Refining the Process: Improving EIGE’s Step-by-Step Estimation on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Risk in Europe

This opportunity represents a procurement contract initiated by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE). The primary goal of the contract is to update the EIGE’s step-by-step methodology for estimating the number of women and girls at risk of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the EU. This updating is necessary due to evolving socio-economic factors such as new migration routes, humanitarian crises, and conflicts. The contract aims to ensure that the methodology remains robust and relevant.

The nature of this contract is services, specifically classified under CPV code 73200000 for research and development consultancy services. The expected duration of the project is 11 months.

Eligible applicants include research institutes, consultancy firms, universities, and nonprofit organizations with expertise in gender-based violence research and data analysis. The opportunity does not explicitly favor small or medium enterprises, thus large organizations may also qualify.

The planned process involves an expression of interest (EXA) stage, with the registration deadline set for July 23, 2025. After this, a formal tender invitation will follow, expected to launch shortly afterward on August 1, 2025. This signifies a two-stage application process where interested parties must submit their initial expressions of interest electronically.

The funding amount is currently unspecified, although it falls in the category of low or middle value service contracts. There is no requirement for co-funding, meaning the full contract amount will be covered by the EIGE.

The geographical focus of the contract is strictly the EU, as it directly pertains to estimating the risks faced by women and girls within EU member states. There are no other regions or countries mentioned for eligibility.

This initiative aligns with EU goals related to gender equality and public health, specifically addressing the pressing issue of FGM through enhanced research methodologies. This presents an important opportunity for organizations capable of contributing to methodologies that support data-driven policy making in the EU context.

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 Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), intends to publish a future negotiated procedure.

The procedure identifier is EIGE/VNO/2025/MVP/0007-EXA.

The main objective of the contract is to update EIGE's step-by-step methodology in estimating the number of women and girls at risk of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the EU. The update is needed due to the changing socio-economic landscape, including new migration routes, humanitarian factors, displacement, and conflicts. The goal is to ensure a more robust and up-to-date methodology.

The procedure type is a planned negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract. The estimated total value is not specified. The main classification (CPV) code is 73200000, which refers to research and development consultancy services. The nature of the contract is for services. The maximum contract duration is 11 months. There is no framework agreement.

The start date for expression of interest is 2025-07-15 (Europe/Brussels time). The deadline for expression of interest is 24/07/2025 at 03:59 (Europe/Vilnius time). The indicative date of launch of the negotiated procedure is 2025-08-01 (Europe/Vilnius time).

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

A frequently asked question (FAQ) clarifies that references featuring "ExA" are not calls for tenders but announcements of the contracting authority's intent to launch a low or middle negotiated procedure in the future.

In summary, this is not an active call for tenders, but a pre-information notice about a future opportunity. The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) plans to launch a negotiated procedure to update its methodology for estimating the risk of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) among women and girls in the EU. The project aims to refine the existing step-by-step estimation process to account for evolving socio-economic factors like migration and conflict. The contract will be for services related to research and development consultancy, with a maximum duration of 11 months. Parties interested in this future opportunity should express their interest electronically, with a deadline in late July 2025, ahead of the anticipated launch of the negotiated procedure in August 2025.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but given the nature of the contract (research and development consultancy services) and the contracting authority (European Institute for Gender Equality), eligible applicants could include research institutes, consultancy firms, universities, non-profit organizations, or other entities with expertise in gender equality, statistics, and data analysis. The call is likely open to entities capable of providing research and consultancy services.

Funding Type: The funding type is a service contract, as indicated by "Nature of the contract: services". This means the selected applicant will be contracted to provide specific services in exchange for payment.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. It is possible that either a single entity or a consortium of entities could apply. Further details will likely be available when the full call for tenders is published.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is likely focused on entities within the EU, as the project aims to update a methodology for estimating the risk of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the EU. However, this is not explicitly stated, and the full call for tenders should be consulted for definitive eligibility criteria.

Target Sector: The target sector is gender equality, specifically related to the estimation of women and girls at risk of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). It also involves research and development consultancy services, statistics, and data analysis.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the focus is on the EU as a region.

Project Stage: The project stage involves updating an existing methodology, suggesting a development or validation stage rather than basic research or initial idea generation. The project aims to refine and improve an existing step-by-step estimation methodology.

Funding Amount: The funding amount is not specified, but the procedure type is described as a "Planned negotiated procedure for middle/low value contract." This suggests the funding range is likely to be in the range of tens or hundreds of thousands of euros, rather than millions.

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

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for providing services, specifically updating the EIGE step-by-step methodology.

Application Stages: The application process appears to involve at least two stages: an initial expression of interest, followed by a negotiated procedure for selected applicants. It is possible that there could be further stages within the negotiated procedure itself.

Success Rates: The success rates cannot be determined from the provided information. As this is a negotiated procedure, the success rate will depend on the number of applicants invited to the negotiation stage and the quality of their proposals.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not specify whether co-funding is required.

Summary:

This is a pre-announcement for a future negotiated procedure for a low or middle value contract by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE). The project aims to update EIGE's step-by-step methodology for estimating the number of women and girls at risk of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the EU, considering the changing socio-economic landscape, including new migration routes, humanitarian factors, displacement, and conflicts. The contracting authority intends to launch a negotiated procedure for this service contract. The main classification is research and development consultancy services. The maximum contract duration is 11 months. The start date for expression of interest is planned for 2025-07-15, with a deadline of 2025-07-24. The indicative date for the launch of the negotiated procedure is 2025-08-01. Interested parties must submit an electronic expression of interest. This announcement is not a call for tenders, but rather a notification of the contracting authority's intention to publish a future opportunity. The procedure identifier is EIGE/VNO/2025/MVP/0007-EXA. The selected contractor will be responsible for updating the existing methodology to ensure it remains robust and up-to-date.