PHF 250703 - Sequencing services – High-priority, normal-capacity whole genome sequencing and long-read sequencing

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is preparing to announce a planned negotiated procurement procedure for a contract valued at €120,000, intended for high-priority whole genome and long-read sequencing services for pathogenic microorganisms. This initiative supports outbreak investigations, emphasizing the need for timely results and the ability to manage variable sample volumes. Contractors must be equipped to handle shipments of DNA or RNA samples from EU/EEA and Western Balkan countries.

The procurement falls under health services, classified under CPV code 85100000, and will operate as a framework agreement without reopening competition. The contract duration is expected to be 24 months. The process begins with an expression of interest starting May 5, 2025, with a submission deadline of May 22, 2025. The launch of the negotiated procedure is anticipated around June 2, 2025.

Eligible applicants are not explicitly defined, but research institutions, universities, and biotech companies are likely to be suitable, given the nature of the services required. Single applicants are assumed to be acceptable since consortium requirements have not been specified. There is no co-funding needed, and the application process involves expressing interest electronically, followed by participation in the negotiated procedure.

It is important to note that this notice is not a call for tenders but an announcement of ECDC's intent to launch a procurement process in the future. Interested parties should monitor developments closely and prepare to express their interest within the stipulated time frame.

This is a pre-information notice for a planned negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract, not a call for tenders. The contracting authority, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), intends to publish a future negotiated procedure.

The procedure identifier is ECDC/2025/MVP/0012-EXA.

The purpose of the procurement procedure is to provide high-priority, normal-capacity whole genome sequencing and long-read sequencing services for pathogenic microorganisms as listed in the EC Decision 2018/945. The mandatory pathogens that must be included in the tenders will be listed in the tender specifications. The remaining pathogens from the EC Decision are non-mandatory. High-priority, normal-capacity whole genome sequencing services are mainly intended to support outbreak investigations where timeliness of the results is key and sample numbers can vary. If requested, the contractor needs to be able to arrange the shipment of the DNA or RNA samples to its premises, dispatched from EU/EEA and Western Balkan countries.

The estimated total value of the contract is 120000 EUR. The main classification (CPV) code is 85100000, which refers to health services. The nature of the contract is for services. The maximum contract duration is 24 months. It will be a framework agreement, without reopening of competition.

The start date for expression of interest is 2025-05-05 Europe/Brussels. The deadline for expression of interest is 22/05/2025 04:59 Europe/Stockholm. The indicative date of launch of the negotiated procedure is 2025-06-02 Europe/Stockholm.

The method of expression of interest is electronic. Submissions must be sent exclusively at the address for submission given.

A question and answer section is available, including FAQs.

A question was raised: Where can I find the procurement documents for calls for tenders with ‘ExA' in the reference? The answer provided was that references that feature an ‘ExA’ are not calls for tenders. They are a publication announcing the contracting authority’s intent to launch in the future a low or middle negotiated procedure. This answer was published on 03/10/2024 16:32.

In summary, this is not an open call for tenders, but rather an announcement of the ECDC's intention to launch a negotiated procurement procedure in the future. The goal is to secure services for high-priority, normal-capacity whole genome sequencing and long-read sequencing of pathogenic microorganisms. This sequencing will support outbreak investigations, requiring timely results. The selected contractor may need to handle the shipment of DNA or RNA samples from EU/EEA and Western Balkan countries. Companies interested in potentially bidding for this contract should monitor for the launch of the negotiated procedure, expected around June 2, 2025, and express their interest electronically before May 22, 2025. The estimated value of the contract is 120,000 EUR, and it will be a framework agreement lasting up to 24 months.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given the nature of the procurement procedure for sequencing services, it is likely that eligible applicants would include research institutes, universities, biotech companies, and other organizations with the capacity to provide high-priority, normal-capacity whole genome sequencing and long-read sequencing services.

Funding Type: This is a procurement procedure, specifically a planned negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract. Therefore, the funding type is a service contract.

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. This information will likely be detailed in the tender specifications when they are released.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The text indicates that if requested, the contractor needs to be able to arrange the shipment of DNA or RNA samples to its premises, dispatched from EU/EEA and Western Balkan countries. This suggests that applicants from these regions are eligible.

Target Sector: The target sector is health, specifically related to providing sequencing services for pathogenic microorganisms. This falls under the broader category of biotech/medtech and healthcare.

Mentioned Countries: The text mentions EU, EEA, and Western Balkan countries.

Project Stage: The project stage is not explicitly mentioned, but it is implied that the service providers should be at a stage where they can provide operational sequencing services to support outbreak investigations. This suggests a commercialization or service provision stage.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the contract is 120,000 EUR, placing it in the under €50k to €200k range.

Application Type: This is a planned negotiated procedure, and the first step is to express interest electronically. The actual call for tenders is planned for the future.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for providing sequencing services. Therefore, the nature of support is monetary.

Application Stages: Based on the information provided, there are at least two stages: expressing interest and then participating in the negotiated procedure after the launch of the call for tenders. Therefore, there are at least 2 stages.

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

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding requirements are not mentioned in the provided text.

Summary:

This is a pre-announcement for a planned negotiated procurement procedure by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The ECDC intends to contract a service provider to deliver high-priority, normal-capacity whole genome sequencing and long-read sequencing services for pathogenic microorganisms. These services are intended to support outbreak investigations, where timely results are crucial. The selected contractor must be able to handle the shipment of DNA or RNA samples from EU/EEA and Western Balkan countries. The estimated total value of the contract is 120,000 EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 24 months. The procedure will be a framework agreement without reopening of competition. The start date for expressing interest is planned for May 5, 2025, with a deadline of May 22, 2025. The indicative date for launching the negotiated procedure is June 2, 2025. Interested parties must express their interest electronically. This announcement is not a call for tenders, but rather a notification of the ECDC's intention to launch a negotiated procedure in the future. The procedure identifier is ECDC/2025/MVP/0012-EXA. The main classification according to CPV is 85100000, which refers to health services.