Support to the Commission for the organisation of an Informal global dialogue on Digital Sequence Information and the Cali Fund

The European Commission's Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV) has issued a call for tenders with the identifier EC-ENV/2025/OP/0026. This procurement opportunity seeks services to support the organization of an Informal global dialogue on Digital Sequence Information (DSI) and the Cali Fund. The estimated total value of the contract is €150,000, and it has a maximum duration of 12 months. The objective is to facilitate international discussions leading up to negotiations at the Conference of Parties (COP) 17 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), specifically concerning critical unresolved issues from previous decisions.

Contractors selected will be responsible for organizing a workshop in the first semester of 2026, with a possibility of a second workshop in the latter half of 2026 to address outstanding issues and prepare for COP 17 discussions. The award method will be based on the best price-quality ratio. The contract will not involve co-funding, as it is a service agreement where the European Commission will directly pay for the services rendered.

This is an open tender process requiring electronic submissions by the deadline of October 6, 2025. Tenderers must possess a Personal Identification Code (PIC) to participate. The electronic submission system supports all 24 official EU languages and allows attachments up to 50 MB in size, with a limit of 200 files per submission.

Interested applicants include service providers, consulting firms, or organizations with expertise in environmental policy and international cooperation, specifically related to DSI and biodiversity governance. The geographic eligibility appears to be focused on entities within the EU, but may also extend to international organizations depending on specific tender requirements. The project is at the implementation stage and aims for practical organizational support rather than a research or innovative project.

The call for tenders reflects the EU's commitment to advancing global biodiversity governance through facilitated dialogue and international cooperation, involving stakeholders across various sectors related to environmental policy and negotiation processes.

The European Commission, DG ENV Environment, has published a call for tenders, EC-ENV/2025/OP/0026, to support the Commission for the organisation of an Informal global dialogue on Digital Sequence Information and the Cali Fund. The TED reference for this call is 162/2025 555737-2025. This is an open procedure, and submissions must be electronic.

The objective of this contract is to support the Commission in organizing an informal global dialogue on Digital Sequence Information (DSI) and the Cali Fund. This aims to ensure the continuation of the informal process on DSI until COP17 and to foster mutual trust and common understanding among involved parties and stakeholders.

The project includes organizing a workshop in the first semester of 2026 to initiate in depth discussion on the critical unresolved issues of Decision 16/2, maintain momentum on CBD COP16 Decision 16/2, and promote contribution to the Cali Fund. A second workshop may be needed in the second half of 2026 to continue discussion on outstanding issues and prepare for negotiations at CBD COP17 in October 2026.

The estimated total value of the contract is 150,000 EUR. The contract's nature is for services, with a maximum duration of 12 months. The award method will be based on the best price quality ratio. No framework agreement is mentioned.

Key milestones include a TED publication date of 26/08/2025. The date and time of the public opening is 07/10/2025 at 11:00 Europe/Brussels time. The deadline for receipt of tenders is 06/10/2025 at 16:00 Europe/Brussels time. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after 26/09/2025 at 06:00 Europe/Brussels time.

The main classification (CPV) is 90700000 Environmental services.

The following documents are available for download: Invitation letter (published on 26/08/2025, Version 1, no translations available), Tender specifications (published on 26/08/2025, Version 1, no translations available), and Draft contract (published on 26/08/2025, Version 1, no translations available).

Submissions must be sent exclusively via electronic submission.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) related to the eSubmission system:

How to proceed if the system is slow or doesn’t work while uploading/downloading documents? Use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. If the issue persists, clear the cache and cookies on the Internet browser.

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Where can I find my submissions in Manage My Area, in the Funding & Tenders portal? Submissions can be found in ‘My Submission(s)’: tenders in response to open calls for tenders, requests to participate.

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I received an invitation from the F&T Portal but cannot view the procurement documents. Invited candidates can only see the procurement documents after having selected an organisation. Go to F&T Portal, “My Invitations”. Click on “Select Organisation” from the “Action”.

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I sent my submission on time and a few days later, I received an automatic email informing me that the deadline for the reception of submissions had been reached. Does this mean that my submission was not correctly sent? No, this is an auto generated notification sent when the time limit of receipt defined for the call for tenders has been reached. Until then, you had the possibility of withdrawing.

In summary, this call for tenders seeks a contractor to support the European Commission in organizing and facilitating an informal global dialogue concerning Digital Sequence Information and the Cali Fund. The goal is to foster international cooperation and understanding on these topics, leading up to the CBD COP17. The selected contractor will be responsible for planning and executing workshops, promoting discussions, and contributing to the preparation for international negotiations. The tender is open for electronic submissions, with a deadline in early October 2025. The maximum contract value is 150,000 EUR, and the contract duration is 12 months.

Eligible Applicant Types: The opportunity details do not explicitly specify eligible applicant types. However, given that it is a call for tenders to support the European Commission, it is likely that eligible applicants include organizations, companies, or entities capable of providing the required services. This could include consulting firms, research institutions, or other service providers with expertise in organizing and facilitating international dialogues and workshops.

Funding Type: This is a procurement opportunity, specifically a call for tenders. The nature of the contract is for services.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity details do not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. It is possible that both single applicants and consortia are eligible, but this would need to be confirmed in the tender specifications. The FAQ mentions that a PIC is mandatory to participate in a call for tenders as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium).

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated. However, given that it is a European Commission tender, it is likely open to entities within the EU and potentially to entities in other countries that have agreements with the EU.

Target Sector: The target sector is environmental services, specifically related to the organization of an informal global dialogue on Digital Sequence Information (DSI) and the Cali Fund. This falls under the broader category of environment and international cooperation.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the opportunity is related to a global dialogue and the Cali Fund, suggesting an international scope. The reference to CBD COP16 and COP17 indicates a connection to the Convention on Biological Diversity, which involves numerous countries.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on the implementation and execution of workshops and dialogues. This suggests a stage of development where the need is for logistical and organizational support to facilitate discussions and build understanding among stakeholders.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the contract is 150,000 EUR.

Application Type: The application type is an open call for tenders, with electronic submission.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for services rendered. The selected tenderer will be contracted to provide services to support the Commission in organizing the global dialogue and workshops.

Application Stages: The number of stages is not explicitly mentioned, but it would typically involve at least two stages: submission of the tender and evaluation of the tenders received. There may be additional stages such as contract negotiation and award.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The need for co-funding is not mentioned in the provided text.

Summary: This opportunity is a call for tenders from the European Commission, DG ENV - Environment, seeking support for the organization of an Informal global dialogue on Digital Sequence Information and the Cali Fund. The goal is to ensure the continuation of the informal process on DSI until COP17, fostering mutual trust and common understanding among involved parties. The selected contractor will be responsible for organizing a workshop in the first semester of 2026, with a possible second workshop in the second half of 2026, to discuss critical issues and prepare for negotiations at CBD COP17 in October 2026. The procedure is an open procedure with electronic submission, and the estimated total value of the contract is 150,000 EUR. The contract duration is a maximum of 12 months, and the award method is based on the best price-quality ratio. Tenderers must submit their proposals electronically by the deadline of 06/10/2025. A PIC Personal Identification Code is mandatory to participate in this call for tenders. The system supports 24 official EU languages and accepts attachments up to 50 MB in size, with a maximum of 200 files per submission.