Service contract for the provision of documentary standards

This summary details a pre-information notice from the European Commission's Joint Research Centre regarding an upcoming negotiated procurement opportunity titled "Service contract for the provision of documentary standards." This procurement is for a four-year service contract concerning access to international documentary standards, including ISO and EN standards, aimed specifically at staff members of JRC Units F.4, F.5, F.6, and G.II.6. The contract will enable seamless access to the latest standards through a centralized, automated platform, ensuring compliance with licensing agreements.

The contracting authority is the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC), with reference number EC-JRC/GEE/2025/LVP/4678-EXA. The procedure is categorized as a middle or low value contract, although the estimated total value has not been specified. The main CPV code associated with the contract is 72320000, which pertains to database services.

Interested parties are invited to express their interest electronically beginning September 15, 2025, with a deadline for submissions on September 30, 2025. The official launch of the negotiated procedure is anticipated on the same date, September 30, 2025. This notice clarifies that the references including ‘ExA’ do not represent calls for tenders but indicate the intention to launch a future low or middle value negotiated procedure.

Overall, this opportunity signifies a procurement for service provision rather than a grant, operating under typical EU procurement rules, which may permit participation from entities based in EU member states and EEA countries. The successful contractor will be tasked with developing a comprehensive document management system capable of ensuring ongoing access to international standards while addressing licensing requirements. Interested parties should track updates through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for further details and official documentation related to this opportunity.

This is a pre-information notice, announcing the European Commission, DG JRC - Joint Research Centre's intention to publish a future negotiated low or middle value procedure. This is NOT a call for tenders.

The procedure identifier is EC-JRC/GEE/2025/LVP/4678-EXA.

The title of the planned call for tenders is Service contract for the provision of documentary standards.

The description of the procurement is as follows: This procurement concerns a 4-year service contract for international documentary standards, including but not limited to ISO and EN standards. The contract aims to provide staff members of JRC Units F.4, F.5, F.6 and G.II.6 with access to these standards through a centralised, automated platform that ensures seamless access to the latest versions of the standards while strictly complying with licensing agreements.

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

The estimated total value is not specified.

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

The main classification (CPV) code is 72320000 - Database services.

The nature of the contract is for services.

The maximum contract duration is 48 months.

There is no framework agreement.

The start date for expression of interest is 2025-09-15 Europe/Brussels.

The deadline for expression of interest is 30/09/2025 05:59 Europe/Brussels.

The indicative date of launch of the negotiated procedure is 2025-09-30 Europe/Brussels.

The method of expression of interest is electronic.

To express interest, applicants should use the "Express interest" functionality. Submissions must be sent exclusively at the address for submission given.

A question and answer section is available. To create a question, users must log in. A public Q&A and FAQ section are available. Users can download Q&As in xls format.

One question has been answered: Where can I find the procurement documents for calls for tenders with ‘ExA' in the reference? The answer clarifies that references with ‘ExA’ are not calls for tenders but announcements of future low or middle negotiated procedures. This answer was published on 03/10/2024 17:32.

In summary, this is a pre-information notice from the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) regarding a planned negotiated procedure for a service contract. The contract will be for four years and will involve providing JRC staff with access to international documentary standards, such as ISO and EN standards, through a centralized, automated platform. The platform must ensure seamless access to the latest versions of the standards while adhering to licensing agreements. The procedure is classified as a low or middle value contract. The expression of interest period is planned for September 2025. This notice is not a call for tenders, but rather an announcement of the JRC's intention to launch the procedure in the future. Parties interested in this opportunity should monitor the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for the official launch and related documents.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but given the nature of the procurement which is a service contract, the eligible applicants are likely to be service providers, companies, or organizations that can provide database services related to international documentary standards. This could include SMEs, large enterprises, or specialized service providers.

Funding Type: The funding type is a service contract. The contracting authority, the European Commission, DG JRC, will procure services from a provider.

Consortium Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. It is likely that both single applicants and consortia could be eligible, but this would need to be confirmed in the full call documentation when it is released.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated, but since the contracting authority is the European Commission, it is highly likely that the eligibility will be open to entities located in the EU and potentially EEA countries. This should be confirmed when the full call documentation is released.

Target Sector: The target sector is database services, specifically related to the provision of access to international documentary standards such as ISO and EN standards. This falls under the broader category of information and communication technology (ICT) and potentially consulting services.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned. The relevant region is the EU, given that the contracting authority is the European Commission.

Project Stage: The project stage is not applicable, as this is a service contract for the provision of an existing service (access to documentary standards). The focus is on the operational phase of providing access to these standards.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value is described as a "middle/low value contract". While a specific amount is not provided, this suggests the contract value is likely to be under €200k, and possibly even lower, but this is speculative.

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 limited number of candidates to submit a full proposal.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries (the JRC staff members) will receive non-monetary services in the form of access to a centralized, automated platform providing international documentary standards. The successful applicant will receive money in exchange for providing these services.

Application Stages: The application process will likely involve at least two stages: an expression of interest, followed by a full proposal submission for those candidates invited to participate in the negotiated procedure. Therefore, there are at least 2 stages.

Success Rates: The success rates are not possible to determine at this stage, as this is just an announcement of a future call. Success rates for negotiated procedures can vary widely.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not mention any co-funding requirement. It is likely that no co-funding will be required, but this should be confirmed in the full call documentation.

Summary:

This is not a call for tenders, but rather a pre-announcement from the European Commission, DG JRC (Joint Research Centre), indicating their intention to launch a negotiated procedure for a service contract in the future. The contract, identified by the procedure identifier EC-JRC/GEE/2025/LVP/4678-EXA, will be for a 4-year period and will involve the provision of access to international documentary standards (including ISO and EN standards) for staff members of specific JRC units (F.4, F.5, F.6 and G.II.6). The service will be delivered through a centralized, automated platform, ensuring seamless access to the latest versions of the standards while adhering to licensing agreements. The procedure is planned as a negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract. The indicative start date for expression of interest is 2025-09-15, with a deadline of 2025-09-30. The indicative date for the launch of the negotiated procedure is 2025-09-30. Interested parties should express their interest electronically via the provided link. The main classification of the contract falls under CPV code 72320000, which relates to database services. The announcement also clarifies that references featuring ‘ExA’ are not calls for tenders but publications announcing the contracting authority’s intent to launch a negotiated procedure in the future.