Technical Assistance to the Commission for the assessment of harmonised standards

The European Commission, through its DG GROW department, has issued a call for tenders for "Technical Assistance to the Commission for the assessment of harmonised standards," identified as EC-GROW/2026/OP/0001. This open procurement is primarily aimed at service contractors who can provide technical and administrative support related to compliance with EU Regulation 1025/2012.

Eligible applicants include large consulting firms, research organizations, engineering companies, and professional services firms with relevant expertise in standardisation and regulatory compliance. Notably, small and medium-sized enterprises are excluded from suitability due to the project's technical complexity. The contract is structured as a direct service procurement with an overall value of €1,045,700 for a maximum period of 8 months, commencing from August 1, 2026.

The contractor's responsibilities include recruiting and overseeing a network of independent consultants, conducting non-technical verifications of standards, evaluating outcomes, proposing improvements, and providing training to ensure the effective implementation of harmonised standards. The work supports the existing Harmonised Standards (HAS) Consultants system, introduced in 2018, which has been crucial for maintaining the quality and timeliness of compliance assessments.

Applications must be submitted electronically by February 23, 2026, with the opening of bids scheduled for February 24, 2026. The evaluation will weigh quality at 70% and price at 30%, emphasizing the importance of expertise in this sensitive area. There are no co-funding obligations, and the process is open to all qualified organizations established in EU member states or EEA countries.

The objective of this procurement is to ensure that the standards developed by European standardization bodies like CEN, CENELEC, and ETSI meet compliance criteria and facilitate ongoing legal reliability for stakeholders across the European Single Market. This is crucial for reducing compliance costs, promoting cross-border trade, and enhancing consumer and environmental protection through robust legal frameworks.

The European Commission, DG GROW - Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, has published a call for tenders with procedure identifier EC-GROW/2026/OP/0001. This is an open procedure for "Technical Assistance to the Commission for the assessment of harmonised standards". The TED reference is 13/2026 39909-2026. The estimated total value of the tender is 1,045,700 EUR. The TED publication date is 20/01/2026. The nature of the contract is for services. The maximum contract duration is 8 months. The award method is best price-quality ratio. No framework agreement is mentioned. The main classification (CPV) code is 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services.

Milestones:
TED publication date: 20/01/2026
Date and time of public opening: 24/02/2026 10:00 Europe/Brussels
Deadline for receipt of tenders: 23/02/2026 16:00 Europe/Brussels
Contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after: 14/02/2026 05:59 Europe/Brussels

The submission method is electronic, and submissions must be sent exclusively at the address for submission provided.

Documents available for download include:
ENEN-Invitation to tender EC-GROW2026OP0001 HAS CONSULTANTSInvitation to tender (request for offer)Published on 20/01/2026Version 1 No translations available
ENEN TENDER SPECIFICATIONS EC-GROW2026OP0001 HAS CONSULTANTSTender specificationsPublished on 20/01/2026Version 1 No translations available
ENANNEX I - Annex 2 - declaration-of-honour-tenders HAS CONSULTANTS EC-GROW2026OP0001Declaration on honour (tender)Published on 20/01/2026Version 1 No translations available
ENANNEX I - Annex 6 - Financial offer templateFinancial offer formPublished on 20/01/2026Version 1 No translations available
ENANNEX II - EN Draft Direct Service Contract EC-GROW2026OP0001Draft contractPublished on 20/01/2026Version 1 No translations available
ENANNEX II - Appendix 1 Security requirements en 2025Draft contract annexPublished on 20/01/2026Version 1 No translations available
ENANNEX II - Annex 3 to Draft contract statements-ipr-enDraft contract annexPublished on 20/01/2026Version 1 No translations available
ENANNEX II - Annex 4 to Draft contract-vat-2023-enDraft contract annexPublished on 20/01/2026Version 1 No translations available

The procurement ensures the continuity and strengthening of the Harmonised Standards (HAS) Consultants system, which provides the European Commission with technical and administrative assistance to perform its legal duties under Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012. HAS Consultants verify whether draft and final harmonised standards (or parts thereof) developed by CEN, CENELEC and ETSI under Commission standardisation requests comply with those requests and the relevant Union harmonisation legislation, so that the conditions for citing their references in the Official Journal of the European Union are met in accordance with Article 10(6).

The need is reinforced by Court of Justice case law, specifically the James Elliott ruling and the Grand Chamber judgment of 5 March 2024 in Public.Resource.Org & Right to Know v Commission (case, C-588/21 P). These rulings confirm the legal effects of harmonised standards and the Commission’s duty to perform systematic controls before OJ citation, while also addressing public access and copyright protection.

Under the contract, the contractor will:
(i) recruit, coordinate and quality-control a pool of independent HAS Consultants across relevant technical domains;
(ii) carry out horizontal non-technical verifications (format, scope, informative elements such as Annex Z) to enable efficient technical assessments;
(iii) evaluate results and propose horizontal improvements; and
(iv) deliver targeted communication and training to ESO technical bodies and Commission services to promote coherent implementation and reduce recurring non-compliances.

The HAS system, introduced in 2018, has demonstrably improved the timeliness and quality of assessments and helped clear legacy backlogs, enabling more predictable OJ citations and better policy outcomes. Continuing the service from 01/08/2026 avoids a gap in the Commission’s ability to meet its obligations, supports the transparency imperative emphasised in C-588/21 P, and maintains legal certainty for manufacturers, conformity assessment bodies and market surveillance authorities. It also ensures that evolving areas (e.g. digital, green and safety-critical technologies) are covered by consistent, independent assessments aligned with the latest guidance and jurisprudence.

The action directly supports the Single Market Programme by safeguarding a reliable, open and coherent standardisation framework, reducing compliance costs for economic operators, facilitating innovation and cross-border trade, and enhancing protection of consumers, workers and the environment through clear, legally robust standards.

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In summary, this tender is for technical assistance to the European Commission in assessing harmonized standards. The selected contractor will manage a pool of consultants who will verify that these standards comply with EU legislation. This ensures that the standards are legally sound and support the Single Market Programme by facilitating trade, innovation, and protecting consumers and the environment. The contractor will also be responsible for communication and training to improve the implementation of these standards. The tender is an open procedure, meaning any eligible organization can apply, and the contract will be awarded based on the best price-quality ratio. The estimated value of the contract is approximately 1,045,700 EUR, and the maximum duration is 8 months.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the description, it is likely that the tender is open to organizations or companies that can recruit, coordinate, and quality-control a pool of independent consultants. This could include consultancies, research institutions, or other entities with relevant expertise.

Funding Type: The funding type is procurement, specifically a service contract.

Consortium Requirement: The tender does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required or if a single applicant is sufficient. However, the description of the contractor's responsibilities suggests that an organization capable of managing a pool of consultants would be well-suited, implying that a single applicant with sufficient capacity or a consortium could both be viable.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated, but given that it is an EU tender related to harmonized standards and the Single Market Programme, it is highly likely that the eligibility extends to entities within the EU and potentially the EEA.

Target Sector: The target sector is related to standardization, conformity assessment, and technical assistance, particularly concerning harmonized standards and Union harmonization legislation. This encompasses areas such as the Single Market Programme, industry, entrepreneurship, SMEs, and research and development. It also touches upon digital, green, and safety-critical technologies.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the context is clearly European Union, with references to EU legislation, the Official Journal of the European Union, and European Standardisation Organisations (ESOs) like CEN, CENELEC, and ETSI.

Project Stage: The project stage is for the continuity and strengthening of an existing system (HAS Consultants system). Therefore, it is an operational stage, focusing on maintaining and improving an established service rather than developing something new from scratch.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the procurement is 1,045,700 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, according to the terms of the direct service contract.

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly stated, but it can be inferred that there are multiple stages, including submission of the tender, evaluation of the offers, and award of the contract. The documentation provided (invitation to tender, tender specifications, declaration of honour, financial offer template, draft contract, etc.) suggests a comprehensive evaluation process.

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

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not explicitly stated.

Summary:

This is an open call for tenders by the European Commission, DG GROW, for "Technical Assistance to the Commission for the assessment of harmonised standards." The aim is to ensure the continuity and strengthening of the Harmonised Standards (HAS) Consultants system, which provides the Commission with technical and administrative assistance to perform its legal duties under Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012. The HAS Consultants verify whether draft and final harmonised standards developed by CEN, CENELEC, and ETSI comply with Commission standardisation requests and relevant Union harmonisation legislation.

The contractor will be responsible for recruiting, coordinating, and quality-controlling a pool of independent HAS Consultants, carrying out horizontal non-technical verifications, evaluating results, proposing improvements, and delivering targeted communication and training. The contract has a maximum duration of 8 months and an estimated total value of 1,045,700 EUR. The deadline for receipt of tenders is 23/02/2026 at 16:00 Europe/Brussels. Submissions must be sent electronically. The tender is related to the Single Market Programme and aims to safeguard a reliable, open, and coherent standardisation framework.