SPR 250770 - Sequencing services – High-priority, normal-capacity whole genome sequencing and long-read sequencing

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has announced a planned procurement procedure for high-priority sequencing services related to pathogenic microorganisms. The purpose of this procurement is to provide whole genome sequencing and long-read sequencing necessary for outbreak investigations. The contract is valued at €140,000 and is scheduled for a duration of 24 months. This is a framework agreement that does not involve reopening of competition.

Eligible applicants include qualified service providers capable of delivering these sequencing services. While the specific applicant eligibility is not explicitly detailed, the procurement generally allows participation from a wide range of entities within the EU and EEA countries and Western Balkan regions, as the contractor is required to arrange the shipment of samples from these areas.

The main operational stage relates to providing sequencing services in response to outbreaks, with services classified under the healthcare sector, specifically identified by the CPV code for health services. The application process is electronic, indicating an open tender format where expression of interest is required. Interested parties can express their interest electronically starting from August 1, 2025, with a submission deadline of August 23, 2025. The indicative date for launching the negotiated procedure is set for August 27, 2025.

There is no co-funding required, and while success rates are not disclosed, the nature of support is purely financial for the services delivered under this procurement. Overall, the ECDC's procurement aims to secure rapid genomic analysis capabilities essential for public health responses to infectious disease threats, ensuring contractors are prepared to handle fluctuating sample numbers and operational readiness within specified geographic areas.

This is a pre-information notice, announcing the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control's (ECDC) intention to publish a future negotiated procedure for a low or middle value contract. This is not a call for tenders.

The procedure identifier is ECDC/2025/MVP/0019-EXA.

The title of the opportunity is SPR 250770 - Sequencing services – High-priority, normal-capacity whole genome sequencing and long-read sequencing.

The purpose of this procurement procedure is to provide high-priority, normal-capacity whole genome sequencing and long-read sequencing services for pathogenic microorganisms as listed in the EC Decision 2018/945. The mandatory pathogens that must be included in the tenders will be listed in the tender specifications. The remaining pathogens from the EC Decision are non-mandatory. High-priority, normal-capacity whole genome sequencing services are mainly intended to support outbreak investigations where timeliness of the results is key and sample numbers can vary. If requested, the contractor needs to be able to arrange the shipment of the DNA or RNA samples to its premises, dispatched from EU/EEA and Western Balkan countries.

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

The estimated total value is 140000 EUR.

The lead contracting authority is the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

The main classification (CPV) code is 85100000, which refers to Health services.

The nature of the contract is for services.

The maximum contract duration is 24 months.

This is a framework agreement, without reopening of competition.

The start date for expression of interest is 2025-08-01 Europe/Brussels.

The deadline for expression of interest is 23/08/2025 05:59 Europe/Stockholm.

The indicative date of launch of the negotiated procedure is 2025-08-27 Europe/Stockholm.

The method of expression of interest is electronic.

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

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

A question and answer section is available, requiring a login to create questions.

A frequently asked question is: Where can I find the procurement documents for calls for tenders with ‘ExA' in the reference? The answer is: 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 was published on 03/10/2024 17:32.

In summary, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is planning to launch a negotiated procurement procedure for sequencing services. The goal is to secure a contractor who can provide high-priority, normal-capacity whole genome sequencing and long-read sequencing of pathogenic microorganisms. This service is crucial for supporting outbreak investigations and requires the contractor to handle potentially variable sample numbers and arrange sample shipments from EU/EEA and Western Balkan countries. The contract is estimated to be worth 140,000 EUR and will last for a maximum of 24 months under a framework agreement. The expression of interest period begins on August 1, 2025, with a deadline of August 23, 2025. The actual negotiated procedure is expected to start around August 27, 2025. Interested parties should express their interest electronically via the provided link. It is important to note that this announcement is not a call for tenders but a pre-information notice about a future opportunity.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the nature of the procurement, it is likely that eligible applicants include research institutes, universities, biotech companies, and other organizations with the capacity to provide whole genome sequencing and long-read sequencing services.

Funding Type: This is a procurement procedure, specifically a planned negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract. Therefore, the funding type is a service contract.

Consortium Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. This detail will likely be specified in the tender specifications when the call is formally launched.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU, EEA, and Western Balkan countries, as the contractor needs to be able to arrange shipment of samples from these regions.

Target Sector: The target sector is health, specifically related to providing sequencing services for pathogenic microorganisms to support outbreak investigations.

Mentioned Countries: EU countries, EEA countries, Western Balkan countries.

Project Stage: The project stage is service delivery. The selected contractor will be providing established sequencing services.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the contract is 140,000 EUR, placing it in the under €50k to €200k range.

Application Type: The application type is a planned negotiated procedure. The first step is to express interest electronically.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for providing sequencing services. Therefore, the nature of support is monetary.

Application Stages: There are at least two stages: expressing interest and then participating in the negotiated procedure.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned.

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

Summary:

This is a pre-announcement for a planned negotiated procurement procedure by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The ECDC intends to contract an organization to provide high-priority, normal-capacity whole genome sequencing and long-read sequencing services for pathogenic microorganisms. These services are intended to support outbreak investigations, where timely results are crucial. The selected contractor must be able to handle the shipment of DNA or RNA samples from EU, EEA, and Western Balkan countries. The estimated total value of the contract is 140,000 EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 24 months. The procedure will be a framework agreement without reopening of competition. The expression of interest period is planned to start on August 1, 2025, with a deadline of August 23, 2025. The indicative date for the launch of the negotiated procedure is August 27, 2025. Interested parties must express their interest electronically. This announcement is not a call for tenders, but rather a notification of the ECDC's intention to launch a negotiated procedure in the future.