Refurbishment of the lifts at the JRC Karlsruhe

This document presents a forthcoming procurement tender by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, specifically for refurbishing high-capacity lifts at the JRC facility in Karlsruhe, Germany. This is not a traditional grant program but a negotiated service procurement contract valued at €100,000. Eligible applicants include economic operators such as construction firms and specialists in lift refurbishment, although the opportunity is noted as unsuitable for small and medium enterprises due to the technical requirements involved.

The procurement seeks to modernize existing lift infrastructure to comply with current safety and environmental regulations. The refurbishment work includes installing stainless steel protective lining for hydraulic cylinders, rubber end-position buffers, and emergency fall protection systems. The contracting authority will only award this contract to a qualified supplier through a direct negotiation process rather than an open competitive bidding.

The application process involves a two-stage procedure: first, interested parties must submit an expression of interest by February 23, 2026, followed by the formal submission of tenders starting on February 26, 2026. All submissions will occur electronically through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

The total contract duration is set for 24 months, with no co-funding required from the contractor, as the entire cost will be covered by the European Commission. The procedures stipulate that only one contractor will generally be awarded the contract. The project, which is at the maintenance stage, aims to upgrade existing lift systems rather than develop new solutions. Overall, this opportunity emphasizes compliance with EU regulations and involves a limited geographical scope focused on Germany.

This is a publication announcing the contracting authority’s intention to publish a future negotiated low or middle value procedure, not a call for tenders.

The procedure identifier is EC-JRC/KRU/2026/MVP/0434-EXA.

The title of the planned call for tenders is Refurbishment of the lifts at the JRC Karlsruhe.

The call for tender addresses the refurbishment of high-capacity lifts to comply with current safety and environmental rules. The specific requirements include:
The installation of protecting lining chambers made of stainless steel to encapsulate the hydraulic cylinders.
End positions rubber buffers.
Building of emergency de-embarquement fall protections.

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

The estimated total value is 100000 EUR.

The lead contracting authority is the European Commission, DG JRC - Joint Research Centre.

The main classification (CPV) code is 50750000 - Lift-maintenance services.

The nature of the contract is for services.

The maximum contract duration is 24 months.

There is no framework agreement.

The start date for expression of interest is 2026-01-30 Europe/Brussels.

The deadline for expression of interest is 24/02/2026 05:59 Europe/Berlin.

The indicative date of launch of the negotiated procedure is 2026-02-26 Europe/Berlin.

The method of expression of interest is electronic.

Submissions must be sent exclusively at the address for submission given.

To express interest, use the "Express interest" link.

A frequently asked question is: Where can I find the procurement documents for calls for tenders with ‘ExA' in the reference? The answer is 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 a pre-announcement for a future negotiated tender procedure concerning the refurbishment of lifts at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Karlsruhe. The European Commission intends to launch a low to middle value contract for this project. The refurbishment aims to bring the high-capacity lifts into compliance with current safety and environmental regulations. Key aspects of the refurbishment include installing stainless steel lining chambers for hydraulic cylinders, adding end position rubber buffers, and constructing emergency fall protection systems. The estimated value of the contract is 100,000 EUR, and the maximum duration is 24 months. Companies interested in participating should express their interest electronically, with a deadline of February 24, 2026. The actual call for tenders is expected to be launched around February 26, 2026. It is important to note that this announcement is not the tender itself, but rather a notification of the Commission's intention to launch the tender in the future.

Eligible Applicant Types: The information provided does not explicitly state the eligible applicant types. However, given the nature of the contract (services for lift refurbishment) and the estimated value, it is likely that eligible applicants would include SMEs and large enterprises specializing in lift maintenance and refurbishment services.

Funding Type: Procurement. This is a planned call for tenders for a service contract.

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

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The information does not explicitly state the geographic eligibility. However, since the contracting authority is the European Commission, DG JRC, it is highly likely that the geographic eligibility will include at least EU member states and potentially EEA countries. The location of the project is at the JRC Karlsruhe, implying that entities able to work in Germany would be well-positioned.

Target Sector: Buildings or Construction, Industrial Processes/Components. The specific target sector is lift maintenance and refurbishment, which falls under the broader categories of buildings/construction and industrial processes/components.

Mentioned Countries: Germany (implied, as the project is located at the JRC Karlsruhe).

Project Stage: The project is at the stage of refurbishment, implying that the lifts are already in place and require upgrading to comply with current safety and environmental rules.

Funding Amount: Estimated total value is 100,000 EUR. This falls into the €50k–€200k range.

Application Type: Planned negotiated procedure for middle/low value contract. The method of expression of interest is electronic.

Nature of Support: Non-monetary services. The selected contractor will receive payment for the services provided in refurbishing the lifts.

Application Stages: The information suggests at least two stages: expression of interest and a subsequent negotiated procedure. Therefore, at least 2 stages.

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

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

Summary:

This is an announcement of a planned call for tenders by the European Commission, DG JRC (Joint Research Centre), for the refurbishment of high-capacity lifts at the JRC site in Karlsruhe, Germany. The project aims to bring the lifts into compliance with current safety and environmental regulations. The estimated total value of the contract is 100,000 EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 24 months. The procedure type is a planned negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract.

The refurbishment work includes: the installation of protecting lining chambers made of stainless steel to encapsulate the hydraulic cylinders, end positions rubber buffers, and building of emergency de-embarquement fall protections.

The start date for expression of interest is planned for 2026-01-30, and the deadline for expression of interest is 2026-02-24. The indicative date of launch of the negotiated procedure is 2026-02-26. The method of expression of interest is electronic, and interested parties must submit their expression of interest electronically via the provided address.

This announcement is not a call for tenders itself, but rather a notification of the contracting authority's intention to publish a future negotiated procedure. References with 'ExA' in the reference number are publications announcing the intent to launch a future low or middle negotiated procedure, not actual calls for tenders.