Review of the data on the expansion of agricultural production areas onto forests and other land with high carbon stock for the purposes of the Renewable Energy Directive

The European Commission's DG ENER is issuing a call for tenders under project ID EC-ENER/2025/OP/0113, titled "Review of the data on the expansion of agricultural production areas onto forests and other land with high carbon stock for the purposes of the Renewable Energy Directive." This procurement opportunity is for specialized consulting services focused on assessing the environmental implications of agricultural production expansion in relation to renewable energy regulations, particularly under Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/807.

The estimated total budget for this contract is €500,000, with a project duration of 36 months. Interested parties must submit their tenders electronically by November 28, 2025, with the opening of submissions scheduled for December 1, 2025. The evaluation criteria for awarding the contract prioritize quality (70%) over price (30%).

The call is not designated as suitable for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), indicating a need for substantial organizational capacity and expertise in EU policy analysis, data assessment, and regulatory compliance. The eligible applicants include any legal entity capable of providing the specified services, such as consulting firms, research institutions, and potentially multi-partner consortiums.

The project will involve a comprehensive review of data related to the expansion of agricultural production areas onto forests and high carbon stock lands, focusing on trends and compliance with environmental standards. Successful applicants will be integral to understanding the impacts of agricultural practices on the environment and providing insights to refine EU energy and climate policies.

Key submission details include the requirement for a Personal Identification Code (PIC) and adherence to electronic submission protocols, which support 24 EU languages. No co-funding is needed as the contract will be fully funded through the EU budget. Interested organizations are encouraged to review the available tender documents, including specifications and required forms, before preparation and submission of their proposals.

The European Commission, DG ENER - Energy, has published a call for tenders EC-ENER/2025/OP/0113 titled "Review of the data on the expansion of agricultural production areas onto forests and other land with high carbon stock for the purposes of the Renewable Energy Directive". The TED reference for this call is 204/2025 698417-2025.

The purpose of this open procedure is to support the Commission in the review of the report on feedstock expansion and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/807. The contractor will be requested to assess the development of level expansion of agricultural production areas onto forests and other land with high carbon stock.

The estimated total value of this contract is 500,000 EUR. The contract's nature is for services, and the maximum contract duration is 36 months. The award method will be based on the best price-quality ratio. This is not a framework agreement.

Key milestones include:
TED publication date: 23/10/2025
Date and time of public opening: 01/12/2025 11:00 Europe/Brussels
Deadline for receipt of tenders: 28/11/2025 17:00 Europe/Brussels
Deadline after which the Contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions: 20/11/2025 07:00 Europe/Brussels

The main classification (CPV) code is 79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security.

The available documents for download are:
ENEN-Invitation to tender EC-ENER2025OP0113 Review of the data on ILUCInvitation letter, published on 23/10/2025, Version 1, No translations available
ENTender-specifications EC-ENER2025OP0113Tender specifications, published on 23/10/2025, Version 1, No translations available
ENAnnex 2 - declaration-of-honour-tenders EC-ENER2025OP0113Declaration on honour (tender), published on 23/10/2025, Version 1, No translations available
ENAnnex 6 - Financial offer form EC-ENER2025OP0113Financial offer form, published on 23/10/2025, Version 1, No translations available
ENcontrat-direct-service-2024 FR Recast-en EC-ENER2025OP0113Draft contract, published on 23/10/2025, Version 1, No translations available
ENAppendix 2 to the contract - Security requirements en 2025Draft contract annex, published on 23/10/2025, Version 1, No translations available

Submissions must be sent exclusively via electronic submission.

Some frequently asked questions (FAQ) and their answers related to the eSubmission system are:
How to proceed if the system is slow or doesn’t work while uploading/downloading documents?
Make sure you use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. If the issue persists, clear the cache and cookies on the Internet browser.

Which Internet browsers does eSubmission support?
Use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. For the most up-to-date technical recommendations, click on the link System Requirements.

Is it possible to view the details of the submission after the deadline?
No, the content of the submission is not accessible after submitting the tender as the system encrypts all attachments upon upload.

Where can I find my submissions in Manage My Area, in the Funding & Tenders portal?
Submissions can be found in ‘My Submission(s)’: tenders in response to open calls for tenders, requests to participate.

Which size should attachments have?
eSubmission accepts files that are less than 50 MB in size.

How should I name attachments in eSubmision?
Name the attachments for your tender draft following the System Requirements.

Can I submit a video in eSbmission? Which formats are supported?
Check the System Requirements of eSubmission.

I received an invitation from the F&T Portal but cannot view the procurement documents.
Invited candidates can only see the procurement documents after having selected an organisation. Go to F&T Portal, “My Invitations”. Click on “Select Organisation” from the “Action”.

Do I need to validate my PIC in order to submit a tender in eSubmission?
The 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).

I have an issue uploading a file in eSubmission and it’s giving me an error. What do I do?
Make sure it follows the technical requirements of the system.

How many attachments can I upload per submission?
The maximum number of documents the system will allow you to upload per tender is 200 files.

Why do tenderers need a PIC?
It is mandatory to register for a PIC if you intend to submit a tender or a request to participate. Only one PIC per organisation must be used.

How do I register my organisation and get a Participant Identification Code (PIC)?
First, check if the organisation is already registered using the Search PIC tool under 'How to Participate' > Participant Register.

How many languages does the system support?
The system is multilingual and supports all 24 official EU languages.

Which is the character set encoding in the system?
The character set encoding is UTF-8.

Does the system use encryption to ensure the integrity and the confidentiality of the information?
Yes, the system encrypts all uploaded documents, using an asymmetric key as an encryption mechanism.

Which file types does the system support?
The supported file types depend on the type of submission you want to make. The allowed file types are specified within the system requirements linked to the procedure in question.

Can I view and edit my draft submission?
Until the deadline for the submission has been reached, submissions in the draft status can be edited, viewed and deleted.

In the submission report, under the name of our entity, "Legal form: UNKNOWN" is displayed while in the system, our legal form was correctly displayed. Is this a problem for the submission?
No, it is just a display issue. This is not blocking for you: you can submit.

I sent my submission on time and a few days later, I received an automatic email informing me that the deadline for the reception of submissions had been reached. Does this mean that my submission was not correctly sent?
No, this is an auto-generated notification sent when the time limit of receipt defined for the call for tenders has been reached. Until then, you had the possibility of withdrawing.

In summary, this tender opportunity is an invitation from the European Commission, DG ENER, for organizations to submit proposals to support the review of data related to the expansion of agricultural land into areas with high carbon stock, as it pertains to the Renewable Energy Directive. The selected contractor will assess the development of agricultural production areas expanding into forests and other high-carbon-stock lands. The tender is an open procedure with an estimated value of 500,000 EUR and a maximum contract duration of 36 months. The submission deadline is November 28, 2025. The tender documents, including the invitation letter, tender specifications, declaration of honor, financial offer form, draft contract, and security requirements, are available for download. The submission must be done electronically, and potential tenderers should consult the FAQ section for technical requirements and guidance on using the eSubmission system. A Participant Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the nature of the tender, it is likely open to organizations capable of providing business services, law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing, and security services. This could include SMEs, large enterprises, research institutes, consulting firms, and other entities with relevant expertise.

Funding Type: This is a procurement opportunity, specifically a service contract. The "Nature of the contract" is explicitly stated as "services."

Consortium Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required or if a single applicant is sufficient. However, the FAQ section mentions that a Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory to participate as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium), suggesting that both single applicants and consortia are eligible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly mentioned, but given that it is an EU funding opportunity, it is highly likely that applicants from the EU and potentially EEA countries are eligible. Further details would be needed to confirm eligibility for EU candidate countries, third countries, or other specific regions.

Target Sector: The target sector is related to energy and environment, specifically focusing on the review of data on feedstock expansion and its impact on land use and carbon stock. The tender supports the Commission in the review of the report on feedstock expansion and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/807. The contractor will assess the development of level expansion of agricultural production areas onto forests and other land with high carbon stock. The CPV code 79000000 indicates a focus on business services including law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the opportunity is from the European Commission, implying a focus on the EU.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on analysis and review, specifically assessing existing data and reports related to feedstock expansion and its environmental impact. This suggests a focus on validation and analysis rather than early-stage research or development.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the contract is 500,000 EUR.

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

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for services rendered, as this is a service contract.

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly stated, but it can be inferred that there are at least two stages: submission of the tender and potential selection/award. Further stages might be involved depending on the evaluation process.

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

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not explicitly mentioned.

Summary:

This is a call for tenders issued by the European Commission, DG ENER (Energy), with the procedure identifier EC-ENER/2025/OP/0113. The tender seeks to procure services to support the Commission in reviewing data related to feedstock expansion, specifically the expansion of agricultural production areas onto forests and other land with high carbon stock, for the purposes of the Renewable Energy Directive and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/807. The estimated total value of the contract is 500,000 EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 36 months.

The procedure type is an open procedure, and submissions must be sent electronically. The TED publication date is 23/10/2025, and the deadline for receipt of tenders is 28/11/2025 at 17:00 Europe/Brussels time. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after 20/11/2025 at 07:00 Europe/Brussels time. The date and time of public opening is 01/12/2025 11:00 Europe/Brussels.

The main classification (CPV) is 79000000, which corresponds to business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio.

To apply, tenderers must submit their proposals electronically through the designated eSubmission portal. The system supports various file types, with a maximum file size of 50 MB per attachment and a limit of 200 files per submission. A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation, whether as a sole tenderer or as part of a consortium. The eSubmission system supports all 24 official EU languages and uses UTF-8 character set encoding. The system encrypts all uploaded documents to ensure integrity and confidentiality.

Several documents are available for download, including the invitation to tender, tender specifications, declaration on honour, financial offer form, draft contract, and contract annex regarding security requirements. Potential tenderers should carefully review these documents to prepare a compliant and competitive proposal.