Supply of engineering services for the design ISS and WDS

The European Union is inviting tenders for engineering services associated with the design of the ITER Isotope Separation System (ISS) and the Water Detritiation System (WDS). This procurement opportunity, identified as F4E-OFC-1868, outlines the need for specialized engineering expertise in nuclear fusion technologies.

Eligible applicants include engineering service providers, such as SMEs, large enterprises, or consortia equipped to handle complex design and testing projects related to nuclear fusion. The funding mechanism is a procurement contract, not a grant, following public procurement guidelines.

The project targets sectors involved in nuclear fusion, emphasizing engineering services crucial for designing systems that manage and process tritiated water and hydrogen isotopes produced by the ITER fusion reactor. Although specific countries are not mentioned in the tender, it is inferred that participation is likely limited to entities based in the EU or those involved in the ITER project.

The project is currently in the development and validation stage, requiring deliverables that include final design work, component qualification, and prototyping. The absence of an estimated funding amount is noted, indicating a potentially significant financial commitment given the scale and complexity of the project.

Interested applicants should note that the procedure type is open, allowing submissions without prior invitation. The submission method will be non-electronic, and all tenders must be submitted by the deadline of October 15, 2025.

The contract will engage firms with expertise in engineering disciplines crucial for operating advanced systems under nuclear fusion contexts, ensuring robust support for both the ISS and WDS. The services contracted will also encompass qualification testing for the Radiological Environmental Monitoring System (REMS).

In summary, this procurement represents a vital opportunity for engineering firms skilled in chemical plant design and tritium processing to contribute to the ITER project, a key international venture aimed at achieving fusion energy advancements.

The European Union is seeking tenders for engineering services related to the design of the ITER Isotope Separation System (ISS) and Water Detritiation System (WDS). The procedure identifier for this call is F4E-OFC-1868.

The submission method is non-electronic, and the call is open for submission.

The services required under this contract involve the supply of engineering services for the design of the ITER Isotope Separation System (ISS) and the Water Detritiation System (WDS). These systems are described as chemical plants designed to process tritiated water and hydrogen isotope gas streams originating from the ITER machine. The WDS is responsible for the detritiation of water, while the ISS handles the separation and purification of hydrogen isotope gas streams.

The deliverables include final design work on both systems to prepare them for manufacturing. The selected contractor will also be responsible for other tasks such as the qualification of components and providing support to the owner. The scope of the contract extends to qualification testing of components for the ISS, WDS, and the Radiological Environmental Monitoring System (REMS). Furthermore, the contract includes prototyping tasks for certain components of the tritium fuel cycle.

This is an open procedure, and the contract type is for services. The TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) publication date for this call was August 4, 2025. The deadline for receipt of tenders is October 15, 2025, at 16:00 (4:00 PM).

The estimated total value of the contract is not available (N/A). The main CPV (Common Procurement Vocabulary) code for this procurement is 71300000, which corresponds to engineering services. The award method is also not available (N/A). The address of the buyer profile is not available (N/A). This call for tenders does not involve a public contract, a framework agreement, or a dynamic purchasing system (DPS).

A PDF document containing questions and answers related to this tender is available for download in English. No translations are available.

In summary, this tender opportunity is for engineering firms to provide design services for the ITER project's Isotope Separation System (ISS) and Water Detritiation System (WDS). These systems are crucial for processing tritiated water and hydrogen isotopes within the ITER fusion reactor. The selected firm will be responsible for finalizing the designs for manufacturing, qualifying components, supporting the project owner, and prototyping certain components of the tritium fuel cycle. This is a significant opportunity for engineering companies with experience in chemical plant design, isotope separation, water detritiation, and handling of radioactive materials to contribute to the ITER project, a major international effort to develop fusion energy. The engineering services also include qualification testing of components of the Radiological Environmental Monitoring System (REMS).

Eligible Applicant Types: The opportunity details do not explicitly specify eligible applicant types. However, given the nature of the services required (engineering services for the design of complex systems), it can be inferred that eligible applicants would likely include companies, research institutes, or consortia with expertise in engineering, chemical plant design, and potentially nuclear or tritium handling technologies. This could include SMEs, large enterprises, universities, research institutes, or public-private partnerships with relevant capabilities.

Funding Type: The funding type is a procurement, specifically a call for tenders. The contract type is explicitly stated as "Services."

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity details do not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. It is an open procedure, so both single applicants and consortia could potentially be eligible, depending on their ability to meet the technical and financial requirements of the tender.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The opportunity details do not explicitly specify geographic eligibility. Since it is an EU funding opportunity related to ITER, it is likely open to entities from EU member states and potentially other countries participating in the ITER project. Further investigation of the F4E (Fusion for Energy) procurement rules would be needed to confirm the precise geographic eligibility.

Target Sector: The target sector is engineering, specifically related to the design and qualification of systems for nuclear fusion research. This includes chemical plant design, tritium processing, and radiological monitoring. Relevant sectors include: engineering, advanced machines/processes, industrial processes/components, cleantech (related to tritium management), and potentially security/cybersecurity (related to radiological monitoring).

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned in the opportunity details. The opportunity is related to the ITER project, which is an international collaboration, but the call for tenders itself does not specify any particular countries. The relevant region is likely the EU, given that the funding is from an EU source and related to Fusion for Energy (F4E).

Project Stage: The project stage is primarily focused on final design work to prepare for manufacturing, qualification of components, and prototyping. This suggests a development and validation stage, moving towards demonstration. The work involves taking existing concepts and designs and refining them for practical implementation.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value is listed as N/A, so the specific funding range is not identifiable from the provided text.

Application Type: The application type is an open call for tenders. The submission method is "Non Electronic."

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for providing engineering services.

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly stated, but as an open call for tenders, it likely involves at least two stages: submission of a tender and evaluation of the tender. There may be further stages depending on the specific procurement process of F4E.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned in the opportunity details.

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not mentioned in the opportunity details.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for tenders from Fusion for Energy (F4E) for the supply of engineering services related to the design of the ITER Isotope Separation System (ISS) and Water Detritiation System (WDS). These systems are crucial for processing tritiated water and hydrogen isotope gas streams from the ITER fusion reactor. The contract involves final design work to prepare the systems for manufacturing, qualification of components, support to the owner (F4E), qualification testing of components for ISS, WDS, and the Radiological Environmental Monitoring System (REMS), and prototyping tasks for some components of the tritium fuel cycle. The procedure is an open call, and the submission method is non-electronic. The deadline for submitting tenders is October 15, 2025. The estimated total value of the contract is not available. The target sector is engineering, with a focus on chemical plant design, tritium processing, and radiological monitoring within the context of nuclear fusion research. Eligible applicants are likely companies, research institutes, or consortia with expertise in these areas, primarily from the EU and potentially other ITER participating countries. The project is at the development and validation stage, focusing on preparing existing designs for manufacturing and implementation.