Standard Eurobarometer Surveys

The European Commission (DG COMM) published an open call for tenders (EC-COMM/2026/OP/0019, TED ref 86/2026 307665-2026) for framework contracts to provide Standard and Special Eurobarometer survey services across EU Member States and specified territories, with an estimated ceiling of €82,500,000 and maximum duration of 48 months. Services required include questionnaire design and translation, multi-country probability-based CAPI fieldwork with CAVI fallback, data processing and weighting, methodological advice and delivery of raw data and formatted reports (SPSS/CSV, volumes, factsheets and dashboards). Submissions must be made exclusively via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission by 29 June 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time and will be evaluated on a best price-quality ratio basis (quality 65% / price 35%) with minimum quality thresholds. Tenderers must satisfy exclusion and selection requirements, provide specified annexes and evidence (financial statements, project references, key staff CVs, ethics declaration) and comply with EU data protection and IP conditions.

What it funds

Framework contracts for provision of Standard and Special Eurobarometer surveys:full-service public opinion polling (questionnaire design, translations, probability-based sampling and recruitment across listed countries/territories, fieldwork CAPI and limited CAVI, data processing, weighting, reporting, visualisation and dissemination).

Who can apply

Open to economic operators (sole tenderers) or groups of operators (consortia). Tenderers must be registered in the Participant Register (PIC), comply with exclusion rules, and meet selection minima (indicative example: average annual turnover over the last two years above €5,000,000 and relevant technical experience in multi-country public opinion surveys).

Estimated total value:Framework contract ceiling €82,500,000; maximum contract duration 48 months. Specific-contract orders and volumes will be placed under the framework ¹.

1. 1Scope: multi-country face-to-face (CAPI) surveys; CAVI video interviews allowed as fallback; mixed waves including multiple questionnaires.
2. 2Standard national sample sizes: typically 1,000 completed interviews (smaller countries 500; Germany 1,500); regional sampling and oversampling options available.
3. 3Pricing: unit price per question unit (QU) for fieldwork; additional priced services (reports, dashboards, translations) listed in financial offer form.
4. 4Mandatory deliverables: bilingual matrix, raw data (SPSS/CSV), volumes, technical/evaluation and annual methodology reports, factsheets and graphics as specified.

Key dates and practicalities

Procedure type:Open procedure (framework agreement, multiple contractors in cascade). Submission via eSubmission through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Registration (PIC) and EU Login required; from 30 June 2026 two-factor authentication is needed for EU Login.

Eligibility and evaluation highlights

Award is by best price-quality ratio. Technical evaluation covers organisation, methodology/fieldwork approach, deliverables and two case studies. Minimum quality thresholds apply per criterion; tenders scoring below thresholds or failing exclusion/selection checks will be rejected.

How to apply:Submit electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission. Complete required administrative, selection and technical documents (technical offer form, Annexes, financial offer form) and supply requested evidence on exclusion/selection criteria. Portal procedures and templates available on the tender page F&T Portal tender page ¹.

Practical reminders

Tenders must be complete on submission (signed forms, declarations, technical and financial offers). The technical offer has a page limit; required annexes (project references, CVs, commitment letters for subcontractors/entities relied upon) must be provided. Payments, timelines, reporting formats and IP rules are set out in the draft framework contract and tender specifications.

1. 1Register your organisation (PIC) and ensure EU Login access well before the deadline.
2. 2Follow the Technical Offer Form (Annex 7) and Financial Offer Form (Annex 6) templates exactly.
3. 3Prepare evidence for exclusion and selection criteria in advance (Declaration on Honour, financial statements, project references and CVs).

Footnotes

1. 1All tender documents, templates and Q&A are published on the Funding & Tenders Portal tender page: Standard Eurobarometer Surveys tender dossier.

Opportunity summary

The European Commission (DG COMM, Citizens Communication) published an open call for tenders to award one or more framework contracts for the provision of Standard and Special Eurobarometer surveys. The framework contracts cover design, multilingual translation, fieldwork (primarily face-to-face CAPI with limited CAVI fallback), data processing, weighting, analysis, and a comprehensive set of deliverables (volumes, raw data in SPSS and CSV, technical/evaluation reports, factsheets, infographics, dashboards and optional research outputs). The procurement is a multiple framework contract in cascade with a maximum total estimated value of €82,500,000 and a maximum duration of 48 months; specific contract ordering will follow the cascade ranking procedure described in the tender documents. The lead contracting authority is the European Commission, DG COMM - Communication and the procedure is open for submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (electronic submission required).

Primary objectives:Provide the Commission and other EU institutions/agencies with regular Standard Eurobarometer waves and ad hoc Special Eurobarometer surveys to monitor public opinion across EU Member States and other listed countries/territories, including questionnaire design, translations, methodological advice, fieldwork coordination (CAPI/CAVI), data delivery and publications.

Key facts and logistics

1. 1Call reference: EC-COMM/2026/OP/0019 (TED reference 307665-2026; TED publication date 05/05/2026).
2. 2Estimated total value: €82,500,000 (framework ceiling).
3. 3Procedure type: Open procedure; award method: best price-quality ratio; multiple framework contracts in cascade (up to two contractors).
4. 4Nature of contract: services (framework agreement without reopening).
5. 5Maximum FWC duration: 48 months with possible automatic renewals as specified in the contract.
6. 6Submission: exclusively electronic via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and eSubmission (EU Login with 2FA required after 30 June 2026).
7. 7Deadline for receipt of tenders: 29/06/2026 17:00 Europe/Brussels. Public opening: 30/06/2026 11:00 Europe/Brussels. Contract notice and documentation available on the Portal F&T Portal.

Deliverables and outputs (summary)

Mandatory deliverables for each EB survey (included in the price per question unit QU unless otherwise stated): bilingual matrix (EN/FR) and translated national questionnaires; fieldwork (CAPI primarily, CAVI fallback if justified); weekly fieldwork progress reports; volumes of results (country and EU tables, trend volumes where relevant); raw data (SPSS and CSV) with codebook and metadata; data annex; data analysis flat table; technical and evaluation report; graphic presentation (slides); briefing report; annual methodological report; archiving and extranet access. Optional/additional paid deliverables (priced in financial offer): survey design standalone, first analysis package (capped percentage of fieldwork price), comprehensive analysis report, national reports, dashboards, animated graphics, translations, printing, bespoke research work by profile/day-rates.

Questionnaire and pricing unit:Fieldwork pricing is expressed per Question Unit (QU). QU counting rules are defined in the tender (simple closed question = 1 QU; complex multi-item closed questions = number of items / 2; open-ended = 1 QU if pre-coded, otherwise 1.5 QU; split ballots and filter rules defined). Typical EB wave length: minimum 60 QU, maximum 90 QU (excludes selection, contextual and protocol variables).

Categorisation and eligibility (answers to extraction questions)

Eligible Applicant Types

Eligible applicants:private companies including market research companies and survey agencies (including SMEs and large enterprises), consortia / joint ventures, research institutes and universities acting as lead or partners, NGOs and non-profits able to perform public-opinion fieldwork, subcontractors and service providers (translation, data processing, IT/dashboards). Individual natural persons are not the primary target to carry out the contract. Public bodies may participate when legally allowed. Joint tenders are permitted and must designate a group leader with joint and several liability. Subcontracting explicitly allowed with identification rules for subcontractors whose share exceeds 20% or whose capacity is relied upon; entities on whose capacity a tenderer relies must sign commitment letters. All involved entities must have access to procurement and must not be subject to EU restrictive measures.

Funding Type

Primary financial mechanism:procurement / service contract (framework agreement). This is not a grant, loan or equity instrument. Payments are fee-for-service under specific contracts called off the framework. Pricing is commercial in nature (price per QU, optional priced deliverables, surcharges for oversampling and extra non-EU languages).

Consortium Requirement

The procedure allows either single tenderer (single legal entity) or joint tender (group of economic operators). Joint tenders must include an Agreement/Power of Attorney (Annex 3) appointing a group leader who is the single contact and who signs contracts on behalf of the group; group members are jointly and severally liable. A consortium / joint tender is not mandatory but is permitted and commonly used. Subcontracting is permitted with rules on identification and commitment letters (Annex 4, 5.1, 5.2).

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility)

Geographic eligibility:contractors established (and with access to procurement) in EU Member States and in countries party to relevant procurement agreements (e.g. WTO GPA where applicable). The scope of coverage for survey execution includes all EU Member States listed in Annex A, plus a list of other defined countries and territories (Western Balkans, candidate countries, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, EFTA countries, etc.) and the possibility to include up to ten non-listed countries per survey on an ad-hoc basis subject to feasibility/agreement. The contracting authority requires fieldwork servers and storage to be located within the EU/EEA unless prior written authorisation is granted.

Target Sector

Sector focus:public opinion research / survey services / social science research. Relevant sectors served by applicants: survey research, market and social research, data collection and analysis, IT/data visualisation, translation and localisation services, communications and dissemination (reports, infographics, dashboards).

Mentioned Countries

Explicitly mentioned countries/territories (full list in Annex A/Annexes):all EU Member States (BE, BG, CZ, DK, DE, EE, IE, EL, ES, FR, HR, IT, CY, LV, LT, LU, HU, MT, NL, AT, PL, PT, RO, SI, SK, FI, SE), plus other defined countries and territories: BA (Bosnia-Herzegovina), ME (Montenegro), MD (Moldova), MK (North Macedonia), GE (Georgia), AL (Albania), RS (Serbia), TR (Türkiye), UA (Ukraine), XK (Kosovo), IS (Iceland), NO (Norway), CH (Switzerland), TCC (Turkish Cypriot community), UK (United Kingdom).

Project Stage

Expected project maturity:operational delivery (fieldwork, data collection, translation, analysis, reporting). Projects are at development/delivery stage (implementation and repeated waves) rather than basic research or early idea stage. Contractors must be capable of large-scale multi-country survey delivery, data processing and methodological advice.

Funding Amount

Framework ceiling:€82,500,000 (estimated total value). Individual specific contract values will be determined by the contracting authority and calculated from the contractor’s financial offers (price per QU, optional services and surcharges). The tender templates ask tenderers to price per QU per country and to provide percentages and unit rates for optional deliverables; caps apply for certain optional packages (e.g. first analysis package cap at €60,000; comprehensive report caps).

Application Type

Application method:open call for tenders through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (electronic submission). This is an open, advertised procurement (not invitation-only).

Nature of Support

Nature of support:monetary payment for services (commercial payments under specific contracts). Non-monetary support: access to contracting authority’s specifications, logos and publication guidance; access to European Commission extranet for deliverable exchange and potentially dashboards or publication platforms.

Application Stages

Number of procurement stages:1 (open procurement leading to framework contract award). For multiple framework contracts in cascade the contracting authority will request replies to specific contract requests (reopening of competition among ranked framework contractors) – those are additional operational stages for ordering specific contracts but not separate award-stage levels in the original tender evaluation. Tender evaluation includes checks for exclusion / selection, technical evaluation (quality) and financial evaluation; ranking determines framework contract award and cascade order.

Success Rates

Success rates:not published by the contracting authority. The award will select up to two contractors (ranked) for multiple framework contracts in cascade — competition is expected to be strong given the large value and specialised nature of the services. Historical Eurobarometer procurements are competitive, with a small number of framework slots awarded.

Co-funding Requirement

Co-funding:no co-funding required. This is a fee-for-service procurement. Contractors invoice the contracting authority for services provided under specific contracts in accordance with the financial offer and FWC payment rules.

Selection, evaluation and administrative requirements

Key procurement requirements and documents are published on the Portal and include:Invitation to tender, Administrative tender specifications, Technical specifications (Part 2), Annexes (Annex 2 Declaration on Honour, Annex 3 Power of Attorney, Annex 4 List of subcontractors, Annex 5.1 Commitment letter subcontractor, Annex 5.2 Commitment letter entity relied upon, Annex 7 Technical Offer Form, Annex 8 T1 project reference table, Annex 6 Financial offer form and its instructions, Technical and administrative annexes such as Annex A countries, Annex C sampling points, Annex D QU counting, Annex E protocol variables, Annex F format of deliverables, Annex G timeline). Tender submission requires EU Login and PIC registration. 2-factor authentication for EU Login is required from 30 June 2026. Find the main call page here F&T Portal ¹.

Exclusion and selection checks:Tenderers must submit a Declaration on Honour (Annex 2) covering exclusion and selection criteria. The contracting authority may request supporting documentary evidence from presumably successful tenderers (e.g. judicial records, tax and social security certificates, annual accounts) and may cross-check EDES. Tenderers relying on other entities for selection criteria must provide commitment letters (Annex 5.2) and, where applicable, subcontractors must provide commitment letters (Annex 5.1).

1. 1Selection: tenderer must meet economic/financial capacity (average yearly turnover threshold in tender specifications), and technical/professional capacity (projects references, CVs of key staff: Research Director, Deputy Director, Statistician/Data analyst, Researcher), and adherence to professional ethics (ESOMAR or WAPOR membership or signed commitment).
2. 2Evaluation: Quality (65%) + Price (35%). Quality assessment covers organisation and operations (presentation), methodology and fieldwork approach, deliverables and outputs, and two case studies. Minimum pass scores per award criterion apply (detailed in tender specs).
3. 3Financial offer: tenderers must submit the Annex 6 Financial Offer Form (Excel + signed PDF). Total Reference Price is calculated using indicative yearly volumes provided in Annex 6 instructions; prices must be in EUR, excluding VAT.

Templates and application form structure

The procurement documentation provides mandatory templates that must be used and uploaded via eSubmission. Required templates include: Annex 7 Technical Offer Form (detailed TOF with page limits: technical offer maximum 200 pages; specific page limits per award criterion); Annex 6 Financial Offer Form (Excel and signed PDF); Annex 8 Technical and professional capacity form (T1 project references table); Annex 2 Declaration on Honour; Annex 3 Power of Attorney (for joint tenders); Annex 4 list of identified subcontractors; Annex 5.1 and 5.2 commitment letters. Only the specified annex templates shall be used for those deliverables and uploaded in the eSubmission attachments as instructed. Failure to use the provided templates or to supply mandatory evidence may result in rejection.

Technical Offer Form structure (high-level outline):Complete and submit Annex 7 TOF. The TOF is structured to capture: 1) Organisation presentation, operations and alignment (max 60 pages); 2) Methodology and fieldwork approach (max 100 pages); 3) Deliverables and outputs, IT and data management (max 40 pages); 4) Case study 1 (no max pages for the detailed case study deliverables); 5) Case study 2 (max 6 pages); plus mandatory annexes (project references, CVs of key staff, sample translations, annexes to technical specifications). Use Times New Roman 11 single-spaced; annexes requested in Technical specifications are not counted within the 200-page limit.

Evaluation and award mechanics

Tenders are evaluated against exclusion and selection criteria first. Technical evaluation (quality) uses detailed award sub-criteria with points (total quality 65% weight) and a minimum pass threshold for each criterion. Financial evaluation uses the Total Reference Price (based on Annex 6 model volumes) and contributes 35% to the overall ranking. Final ranking uses best price-quality ratio formula. Up to two contractors will be awarded multiple framework contracts in cascade and ranked for ordering specific contracts. Detection of abnormally low tenders applies and the contracting authority may reject tenders on that basis.

Practical advice and mandatory compliance items

1. 1Register your organisation in the Participant Register and obtain a PIC well ahead of submission. Ensure EU Login access and 2FA readiness.
2. 2Download and read all Annexes (especially Technical specifications Part 2, Annex D QU counting, Annex E variables, Annex L recruitment/sampling/mode matrix, Annex 6 Financial offer instructions).
3. 3Complete Annex 7 TOF with the specified page limits and required annexes (project references using Annex 8).
4. 4Complete Annex 6 Financial Offer Form (Excel + signed PDF). The PDF version prevails in case of discrepancy.
5. 5Prepare Declaration on Honour (Annex 2) and be ready to provide supporting evidence on request (e.g. accounts, judicial extracts, client references) within short deadlines.
6. 6Identify subcontractors whose share exceeds 20% or whose capacity you rely upon and attach Annex 4 and commitment letters (Annex 5.1/5.2).
7. 7Ensure translations and data storage/processing solutions comply with the specified timelines and EU data protection and localisation requirements.
8. 8Respect delivery timelines (fieldwork windows 35-42 calendar days; volumes and data delivery deadlines after fieldwork described in Annex G).

How to apply (practical steps)

1) Subscribe to the call on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal; 2) Register organisation and obtain PIC; 3) Prepare and complete Annex 7 TOF (technical offer) and Annex 6 Financial Offer (Excel + signed PDF), Declaration on Honour (Annex 2) and all mandatory annexes; 4) Submit electronically via eSubmission before the deadline (29/06/2026 17:00 Europe/Brussels); 5) Monitor portal for Q&A and clarifications and respond to any contracting authority requests for additional evidence if invited during evaluation.

Templates and required attachments (mandatory list)

Mandatory forms to upload via eSubmission:Annex 7 Technical Offer Form (TOF) with all requested annexes; Annex 6 Financial Offer Form (signed PDF and Excel); Annex 2 Declaration on Honour (exclusion & selection); Annex 3 Agreement/Power of Attorney for joint tenders; Annex 4 List of identified subcontractors (if applicable); Annex 5.1 Commitment letter by identified subcontractors; Annex 5.2 Commitment letter by entities relied upon; Annex 8 Technical & professional capacity T1 project reference table; supporting evidence for financial and technical selection criteria as requested. See Annex 1 (Administrative specifications) for exact upload mapping in eSubmission.

Summary: What is this opportunity about and how to explain it?

This procurement awards one or more framework contracts to experienced survey organisations (single companies or consortia) to deliver the Standard and Special Eurobarometer programme: recurring multi-country public-opinion survey waves and ad-hoc thematic surveys for the European Commission and other EU institutions/agencies. The scope spans questionnaire design, translation into many languages, high-quality face-to-face fieldwork across EU Member States (with limited video fallback), data processing and delivery (SPSS/CSV and codebook), weighting, trend preservation, reporting (volumes, factsheets, infographics, dashboards), methodological advice and optional research outputs. Bids are evaluated on a quality (65%) and price (35%) split. The procurement uses a unit pricing model (price per question unit - QU) and requires strict compliance with tender templates, timelines, data protection, intellectual property rules and quality controls. Interested contractors should read the Technical specifications, Annexes and the Financial Offer Form carefully, register in the Participant Register, prepare the mandatory templates (Annex 7, Annex 6, Annex 2, Annex 8, etc.), and submit electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal before the specified deadline. This is a high-value, high-complexity public procurement requiring demonstrated multi-country survey experience, proven methodological capacity and the operational ability to deliver secure, comparable, high-quality public-opinion data across many countries.

For the official call page and full documents consult the EU Funding & Tenders Portal F&T Portal. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Official call documents, all annexes and the eSubmission interface are available via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal call page: ec.europa.eu. See in particular the Invitation to tender, Tender specifications Part 1 (administrative) and Part 2 (technical), Annex 6 Financial Offer Form, Annex 7 Technical Offer Form and Annex 8 project reference table.

Opportunity Overview

This is a call for tenders for the provision of Standard and Special Eurobarometer surveys, issued by the European Commission Directorate-General for Communication. The procurement is structured as an open procedure resulting in multiple framework contracts with a maximum of two contractors. The opportunity is interinstitutional, with the European Commission acting as the lead contracting authority on behalf of multiple EU institutions, agencies and bodies including the European Parliament, Council, and various EU agencies.

Procedure Identifier:EC-COMM/2026/OP/0019

TED Reference:86/2026 307665-2026

What is Being Procured

The European Commission seeks to procure comprehensive Eurobarometer survey services to assess and analyse public opinion across the European Union and other territories. These surveys serve as a key tool for evaluating, validating and formulating EU policies. The services encompass both Standard Eurobarometer surveys (regular surveys on general EU matters) and Special Eurobarometer surveys (ad-hoc thematic surveys on specific European affairs). Surveys will be conducted among the general public aged 15 and over using primarily face-to-face interviews (CAPI methodology), with video interviews (CAVI) permitted as a fallback option in justified circumstances.

Scope of Services

The contractor must provide a full range of services including questionnaire design and translation, fieldwork coordination across multiple countries, data collection and processing, statistical analysis, and delivery of comprehensive reports and deliverables. Services must cover all EU Member States, candidate countries and other specified territories. The contractor will also serve as a methodological adviser to contracting authorities on all matters relating to public opinion research, sampling, questionnaire design, data analysis and interpretation, and data visualisation.

• Questionnaire design, development and translation into multiple EU languages
• Fieldwork management and coordination across 40+ countries and territories
• Face-to-face and video interview conduct with quality assurance
• Data coding, cleaning and weighting procedures
• Production of volumes, reports, factsheets and infographics
• Technical and evaluation reporting
• Annual methodological reporting
• Provision of raw data in SPSS and CSV formats
• Interactive dashboards and data visualisation
• Methodological advice and consultation services

Geographic Coverage

The contractor must have the capacity to conduct surveys in all EU Member States (27 countries), candidate countries including Turkey, and other specified territories such as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Ukraine, Georgia, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Moldova, and the United Kingdom. The contractor must be able to cover the full territory of each country or territory, with written justification required for any parts that cannot be covered. Exceptionally, up to ten non-listed countries or territories may be included per survey with prior consultation and lead contracting authority agreement.

Key Deadlines and Timeline

Financial Information

Framework Contract Ceiling:€82,500,000 (estimated total value for the framework contract duration)

Pricing Structure:Prices are quoted per Question Unit (QU), a unit cost based on questionnaire complexity, structure and length. The QU price varies by country and includes all fieldwork costs (recruitment, sampling, interviews). Tenderers must provide separate pricing for CAPI (face-to-face) and CAVI (video) interviews, with CAVI priced as a percentage of CAPI costs. Additional surcharges apply for oversampling (maximum 25%), supplementary non-EU languages (maximum 10%), and waves with 50-59 QU for single contracting authorities (maximum 3%).

Pricing Components to be Quoted:

• Price per QU for standard sample size (100% CAPI interviews)
• Price of CAVI interviews as percentage of CAPI price
• Price per QU for NUTS 1 regional sampling
• Percentage surcharge for 20% oversampling
• Percentage surcharge for supplementary non-EU languages
• Percentage surcharge for 50-59 QU waves
• Price for questionnaire design (conception, drafting, revision)
• Price for survey design as standalone service
• First analysis package price (maximum 10% of fieldwork total, capped at €60,000)
• Analytical note price (per 2-page A4 document)
• Comprehensive analysis report price (per 15 QU batch, capped at €45,000-67,500)
• Daily rates for research work by staff profile
• Translation price per page (1 page = 1,500 characters excluding spaces)
• National graphic presentations and national reports pricing

Who Can Apply

This is an open procedure. Any natural or legal person, including international organisations, may submit a tender. Participation is open to economic operators established in EU Member States, EEA countries, countries with special agreements with the EU on public procurement, and countries that have ratified the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement. Tenderers may submit as sole operators or as joint tenders (groups of economic operators). Subcontracting is permitted. ¹

Eligibility Requirements

Tenderers must not be subject to EU restrictive measures (asset freezes or prohibitions on making funds available). They must have access to procurement under applicable rules. Tenderers must not be in any exclusion situation as defined in Article 138(1) of the EU Financial Regulation, including bankruptcy, breach of tax or social security obligations, grave professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, money laundering, terrorist financing, or significant deficiencies in contract performance.

Selection Criteria

Tenderers must meet minimum levels of economic, financial, technical and professional capacity. Assessment is conducted on a consolidated basis for joint tenders and groups relying on subcontractors' capacities.

Economic and Financial Capacity (Criterion F1):Average yearly turnover above €5,000,000 for the last two financial years. Evidence required: profit and loss accounts and balance sheets for the last two closed years, or bank statements. The most recent year must have been closed within the last 18 months.

Technical and Professional Capacity (Criterion T1):Minimum of three different opinion polls projects completed in the last five years, with at least one being a face-to-face international survey conducted in at least five EU countries, each with minimum value of €100,000. If acting as subcontractor, the entity must have executed at least 50% of the contract value. Evidence: project list using the provided template including start/end dates, total project amount, scope, geographic coverage, tenderer's role and amount invoiced.

Technical and Professional Capacity (Criterion T2):Tenderers must demonstrate available human resources to perform the contract. Required staff CVs: one Research Director (university degree, minimum 3 years relevant experience in opinion polls within last 7 years, English level B2), one Deputy Research Director (university degree, minimum 3 years experience in opinion polls or international project management within last 7 years, English B2), one statistical and data analysis Researcher (university degree, minimum 3 years experience in statistics/data analysis/quality control within last 7 years, English B2), and one Researcher (university degree, minimum 1 year experience in opinion polls or international projects within last 3 years, English C2 or French B2).

Technical and Professional Capacity (Criterion T3):Adherence to professional ethics and research rules. Tenderers must be members of ESOMAR (European Society for Opinion and Market Research) or WAPOR (World Association for Public Opinion Research), or provide a signed declaration committing to comply with ICC/ESOMAR International Code on Market, Opinion and Social Research and Data Analytics or WAPOR Code of Ethics. Proof of membership or signed ethics declaration required.

All selection criteria evidence must be provided with the tender submission.

Evaluation and Award Criteria

Tenders are evaluated on a best price-quality ratio basis using the formula:R = (Q × 65 + Pmin × 35 / P) / 1000, where Q is quality score out of 1000, Pmin is the lowest tender price, and P is the tender price. Only tenders achieving at least 650 points out of 1000 total and meeting minimum points for each criterion will be considered for award. ²

Award Criteria Weighting:

• Price: 35% weight
• Quality: 65% weight

Quality Criteria (65% of evaluation):

• Presentation of organisation, operations and alignment with objectives (200 points, minimum 120): assessment of face-to-face survey approach, multi-country workflow, quality control and business continuity, sustainability measures
• Methodology and fieldwork approach (380 points, minimum 228): methodological settings, in-field practice, role as adviser, trend question comparison
• Deliverables and outputs (180 points, minimum 108): accessible results formats, deadline compliance, quality control measures, IT set-up and AI use
• Case study 1 - Energy crisis questionnaire (140 points, minimum 70): questionnaire quality, translation quality, deliverables quality
• Case study 2 - Trust in EU analysis (100 points, minimum 50): understanding of request, analysis quality, note quality

Tenderers must submit two case studies as part of their technical offer. Case study 1 requires a 15 QU questionnaire on the EU energy crisis with 8 context/socio-demographic questions in English, French and German, plus summary, data annex, infographic, country factsheets and graphic presentation. Case study 2 requires a 4-6 page analysis of citizen trust in the EU with proposed methodology in English. Cost overviews for case studies must be provided but costs are not included in the reference price for award.

Submission Requirements

Tenders must be submitted exclusively via the eSubmission electronic system available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. No other submission method is accepted. Tenderers must register in the Participant Register and obtain a Participant Identification Code (PIC) before submission. Each participant must ensure their SME status is registered and kept up to date. ³

Technical Tender Requirements:Maximum 200 pages (Times New Roman font size 11, single line spacing). Case studies and requested annexes do not count toward page limit. Must use the Technical Offer Form (Annex 7). Must address all requirements in the technical specifications. Merely repeating specifications without detailing production processes will result in low scores. Must declare compliance with data protection, environmental, social and labour law obligations.

Financial Tender Requirements:Must use the Financial Offer Form (Annex 6). Must be expressed in euros. Must be quoted free of all duties, taxes and VAT. Must include complete price breakdown. Both signed PDF and Excel versions must be uploaded; in case of discrepancies, the PDF prevails. Total amount in eSubmission field must match the uploaded financial tender.

Required Documents:

• Declaration on Honour (Annex 2) - signed by authorised representative(s)
• Agreement/Power of Attorney (Annex 3) - for joint tenders, signed by all group members
• List of identified subcontractors (Annex 4) - if applicable
• Commitment letters from subcontractors (Annex 5.1) - if applicable
• Commitment letters from entities on whose capacity tenderer relies (Annex 5.2) - if applicable
• Technical Offer Form (Annex 7) - completed with all required information
• Technical and professional capacity table (Annex 8) - project references
• Annexes to Technical Specifications (Annex 11) - including proposed sampling points, recruitment/interview modes, weighting factors, fieldwork hours
• Financial Offer Form (Annex 6) - signed PDF and Excel versions
• CVs of required staff members
• Proof of ESOMAR or WAPOR membership or signed ethics declaration
• Supporting evidence for economic and financial capacity
• Case study 1 deliverables (questionnaire, summary, data annex, infographic, factsheets, graphic presentation)
• Case study 2 analysis document

Signatures must be either hand-written or preferably qualified electronic signatures (QES) as defined in Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 (eIDAS Regulation). Hand-signed documents do not need to be submitted in original but must be retained for five years from notification of procedure outcome or contract payment.

Submission Address and Contact

Submissions must be made exclusively through the eSubmission system at:EU Funding & Tenders Portal. For technical questions about the procurement documents, submit requests through the Questions & Answers section on the portal. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted less than six working days before the tender deadline.

Contract Structure and Implementation

The procedure will result in multiple framework contracts (FWCs) with a maximum of two contractors. Framework contracts establish a mechanism for future repetitive purchases through specific contracts. Signature of a framework contract does not obligate the contracting authority to conclude specific contracts. The framework contracts will be concluded as separate but identical contracts with up to two contractors, ranked in order to establish a sequence for offering specific contracts during implementation. Within three years of signature, the contracting authority may use the negotiated procedure to procure additional similar services from the contractors up to a maximum of 50% of the initial framework contract ceiling.

Framework Contract Duration:Maximum 48 months from signature, with possible renewals as specified in the draft contract.

Award Method:Best price-quality ratio. Multiple framework contracts in cascade will be awarded to the first two ranked tenders that comply with all minimum requirements, are not subject to restrictive measures, have access to procurement, are not in exclusion situations, and fulfil selection criteria. If only one ranked tenderer exists, the contracting authority may cancel the procedure or sign a single framework contract.

Key Technical Specifications

Survey Methodology:Surveys must use probability-based random sampling procedures; quota procedures are not accepted. Area-based sampling with random route procedures is the default for CAPI interviews. Register-based sampling or Random Digit Dialling may be used where area-based sampling is not viable. Minimum sampling points: 100 per country (150 for Germany, 80 for Estonia/Slovenia, 40 for smaller countries). Respondent selection must be random and independent of interviewer decision, with minimum three recalls per selected unit. Only one interview per household.

Sample Sizes:Standard sample size is 1,000 completed interviews for most countries, 1,500 for Germany, and 500 for smaller countries (Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta, Iceland, Montenegro, Turkish Cypriot community). Regional sampling at NUTS I level is possible with minimum 300 interviews per region. Oversampling available in 20% increments.

Interview Modes:Primary mode is face-to-face in-person interviews (CAPI). Video interviews (CAVI) permitted as fallback option in justified circumstances. Telephone recruitment allowed as complementary measure only where main sampling approach cannot achieve sufficient interviews within 5-6 week fieldwork period, limited to maximum 20% of total interviews per wave. Recruitment must be primarily in-person and probability-based.

Questionnaire Structure:Standard EB wave minimum 60 QU, maximum 90 QU (excluding selection, protocol, context and socio-demographic questions). Single contracting authority waves minimum 50 QU if covering all EU Member States (maximum once per calendar year). Questionnaires must include selection variables (nationality and residence), up to 20 context and socio-demographic variables, and protocol variables. All questions must be approved by lead contracting authority before fieldwork.

Data Protection and Confidentiality:All data collection and processing must comply with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 on personal data protection. Respondent consent must be obtained verbally for face-to-face interviews and explicitly for online video interviews. Data must be transferred securely to central servers located within the European Union. Anonymised data must be stored securely. No information about contracting authority disclosed before interview. Project confidentiality maintained during recruitment.

Quality Control:Contractor must implement quality control mechanisms ensuring consistent quality across countries and territories. Minimum 10% of interviews per country must be checked through callbacks. Quality checks must cover questionnaire design, translation, interviewer briefing, sampling, recruitment, respondent interaction, fieldwork progress, data protection, coding, and deliverable quality. Contractor must report quality control procedures and measures taken for non-compliant interviews in technical and evaluation report.

Weighting and Representativeness:Weighting must be applied to ensure representativeness. Minimum weighting variables: gender by age, urbanisation level, region (NUTS II). Education (ISCED) and household size weighting to be implemented. Weighting based on national population data from official statistics (Eurostat or equivalent). Contractor must provide universe description for each country/territory and update annually. Weight trimming bounds must be specified with justification.

Artificial Intelligence Use:AI tools may be used for preparatory or supportive tasks including data processing, analysis and report drafting. All AI-generated outputs must undergo meaningful human review and validation before delivery. Final responsibility for quality, accuracy, legality and reliability remains with contractor. Interviews, recruitment and direct stakeholder interactions must be conducted by humans unless explicitly authorised in writing. Contractor must ensure AI use does not infringe intellectual property rights, unauthorisedly process personal data, or disseminate inaccurate content. AI systems must not transfer confidential information or personal data outside EU without prior written authorisation. Tender data and Commission information must not be used for AI training. Contractor must provide overview of AI applications in technical offer and detailed report at FWC beginning, updated annually, subject to lead contracting authority approval.

Deliverables and Reporting

Mandatory deliverables included in QU price include national questionnaires, raw data (SPSS and CSV files), volumes (A, AP, AA, AAP, B, BP, C, D), data analysis flat table, survey design, production instructions, fieldwork progress reports, technical and evaluation report, and annual methodological report. Optional deliverables available upon request include first analysis package (report, summary, factsheets, infographics, media package), analytical notes, comprehensive analysis reports, research work, graphs/maps/tables, animated presentations and interactive dashboards, national graphic presentations, and national reports.

Delivery Timelines:

• Maximum 20 working days from contract signature to fieldwork start
• Maximum 15 working days from bilingual matrix validation to fieldwork start
• Fieldwork duration: 35-42 calendar days
• Volume A: maximum 2 working days after fieldwork end
• Other volumes: maximum 4 working days after fieldwork end
• Data analysis flat table: maximum 5 working days after fieldwork end
• Graphic presentation: maximum 6 working days after fieldwork end
• Data annex: maximum 5 working days after fieldwork end
• Draft raw data: maximum 7 working days after fieldwork end
• Technical and evaluation report: maximum 15 working days after fieldwork end
• Factsheets: maximum 5 working days after structure validation
• Report and summary: first draft 10 working days after structure validation
• Annual methodological report: once yearly at FWC anniversary

All reports and documents must meet European Commission web accessibility standards (EN 301 549 v3.2.1 and WCAG 2.1 Level AA). Deliverables must comply with contracting authority visual identity requirements. Translations available in all EU official languages and other languages as specified in specific contracts.

Important Conditions and Obligations

Intellectual Property Rights:Contractor must irrevocably transfer full ownership of all results to contracting authority/ies, including questionnaire designs, reports, tables, graphs, maps, illustrations, translations and technical solutions. All rights acquired worldwide from delivery and acceptance. Prices include fees for acquisition of ownership and all forms of exploitation. Pre-existing materials must be licensed to contracting authority for duration of IP protection.

Subcontracting:All contractual tasks may be subcontracted unless procurement documents reserve execution to sole tenderer or group members. Identified subcontractors (those on whose capacity tenderer relies or with individual share above 20%) must be listed with commitment letters. Changes to subcontractors after submission require prior written contracting authority approval. Contractor retains full liability for contract performance.

Professional Conflicting Interests:Involved entities and all subcontractors must not be subject to professional conflicting interests that may negatively affect contract performance. Contracting authority may conclude tenderer lacks required professional capacity if conflicting interests established.

Environmental Considerations:Contractor must take environmental considerations into account throughout complete service life cycle. Must assist Commission with EMAS Environmental Policy commitments and follow EMAS best practices. Sustainability measures and green procurement compliance required.

Equal Opportunities and Non-Discrimination:Contractor must observe policy promoting equality and diversity, applying non-discrimination and equality principles from EU Treaties. Must establish and maintain open, inclusive working environment respecting human dignity and equal opportunities, removing obstacles to recruitment and discrimination based on sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion, belief, political opinion, national minority membership, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation.

Fraud Prevention and Detection:Contractor must assist contracting authority in fraud prevention and detection efforts. Must impose fraud prevention obligations on subcontractors and personnel through relevant contracts and provide evidence upon request.

Security Requirements:Contractor and personnel must comply with contracting authority's applicable security requirements when performing contract tasks. All financial burden for security measures (background checks, security clearance) borne entirely by contractor.

Data Protection and Confidentiality

Personal data processing is governed by Regulation (EU) 2018/1725. Data will be processed solely for evaluation purposes by European Commission as data controller. Tenderer personal data may be registered in the Early Detection and Exclusion System (EDES) if in situations mentioned in Article 138 of the Financial Regulation. Detailed privacy statement available at: Privacy Statement

Once opened, tenders become contracting authority property and treated confidentially. Information may be disclosed to Commission staff, other EU institutions/bodies, and cooperating entities bound by confidentiality obligations. After award decision, contracting authority informs unsuccessful tenderers of successful tenderer name, tender characteristics and relative advantages, and total financial offer. Contracting authority may withhold confidential information including unit prices, technical or trade secrets where disclosure would prejudice legitimate commercial interests or distort fair competition. Tenderers must clearly mark confidential information and explain why it cannot be disclosed; general statements that entire tender is confidential will be disregarded.

Abnormally Low Tenders

Tenderers must be aware that Point 23 of Annex I to the Financial Regulation addresses abnormally low tenders. The contracting authority reserves the right to reject tenders deemed abnormally low based on this provision.

Debt Offset

If a successful tenderer (or any group member in joint tender) has established debt owed to the Union, European Atomic Energy Community or executive agency implementing Union budget, such debt may be offset against any payment due under the contract in accordance with Articles 101(1) and 102 of the Financial Regulation and draft contract conditions. Contracting authority will verify existence of overdue debts and inform tenderer if offset may apply.

Additional Resources and Support

Detailed information on Eurobarometer surveys available at:Eurobarometer Website. Technical guidance on eSubmission available at: eSubmission Quick Guide. System requirements and supported browsers at: System Requirements. For technical problems with eSubmission, contact the eSubmission Helpdesk (details in Quick Guide). For questions about the procurement, use the Questions & Answers section on the F&T Portal.

Key Considerations for Applicants

• Register in Participant Register and obtain PIC before submission - this is mandatory
• Ensure all required documents are prepared and submitted before the deadline - late submissions will be rejected
• Provide complete and accurate information in all declarations and supporting documents - false information may result in administrative sanctions
• Prepare evidence for selection criteria in advance as it may be requested within short deadlines
• Ensure technical offer addresses all requirements without merely repeating specifications
• Include detailed cost overviews for case studies (not counted in reference price)
• Verify that total amount in eSubmission matches uploaded financial tender
• Use qualified electronic signatures where possible to reduce administrative burden
• Ensure compliance with all data protection, environmental, social and labour law obligations
• Demonstrate clear understanding of Eurobarometer survey requirements and quality standards
• Provide realistic timelines and resource allocation for managing multiple simultaneous projects
• Address sustainability and green procurement commitments in technical offer
• Clarify AI use in survey processes with appropriate safeguards and human validation
• Ensure all group members (if joint tender) sign Agreement/Power of Attorney
• Identify all subcontractors with individual share above 20% or on whose capacity tenderer relies

Footnotes

1. 1Participation is open on equal terms to all natural and legal persons within scope of EU Treaties, international organisations, and third country nationals/entities with special agreements or WTO GPA ratification. Rules on access to procurement apply to subcontractors and entities on whose capacity tenderer relies.
2. 2The evaluation formula is R = (Q × 65 + Pmin × 35 / P) / 1000. In case of tied results, the tenderer with highest quality marks is deemed most economically advantageous. Tenders must achieve minimum 650 total points and minimum points for each individual criterion (ranging from 50-228 points depending on criterion) to be considered for award.
3. 3Participant Register is available at Participant Register. Each participant obtains a 9-digit Participant Identification Code (PIC) acting as unique identifier. Participants must ensure SME status is registered and kept current. EU Validation Services may request supporting documents on legal existence, status and financial capacity through register messaging system.