Recognised schemes (Article 30) in the Critical Raw Materials Act

The European Commission's Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs has announced a call for tenders (EC-GROW/2025/OP/0073) titled "Recognised schemes (Article 30) in the Critical Raw Materials Act." This opportunity is centered around the recognition of sustainability certification schemes related to critical raw materials (CRMs) as stipulated in Article 30 of the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA). Scheme owners can apply for recognition by the Commission, which will enable these schemes to demonstrate compliance with sustainability criteria for Strategic Projects.

The tender has an estimated total value of 400,000 EUR and is categorized as a service contract. The maximum duration of the resulting contract is 12 months, with successful bidders expected to provide validation services for existing CRM sustainability certification schemes. The award method is based on a best price-quality ratio, weighing 70% for quality and 30% for price.

The application process is an open procedure requiring electronic submissions via the Funding & Tenders Portal. The deadline for the receipt of tenders is set for August 7, 2025, at 16:00 (Brussels time), with clarification for questions allowed until July 30, 2025. The initiative does not specify any geographic restrictions on participation, implying that it is open to EU member states and other eligible third countries as per WTO Government Procurement Agreement guidelines.

Eligible applicants include scheme owners of certification frameworks, which may encompass certification bodies, industry associations, and NGOs. There is no specific mention of a consortium requirement, indicating that individual entities can participate. The tender is not specifically designed for small and medium enterprises but does not exclude them either.

The project stage focuses on the validation and recognition of already established certification schemes rather than developing new schemes. This process emphasizes the importance of sustainability compliance within CRM supply chains.

Overall, the tender represents an opportunity for organizations involved in sustainability certification to contribute to the EU's objective of securing responsible and sustainable supply chains for critical raw materials, adhering to EU standards and improving the credibility of their certification processes. The electronic submission process mandates adherence to specific technical requirements, including file size limits and naming conventions, and requires a Personal Identification Code (PIC) for all submissions.

The European Commission, DG GROW - Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, has published a call for tenders, EC-GROW/2025/OP/0073, titled "Recognised schemes (Article 30) in the Critical Raw Materials Act." This is an open procedure with electronic submission. The TED reference is 117/2025 399583-2025.

The call aims to recognize CRM sustainability certification schemes under Article 30 of the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA). Scheme owners can request recognition by the Commission, and recognized schemes may be used to demonstrate compliance with the sustainability criterion for Strategic Projects.

The estimated total value of the tender is 400,000 EUR. The contract's nature is for services, with a maximum duration of 12 months. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio. No framework agreement is specified.

Key milestones include:
TED publication date: 20/06/2025
Date and time of public opening: 08/08/2025 10:00 Europe/Brussels
Deadline for receipt of tenders: 07/08/2025 16:00 Europe/Brussels
Deadline for questions: 30/07/2025 05:00 Europe/Brussels. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after this date.

The following documents are available for download:
ENEN-Invitation to tender EC-GROW2025OP0073 Recognised schemes Article 30 - CRMA (2)Invitation letter, published on 20/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
ENANNEX I - Tender Specifications - EC-GROW2025OP0073 Recognised schemes Article 30 - CRMATender specifications, published on 20/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
ENANNEX I - Annex II - declaration-of-honour-tenders Recognised schemes Article 30 - CRMA EC-GROW2025OP0073Declaration on honour (tender), published on 20/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
ENANNEX I - Annex VI - Financial Tender FormFinancial offer form, published on 20/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
ENANNEX II - Draft ContractDraft contract, published on 20/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
ENANNEX II - Appendix 1 Security requirements en 2025Draft contract annex, published on 20/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
ENANNEX II - Annex III to Draft contract-vat-2023-en (2)Draft contract annex, published on 20/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
ENANNEX II - Annex IV to Draft contract statements-ipr-enDraft contract annex, published on 20/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available.

Submissions must be sent exclusively via electronic submission.

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In summary, this tender is an invitation by the European Commission for scheme owners of CRM (Critical Raw Materials) sustainability certification schemes to apply for recognition under Article 30 of the Critical Raw Materials Act. Successful schemes will be officially recognized by the Commission and can then be used by companies to demonstrate that their strategic projects meet the sustainability criteria outlined in the CRMA. This recognition is important because it allows projects to be considered "Strategic Projects" which likely unlocks further benefits or streamlined processes within the EU framework. The tender involves submitting a proposal detailing the scheme and how it meets the necessary sustainability standards. The Commission will evaluate these proposals based on a best price-quality ratio, and the selected contractor will work with the Commission for a maximum of 12 months. The submission process is electronic, and there are specific guidelines and requirements for the submission, including the use of a PIC (Personal Identification Code) and adherence to file size and naming conventions.

Eligible Applicant Types: The opportunity is open to scheme owners of CRM sustainability certification schemes. The specific types of organizations that can be scheme owners are not explicitly defined in the provided text, but it can be inferred that they could include certification bodies, industry associations, NGOs, or other relevant entities that develop and manage sustainability certification schemes.

Funding Type: This is a procurement opportunity, specifically a call for tenders. The nature of the contract is for services.

Consortium Requirement: The text mentions that a 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). Therefore, both single applicants and consortia are eligible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The opportunity is likely open to entities within the EU, given that it is an EU funding initiative and the contracting authority is the European Commission. The text does not explicitly exclude any geographic area, but eligibility is implied for entities that can contribute to the goals of the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) within the EU framework.

Target Sector: The program targets the critical raw materials (CRM) sector, specifically focusing on sustainability certification schemes related to CRMs. This includes areas such as environmental sustainability, responsible sourcing, and supply chain due diligence within the CRM industry.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the opportunity is within the European Union (EU) framework.

Project Stage: The opportunity targets entities that already have established CRM sustainability certification schemes. The project stage is therefore at the stage where scheme owners are seeking recognition from the European Commission for their existing schemes. This implies a stage of validation and potential commercialization or wider adoption of the schemes.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the procurement is 400,000 EUR.

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

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for services. The contract is for services related to the recognition of CRM sustainability certification schemes.

Application Stages: The number of stages is not explicitly stated, but it can be inferred that there are multiple stages, including submission of the tender, evaluation of the tender, and contract award. The documentation provided (invitation letter, tender specifications, draft contract) suggests a multi-stage process.

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

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This is a call for tenders (EC-GROW/2025/OP/0073) issued by the European Commission, DG GROW, under the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), Article 30. The tender is for the recognition of CRM sustainability certification schemes. Scheme owners can apply to have their schemes recognized by the Commission, which would then allow these schemes to be used to demonstrate compliance with sustainability criteria for Strategic Projects under the CRMA. The procedure is an open procedure with electronic submission. The estimated total value of the procurement is 400,000 EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 12 months. The deadline for receipt of tenders is 07/08/2025 at 16:00 Europe/Brussels. The contracting authority will not reply to questions submitted after 30/07/2025 at 05:00 Europe/Brussels. The TED publication date is 20/06/2025. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio. Tenderers must submit their tenders electronically through the designated eSubmission portal, ensuring that all attachments comply with the system requirements (files less than 50 MB, maximum 200 files). A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation, either as a sole tenderer or as part of a consortium. The system supports all 24 official EU languages and uses encryption to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of information.