How should I name attachments in eSubmision? Follow the System Requirements. Published on 03/10/2024 17:39
Can I submit a video in eSbmission? Which formats are supported? Check the System Requirements of eSubmission. Published on 03/10/2024 17:37
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”. Published on 03/10/2024 17:37
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). Published on 03/10/2024 17:36
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. Published on 03/10/2024 17:36
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. Published on 03/10/2024 17:35
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. Only one PIC per organisation must be used. Published on 23/04/2024 18:14
How do I register my organisation and get a Participant Identification Code (PIC)? Check if the organisation is already registered using the Search PIC tool under 'How to Participate' > Participant Register. Published on 23/04/2024 17:07
How many languages does the system support? The system is multilingual and supports all 24 official EU languages. Published on 01/04/2024 20:56
Which is the character set encoding in the system? The character set encoding is UTF-8. Published on 23/02/2024 00:58
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. Published on 23/02/2024 00:57
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. Published on 22/02/2024 00:55
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. Published on 24/03/2023 22:32
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. Published on 03/08/2021 23:07
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. Published on 03/08/2021 23:05

In summary, this tender opportunity is for the continuation of the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative’s Coordination and Support Office (CCRI-CSO II). The European Commission is seeking a contractor to manage, steer, and consolidate the CCRI, building upon the work of the previous Coordination Support Office. The goal is to expand the initiative and create a larger, more diverse community of cities and regions committed to circular economy principles. The tender is an open procedure with an estimated value of 8 million EUR and a maximum contract duration of 48 months. The deadline for submitting tenders is December 15, 2025. The tender will be awarded based on the best price-quality ratio. All submissions must be made electronically through the EU's eSubmission portal, and potential tenderers must have a Participant Identification Code (PIC).

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text. However, given the nature of the tender, it is likely that eligible applicants include organizations with expertise in research and development consultancy services, project management, and circular economy initiatives. This could include research institutes, consulting firms, universities, and other entities with relevant experience.

Funding Type: The funding type is a service contract.

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required or if a single applicant is sufficient. However, given the scope and nature of the project, it is possible that a consortium of multiple applicants with complementary expertise would be advantageous or even required.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated, but given that it is an EU initiative (Circular Cities and Regions Initiative), it is highly likely that the beneficiary scope includes EU member states and possibly associated countries. The goal is to create a geographically diverse community, suggesting a broad European scope.

Target Sector: The target sector is circular economy, specifically focusing on circular cities and regions. It also involves research and development consultancy services, project management, and support for the European Commission in managing and steering the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the focus is on circular cities and regions within the EU.

Project Stage: The project stage is continuation and consolidation. The tender aims to build on the processes and results achieved by the previous Coordination Support Office I, which operated from December 2021 to December 2025. The project is therefore in the stage of expanding and further developing an existing initiative.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the contract is 8,000,000 EUR.

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

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a service contract payment.

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly mentioned, but it can be assumed that there will be at least two stages: submission of the tender and evaluation of the tender. There may be additional stages such as clarification requests or contract negotiation.

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

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

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for tenders (EC-RTD/2025/OP/0001) from the European Commission, DG RTD Research and Innovation, for the continuation of the operation of the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative’s Coordination and Support Office (CCRI-CSO II). The main goal is to support the European Commission in managing, steering, and further consolidating the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative. This initiative aims to create a knowledgeable, competent, larger, and geographically diverse community of circular cities, regions, and hubs committed to advancing their circular transition. The contract is a service contract with an estimated total value of 8,000,000 EUR and a maximum duration of 48 months. The procedure type is an open procedure, and submissions must be sent electronically. The deadline for receipt of tenders is December 15, 2025, at 16:00 Europe/Brussels. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after December 5, 2025, at 07:00 Europe/Brussels. Tenderers must submit their proposals electronically, adhering to the specified system requirements, including file size limits (under 50 MB per file) and attachment naming conventions. A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation. The system supports all 24 official EU languages and uses encryption to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of the information.