Study on the state of play of building permits for housing in the EU, and potential impact of implementing measures to streamline, shorten and digitalise the process

The European Commission's Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship, and SMEs (DG GROW) plans to issue a call for tenders titled "Study on the state of play of building permits for housing in the EU, and potential impact of implementing measures to streamline, shorten and digitalise the process." This upcoming opportunity, identified under the procedure reference EC-GROW/2025/OP/0094-PIN, aims to gather comprehensive data regarding the housing permit systems across EU Member States. Through this study, the Commission seeks to understand the existing measures in place, evaluate their impacts, and assess how they influence the supply of housing and the competitiveness of the construction sector.

The estimated value of this contract is €200,000, with an expected maximum duration of 10 months. The study will be crucial for informing the European Strategy for Housing Construction, which DG GROW aims to finalize by Q1 2026. The anticipated publication date of the official call for tenders is set for August 6, 2025. This study will be carried out as a service contract, which indicates that financial compensation will be provided for deliverables produced, specifically a comprehensive report with policy recommendations.

Eligible applicants for this tender are expected to be organizations or companies with expertise in economic research and analysis, particularly related to the construction and housing sectors. This includes potential participants such as research institutes, consulting firms, universities, and larger enterprises. While the documentation does not explicitly stipulate whether a consortium is required, it is suggested that both individual applicants and consortia could be eligible.

Geographically, the focus is on entities based within EU Member States, possibly extending eligibility to those from European Economic Area (EEA) countries or EU candidate countries, though this is not definitively stated. The project is in the research phase, concentrating on gathering data and evaluating existing measures.

There are no explicit requirements for co-funding, and the procurement process is designed as a single-stage submission, likely involving electronic submission through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. The nature of the contract and funding is clearly defined as procurement for services, which distinguishes it from traditional grants. The call for tenders signals a critical step towards enhancing the efficiency of housing permit processes across Europe, aligning with broader EU goals for modernizing administrative frameworks and supporting sustainable urban development.

The European Commission, DG GROW Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, is planning a call for tenders titled "Study on the state of play of building permits for housing in the EU, and potential impact of implementing measures to streamline, shorten and digitalise the process." The procedure identifier for this planned call is EC-GROW/2025/OP/0094-PIN. This is a forthcoming call for tenders. The TED reference is 141/2025 488776-2025.

The description of the call is as follows: Streamlining, accelerating, and digitalising the housing permit system is one of the building blocks of the European Strategy for Housing Construction, which DG GROW Unit H1 is developing by Q1 2026. However, very little comprehensive data is available on the current situation in the various Member States. Little is also known about the impact of potential measures. This study is necessary to gain a better understanding of the current situation in the Member States, to understand the measures already implemented there, and to assess their impact on the supply of housing and the competitiveness of the construction sector.

The procedure type is a planned call for tenders with OJ S publication. The estimated total value of the contract is 200,000 EUR. The TED publication date is 25/07/2025, and the estimated date of publication of a contract notice is 06/08/2025. The nature of the contract is for services. The maximum contract duration is 10 months. There is no framework agreement associated with this call. The main classification (CPV) code is 79311400, which refers to economic research services.

A question was asked regarding where to find the procurement documents for this call for tenders. The answer provided states that the planned call for tenders announces the intention of the contracting authority to publish a future call for tenders. No other information or documents other than those published are currently available. This answer was published on 16/02/2024 at 23:54.

In summary, this is a planned call for tenders by the European Commission focusing on a study to assess the current state of building permits for housing across the EU member states. The study aims to understand the impact of streamlining, accelerating, and digitalizing the permit process on housing supply and the construction sector's competitiveness. The call is part of a broader European Strategy for Housing Construction. The estimated value of the contract is 200,000 EUR, and the contract duration is expected to be 10 months. The actual call for tenders with all the details and documents is expected to be published around August 6, 2025. Currently, only a preliminary notice is available, indicating the Commission's intention to launch this tender in the future.

Eligible Applicant Types: The call for tenders is for services, specifically economic research services. Therefore, eligible applicants are likely to be organizations or companies that can provide such services. This could include research institutes, consulting firms, universities, or other entities with expertise in economic research and analysis, particularly related to the construction and housing sectors. The lead contracting authority is the European Commission, DG GROW - Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, which suggests that the applicants should be able to work with and provide services to this type of organization.

Funding Type: The funding type is procurement, specifically a service contract. The call is for a study, and the selected applicant will be contracted to provide this study as a service to the European Commission.

Consortium Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required or if a single applicant is sufficient. However, given the nature of the study, it is possible that a single entity with the necessary expertise could apply, or a consortium of entities with complementary expertise could also be considered.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The study focuses on the state of play of building permits for housing in the EU. Therefore, it is highly likely that the geographic eligibility for applicants includes entities based in the EU member states. It is possible that entities from EEA countries or EU candidate countries could also be eligible, but this is not explicitly stated.

Target Sector: The target sector is primarily related to the construction and housing sectors, with a focus on streamlining, accelerating, and digitalising the housing permit system. It also touches upon the broader themes of the internal market, industry, entrepreneurship, and SMEs, as DG GROW is the lead contracting authority. The study also has a digital component, related to the digitalisation of the permit process.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions the EU member states, as the study focuses on the state of play of building permits for housing within the EU.

Project Stage: The project stage is research. The call for tenders is for a study to gain a better understanding of the current situation in the Member States, to understand the measures already implemented there, and to assess their impact on the supply of housing and the competitiveness of the construction sector. This indicates that the project is in the early stages of gathering data and conducting analysis.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the contract is 200,000 EUR.

Application Type: The application type is a planned call for tenders with OJ S publication, meaning it will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union, Supplement S.

Nature of Support: The nature of support is a service contract. The selected applicant will receive money in exchange for providing the study as a service to the European Commission.

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly stated, but it is likely to involve at least two stages: an initial submission of a tender, followed by an evaluation process. Depending on the number of applicants, there may be additional stages such as clarification requests or interviews.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. However, in procurement contracts of this nature, co-funding is typically not required. The European Commission is expected to fully fund the contract up to the estimated total value.

Summary:

This is a planned call for tenders from the European Commission, DG GROW, for a study on the state of play of building permits for housing in the EU. The study aims to gather comprehensive data on the current situation in the various Member States, understand the measures already implemented to streamline, shorten, and digitalise the housing permit system, and assess their impact on the supply of housing and the competitiveness of the construction sector. The estimated total value of the contract is 200,000 EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 10 months. The call for tenders is expected to be published in the Official Journal of the European Union, Supplement S (OJ S). The TED publication date is 25/07/2025, and the estimated date of publication of a contract notice is 06/08/2025. Eligible applicants are likely to be organizations or companies with expertise in economic research and analysis, particularly related to the construction and housing sectors. The selected applicant will be contracted to provide the study as a service to the European Commission and will receive payment upon successful completion of the contract. The study is a building block of the European Strategy for Housing Construction, which DG GROW Unit H1 is developing by Q1 2026.