Provision of a feasibility assessment and the development of a pathways report for carbon neutrality for the European Union Agency for the Cooperation...

The European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) has announced an upcoming procurement opportunity titled "Provision of a feasibility assessment and the development of a pathways report for carbon neutrality." This is classified under the call identifier ACER/2026/LVP/0002-EXA, with an estimated budget of €60,000 and a project duration of 12 months.

Eligible applicants for this negotiated low-value procedure include professional and scientific service providers such as consulting firms, research institutes, engineering companies, and environmental consultancies that can deliver the required services. It is important to note that the opportunity is not explicitly marketed as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), although they may still compete if they meet necessary qualifications.

The nature of this opportunity is a service contract, whereby payment will be made to the successful bidder upon delivery of the feasibility assessment and pathways report. A consortium is not required; however, joint bids may be permitted, which needs confirmation in the tender notice.

Geographic eligibility typically includes entities based within the EU and possibly EEA countries, following standard EU public procurement rules. The targeted sector for this opportunity is primarily within energy regulation and climate policy, specifically focusing on carbon neutrality pathways.

The process consists of two main stages: the first stage is the expression of interest, due by January 7, 2026, followed by a formal bid submission after the invitation from ACER. The indicative launch date for the actual negotiated procedure is planned for January 21, 2026.

This procurement does not involve co-funding; the entire contract amount of €60,000 will be funded by ACER. The success rates of low-value procurement procedures are generally higher than those associated with more competitive grants, though specific rates are not provided in the announcement.

Interest parties are advised to express their intent electronically and will be directed to the relevant submission address. Additional support and FAQs will be provided once the formal process is launched. Overall, this is a pre-announcement for a service contract opportunity aimed at supporting ACER in its efforts toward carbon neutrality.

This is a publication announcing the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators' (ACER) intention to publish a future negotiated low or middle value procedure. This is not a call for tenders.

The procedure identifier is ACER/2026/LVP/0002-EXA.

The title of the planned call for tenders is "Provision of a feasibility assessment and the development of a pathways report for carbon neutrality for the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators".

The procedure type is a planned negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract.

The estimated total value is 60000 EUR.

The lead contracting authority is the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators.

The main classification (CPV) code is 79400000, which refers to business and management consultancy and related services.

The nature of the contract is for services.

The maximum contract duration is 12 months.

There is no framework agreement.

The start date for expression of interest is 2025-12-18 Europe/Brussels.

The deadline for expression of interest is 08/01/2026 06:59 Europe/Ljubljana.

The indicative date of launch of the negotiated procedure is 2026-01-21 Europe/Ljubljana.

The method of expression of interest is electronic.

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

A question and answer section is available, requiring a login to create questions. A FAQ section is also available.

A previously asked question is: "Where can I find the procurement documents for calls for tenders with ‘ExA' in the reference?". The answer provided is that references featuring ‘ExA’ are not calls for tenders but 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 17:32.

In summary, this is a pre-announcement for a future negotiated procedure by ACER for a consultancy service. The goal is to obtain a feasibility assessment and pathways report for achieving carbon neutrality within the agency. The contract is estimated to be of low to middle value (around 60,000 EUR) and will last for a maximum of 12 months. Companies interested in participating in this future tender should express their interest electronically, starting from December 18, 2025, with a deadline of January 8, 2026. The actual negotiated procedure is expected to launch around January 21, 2026. It is important to note that this announcement itself is not a call for tenders, and the procurement documents will be available only when the negotiated procedure is officially launched.

Eligible Applicant Types: The opportunity is for a negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract, suggesting that the eligible applicant types are likely to be businesses or organizations capable of providing business and management consultancy services. The specific types (SME, large enterprise, etc.) are not explicitly stated, but consultancy firms are the target.

Funding Type: The funding type is procurement, specifically a service contract. The contracting authority is seeking a service: "Provision of a feasibility assessment and the development of a pathways report for carbon neutrality for the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators."

Consortium Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. Given the nature of the service (consultancy), it is possible that both single applicants and consortia could be eligible, but this needs to be confirmed when the actual call for tenders is published.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated. However, since the contracting authority is the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators, it is highly likely that the eligibility will be open to entities within the EU, and possibly EEA countries.

Target Sector: The target sector is energy and environment, specifically related to carbon neutrality and energy regulation. The project focuses on providing a feasibility assessment and developing pathways for carbon neutrality for the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators. The CPV code 79400000 points to Business and management consultancy and related services.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned. The relevant region is the EU, given the contracting authority is the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on assessment and development of pathways, implying a development stage. The deliverable is a feasibility assessment and a pathways report, suggesting the project is beyond the initial research phase and is geared towards providing actionable strategies.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value is 60000 EUR, placing it in the under €50k to €200k range.

Application Type: The application type is an expression of interest, followed by a planned negotiated procedure. This is not an open call for tenders but a pre-announcement of a future negotiated procedure.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for services rendered. This is a service contract where the selected entity will be paid for providing the feasibility assessment and pathways report.

Application Stages: There are at least two stages: an expression of interest and a subsequent negotiated procedure. The exact number of stages within the negotiated procedure is not specified.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned. As this is a negotiated procedure, the success rate will depend on the number of entities invited to negotiate and the competitiveness of their offers.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding is not mentioned, and it is unlikely to be required for a procurement contract of this nature.

Summary:

This is a pre-announcement of a planned negotiated procedure by the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER). The agency intends to contract a service provider to conduct a feasibility assessment and develop a pathways report for achieving carbon neutrality. This is not a call for tenders yet, but a publication to inform potential applicants about a future opportunity. The estimated total value of the contract is 60000 EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 12 months. The procedure identifier is ACER/2026/LVP/0002-EXA. The start date for expression of interest is planned for 2025-12-18, with a deadline of 2026-01-08. The indicative date for the launch of the negotiated procedure is 2026-01-21. Interested parties must submit an electronic expression of interest. This opportunity targets consultancy firms with expertise in energy, environment, and carbon neutrality. The selected contractor will provide a feasibility assessment and a pathways report to guide ACER in its carbon neutrality efforts. The procedure type is a planned negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract.