Supply and Maintenance of an Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography system coupled to a Quadrupole Tandem Mass Spectrometer (UHPLC-MS/MS-QQQ)

Public procurement EC-JRC/IPR/2026/OP/2756 requests the supply, installation, commissioning, operator training, warranty and full-service maintenance of one UHPLC-MS/MS-QQQ system with immediate analytical priority for separation, detection and quantification of PFAS in complex matrices at parts-per-trillion sensitivity. The contracting authority is the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC), delivery and installation at the JRC Ispra site in Italy, and the estimated contract value is approximately €620,000 net of VAT. Bidders must submit electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission using the published tender documents and templates. Indexed sources show inconsistent deadlines (4 September 2026 in one mirror and 9 September 2026 in the portal); treat the official portal notice as authoritative.

Lead contracting authority

European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra

Procurement for an Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography system coupled to a Quadrupole Tandem Mass Spectrometer (UHPLC-MS/MS-QQQ). Primary use: sensitive separation, detection and quantification of PFAS in complex matrices at parts per trillion levels. Package includes supply, installation, training, warranty and full-service maintenance.

Estimated contract value:Estimated overall contract amount approximately €620,000. ¹

1. 1Who can apply: economic operators/suppliers of analytical instrumentation able to submit an e-submission tender to the EC JRC
2. 2Scope: supply of instrument plus installation, training, guarantee and ongoing maintenance/support
3. 3Contract duration and services: planned 90-month period for contract execution details in procurement documents

Tender documents, technical specifications and financial offer form are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Submission is electronic via the portal. Additional clarifications follow the published procurement timetable.

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement notice and all annexes (technical specifications, tender administrative part, financial offer template) are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: Tender details.

Basic opportunity details

Title:Supply and Maintenance of an Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography system coupled to a Quadrupole Tandem Mass Spectrometer (UHPLC-MS/MS-QQQ). Contracting authority: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (DG JRC), Ispra site. Call identifier: EC-JRC/IPR/2026/OP/2756. Procurement type: supplies with maintenance service package. Main CPV codes: 38433100, 38433000. Estimated total procedure value: €620,000 ¹.

Deadlines and key dates:Tender publication date: 2026-07-20. Tender submission closing date: 9 September 2026 at 16:00:59 (Europe/Rome timezone). Open tender event (likely bid opening or clarification): 10 September 2026 at 11:00 (local). Last date to request additional information: 1 September 2026 by 00:00 (local). Consider-changed-until / corrigenda window indicated until 4 August 2026 for published documents. Submission method: eSubmission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (Funding and Tenders Portal eForms).

Scope and technical description

The contract covers the supply, installation, commissioning, training, guarantee and full-service maintenance support for an Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography system coupled to a Quadrupole Tandem Mass Spectrometer (UHPLC-MS/MS-QQQ). The system must be a versatile analytical platform suitable for a wide range of applications throughout its service life. The immediate priority use case defined by the contracting authority is the separation, detection and quantification of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in complex matrices at parts-per-trillion (ppt) sensitivity levels. The procurement package includes all items and services necessary to deliver a turn-key operational system at the JRC Ispra site, compliance and acceptance procedures, safety and environmental contractual clauses, and contractual templates as published in the procurement documentation.

Included deliverables and services:Supply of specified UHPLC and QqQ MS hardware and relevant software; installation and on-site commissioning at JRC Ispra; operator and technical training for JRC personnel; guarantee/warranty terms; full-service maintenance and support for the planned contract period (planned duration 90 months referenced in procurement data, with tender validity period 6 months); acceptance procedures and certified conformity documentation; environmental and safety compliance obligations; procedures to introduce goods to JRC site.

Eligibility, funding and application structure

This is an open public procurement (tender) published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Submissions are allowed electronically (eSubmission). The procurement is not flagged as SME-suitable (smeSuitableIndicator: false). The contract is governed by the tender documents and draft contract annexes published alongside the invitation to tender.

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: Suppliers of laboratory analytical instrumentation and associated services. Expected eligible types include large enterprises, SMEs (if meeting technical and financial requirements, although not flagged as SME-suitable), specialised instrument manufacturers, authorised distributors/resellers, service organisations providing installation, training and long-term maintenance, and consortia where one entity is responsible and subcontracting is allowed as per procurement rules. Public bodies may not be eligible as suppliers unless legitimate commercial supplier status applies. The contracting documents (tender specifications and selection criteria) define precise eligibility and exclusion criteria, including declaration on honour templates and required documents.
2. 2Funding Type: This is a procurement contract (tender). Financial mechanism: purchase/contract for supplies and services (public procurement). The EU/JRC will pay the contractor under the contract terms; this is not a grant or loan. Payment and invoicing terms are defined in the draft contract annexes.
3. 3Consortium Requirement: Single contractor or economic operator may submit; consortia or joint bids are generally permitted if they meet the tender selection and qualification requirements. The tender documentation sets the permitted forms (e.g. subcontracting, joint ventures) and required legal forms. The published documents include a declaration on honour and model draft contract which specify responsibilities.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The contracting authority is the European Commission JRC in Italy. The tender is published on the EU portal and open to economic operators established in countries eligible under EU procurement law (typically EU Member States and possibly certain third countries in line with international agreements); specific participation and selection conditions are in the tender documents. The call metadata references the JRC (Ispra) site in Italy as delivery/installation location.
5. 5Target Sector: Analytical chemistry / laboratory instrumentation with emphasis on environmental analysis and PFAS detection. Relevant sectors include environment, analytical laboratory equipment, chemical analysis, water/soil/food testing, public research laboratories, and environmental monitoring.
6. 6Project Stage: Procurement for operational deployment and long-term use: equipment supply (acquisition), commissioning, validation/acceptance and long-term maintenance (deployment to operation). The expected maturity is beyond research – procurement of production-ready, commercial instrumentation for routine/policy support use.
7. 7Funding Amount: Estimated overall contract amount: €620,000. This covers supply, installation, training, guarantee and maintenance services for the contract period. Bidders must use the published financial offer form (Annex I part 1_6 Financial Offer).
8. 8Application Type: Open call / invitation to tender posted publicly on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Submission method: mandatory electronic submission (eSubmission) through the portal eForms.
9. 9Nature of Support: The successful supplier will receive monetary payment under the procurement contract in exchange for delivering goods and services (i.e., money for supplies and maintenance). No grant or non-monetary award is provided to bidders; the contracting authority receives equipment and services.
10. 10Application Stages: Single-stage tendering process with submission of full offers by the closing date. The procurement includes tender evaluation against published award criteria (quality and price; each weighted 50/50) and selection/qualification checks. There is an open tender event (clarification/bid opening) on 10 September 2026. The process therefore follows a single main submission stage followed by evaluation and award procedures (effectively 1 formal submission stage plus evaluation and award).
11. 11Success Rates: Not specified in documents. As a single-procurement tender with an estimated value of €620,000, success rate depends on number and quality of bids received and cannot be determined from the published documents.
12. 12Co-funding Requirement: Not applicable. This is a public procurement: bidders propose prices to deliver the contract. No mandatory co-funding by bidders is required, but bidders must meet financial and technical capacity requirements and provide guarantees/warranties as per contract terms.

Evaluation and award criteria

Awarding criteria:The tender documentation indicates two subordinate awarding criteria: quality and price. Each criterion has a 50 weight (50% quality, 50% price). Bidders must consult the procurement documents (Annex I - Tender Specifications Administrative and Annex I - Technical Specifications) for detailed scoring, sub-criteria, minimum thresholds, required documentation, demonstration of technical performance for PFAS analysis at ppt, service levels, response times, warranty conditions, and acceptance testing procedures.

Documents published with the tender

The contracting authority published a comprehensive set of tender documents and annexes which bidders must consult and complete. Key documents (published July 20–21, 2026) include: invitation to tender, Annex I part 1 Tender Specifications Administrative, Annex I part 2 Technical Specifications (HPLC-MSMS-QQQ), financial offer form (Excel), declaration on honour (tender), draft contract and multiple draft contract annexes (acceptance form, model technical report, joint inspection report, rules for access to JRC Ispra site, safety and environmental contractual clauses, procedure to introduce goods to the JRC site, model annex for VAT), and the published draft contract (Annex II - Draft contract OP 2756). These documents set the precise requirements, submission forms, contractual clauses and site-specific procedures.

Technical and compliance considerations for bidders

Bidders must demonstrate that the proposed UHPLC-MS/MS-QQQ system meets the published technical specifications, including the ability to separate and quantify PFAS at parts-per-trillion (ppt) levels in complex matrices. Required technical evidence may include instrument specifications, limits of detection and quantification for representative PFAS analytes in relevant matrices, method validation data, calibration and QA/QC procedures, software functionality, data integrity features, compliance with safety and environmental clauses, maintenance response times, and availability of on-site service engineers. Bidders must also provide proof of prior experience, references, financial capacity and the completed financial offer form.

• Essential technical proof likely requested: LOD/LOQ data for PFAS at ppt levels, chromatographic separation capability, selected reaction monitoring (SRM) transitions and sensitivity for QqQ, system robustness and uptime commitments, consumables and spare parts availability, qualification and acceptance testing protocols.
• Service obligations: warranty/guarantee durations, preventive maintenance schedule, corrective maintenance response times, remote diagnostics capability, software updates, training plans for operators and service staff.
• Site-specific requirements: procedures to introduce goods to JRC Ispra site, compliance with JRC safety and environmental rules, access rules for delivery and installation, joint inspection and acceptance forms.

How to apply / submission checklist

Bidders must submit their offers electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission system before the closing date. Offers must include all required administrative, technical and financial documents as specified in Annex I part 1 and Annex I part 2. Use the provided financial offer Excel template and the declaration on honour template. Ensure compliance with submission format, page limits (if any), signatures, and any mandatory forms in native formats where requested. Late submissions will be rejected. Clarification requests must be made prior to the additional information deadline (1 September 2026).

Suggested submission contents (based on published docs):Administrative forms and declarations (declaration on honour), proof of legal status, financial offer (completed Excel), technical offer (compliance matrix vs technical specifications, method validation evidence for PFAS ppt detection, datasheets), service and maintenance proposal (SLA, warranty), training plan, references and past performance, acceptance test plan, site delivery and installation plan, safety and environmental compliance statements, any requested certificates (ISO, quality systems).

Procurement value, contract period and award weighting

Estimated overall contract amount:€620,000. Planned contract period referenced: 90 months (this likely refers to the overall planned period of contract execution including long-term maintenance); tender validity period: 6 months. Award weighting: 50% quality and 50% price. The exact contract duration, renewal or extension options and payment schedule are defined in the draft contract annexes.

Mentioned countries and geographic context

The procurement is managed by the European Commission JRC (Joint Research Centre). The installation and service location is the JRC Ispra site in Italy. The tender is published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and is intended for economic operators eligible under EU procurement rules (primarily EU Member States and entities from countries covered by EU procurement agreements). Explicit country mentioned: Italy (JRC Ispra site). Contracting authority: European Commission (Brussels / Joint Research Centre).

Application templates and structure

The contracting authority provides mandatory templates and forms within the tender dossier. Key templates include: the Financial Offer form (Excel workbook Annex I part 1_6), Declaration on Honour (Annex I part 1_2) and model contract and annexes. Bidders must complete these files exactly as requested. The technical specification document contains the compliance matrix or lists of mandatory and desirable technical requirements which bidders should address point-by-point in their technical offer.

1. 1Financial offer form: complete price schedule, total price and any breakdowns requested; use the provided Excel file and adhere to currency (EUR) and VAT instructions in the draft contract.
2. 2Declaration on Honour: completed and signed document confirming no exclusion grounds and compliance with participation rules.
3. 3Technical offer structure recommended: executive summary; compliance table referencing each technical requirement from Annex I part 2; detailed instrument datasheets and certificates; PFAS method validation evidence (LOD/LOQ/linearity/recovery/precision); acceptance test plan; installation and training plan; maintenance and SLA proposal; spare parts and consumables list; timeline for delivery, installation, validation and training.
4. 4Administrative documentation: legal entity proof, financial statements or capacity evidence where requested, references for similar supply and maintenance contracts, proof of authorised reseller status if bidding as distributor.

Selection and contracting

Selection will check exclusion and suitability grounds (documented via declaration on honour and requested certificates), technical compliance, and financial offers. The draft contract and annexes define acceptance tests (Annex III - Acceptance Form / Certificate of Conformity Template), joint inspection reports, technical reporting obligations (Annex IX - Model Technical Report) and safety/environmental clauses which will be incorporated into the final contract. The award decision will be based on combined quality and price scoring (50/50).

Summary and recommended bidder actions

This is a single-lot public procurement to supply, install and maintain a UHPLC coupled to a triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer for the JRC Ispra site, with an estimated contract value of €620,000. The authority requires ppt-level PFAS detection capability in complex matrices, comprehensive training, warranty and long-term maintenance. Bidders must submit an electronic offer through the Funding & Tenders Portal by 9 September 2026, providing the completed financial form, declaration on honour, detailed technical compliance documentation (including method validation for PFAS at ppt), and service proposals. Award is based on 50% quality and 50% price. Carefully follow the instructions and mandatory templates in Annex I parts 1 and 2, and ensure timely clarification requests before 1 September 2026 if any points are unclear.

Recommended immediate steps for interested suppliers:download and study all tender annexes (technical specs, administrative tender specs, draft contract and annexes), prepare the financial offer using the provided Excel template, assemble method validation data proving PFAS ppt performance, prepare service and maintenance SLA details, complete the declaration on honour and other administrative forms, and submit the eProposal via the Funding & Tenders Portal prior to the deadline. Consider site access rules and the JRC procedure to introduce goods to ensure timely delivery and installation at Ispra.

Footnotes

1. 1Estimated overall contract amount as published in the tender metadata: €620,000.

This opportunity is a procurement tender, not a grant. It seeks one UHPLC-MS/MS-QQQ laboratory system for the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, with installation, training, warranty, and full-service maintenance, and its immediate analytical priority is PFAS testing in complex matrices at ppt levels.¹

Buyer and Scope

The contracting authority is the European Commission, DG JRC, Joint Research Centre, service JRC.F Health and Food, with the delivery location listed as Ispra, Italy.¹

The notice describes a versatile analytical platform intended for a wide range of applications over its service life, but the immediate priority is the separation, detection, and quantification of per and polyfluoroalkyl substances.¹

Commercial Snapshot

The indexed sources do not reproduce the full technical and administrative conditions, but they clearly indicate a supply contract with installation, training, warranty, and maintenance obligations.¹

Who Can Apply

The tender is most relevant to manufacturers, authorized distributors, and service providers that can supply a high-end UHPLC-MS/MS-QQQ system and provide installation, user training, warranty coverage, and maintenance support. Any bidder must be able to satisfy the formal technical and financial conditions in the tender documents, which are not fully reproduced in the index summary.¹

• Suppliers of laboratory mass spectrometry equipment
• Distributors with authorization and after-sales service capability
• Maintenance providers with response and support capacity
• Bidders able to demonstrate compliance with PFAS analytical performance requirements

Deadline and Timing

The timing data are inconsistent across indexed sources. One notice lists a submission deadline of 4 September 2026 at 16:00:59 and opening on 7 September 2026 at 11:00, while another indexed notice lists 9 September 2026 as the deadline. The official portal notice should be treated as authoritative if these differ.¹²

Practical Bidder Takeaways

1. 1Confirm the definitive deadline in the portal before preparing submission
2. 2Review the technical specification carefully for PFAS performance, installation, training, and maintenance obligations
3. 3Prepare evidence of technical capacity, service coverage, and financial standing
4. 4Use the electronic submission channel identified in the notice

Footnotes

1. 1OpenProcurements mirror of the official notice reports tender EC-JRC/IPR/2026/OP/2756 from European Commission DG JRC, value €620,000 net of VAT, single lot, contract type supplies, delivery location Ispra Italy, and scope covering installation, training, guarantee, and full-service maintenance; it also lists deadline 4 September 2026 at 16:00:59 and opening 7 September 2026 at 11:00.
2. 2Another indexed notice lists the same opportunity with a deadline of 9 September 2026 and estimated value €620,000.