Secretariat of the EU Initiative for Coal Regions in Transition

The European Commission, specifically the Directorate-General for Energy (DG ENER), has issued a call for tenders, identified as EC-ENER/2025/OP/0003, for the "Secretariat of the EU Initiative for Coal Regions in Transition." The initiative targets support for EU coal, peat, and oil shale regions, facilitating their transition to sustainable energy practices. The estimated value of the service contract is 4,000,000 EUR, and it has a maximum duration of 48 months.

Eligible applicants include organizations with relevant expertise in energy efficiency consultations, event organization, technical support, capacity building, and knowledge product development. There are no explicit limitations on the type of legal entities that can apply, but applicants must possess expertise in areas relevant to energy transitions. The tender does not mandate consortium applications, suggesting that single applicants are sufficient.

The geographical scope primarily focuses on stakeholders in coal, peat, and oil shale regions across the EU, though the project's intentions imply the dissemination of EU experience internationally. The project aims to provide ongoing support that was initiated in 2022, emphasizing the implementation phase with tasks such as organizing events in cooperation with platforms for Just Transition and Net Zero Europe.

Submissions are to be made electronically via the Funding and Tenders Portal, with a deadline set for August 25, 2025, at 16:00 CEST. The awarding criteria prioritize the best price-quality ratio, weighted at 70% for quality and 30% for price. Each submission must follow technical specifications, including size limits and naming conventions for files.

The activities outlined for the contract encompass organizing transition-focused events, offering necessary technical support, developing case studies and knowledge products, and disseminating outcomes related to facilitating energy transitions in the regions mentioned.

No co-funding requirements are specified, and the call is open for participation without a need for financial contributions from applicants. Information regarding the success rates for bids is not available.

In summary, this tender opportunity offers a service contract to support coal regions in their energy transition, with an overall contract value of 4 million EUR over four years, facilitating multiple developments as part of the EU's sustainability goals.

The European Commission, DG ENER Energy, has published a call for tenders, EC-ENER/2025/OP/0003, for the "Secretariat of the EU Initiative for Coal Regions in Transition." The action will be implemented via a service contract. The TED reference for this call is 119/2025 411162-2025. The estimated total value of the tender is 4,000,000 EUR. The TED publication date is 25/06/2025.

The procedure type is an open procedure, and the submission method is electronic. The contract's nature is for services, with a maximum duration of 48 months. The award method is the best price-quality ratio, and it is not a framework agreement.

The tasks to be covered by the service contract include:

1.  Organization of events: This includes events in cooperation with the Just Transition Platform and the Net Zero Europe Platform, as well as independent events. These events are for the benefit of stakeholders in EU coal, peat, and oil shale regions. The goal is to foster the sharing of experience and knowledge on transition-related issues across Europe, with a focus on net-zero industrialization and competitiveness, as well as energy citizen empowerment and protection.

2.  Technical support and capacity building: Providing technical support and capacity building for EU coal, peat, and oil shale regions.

3.  Development of knowledge products: Creating knowledge products on issues directly relevant to coal, peat, and oil shale regions. Examples include case studies on good and bad practices, net-zero technologies, competitiveness, renewable energy, and energy efficiency.

4.  Communications and dissemination of results: Communicating and disseminating results within the EU and sharing the EU experience in supporting coal, peat, and oil shale regions internationally.

The new service contract will continue to develop and implement tasks already started in 2022.

Important Milestones:

TED publication date: 25/06/2025
Date and time of public opening: 26/08/2025 16:30 Europe/Brussels
Deadline for receipt of tenders: 25/08/2025 16:00 Europe/Brussels
Deadline for questions: The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after 15/08/2025 05:00 Europe/Brussels.

The main classification (CPV) code is 71314300 Energy-efficiency consultancy services.

The following documents are available for download:

1.  ENEN-Invitation to tender EC-ENER2025OP0003 CRIT (1) Invitation letter Published on 25/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
2.  ENANNEX I EN TENDER SPECIFICATIONS EC-ENER2025OP0003 CRIT final 19-06 Tender specifications Published on 25/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
3.  ENAnnex 2 to TS declaration-of-honour-tenders CRIT EC-ENER2025OP0003 Other invitation to tender document Published on 25/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
4.  ENAnnex 3 to 5 to TS EC-ENER2025OP0003 CRIT Other invitation to tender document Published on 25/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
5.  ENAnnex 6 to T.S. Financial offer CRIT Financial offer form Published on 25/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
6.  ENANNEX II Draft Contract final Draft contract Published on 25/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
7.  ENAnnex III to Draft Contract Draft contract annex Published on 25/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
8.  ENAnnex IV to Draft Contract Draft contract annex Published on 25/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
9.  ENAppendix 2 Security requirements Other invitation to tender document Published on 25/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
10. ENAppendix 3 Security baseline en Other invitation to tender document Published on 25/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available.

Submissions must be sent exclusively via electronic submission.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) related to the eSubmission system:

1.  How to proceed if the system is slow or doesn’t work while uploading/downloading documents? Use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. If the issue persists, clear the cache and cookies on the Internet browser. Published on 13/02/2025 20:52.

2.  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. Published on 13/02/2025 20:52.

3.  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. Published on 13/02/2025 20:50.

4.  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. Published on 17/10/2024 20:40.

5.  Which size should attachments have? eSubmission accepts files that are less than 50 MB in size. Published on 17/10/2024 20:36.

6.  How should I name attachments in eSubmission? Follow the System Requirements for naming attachments. See the following conditions: The attachment name should follow naming conventions. Published on 03/10/2024 16:39.

7.  Can I submit a video in eSubmission? Which formats are supported? Check the System Requirements of eSubmission. Published on 03/10/2024 16:37.

8.  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”. Published on 03/10/2024 16:37.

9.  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). For subcontractors, PIC is not mandatory. Published on 03/10/2024 16:36.

10. 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. Published on 03/10/2024 16:36.

11. 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. Published on 03/10/2024 16:35.

12. 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. Published on 23/04/2024 17:14.

13. 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. Published on 23/04/2024 16:07.

14. What is the validity period of a PIC? A PIC is unique and its validity is not limited in time. Published on 22/04/2024 22:55.

15. How many languages does the system support? The system is multilingual and supports all 24 official EU languages. Published on 01/04/2024 19:56.

16. Which is the character set encoding in the system? The character set encoding is UTF-8. Published on 22/02/2024 23:58.

17. 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. Published on 22/02/2024 23:57.

18. 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. Published on 21/02/2024 23:55.

19. 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. Published on 24/03/2023 21:32.

20. 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. Published on 03/08/2021 22:07.

21. 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. Published on 03/08/2021 22:05.

In summary, this tender opportunity, EC-ENER/2025/OP/0003, seeks a service provider to act as the Secretariat for the EU Initiative for Coal Regions in Transition. The project aims to support coal, peat, and oil shale regions in their transition towards a sustainable future. The selected contractor will be responsible for organizing events, providing technical support, developing knowledge products, and disseminating information related to the transition process. The tender is open to all eligible organizations, and submissions must be made electronically by August 25, 2025. The European Commission, DG ENER, is looking for a contractor to continue and expand on work already begun in 2022, focusing on net-zero industrialization, competitiveness, and energy citizen empowerment. The total estimated value of the contract is 4 million EUR, and the contract duration is 48 months.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given the nature of the tender, it is likely that eligible applicants include organizations with expertise in energy-efficiency consultancy services, event organization, technical support, capacity building, knowledge product development, and communications. This could include consultancy firms, research institutes, NGOs, and other entities with relevant experience.

Funding Type: The funding type is a service contract.

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the FAQ section 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), suggesting that both single applicants and consortia are eligible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is primarily focused on EU coal, peat, and oil shale regions. The project also involves sharing the EU experience internationally, implying a broader scope that includes international collaboration and dissemination.

Target Sector: The target sector is energy, specifically focusing on the transition of coal, peat, and oil shale regions. This includes energy-efficiency consultancy services, renewable energy, energy efficiency, net zero industrialization, and competitiveness, as well as energy citizen empowerment and protection.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the focus is on EU coal, peat, and oil shale regions, implying that the opportunity is relevant to EU member states with such regions. The EU is mentioned as a region.

Project Stage: The project stage is implementation and development, as the tender aims to continue and develop tasks already started in 2022. This includes technical support, capacity building, knowledge product development, and communications.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the contract is 4,000,000 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 provided under the service contract.

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly mentioned, but it can be inferred that there are multiple stages, including submission of the tender, evaluation, and contract award.

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 opportunity is a call for tenders (EC-ENER/2025/OP/0003) issued by the European Commission, DG ENER - Energy, for the "Secretariat of the EU Initiative for Coal Regions in Transition." The project aims to provide continued support to EU coal, peat, and oil shale regions in their transition towards a sustainable energy future. The selected contractor will be responsible for organizing events, providing technical support and capacity building, developing knowledge products, and communicating results within the EU and internationally. The estimated total value of the service contract is 4,000,000 EUR, with a maximum contract duration of 48 months. The submission method is electronic, and the deadline for receipt of tenders is August 25, 2025, at 16:00 Europe/Brussels time. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio. Tenderers must submit their proposals electronically and should ensure they meet the technical requirements of the eSubmission system, including file size limits (50 MB per file) and attachment naming conventions. A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation, whether as a single tenderer or as part of a consortium. The system supports all 24 official EU languages and uses encryption to ensure the confidentiality of submitted information. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after August 15, 2025, at 05:00 Europe/Brussels time.