Study on Methodologies for Evaluating Reforms

The European Commission DG REGIO has published a tender (EC-REGIO/2026/OP/0047) for a 12-month study to review methodologies for evaluating structural reforms in line with the Commission's Better Regulation Guidelines. The estimated contract value is €200,000 and the award will be based on quality (70%) and price (30%). Submissions must be made electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using the official templates, with a closing date of 21 August 2026 at 15:30:59 Brussels time. Required documents include the tender specifications, draft contract, declaration on honour and security requirements as detailed in the procurement record.

Tender snapshot

Essential facts

Procurement by the European Commission DG REGIO to commission a study providing a comprehensive review of methodological approaches to evaluating structural reforms, aligned with the Commission Better Regulation Guidelines.

What it funds:A service contract for a policy research study (methodology review, comparative analysis, recommendations and deliverables for DG REGIO) ¹.

Who can apply:Organisations able to enter EU public contracts (consultancies, research institutes, academic teams or consortia) via the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission procedure; see tender documents for formal selection and exclusion criteria.

1. 1Deadline for submission (main): 21 August 2026, 15:30:59 (Europe/Brussels).
2. 2Alternative timestamp present: 1 January 2026, 13:30:59 (appears in metadata).
3. 3Estimated contract value: €200,000 (total estimated overall contract amount).
4. 4Contract type: service contract (planned duration about 12 months).
5. 5Submission method: eSubmission through the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Full procurement documents, invitation to tender and tender specifications are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal tender page: Tender details. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Key documents published 01/07/2026 include Invitation to tender, Tender specifications and Draft contract (see the portal page above for downloads).

High-level description

The European Commission, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO), has published a tender for a Study on Methodologies for Evaluating Reforms. The purpose of the study is to provide a comprehensive review of methodological approaches to evaluating structural reforms, aligned with the European Commission's Better Regulation Guidelines. The procurement is a direct service contract for studies and evaluation (main CPV 79000000) with an estimated overall contract value of €200,000. The procedure uses electronic submission through the Funding & Tenders Portal and is governed by public procurement rules defined in the tender documentation. ¹

Reference and source:Call identifier EC-REGIO/2026/OP/0047; Tender details and documents published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal at the procurement record. The official procurement page and documents were published 2026-07-01. ¹

Eligible Applicant Types

The opportunity is a public procurement for services and is therefore open to legal entities that can sign and execute a direct service contract with the European Commission. Eligible applicant types typically include consultancy firms, economic and policy research organisations, universities, research institutes, think-tanks, specialised evaluation consultancies, NGOs with evaluation capacity, and consortia or joint ventures composed of such entities. The procurement notice indicates standard tenderer qualification requests and selection criteria in the tender specifications. SME suitability is explicitly marked false in the procurement metadata, indicating the contract is not reserved for SMEs; however SMEs may still participate if they meet selection criteria. Individual natural persons are generally not the contracting party for this type of contract unless they form a legal entity or act in a consortium with legal entities.

Funding Type and Nature of Support

Primary financial mechanism:procurement / direct service contract (fee-based study). Beneficiaries will receive monetary funding in the form of a paid service contract. The contract covers reimbursement for the deliverables and services defined in the tender specifications and the draft contract. No grants, loans, equity or vouchers are involved.

Consortium Requirement

The procurement is structured as a single contract (one lot LOT-0001). The call allows tenderers that meet the selection criteria; this can be a single legal entity or a group of economic operators acting as a consortium or joint tenderer if allowed by the tender specifications. Tender documentation includes statements on tenderer qualification request and standard procurement requirements; applicants should consult the tender specifications for specific rules on joint bids, lead partner responsibilities, and required declarations. In summary: single contractor is expected for award, but joint bids/consortia are typically permitted subject to the tender specifications.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility)

The contracting authority is the European Commission (DG REGIO). The tender is published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and follows EU procurement rules. Eligible bidders must be legal entities able to contract with the European Commission; this normally includes entities established in EU Member States and other countries eligible under EU procurement rules (including EEA and certain third countries where applicable). The procurement documentation should be consulted for the precise list of eligible countries and any restrictions.

Target Sector and Thematic Focus

Primary sector / thematic area:public policy evaluation, regulatory policy, and structural reform assessment. The study focuses on methodological approaches for evaluating structural reforms, with alignment to the European Commission's Better Regulation Guidelines. Relevant disciplines and expertise include public policy analysis, impact evaluation, economics, quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods, counterfactual analysis, indicators and metrics design, institutional analysis, and knowledge of EU policy and regulatory frameworks.

Mentioned Countries

No individual Member States are specifically named in the procurement metadata. The identified contracting authority is the European Commission (DG REGIO), which implies EU-wide relevance. The procurement documentation should be consulted for any references to study case countries or geographic focus within the EU.

Project Stage and Expected Outputs

Expected maturity:research, methodological review, analysis, validation and recommendations. The contract is for a study (analysis, synthesis and guidance), not for technology development or commercialization. Deliverables will include methodological review documents, guidance aligned with Better Regulation Guidelines, possible case studies, recommended evaluation frameworks, and final reports and presentations. The planned duration in the procurement metadata is 12 months.

Funding Amount and Contract Value

Estimated overall contract amount:€200,000 (currency: EUR). This is the estimated total procedure value reported in the tender metadata and should be treated as the maximum budget available for the contract. Exact contract price will be determined through the tendering process and the awarded direct service contract.

Application Type, Submission Method and Deadlines

Application type:open tender published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (call identifier EC-REGIO/2026/OP/0047). Submission must be made electronically via the Portal (eSubmission required). Key dates: invitation and documents published 2026-07-01; submission deadline / closing date 21 August 2026 at 15:30:59 Europe/Brussels time. Additional information request period ends 13 August 2026. An open tender event / possible opening or interview is scheduled for 24 August 2026 at 10:00 (local time).

Application Stages and Evaluation

Number of stages:The procurement follows a standard single-stage tender submission with subsequent evaluation and award. Practical stages for applicants are: preparation and submission (stage 1), administrative and eligibility check (stage 2), technical/quality and price evaluation (stage 3), and award and contract signature (stage 4). The awarding criteria are quality (70 weight) and price (30 weight) as indicated in the procurement metadata; full details and scoring rules are provided in the tender specifications. Applicants should plan for clarifications and potentially interviews or presentations during evaluation.

Success Rates

The procurement notice does not publish a success rate. As a single-lot public contract with competitive tendering, only one bidder will be awarded the contract. Success rate depends on the number and quality of bids received and cannot be reliably estimated from the published metadata.

Co-funding Requirement

No co-funding from the applicant is required beyond inclusion of the tender price and any financial guarantees or declarations required by the tender specifications. This is a fee-for-service contract: the Commission will pay the contractor for the deliverables and services upon successful execution of the contract, consistent with the draft contract terms. No project co-financing by the contractor is indicated in the published metadata.

Required Documents, Templates and How to Structure the Application

The procurement record provides a set of official documents that must be used by applicants. Key documents published and expected to be used in the submission include: invitation to tender, tender specifications (technical terms of reference), draft contract (Direct Service Contract), declaration on honour (tender), and Appendix 2 Security requirements. Applicants must follow the exact templates and forms in the procurement documents and attach any required administrative, technical and financial annexes in the eSubmission envelope.

1. 1Mandatory forms and templates: Declaration on Honour (specific tender DOCX template published), administrative forms in the Portal, and any standard EU forms indicated in the tender specifications.
2. 2Technical proposal: methodology, work plan, deliverables, timeline, team composition and CVs, relevant experience and examples of past similar studies, approach to alignment with the Commission's Better Regulation Guidelines, quality assurance and data protection measures.
3. 3Financial proposal: priced offer using the format required in the tender documents and complying with the awarding criterion weightings (price 30).
4. 4Supporting evidence: legal status, financial capacity documentation if requested, references and certificates of good performance or past contracts, security declarations as per Appendix 2 if relevant.

Typical structure to prepare the submission (consult tender specifications for exact required order and templates): 1) Administrative envelope: signed declaration on honour, registration/legal documents, evidence of eligibility and capacity. 2) Technical envelope: method, workplan, detailed staff profiles, sample outputs, data sources, quality control. 3) Financial envelope: detailed priced financial offer and any requested budget breakdown. All documents must be uploaded via eSubmission and conform to file formats and size limits specified in the Portal.

Selection and Award Criteria — Summary

Awarding criteria:Quality (weight 70) and Price (weight 30). The tender specifications will define subcriteria under quality (for example methodology, team and expertise, work plan, previous experience, relevant case studies, and deliverable quality). Selection criteria will include the standard checks on professional capacity, technical capacity and possibly financial standing. Tenderers should consult the tender specifications for mandatory minimum thresholds and documentary evidence required.

Contract Duration, Deliverables and Execution

Planned contract duration:up to 12 months as stated in the procurement project metadata. Expected deliverables: interim reports, methodological review documents, case study outputs if required, final report and executive summary, presentations and possibly policy guidance aligned with the Better Regulation Guidelines. The draft contract published in the procurement documents defines payment milestones, reporting requirements, intellectual property and confidentiality, and security obligations (Appendix 2).

Risk, Security and Specific Requirements

Candidates must observe the security requirements and contractual clauses listed in the draft contract and Appendix 2 Security requirements (document published). The tender specs may include requirements on data protection, confidentiality, handling of sensitive information, and EU rules on conflicts of interest. Failure to comply with security or legal requirements may lead to exclusion.

How to proceed as an applicant

1) Download all tender documents from the Funding & Tenders Portal record for EC-REGIO/2026/OP/0047 (Invitation to Tender, Tender Specifications, Draft Contract, Declaration on Honour and Appendix 2). 2) Check eligibility and selection criteria in the tender specifications. 3) Prepare administrative, technical and financial envelopes following the templates and structure required. 4) Submit electronically via the Portal before the deadline (21 August 2026, 15:30:59 Brussels time). 5) Keep records of the eSubmission receipts and be prepared to respond to clarification requests during the evaluation period.

Useful documents available on the procurement record include:EN-Invitation_to_tender_EC-REGIO2026OP0047_Methodologies for Evaluating Reforms_V1.pdf; Tender specifications Study on Methodologies for Evaluating Reforms_V1.pdf; EN_Direct_Service_Contract_EC-REGIO2026OP0047_V1.pdf (draft contract); declaration-of-honour-tenders..._V1.docx; Appendix 2 Security requirements en 2025_V1.pdf. The procurement page contains direct links to these files and the official contract notice reference. ¹

Limitations and Notes

This description is based on the published procurement metadata and accompanying documents. Applicants must consult the official tender specifications, the draft contract and annexes on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for the full and legally binding terms, eligibility rules, document templates, and submission instructions. This summary does not replace the official documentation and is indicative only.

Final summary:The European Commission (DG REGIO) is seeking a contractor to carry out a 12-month study on methodologies for evaluating structural reforms, aligned with the Better Regulation Guidelines. The procurement is published under call EC-REGIO/2026/OP/0047 on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal with an estimated contract value of €200,000. Eligible applicants are organisations (consultancies, universities, research institutes, NGOs, or consortia) able to enter into a direct service contract with the Commission. Submission is by electronic tender via the Portal (eSubmission) before 21 August 2026. The tender evaluation will weight quality (70) and price (30). Applicants must use the official templates and comply with security, data protection and contractual rules described in the tender specifications and draft contract. For precise eligibility, templates and legally binding requirements consult the published procurement documents on the Funding & Tenders Portal and the official tender page. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Study on Methodologies for Evaluating Reforms. EU Funding & Tenders Portal record EC-REGIO/2026/OP/0047, published 2026-07-01. Official tender documents and links available at ec.europa.eu

What This Opportunity Is About

This tender seeks a comprehensive review of methodological approaches to evaluating structural reforms, aligned with the European Commission’s Better Regulation Guidelines ¹. The study aims to strengthen evidence-based policy evaluation across EU regional and urban policy frameworks.

Lead Authority:European Commission, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) ².

Estimated Contract Value:€200,000 ³.

Who Should Apply

Ideal applicants include research institutions, evaluation consultancies, policy analysis firms, and academic groups with proven expertise in structural reform evaluation and EU regulatory frameworks ⁴.

1. 1Demonstrated experience in ex-post evaluation and fitness checks
2. 2Knowledge of Better Regulation Guidelines and Toolbox
3. 3Capacity to deliver high-quality methodological synthesis within 12 months

Key Eligibility & Submission Requirements

Tenders must be submitted electronically through the official portal EU Funding Portal. Required documents include the tender specifications, draft contract, declaration on honour, and security requirements appendix ⁵.

Key Documents Available:Tender specifications, draft direct service contract, declaration of honour, and security requirements (Appendix 2) ⁵.

The study will support DG REGIO’s efforts to improve evaluation practices in regional development, aligning with OECD findings that ex-post evaluations are systematically required in only ~25% of EU Member States ⁶.

Footnotes

1. 1European Commission Better Regulation Guidelines: Better Regulation.
2. 2DG REGIO Official Site: DG REGIO.
3. 3Estimated Overall Contract Amount: €200,000 (from tender metadata).
4. 4OECD Report on Better Regulation Practices: OECD 2025.
5. 5Tender Documents: Tender Docs.
6. 6OECD 2025 Report on Ex-Post Evaluation Requirements: OECD Ex-Post.