Supply and maintenance of a LED Solar Simulator for Photovoltaic Module Calibration

Open EU public procurement by the European Commission DG JRC (JRC Ispra) for the supply, installation and maintenance of a LED solar simulator to calibrate large-area photovoltaic modules. Estimated total value €660,000 and maximum contract duration 56 months, with phase 1 for delivery/installation/warranty and phase 2 for preventive maintenance. Tender reference EC-JRC/IPR/2026/OP/3781; electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, deadline 02/10/2026 16:00 (Europe/Rome). Award on best price-quality ratio (quality 60% / price 40%); bidders must demonstrate compliance with IEC 60904-9 technical requirements including tunable spectrum, minimum effective measurement area and active module temperature control.

What is procured

Summary

Open public tender by the European Commission JRC (Ispra) to buy and maintain a LED solar simulator for calibration of large-area photovoltaic modules at Standard Test Conditions (IEC/EN 60904‑9 compliant). The equipment must offer a tuneable spectrum (approx. 350–1150 nm), both continuous and pulsed operation, active module temperature control, and a minimum rectangular effective area ~€1.4 Mx €2.5 M.

Estimated value:Estimated total procedure value €660,000 ¹

1. 1Who can apply: economic operators (manufacturers, authorised resellers or integrators of measurement instruments); joint tenders allowed; subcontracting permitted but must be declared
2. 2How to apply: electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (EU Login/PIC required); follow procurement documents and upload mandatory administrative, technical and financial annexes
3. 3Key dates: deadline for receipt of tenders 02/10/2026 (16:00 Europe/Rome); public opening 05/10/2026 (11:00 Europe/Rome)

Interested suppliers should download and follow the Invitation to Tender, Technical Specifications and Draft Contract on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. The contracting authority requires compliance with the technical minima in Annex I Part 2 and evidence for exclusion and selection criteria during evaluation.

Footnotes

1. 1Official call documents, submission instructions and system requirements are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (search call identifier EC-JRC/IPR/2026/OP/3781).

Opportunity type and high-level facts

Procurement (Call for tenders) issued by the European Commission Directorate-General Joint Research Centre (JRC), lead contracting authority JRC, Energy Efficiency and Renewables unit. Procedure type: open procedure. Nature of the contract: supplies with related maintenance services (two-phase contract: Phase 1 supply, installation, test, training, documentation and 24-month warranty; Phase 2 preventive maintenance for 24 months).

Estimated total value:€660 000 (estimated overall contract amount) ¹

Key dates (local time Europe/Rome):Deadline for receipt of tenders: 02/10/2026 16:00. Public opening (virtual): 05/10/2026 11:00. Contract notice / publication date: 26/08/2026. Last date to submit questions to contracting authority: 24/09/2026 ¹.

What is being procured

Supply and maintenance of a LED-based solar simulator for calibration of large-area photovoltaic (PV) modules under Standard Test Conditions (STC). The equipment must conform to IEC/EN 60904-9 Ed.3 class A+/A+/A+ at 1000 W/m2 and deliver pulsed-mode and continuous-mode operation, provide a tunable spectrum covering at least 350 nm to 1150 nm, have at least 20 independently controllable LED channels, a minimum effective rectangular measurement area of €1.4 Mx €2.5 M, irradiance range from 200 W/m2 to at least 1100 W/m2, and active module temperature control to 25 °C with stability and uniformity requirements (temporal stability and spatial uniformity ±3 °C or better at STC). Delivery, installation, testing, on-site training and full documentation are required in Phase 1; Phase 2 is preventive maintenance and warranty services.

Eligibility and applicant types

This is a public procurement (tender) open to economic operators meeting the procurement participation rules. Eligible applicant types include for-profit legal entities (manufacturers, distributors, system integrators), SMEs, large enterprises, research organisations and laboratories capable of supplying, installing and maintaining the equipment. Joint tenders (consortia) are permitted; subcontracting is allowed but identified subcontractors whose share exceeds thresholds or whose capacity is relied upon must be declared and documentation provided. Natural persons may participate only where allowed by procurement rules (e.g. individual suppliers). Public-private partnerships and similar groupings may participate provided they meet the tender documentation requirements.

Categorisation and structured details

Eligible Applicant Types:Manufacturers of test and calibration equipment, SME suppliers, large enterprises, research institutes and universities acting as suppliers or integrators, authorised distributors, system integrators, and consortia of these. Subcontractors are allowed but must be declared where required in tender documents. Public entities may participate if they meet procurement access rules.

Funding Type:Procurement contract (tender). The financial mechanism is a public supply contract with milestone-based interim payments and payment of balance; not a grant, loan or equity instrument.

Consortium Requirement:Open to single tenderers or joint tenders (consortia). If a joint tender is submitted the group must appoint a group leader and the group members are jointly and severally liable. A consortium is not mandatory.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Primarily EU-based economic operators. Participation is open on equal terms to operators from EU Member States, parties to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement and third countries where applicable and where rules on access to procurement are satisfied. The place of performance is JRC Ispra, Italy (Ispra, VA).

Target Sector:Energy sector, specifically photovoltaics and renewable energy testing/calibration; also relevant to metrology, measuring instruments, laboratory equipment, and research infrastructure for PV module characterization and materials validation.

Mentioned Countries:Italy (site of delivery: JRC Ispra). Region: European Union. Documentation refers to EU-wide procurement rules and national Italian rules for site access, customs and safety.

Project Stage:Procurement / supply of laboratory-grade equipment for calibration and testing. Intended to support validation, demonstration and calibration activities; relevant for labs and research users at TRL demonstration/validation to commercialization stages of PV modules.

Funding Amount:Estimated overall contract value €660 000. This is the estimated total procurement budget; bidders must provide an all-inclusive price in the financial tender ¹.

Application Type:Open public tender (electronic submission only via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission). No hard copy submissions are accepted. Registration in the Participant Register and a PIC are required.

Nature of Support:Monetary contract: payment for goods and services (supply, installation, warranty, maintenance) under a public supply contract. Not a grant; payments are made against invoices following contractual acceptance and certificates of conformity.

Application Stages:At least four main stages: 1) electronic tender submission; 2) public opening session and administrative compliance checks; 3) technical and selection evaluation (exclusion, selection criteria, minimum requirements, award scoring); 4) award and contract signature, followed by delivery/installation and acceptance testing (phase 1) and then warranty/maintenance (phase 2).

Success Rates:Not specified in the notice. Typical success rates for EU public tenders vary by category and competition; applicants should assume competitive evaluation and focus on full compliance with technical specifications, administrative completeness and best price-quality ratio to maximise chances.

Co-funding Requirement:No co-funding from the contractor is required. The contracting authority bears the contract budget. Contractors must provide the supply and services for the contractual price; no additional co-funding obligation is indicated.

Eligibility, selection and evaluation detail

Selection and award rules are defined in the tender documentation (Tender Specifications Part 1 administrative and Part 2 technical). Tenderers must supply a Declaration on Honour (non-exclusion and selection criteria), evidence of professional, technical and financial capacity when requested (e.g. average turnover threshold, prior contract references), and supporting documents for legal and regulatory capacity. Award is by best price-quality ratio with weighting Price 40% and Quality 60% across multiple technical sub-criteria (spectral range, measurement area, irradiance range and stability, spectral coverage and deviation, tuneability, number of LED channels, module temperature control including stability and uniformity). Minimum quality threshold applies (tenders scoring <10 in quality are rejected).

1. 1Selection evidence: legal status documents, proof of professional capacity (trade register), economic-financial evidence on request (turnover), technical references showing at least one similar contract in the last 3 years of minimum value specified.
2. 2Exclusion criteria: standard Financial Regulation exclusion grounds; Declaration on Honour required and documentary evidence upon request.
3. 3Award criteria: total score TS = P (price points up to 40) + TQ (technical quality up to 60); detailed scoring grid provided in technical specifications.

Templates, forms and application structure

The procurement publishes a full set of annexes and templates that must be used or completed in eSubmission. Key templates and documents provided by the contracting authority (available on the F&T Portal) and to be used by bidders include:

• Invitation to Tender (request for offer)
• Draft Contract and Draft Contract - Part III
• Tender specifications — Part 1 Administrative (Annex I Part 1)
• Technical specifications — Part 2 (Annex I Part 2)
• Declaration on Honour on exclusion and selection criteria (Annex 2 template)
• Financial offer form (Annex 6 template, Excel)
• Model Acceptance Form / Certificate of Conformity (Annex III)
• Procedure to introduce goods through customs at JRC Ispra (Annex IV)
• Rules relating to access and presence of external staff on the Ispra site (Annex V)
• Safety contractual clauses (Annex VI), DUVRI Appendices and Joint Inspection Report templates (Annex VIII)
• Environmental contractual clauses (Annex VII) and operational checklists

Application files must be uploaded in eSubmission using the specified sections:'Tender Data' (technical tender and financial tender), and 'Parties' attachments for declarations, commitment letters, subcontractor lists and supporting evidence. Documents requiring signature may be signed with a qualified electronic signature (QES) or hand-signed and retained by the tenderer for audit purposes.

Technical & operational requirements to reproduce in bids

Bidders must address every technical minimum requirement from the Technical Specifications Part 2. For award scoring, provide a filled scoring table cross-referencing each technical sub-criterion with precise numerical values and measured performance evidence (e.g. spectral range plots, SPC and SPD calculations per IEC 60904-9 Ed.3, irradiance stability measurements, LED channel architecture and control specification, temperature control method and measurements using PT100 sensors, measurement area drawings and warm-up times). Include manuals, calibration certificates, conformity certificates, test reports, installation and safety plans, environmental and DUVRI inputs, training plans and maintenance schedules. Provide clear statements on warranty, spare parts availability, mean time between failures, and on-site response times.

Procurement practicalities and submission rules

Submission is electronic via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission system. A PIC (Participant Identification Code) is required for each organisation. Attachments must follow file size and format requirements of eSubmission. Q&A are managed through the Portal. Questions sent later than the published limit (contract notice) may not be answered. The contracting authority reserves the right to withdraw the tender procedure. Tender validity and administrative requirements are set in the Invitation to Tender and Tender Specifications Part 1.

Site access, customs and safety

Delivery and installation take place at JRC Ispra. Suppliers must comply with customs procedures for goods entering the site (Annex IV), rules relating to access and presence of external staff (Annex V), safety contractual clauses and DUVRI requirements (Annex VI and Annex I Part 3). Contractors must provide personnel lists, police/criminal record certificates for access badges, follow site rules, undergo joint inspection and agree on measures mitigating interferential risks. Environmental obligations and waste handling at the site are specified in Annex VII. The contracting authority will provide Joint Inspection Report templates and DUVRI appendices that bidders must consult.

How to prepare a competitive bid

Address all administrative requirements exactly using provided templates. Demonstrate legal and financial capacity if requested. For technical evaluation: provide measured performance data traceable to recognised standards (spectroradiometer traces, SPC and SPD calculations per IEC 60904-9 Ed.3, irradiance stability/stability vs time, LTI, spatial uniformity maps at measurement distance, temperature control test logs with PT100 sensors, warm-up time, pulse timing and temporal stability metrics). Provide installation plan, joint inspection availability, training program and warranty/maintenance commitments with clear response and on-site service times. Use the Financial Offer form and ensure prices are all-inclusive and within the requested decimal format rules.

1. 1Prepare the administrative package: Declaration on Honour, power of attorney for signatory, list of identified subcontractors and commitment letters, PIC.
2. 2Prepare the technical package: filled technical scoring table, supporting measurement reports and instrument datasheets, full documentation and manuals, installation & safety plan, DUVRI inputs.
3. 3Prepare the financial package: Annex 6 Financial Offer Excel, prices in EUR, all-inclusive and compliant with decimal rounding rules.

A Joint Inspection at the JRC Ispra site will be scheduled as part of the contract implementation and the Contractor must participate in site safety briefings and submit the POS or DUVRI inputs when required.

Footnotes

1. 1Source: Procurement call EC-JRC/IPR/2026/OP/3781 details and documents published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Full documentation (Invitation to Tender, Draft Contract, Annexes and Technical Specifications) is available at the procurement opportunity page on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

This is an EU public procurement tender launched by the European Commission, DG JRC Joint Research Centre, for the supply of a LED solar simulator together with related maintenance services, with an estimated total value of €660000 and a maximum duration of 56 months.[1] The notice is an open procedure, submitted electronically, and the award will be made on the basis of the best price-quality ratio.[1] The official notice and document set are available on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal ¹.

What the contract is about

The procurement concerns a LED solar simulator needed to calibrate large-area photovoltaic solar modules at standard test conditions.[1] The equipment must conform to the relevant International Electrotechnical Commission standard, have a tuneable spectrum, provide a minimum effective rectangular measurement area, operate in both pulsed and continuous modes, and support active module temperature control during continuous operation.[1]

Who can apply

Because this is an open procedure, any economic operator that can meet the tender conditions may submit an offer, subject to the administrative, technical, and contractual requirements in the procurement documents.[1] The portal guidance indicates that an EU Login account is needed for electronic submission and that a Participant Identification Code is mandatory for a tenderer or consortium member.[1]

Eligibility and key compliance points

• Tenderers must comply with all minimum technical requirements in the technical specifications, including the twelve minimum requirements referred to in the published clarification.[1]
• The submission package includes an invitation to tender, draft contract, administrative tender specifications, declaration on honour, financial offer form, and technical specifications.[1]
• The documents also include rules relating to access to the JRC Ispra site, safety contractual clauses, environmental contractual clauses, and acceptance and conformity templates.[1]
• The contract is for supplies plus maintenance, so bidders should be able to cover delivery, installation or introduction of goods, acceptance, and ongoing maintenance obligations across the full contract term.[1]

Timeline and submission information

What applicants should note

The award approach places a strong emphasis on technical quality, so bidders should expect to demonstrate compliance with the IEC-based simulator requirements, spectrum and measurement-area performance, temperature control functionality, and maintenance capability.[1] Pricing will still matter materially, but the 60 to 40 weighting means technical merit is the dominant factor in evaluation.[1]

The practical bidder checklist is to confirm compliance with the full technical specification, prepare the declaration on honour and financial offer in the required format, validate organizational access to EU Login and PIC, and leave enough time for electronic submission before the deadline.[1]

Footnotes

1. 1Primary notice and documents are published on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal for EC-JRC/IPR/2026/OP/3781. Available at EU Funding and Tenders Portal tender notice.