Supply and Maintenance of Non-Destructive Assay System for Radioactive Waste Measurement

The European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) has published an open tender for the supply, installation, commissioning and 132-month maintenance of an automated Non-Destructive Assay (NDA) system for radioactive waste measurement and clearance to replace an end-of-life system. The estimated contract value is €250,000 and the submission deadline is 4 September 2026 at 16:00:59 Brussels time via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission. Eligible economic operators established in EU/EEA and other countries covered by applicable procurement agreements may tender alone or rely on partners/subcontractors using the provided commitment letter templates. Award will be based on price (60%) and quality (40%) according to the tender specifications and draft contract annexes available on the portal.

What it funds

Scope

Procurement of a Non-Destructive Assay (NDA) system for measuring and characterising radioactive waste (including waste for clearance) and a maintenance contract. The acquisition is to replace an end-of-life system to ensure legal compliance for material leaving nuclear controlled areas.

Who can apply:Commercial suppliers and consortia able to deliver, install and maintain NDA measurement equipment and associated services for a public research facility; participation is through an open public tender by the European Commission, DG JRC Tender page ¹

1. 1Supply, installation and commissioning of NDA measurement system
2. 2Ongoing maintenance and reporting as specified in contract annexes

Key administrative details:open tender procedure with e-submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal; awarding criteria combine quality (40) and price (60). An open tender event is scheduled for 2026-09-08. Submission deadline (closing date) 2026-09-04 16:00:59 Europe/Brussels.

Footnotes

1. 1Full tender documents, technical specifications, draft contract and submission instructions available on the official tender page Tender details.

Basic Opportunity Information

Summary

Procurement notice published by the European Commission, DG JRC - Joint Research Centre, for the supply and maintenance of a Non-Destructive Assay (NDA) system to measure radioactive waste and material for clearance. The existing NDA system is at end of life and a new system must be procured to comply with legal obligations for characterization of waste leaving nuclear controlled areas.

Call Identifier and Reference:EC-JRC/GEE/2026/OP/3215. Full tender details are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Tender Details. ¹

Deadlines and Key Dates:Submission deadline: 4 September 2026 at 16:00:59 Brussels time. Open tender event (opening of tenders): 8 September 2026 at 10:00:00 (CEST). Last date to request additional information: 27 August 2026. Tender validity period: 6 months. The procurement documents were published on 7 July 2026.

Estimated Contract Value and Duration:Estimated overall contract amount: €250,000. Planned period duration indicated in the procurement metadata: 132 months (this appears to reflect the overall planned duration of services including maintenance obligations as set out in the procurement documents).

Procurement Type and CPV:Nature of procurement: supplies with associated maintenance (supply and maintenance contract). Main CPV code: 38341000 (Laboratory, optical and precision equipments and instruments).

Eligibility, Participation and Submission

Eligible Applicant Types

Eligible applicants are economic operators able to deliver supply and maintenance of NDA systems. This typically includes manufacturers and system integrators of nuclear measurement and radiological instrumentation, commercial suppliers (large enterprises and SMEs), specialised engineering firms, and authorised resellers. The procurement documents include forms for commitment letters where a tenderer relies on the capacities of other entities and a list of identified subcontractors, indicating that single legal entities may tender while relying on subcontractors or on the capacities of other organisations. The tender is not marked as SME-suitable, so bidders may be of any size but must meet the technical, financial and legal selection criteria specified in the procurement documents.

Geographic Eligibility:This is an EU public procurement published by the European Commission (DG JRC). Participation is governed by EU public procurement rules and is generally open to economic operators established in EU Member States and other states covered by the EU procurement rules (commonly EEA and other countries ensuring reciprocal access under the relevant procurement directives or agreements). Specific nationality/establishment eligibility and any additional restrictions will be detailed in the tender specifications and draft contract annexes.

Consortium Requirement:The procedure allows single tenderers to submit offers. Consortium-type participation may be possible by forming a legal grouping or by a single tenderer relying on capacities of other entities. Documentation in the call includes: Commitment letter entity capacities relied, Commitment letter identified subcontractor, and List of identified subcontractors. Therefore a single contracting party is expected to sign the contract while subcontracting or relying on partners is explicitly supported through required commitment letters.

Submission Method and Application Type:Submission is electronic only (eSubmission) via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal eForms. The submission method is required and follows the Funding and Tenders Portal workflow. This is a public open tender (call for tenders) with formal eSubmission of tender documents.

Scope of Work and Technical Requirements

Supply and installation of a Non-Destructive Assay system suitable for measurement and characterization of radioactive waste and material for clearance, plus maintenance services. The NDA system must enable legal compliance for characterization of waste leaving nuclear controlled areas. Technical requirements, interface specifications, commissioning, acceptance tests, certificate of conformity and maintenance reporting obligations are provided in the tender technical specifications and contract annexes. Protection requirements and instructions for external staff are supplied in addenda and contract annexes.

1. 1Supply of NDA measurement system hardware and software meeting the technical specifications in document 1.2 Tender Specs - Part 2 - Technical Specifications.
2. 2Factory acceptance testing and on-site commissioning and calibration.
3. 3Provision of certificate(s) of conformity and required documentation (draft annexes list Certificate of Conformity and Contract Annexes).
4. 4Maintenance and support services for the duration specified (contract and annexes cover maintenance report templates and obligations).
5. 5Compliance with protection requirements and on-site instructions for external staff (Annex VI and Addendum Requirements for Protection).

Key Technical and Administrative Documents Provided:Procurement package includes: Invitation to tender, Tender specifications (administrative part), Tender specifications (technical part), Financial offer form (Annex 6), Declaration on honour (tenders), Commitment letters templates (entity capacities and subcontractors), List of identified subcontractors, Power of attorney template, Draft contract and multiple contract annexes (maintenance report, certificate of conformity, instructions for staff), Addendum on Requirements for Protection, and Public Holidays 2026. Bidders must consult and complete these templates as specified in the tender specifications document set.

Commercial, Evaluation and Contracting

Award Criteria:Award criteria are price and quality. The tender metadata indicates a weighting of 60 for price and 40 for quality (consult procurement documents for full breakdown and sub-criteria). Bidders must follow the instructions in the tender specifications for how quality is demonstrated and evaluated.

Estimated Procedure Value and Payment:Estimated overall contract amount: €250,000. The contract is a procurement contract (supply and maintenance). Payment terms, invoicing, and electronic order/payment provisions are specified in the draft contract; the tender metadata indicates that electronic orders and electronic payments will be used.

Contractual Terms and Templates:A draft contract and multiple annexes are published with the tender: Supply and maintenance contract, Annex III Certificate of Conformity, Annex IV Maintenance Report, Annex VI Instructions for staff external companies, Addendum Requirements for Protection, and other supporting draft contract documents. Bidders must accept or propose acceptable deviations to the draft contract as described in the procurement documents.

Selection and Evaluation Process

Procedure type is an open public procurement published on the EU portal. Submissions will be evaluated against the selection criteria, administrative compliance, technical compliance, and award criteria (quality and price). The tendering terms reference required supporting documentation: declaration on honour, financial offer form, commitment letters for relied capacities, list of subcontractors and power of attorney. An additional information request period ends 27 August 2026, after which clarifications will be issued if needed.

1. 1Stage 1: Electronic submission and administrative compliance check (presence of required forms and declarations).
2. 2Stage 2: Selection criteria assessment (legal, financial and technical capacity checks including any commitment letters and subcontractor details).
3. 3Stage 3: Technical evaluation against the technical specifications and quality award sub-criteria.
4. 4Stage 4: Price evaluation and application of award formula (weighting price 60 / quality 40 as indicated in metadata).
5. 5Stage 5: Award decision, contract signature and contract performance (supply, commissioning, maintenance).

Application Stages Count:Applicants should expect 4 to 5 distinct stages as described above: submission check, selection assessment, technical evaluation, price evaluation and award/contracting.

Financial and Administrative Conditions

Funding Type and Nature of Support:This is a procurement contract (purchase and service contract) resulting in payment from the contracting authority to the contractor for delivered goods and services. The mechanism is not a grant or subsidy; it is a public contract resulting in monetary payment for supply and maintenance services.

Co-funding Requirement:No co-funding by the tenderer is required. Bidders submit a price for the supply and maintenance services; the contract will be awarded to the economically advantageous tender according to the award criteria and within the estimated budget. There is no separate applicant co-financing obligation.

Success Rates:No explicit success rate is provided in the procurement notice. As a public tender for a single contract with estimated value €250,000, success rate will depend on the number and quality of tenders received. Typical open tenders for specialised technical systems are competitive but success rates cannot be reliably predicted from the notice alone.

Practical Guidance for Applicants

Bidders must carefully review all provided procurement documents and complete required templates exactly as specified. Documents provided in the tender package include mandatory administrative forms and technical specifications; failure to provide correctly completed templates or to meet selection/technical criteria may lead to exclusion.

1. 1Register or sign in to the EU Funding & Tenders Portal to access eSubmission eForms.
2. 2Download and complete the Financial Offer Form (Admin Specs - Annex 6) and other administrative annexes.
3. 3Provide Declaration on Honour and any required power of attorney or company authorisations.
4. 4If relying on other entities or subcontractors, include signed Commitment Letters and the List of Identified Subcontractors as provided in the templates.
5. 5Ensure technical proposal comprehensively addresses the Technical Specifications (1.2 Tender Specs - Part 2) including commissioning, acceptance testing and documentation.
6. 6Review draft contract and annexes, prepare any reservations or comments according to the rules in the tender specifications.
7. 7Submit the complete set of documents before the eSubmission deadline on 4 September 2026 at 16:00:59 Brussels time.

Templates and Application Form Structure:Published template documents that form the application package include: Invitation to tender (0 Invitation_to_tender_V1.pdf), TENDER SPECIFICATIONS (1.1 TENDER_SPECIFICATIONS_V1.docx), Admin Specs - Annex 1 List of documents, Annex 6 Financial Offer Form (xlsx), Declaration on honour (tender), Commitment letter entity capacities relied, Commitment letter identified subcontractor, List identified subcontractors, Power of attorney, Technical Specifications (1.2 Tender Specs - Part 2 - Technical Specifications_V1.docx), draft contract and contract annexes (certificate of conformity, maintenance report, instructions for external staff), Addendum Requirements for Protection, and Public Holidays 2026. Bidders must use and complete these forms exactly as instructed in the administrative tender specifications and upload via the eSubmission tool.

Target Sectors and Project Stage

Target Sector:Sector: nuclear safety / radiological measurement / laboratory instrumentation. Relevant thematic areas: nuclear waste management, radiation measurement and monitoring, radioactive waste clearance, instrumentation and laboratory equipment.

Expected Project Stage:Maturity expected: commercial supply and deployment. Bidders should be capable of delivering production-ready hardware and software, perform on-site installation, commissioning, calibration, and provide maintenance and support services.

Mentioned Countries and Contracting Authority

Lead Contracting Authority:European Commission, DG JRC - Joint Research Centre (link ec.europa.eu). No specific contracting beneficiary country other than the EU institution is listed in the tender metadata. Geographic scope follows EU procurement rules; participants from EU Member States and other eligible states under procurement rules should consult the tender documents for detailed eligibility.

Final Summary and How to Proceed

This procurement seeks a supplier to provide a new Non-Destructive Assay measurement system for radioactive waste characterisation and to deliver associated maintenance over the contract period. The estimated contract value is €250,000. The tender is an open eSubmission procurement on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal published by DG JRC. Interested suppliers and system integrators must submit a fully compliant electronic tender including administrative templates, financial offer form, technical proposal and any required commitment letters for subcontractors or relied capacities. Award will be based on quality and price with the indicated weighting (quality 40 / price 60). Carefully follow the tender specifications, use the provided templates and respect all deadlines. The contracting authority provides a full set of draft contract documents and technical specifications which must be consulted and adhered to when preparing the bid.

Footnotes

1. 1Full tender dossier and documents available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Tender Details page: ec.europa.eu

Tender Overview and Legal Context

This tender is issued by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) to procure a new Non-Destructive Assay (NDA) system for measuring radioactive waste and waste intended for clearance, replacing an end-of-life system to comply with legal obligations for waste characterization leaving nuclear controlled areas ¹.

The characterization of waste leaving nuclear controlled areas is a mandatory legal obligation under EU regulations, necessitating the immediate installation of a new, automated NDA system to ensure accurate measurement and compliance ².

Who Should Apply

Eligible applicants are economic operators (natural or legal persons) with access to EU procurement, including entities from the EU, EEA, and countries covered by applicable procurement agreements such as the WTO GPA, provided they are not subject to EU restrictive measures ³.

Tenders may be submitted by a sole economic operator or as a joint tender by multiple entities, provided each entity demonstrates the necessary capacity, experience, and technical competence to deliver the supply and maintenance services ³.

Key Tender Details

Technical Requirements:The system must be an automated NDA solution capable of measuring radionuclides such as Co-60 or Cs-137 in drums, with activity ranges typically from 100 nCi up to 20 mCi, and must quantify plutonium and uranium at levels below 10 nCi/g ⁴.

Maintenance Scope:The contract includes both the supply of the new system and a comprehensive maintenance agreement for the full 132-month duration, requiring regular maintenance reports and adherence to staff instructions for external companies ⁵.

Application Process and Documents

1. 1Submit the tender electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using the ESUBMISSION method
2. 2Include the mandatory Declaration on Honour (Tender) and Power of Attorney documents
3. 3Provide the Commitment Letter for identified subcontractors and entity capacities relied upon
4. 4Submit the Financial Offer Form using the official Annex 6 template
5. 5Attach the Certificate of Conformity and Maintenance Report draft contract annexes

All procurement documents, including the Tender Specifications, Technical Specifications, and Draft Contract, are available for download on the official EU Funding & Tenders Portal page for this tender ⁶.

Footnotes

1. 1Official Tender Details: Supply and Maintenance of Non-Destructive Assay System
2. 2Legal Obligation Context: Characterization of waste leaving nuclear controlled areas is a legal obligation under EU nuclear safety directives ¹.
3. 3Eligibility Criteria: Economic operators from EU/EEA and WTO GPA countries are eligible, as seen in similar JRC tenders like the All Risks Insurance Contract All Risks Insurance Contract.
4. 4Technical Specifications: Automated waste assay systems typically measure radionuclides like Co-60 and Cs-137 in drums, as described in Mirion Technologies' WM2211 system specifications WM2211 Automated Waste Assay System.
5. 5Maintenance Requirements: The contract includes a maintenance report annex and instructions for staff of external companies, as per the draft contract annexes ¹.
6. 6Document Access: All tender documents including Tender Specifications and Technical Specifications are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal ¹.