Supply of a system tosystem to perform equivalent black carbon measurements

The European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) invites tenders for the supply of an aethalometer and associated consumables to measure equivalent Black Carbon (eBC) in support of Directive (EU) 2024/2881; the procurement is published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal under call identifier EC-JRC/IPR/2026/LVP/3835-EXA. The contract is a single-lot supply purchase with an estimated value of €60,000 and includes instrument delivery, consumables, calibration documentation and warranty support. Eligible suppliers are manufacturers or authorised distributors of aethalometers and bids must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal with EXA registration required by 3 August 2026.

What is funded

Summary

Tender to procure an aethalometer and consumables for the JRC European Reference Laboratory for Air Pollution to support measurement of equivalent black carbon (eBC) under the Air Quality Directive 2024/2881.

Estimated contract value:Approximately €60,000 is the estimated overall contract amount; contract duration is planned for 28 months. Apply via eSubmission on the Funding & Tenders Portal Funding & Tenders Portal. ¹

1. 1Who can apply: suppliers of scientific instrumentation (public or private economic operators that can comply with tender requirements) via the Portal eSubmission process
2. 2Lead contracting authority: European Commission, DG JRC - Joint Research Centre
3. 3Key dates: publication 14 July 2026; EXA registration deadline 3 August 2026; planned procedure date 4 August 2026

Reference:Call ID EC-JRC/IPR/2026/LVP/3835-EXA, lead authority DG JRC. Submission and full tender documents available on the portal listed above ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Access the tender notice and submission page on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Tender details.

Basic opportunity data

Title:Supply of an aethalometer. Contracting authority: European Commission, DG JRC - Joint Research Centre (JRC), European Reference Laboratory for Air Pollution. Call identifier: EC-JRC/IPR/2026/LVP/3835-EXA. Procurement type: supplies (purchase of instrumentation and consumables). Main CPV codes: 38000000 (Laboratory, optical and precision equipments and instruments), 38344000 (Air quality monitoring equipment), 38430000 (Analysers). Estimated overall contract value: €60,000. Planned contract duration: 28 months. Start date published: 14 July 2026. Publication date in portal: 14 July 2026. Submission method: eSubmission through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Registration (EXA) deadline: 3 August 2026, 23:59:59 Europe/Rome. Anticipated planned date (likely award/close): 4 August 2026 (CFT Planned Date).

Primary purpose and background:The JRC's European Reference Laboratory for Air Pollution is mandated by the Air Quality Directive 2024/2881 to carry out quality assurance programmes with Member States air quality laboratories. Equivalent black carbon (eBC) is listed among the new air pollutants introduced by the Directive. To support a prior assessment and to deliver a reference implementation for measuring eBC, the JRC requires the procurement of an aethalometer and associated consumables.

Detailed eligibility and administrative information

Procurement modality:public tender (call for tenders / contract notice republished). The procedure type code provided indicates a standard procurement process administered via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using eSubmission. The tender is managed by the JRC and published on the Funding & Tenders Portal. The SME suitability indicator in the tender metadata is false (the specification does not target SMEs specifically).

Document access and submission:All tender documents and the submission must be handled via the Funding and Tenders Portal (access tool name provided). The call references eSubmission as the submission method. No additional downloadable CFT documents were included in the scraped metadata excerpt. For full tender documentation and the eSubmission interface use the portal link in the footnote Tender details on Funding & Tenders Portal ¹.

Eligibility and applicant requirements

Eligible applicant types:commercial suppliers of scientific instrumentation, manufacturers and authorised distributors of aethalometers, laboratory equipment suppliers, and other legal entities capable of supplying and supporting environmental monitoring instruments. Public bodies and research institutions that supply equipment via commercial arms could also participate if legally allowed under procurement rules. The procurement metadata does not list individuals as eligible economic operators. The tender appears open to suppliers that can meet contracting authority procurement and qualification criteria (as per standard EU procurement rules and any specific tenderer qualification requirements to be found in the tender documents).

Consortium requirement:single economic operator or legal entity submission is implied by supplies procurement conventions. The tender metadata does not require a consortium; contracting systems field lists none (framework-agreement type none). If allowed, suppliers could be part of a team or joint venture only if the tender rules expressly permit joint bids in the full tender documentation.

Geographic eligibility (beneficiary scope):procurement published by the European Commission is normally open to economic operators established in EU Member States and other countries covered by the procurement rules applicable to the contracting authority (e.g., EEA, countries party to GPA or other agreements) as specified in the tender documentation. The scraped metadata itself does not enumerate eligible countries; assume standard EU public procurement eligibility applies and consult the detailed tender documents in the portal for country-specific participation rules.

Co-funding requirement:none. This is a purchase contract where the contracting authority pays the supplier; the supplier does not receive grant co-funding. No applicant co-financing requirement is indicated in the metadata.

Scope of supply and technical context

Objective:purchase of an aethalometer instrument capable of measuring equivalent black carbon (eBC) and provision of associated consumables. The instrument will support JRC reference laboratory activities under the Air Quality Directive 2024/2881 quality assurance programmes across Member States' air quality laboratories. Expected deliverables: the instrument itself, consumable supplies (filters, reagents or proprietary consumables as applicable), documentation, calibration and verification data, and any required warranty and after-sales support as described in the tender specifications.

Scientific and technical requirements (summary based on context):the aethalometer must measure equivalent black carbon (eBC) with performance suitable for reference-level laboratory assessments, meet laboratory installation and calibration requirements, provide traceable outputs for quality assurance, and be supported by consumables and maintenance service for the planned contract duration. Exact technical specifications, performance metrics, calibration procedures, acceptance tests and consumables list will be detailed in the official tender specification documents available on the portal.

1. 1Instrument type: aethalometer (instrument for measuring equivalent black carbon, eBC).
2. 2Consumables: vendor-specific consumables required for instrument operation and reference measurements.
3. 3Calibration & verification: supply must include documentation and, where required, calibration certificates or support for traceable calibration.
4. 4Warranty and support: standard warranty and technical support obligations as specified in tender documents.
5. 5Delivery and installation: delivery to JRC facilities and installation/commissioning if requested in tender specifications.

Administrative, financial and procedural details

Estimated contract amount and budgeting:the tender lists an estimated overall contract amount of €60,000. This is the estimated total procedure value indicated in the metadata. The final contract award value will depend on received bids and the contracting authority's selection.

Procurement timeline highlights:publication date 14 July 2026; EXA registration deadline 3 August 2026 (23:59:59 Rome time); planned procedural date 4 August 2026. Exact deadlines for technical and financial proposal submission, clarification windows, and award decision dates are in the procurement documents on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Submission procedure:fully electronic via the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission tool. Bidders must register and submit documents according to portal instructions; supporting attachments, certificates, technical data sheets and commercial offers must follow the specified formats and templates (if any) provided in the tender documents.

Procedure stages:typical public procurement supply contracts follow a single-stage open tender process (publication, clarification period, submission, evaluation, award). The metadata does not indicate multi-stage processes; therefore applicants should expect a single main submission stage with possible requests for clarification during evaluation.

Award criteria and evaluation:The awarding terms were included in the metadata but not expanded. Standard award criteria for procurement of equipment typically include compliance with technical specifications, price (cost), warranty and support, delivery time, and quality/certification evidence. Exact weighting and evaluation methodology will be set in the tender documents.

Appeals and complaints:appeal receiver party ID is listed in the metadata (ORG-0002). Tender documentation will describe the applicable appeal procedures, deadlines and contact points.

Categorisation answers (structured)

• Eligible Applicant Types: commercial suppliers of scientific instrumentation and laboratory equipment, manufacturers, authorised distributors, and other legal entities able to supply and support an aethalometer. Public or research entities may participate only if allowed by procurement rules and documented in tender materials.
• Funding Type: procurement contract (purchase), not a grant or loan. Primary financial mechanism is public procurement / supplies contract.
• Consortium Requirement: single economic operator submission is expected (no consortium requirement indicated). Joint bids or consortia only if expressly permitted in tender documents.
• Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): likely EU (Member States) and other countries eligible under EU procurement rules (EEA, countries party to procurement agreements) — exact list to be confirmed in tender documents.
• Target Sector: environment / air quality monitoring / scientific instrumentation / laboratory services.
• Mentioned Countries: none explicitly listed in the scraped metadata; contracting authority is the European Commission (JRC), so geographic scope defaults to EU/EEA procurement rules.
• Project Stage: procurement for implementation/operational stage (purchase for reference implementation, demonstration and quality assurance activities).
• Funding Amount: estimated contract value €60,000 (total procedure value).
• Application Type: open tender (call for tenders) with eSubmission via the Funding & Tenders Portal; registration deadline indicated (EXA registration).
• Nature of Support: monetary contract payment from contracting authority to supplier in exchange for supplied goods and services (money in exchange for contracted supplies).
• Application Stages: one main submission stage (open tender), with potential clarifications during evaluation (so effectively 1 primary stage).
• Success Rates: not provided in the metadata; typical public procurement success depends on number and competitiveness of bids and cannot be determined from this tender notice.
• Co-funding Requirement: not applicable; the supplier is paid by the contracting authority. No co-funding by bidder required.

Application documents and templates

The scraped metadata did not include the detailed tender documents or application templates. The Funding & Tenders Portal typically provides: technical specification document, administrative conditions, contract notice, model contract / special conditions, selection and award criteria, and eSubmission forms. Bidders must consult the portal tender page to download: tender specifications, contractual terms, submission checklist, and any mandatory forms (financial offer form, technical offer form, certificates of eligibility and exclusion, proof of economic and financial capacity, proof of technical and professional capacity, declarations and warranties).

1. 1Expected forms to prepare (consult portal): administrative form (legal ID, VAT), exclusion and selection declarations, technical offer (compliance matrix, datasheets, calibration certificates), commercial offer (price breakdown in EUR), delivery and installation plan, after-sales support and warranty statement, and any subcontracting declarations.
2. 2Suggested technical attachments: instrument technical data sheet, detection principle and measurement ranges for eBC, calibration/certification evidence, consumables list and unit prices, maintenance and spare-parts provisioning, training plan if required.
3. 3Quality assurances: ISO/IEC certifications, manufacturer quality statements, instrument performance verification reports (if available).

Because no tender document templates were included in the scraped content, bidders must download and follow the exact templates and forms provided on the Funding & Tenders Portal tender page referenced in the footnote. Failure to use the official forms may lead to exclusion.

Practical advice for bidders

1. 1Register early on the Funding & Tenders Portal and complete EXA registration before the EXA registration deadline (3 August 2026).
2. 2Download all tender specification documents and carefully map the required administrative, technical and commercial submissions. Adhere exactly to any template formats provided.
3. 3Provide a clear compliance matrix mapping each technical requirement in the specification to the instrument features, including measurement performance for eBC, calibration traceability, detection limits, precision, and reporting outputs.
4. 4Include a detailed consumables pricing schedule (units, lifetime, lead times) and post-warranty support options.
5. 5Ensure delivery, installation, calibration and training (if requested) are scheduled and costed, and include proposed lead times compatible with the contracting authority's timelines.
6. 6Confirm warranty, spare parts availability and expected service response times and locations (support in EU/EEA).

Summary

This is a public procurement tender run by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) — European Reference Laboratory for Air Pollution — to purchase an aethalometer and necessary consumables to enable measurement of equivalent black carbon (eBC) in support of the Air Quality Directive 2024/2881 quality assurance work. The estimated value of the contract is €60,000 and the procurement is processed through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using eSubmission. The tender targets suppliers of environmental monitoring and laboratory instrumentation. Bidders should consult the Funding & Tenders Portal tender page for full technical specifications, administrative requirements, templates and submission instructions and ensure compliance with the portal's eSubmission process ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Tender details and official documents are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal at ec.europa.eu. Bidders must use that portal to access the full specification, download any templates and submit their offers.

Opportunity Overview

This tender seeks the supply of an aethalometer and consumables to measure equivalent Black Carbon (eBC), a new air pollutant mandated under Directive (EU) 2024/2881, for the European Reference Laboratory for Air Pollution at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) [[1]][[7]].

The JRC’s laboratory is responsible for quality assurance programmes with Member States’ air quality laboratories, requiring reference implementation for eBC monitoring [[1]].

Key Details

Technical Requirements

Instrument Function:The aethalometer must provide real-time optical measurement of light-absorbing carbonaceous aerosols (mainly black carbon) across multiple wavelengths (typically 370nm–950nm) by measuring light attenuation through a filter collecting aerosol samples [[2]].

Measurement Target:The device must measure equivalent Black Carbon (eBC) mass concentration, supporting the Standardisation of Black Carbon Aerosol metrics (STANBC) initiative for traceability and consistency across European air quality networks [[4]].

Deliverables:Supply includes the aethalometer instrument plus necessary consumables for operation and calibration [[1]].

Applicant Eligibility

Eligible applicants are manufacturers or distributors of aethalometers capable of supplying compliant instrumentation to the EU, including entities like Magee Scientific (producer of AE-series aethalometers) or Aerosol d.o.o. (distributor) [[6]].

The tender is not divided into lots, meaning a single supplier must fulfill the entire contract [[8]].

Regulatory Context

Directive (EU) 2024/2881 entered into force on 10 December 2024 and requires Member States to transpose it into national law by 11 December 2026, with new limit values and monitoring requirements (including eBC) to be achieved by 1 January 2030 [[7]][[12]].

Black carbon must now be monitored at urban and rural background supersites, particularly where influenced by transport sources (airports, ports, roads) [[12]].

Application Process

Interested suppliers must submit tenders via the official EU Funding & Tenders Portal using the opportunity ID c9c2f8e8-dd4a [[primary_url]].

Official Portal:Apply through EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Footnotes

1. 1Directive (EU) 2024/2881 official text available at UNEP LEAP.
2. 2Aethalometer technical principles described by PSI Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry PSI.
3. 3STANBC initiative for black carbon standardisation STANBC.
4. 4Magee Scientific Aethalometer AE43 brochure Magee Scientific.
5. 5Tender administrative specifications (Annex I) EC-JRC.