Scientific analysis and advice on gender equality in the European Union

The European Commission, through DG JUST (Justice and Consumers), has issued a call for tenders designated EC-JUST/2025/OP/0005 for a procurement contract focused on obtaining scientific analysis and advice on gender equality within the European Union. This opportunity aims to strengthen the Commission's knowledge base related to gender equality, informing policy analysis, development, political initiatives, and enlargement negotiations. The total estimated value of the contract is €2,600,000, and the service contract is set for a maximum duration of 48 months, which includes an initial period of 24 months and an option for a renewable 24 months.

The submission process is electronic and classified as a restricted procedure, meaning that only eligible organizations can apply. The deadline for tender submission is January 30, 2026, at 14:00 Brussels time, and tenders must comply with specific administrative and technical specifications outlined in the tender documents. Organizations must register for a Participant Identification Code (PIC) to participate, signaling their eligibility.

The primary sectors targeted by this tender are gender equality, social sciences, and research and consultancy services related to gender policy. The evaluation criteria for award consideration include 70% for quality and 30% for price. The nature of support provided is a service-based contract where the successful tenderers will deliver findings, analysis, and policy recommendations, rather than funding for independent research initiatives.

This procurement is essential for organizations capable of delivering high-quality scientific analysis and consulting services in gender equality and is likely to attract research institutions, universities, and larger consulting firms with expertise in the field. The opportunities are EU-wide, emphasizing robust and rigorous scientific evidence to inform the European Commission's policies on gender equality across member states.

The European Commission, DG JUST Justice and Consumers, has published a call for tenders EC-JUST/2025/OP/0005 for scientific analysis and advice on gender equality in the European Union. The TED reference for this call is 205/2025 702662-2025. This is an open procedure, and submissions must be electronic.

The overall objective of the contract is to collect reliable, independent, and rigorous scientific evidence to strengthen the Commission's knowledge base, including its country-specific knowledge in the gender equality area. This knowledge base will support the European Commission in policy analysis and policy development, preparation of political initiatives, enlargement negotiations, and political cooperation at the European level.

The estimated total value of the tender is 2,600,000 EUR. The main classification (CPV) is 73000000 Research and development services and related consultancy services. The nature of the contract is for services, with a maximum contract duration of 48 months. The award method will be based on the best price-quality ratio. This is not a framework agreement.

Key milestones for this tender are:
TED publication date: 24/10/2025
Date and time of public opening: 02/02/2026 14:00 Europe/Brussels
Deadline for receipt of tenders: 30/01/2026 14:00 Europe/Brussels
The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after: 22/01/2026 07:00 Europe/Brussels

The following documents are available for download:
Invitation to tender EC-JUST2025OP0005 SAAGEInvitation letter, published on 24/10/2025, Version 1, No translations available
Tender specifications part 1 Administrative specifications, Tender specifications adm. part, published on 24/10/2025, Version 1, No translations available
Tender specifications part 2 Technical specifications, Technical specifications, published on 24/10/2025, Version 1, No translations available
Financial offer form SAAGEFinancial offer form, published on 24/10/2025, Version 1, No translations available
Declaration-of-honour-tenders EC-JUST2025OP0005 PPMTDeclaration on honour (tender), published on 24/10/2025, Version 1, No translations available
Contrat-direct-service-2025 0058 draft, Draft contract, published on 24/10/2025, Version 1, No translations available
Annex IV VAT-2025 0058, Draft contract annex, published on 24/10/2025, Version 1, No translations available
Annex V Statements-ipr-2025 0058, Draft contract annex, published on 24/10/2025, Version 1, No translations available
Appendix 2 Security requirements 2025 0058, Draft contract annex, published on 24/10/2025, Version 1, No translations available

Submissions must be sent exclusively via electronic submission.

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In summary, this is a call for tenders by the European Commission, DG JUST, seeking scientific analysis and advice on gender equality within the EU. The goal is to gather reliable scientific evidence to inform the Commission's policies, initiatives, and negotiations related to gender equality. The tender is open to organizations capable of providing research and consultancy services. The selected contractor will be responsible for collecting and analyzing data, providing insights, and supporting the Commission's efforts in promoting gender equality across Europe. The tender process is electronic, and interested parties must submit their proposals by the specified deadline. A PIC is mandatory for participation. The maximum contract duration is 48 months, and the estimated total value is 2.6 million EUR.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given the nature of the tender for scientific analysis and advice, it is likely that eligible applicants could include research institutes, universities, consulting firms, and other organizations with expertise in gender equality research and policy analysis. The requirement for a PIC (Personal Identification Code) suggests that any legal entity capable of entering into a contract with the European Commission is eligible.

Funding Type: The funding type is procurement, specifically a service contract. The call is for tenders, and the nature of the contract is explicitly stated as "services".

Consortium Requirement: The text mentions that a PIC is mandatory to participate in a call for tenders as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium). Therefore, either a single applicant or a consortium is acceptable.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated, but given that it is an EU funding opportunity related to gender equality in the European Union, it is highly likely that the beneficiary scope includes EU member states. The description mentions supporting the European Commission in enlargement negotiations, which suggests that EU candidate countries may also be eligible.

Target Sector: The target sector is gender equality, specifically focusing on scientific analysis and advice to strengthen the Commission's knowledge base in this area. The call also falls under the broader category of research and development services and related consultancy services, as indicated by the CPV code 73000000.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the opportunity focuses on the European Union.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on providing scientific evidence and analysis to support policy development and political initiatives. This suggests a focus on research, analysis, and potentially the development of policy recommendations, rather than earlier stages like idea generation or later stages like commercialization.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the contract is 2,600,000 EUR.

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

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for providing services, specifically scientific analysis and advice on gender equality.

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly stated, but based on the documentation provided (invitation to tender, administrative specifications, technical specifications, financial offer form, declaration of honour, draft contract, annexes), it is likely that there is a multi-stage evaluation process. At a minimum, there would be an eligibility check, a technical evaluation, and a financial evaluation.

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

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not explicitly stated in the provided text.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for tenders (EC-JUST/2025/OP/0005) issued by the European Commission, DG JUST (Justice and Consumers), for "Scientific analysis and advice on gender equality in the European Union". The overall objective is to gather reliable, independent, and rigorous scientific evidence to enhance the Commission's knowledge base, particularly its country-specific knowledge, in the area of gender equality. This knowledge will inform policy analysis, policy development, political initiatives, enlargement negotiations, and political cooperation at the European level.

The procedure type is an open procedure, meaning any eligible organization can apply. The estimated total value of the contract is 2,600,000 EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 48 months. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio. Submissions must be sent electronically. The TED publication date was 24/10/2025, and the deadline for receipt of tenders is 30/01/2026 at 14:00 Europe/Brussels time. The contracting authority will not reply to questions submitted after 22/01/2026 at 07:00 Europe/Brussels time.

The main classification (CPV) is 73000000, which corresponds to research and development services and related consultancy services.

To participate, tenderers must register for a Participant Identification Code (PIC). The eSubmission system supports various file types and has specific requirements for naming attachments. The maximum number of documents that can be uploaded per tender is 200, and the maximum file size for attachments is 50 MB. The 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.

The tender documents include an invitation letter, administrative specifications, technical specifications, a financial offer form, a declaration of honour, a draft contract, and several annexes related to VAT, intellectual property rights, and security requirements.