Preliminary assessment of potential POPs candidates

The content pertains to a forthcoming procurement opportunity from the European Commission's Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV). The procurement, identified as EC-ENV/2025/LVP/0029-EXA, is focused on the preliminary assessment of potential Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) candidates. The objective is to gather further information regarding chemicals listed by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), particularly their uses, current regulatory restrictions in the EU, and any essential applications that may exist.

The opportunity is a service contract, categorized as a planned negotiated procedure for a middle or low-value contract. Although the exact funding amount is not specified, projects like this typically have values under €200,000, and potentially below €50,000. The contract is expected to last for 12 months.

Eligible applicants include economic operators such as consultancies, research organizations, and specialized environmental service providers, emphasizing that organizations need considerable technical capacity. Notably, the tender is not suitable for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), as indicated by the "smeSuitableIndicator: false." Consortium applications are likely permitted, though not explicitly required.

Submissions must be made electronically through the eSubmission system, and registration in the European Commission's Participant Register is obligatory. The indicated registration deadline is October 7, 2025, and an expression of interest is set to start on September 22, 2025, with the formal tender launch expected on October 10, 2025.

The primary sector targeted by this call is the environment, specifically concerning chemical safety, regulatory assessment, and pollution control. Interested parties are encouraged to follow the official EU Funding & Tenders Portal for updates on the official publication of this call for tenders. This opportunity requires deep expertise in chemical assessment and EU regulatory processes, suited primarily for established entities in the environmental consulting and research field.

This is a publication announcing the European Commission's, DG ENV Environment, intention to publish a future negotiated low or middle value procedure, not a call for tenders.

The procedure identifier is EC-ENV/2025/LVP/0029-EXA.

The title of the planned call for tenders is "Preliminary assessment of potential POPs candidates".

The objective of this procedure is to conduct a preliminary assessment of potential Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) candidates. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has prepared a short list of potential candidates. However, for some of these proposals, there is a need to collect more information on the chemicals to be covered in the nomination, including their uses, whether they are already restricted or under restriction in the EU, and if there are essential applications.

The procedure type is a planned negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract. The estimated total value is not specified.

The lead contracting authority is the European Commission, DG ENV Environment.

The main classification (CPV code) is 90700000 Environmental services.

The nature of the contract is for services.

The maximum contract duration is 12 months.

There is no framework agreement associated with this procedure.

The start date for expression of interest is 2025-09-22 Europe/Brussels.

The deadline for expression of interest is 08/10/2025 05:59 Europe/Brussels.

The indicative date of launch of the negotiated procedure is 2025-10-10 Europe/Brussels.

The method of expression of interest is electronic.

To express interest, applicants should use the "Express interest" functionality.

A frequently asked question (FAQ) addresses where to find procurement documents for calls for tenders with ‘ExA’ in the reference. The answer clarifies that references featuring ‘ExA’ are not calls for tenders but announcements of the contracting authority’s intent to launch a low or middle value negotiated procedure in the future.

In summary, this is a pre-announcement for a future procurement opportunity related to the environmental sector. The European Commission is planning to launch a negotiated procedure to obtain services for the preliminary assessment of potential POPs candidates. The goal is to gather more information about chemicals that ECHA has shortlisted, focusing on their uses, restrictions, and essential applications. Companies or organizations interested in providing these services should monitor for the official launch of the negotiated procedure, expected around October 10, 2025, and be prepared to express their interest electronically. The actual call for tenders will be published at a later date.

Eligible Applicant Types: The information provided does not explicitly state the eligible applicant types. However, given the nature of the contract (services related to environmental assessment) and the contracting authority (European Commission, DG ENV), it is likely that eligible applicants could include research institutes, universities, environmental consulting firms, and other organizations with expertise in chemical assessment and environmental science. The opportunity is likely open to both SMEs and large enterprises with relevant expertise.

Funding Type: The funding type is a service contract, specifically a planned negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract. This implies a procurement process where the contracting authority seeks services from an external provider.

Consortium Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required or if a single applicant is sufficient. It is possible that both single applicants and consortia could be eligible, but this would need to be confirmed in the official call for tenders when it is published.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The information does not explicitly define the geographic eligibility. However, given that the contracting authority is the European Commission, DG ENV, it is highly likely that the primary geographic eligibility will be for entities located within the EU and potentially the EEA. It is possible that entities from EU candidate countries or other countries may be eligible, but this would need to be confirmed in the official call for tenders.

Target Sector: The target sector is clearly the environment, specifically related to the assessment of potential Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). This falls under the broader category of environmental services and chemical risk assessment.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned. The relevant region is the EU, given the contracting authority is the European Commission.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on preliminary assessment. The objective is to collect more information on chemicals to be covered in the nomination of POPs candidates, their uses, and whether they are already restricted or under restriction in the EU, and if there are essential applications. This suggests an early stage of research and data collection.

Funding Amount: The funding amount is described as a "middle/low value contract." While a specific range is not provided, this suggests the funding will likely be under €200k, and possibly even under €50k, but this is speculative. The exact amount will be specified in the call for tenders.

Application Type: The application type will be a negotiated procedure. This means that after the expression of interest, the contracting authority will likely invite a select number of candidates to submit full proposals. The initial stage is an expression of interest.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for providing services, specifically the preliminary assessment of potential POPs candidates.

Application Stages: There will be at least two stages: an initial expression of interest, followed by a full proposal submission for those who are invited to participate in the negotiated procedure.

Success Rates: Success rates are not mentioned, and it is impossible to determine them at this stage, as the call for tenders has not yet been published. Success rates for negotiated procedures can vary widely depending on the number of invited candidates and the quality of proposals.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding requirements are not mentioned. It is unlikely that co-funding will be required for this type of service contract, but this would need to be confirmed in the official call for tenders.

Summary:

This is a pre-announcement of a forthcoming call for tenders from the European Commission, DG ENV (Environment Directorate-General). The call, identified as EC-ENV/2025/LVP/0029-EXA, concerns a service contract for the preliminary assessment of potential Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) candidates. The objective is to gather additional information on chemicals identified by ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) as potential POPs, including their uses, existing restrictions in the EU, and any essential applications. This assessment will support the nomination process for new POPs. The procedure will be a negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract, meaning that after an initial expression of interest, a select number of candidates will be invited to submit full proposals. The maximum contract duration is 12 months. The start date for expression of interest is planned for 2025-09-22, with a deadline of 2025-10-08. The indicative date for the launch of the negotiated procedure is 2025-10-10. Interested parties should monitor the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for the official publication of the call for tenders. The main classification (CPV) code is 90700000, which relates to environmental services. The opportunity is relevant for organizations with expertise in environmental science, chemical risk assessment, and POPs assessment.