Technical Secretariat for group of notified bodies: GAR 2016/426

The European Commission, specifically DG GROW, has issued a call for tenders identified as EC-GROW/2026/OP/0002 for a technical secretariat that will support the Gas Appliance Regulation (GAR) 2016/426. The estimated total contract value is €154,000 over a duration of 44 months, which includes an initial 8 months and provisions for three renewal periods. This procurement contract is open for submission electronically through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal, with a submission deadline set for March 2, 2026, at 16:00 Brussels time.

The contract seeks experienced entities capable of providing a range of technical and administrative services necessary for ensuring compliance and standardization in gas appliance safety regulation. Qualifying entities can include legal persons or entities with substantial operational capacities, as the opportunity is not categorized as SME-suitable, thus favoring larger organizations. The invited bidders may consist of consulting firms, industry associations, or specialized technical organizations, and while consortia are referenced within the documentation, the tender structure leans towards individual submissions.

The evaluation process will prioritize quality, weighing it at 70% against the 30% allocated to pricing. The successful tenderer will deliver defined technical secretariat services, which include coordination among notified bodies, management of documentation, and regulatory liaison responsibilities. There is no requirement for co-funding from tenderers, as the contract is fully funded by the European Commission.

The tender documents specify that submissions must meet electronic requirements, allowing a maximum of 200 files, each under 50 MB, for upload. A Participant Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation, ensuring a streamlined process for electronic submissions. The awarded contract is anticipated to provide ongoing support to an established regulatory framework, with the operational stage clearly stated as the focus of this call.

The tender is competitive in nature, allowing any qualifying organization to apply. The selection process and subsequent contract award timeline adhere to standard EU procurement procedures. The overall aim is to ensure effective and efficient technical secretariat functions essential to the regulation of gas appliance safety across European Union Member States and possibly EEA countries.

This is a call for tenders with procedure identifier EC-GROW/2026/OP/0002 for a Technical Secretariat related to different Directive Gas Appliance. The submission method is electronic and open for submission. The estimated total value is 154000 EUR. The TED publication date is 29/01/2026. The lead contracting authority is the European Commission, DG GROW Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs. The main classification (CPV) is 73000000 Research and development services and related consultancy services. The nature of the contract is services. The maximum contract duration is 44 months. The award method is best price-quality ratio. There is no framework agreement.

Milestones:
TED publication date: 29/01/2026
Date and time of public opening: 03/03/2026 10:00 Europe/Brussels
Deadline for receipt of tenders: 02/03/2026 16:00 Europe/Brussels
Contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after: 21/02/2026 05:59 Europe/Brussels

Documents available for download:
ENEN-Invitation to tender EC-GROW2026OP0002 Technical Secretariat Gas applianceInvitation letterPublished on 29/01/2026Version 1 No translations available
ENANNEX I - EN TENDER SPECIFICATIONS EC-GROW2026OP0002 Technical Secretariats GARTender specificationsPublished on 29/01/2026Version 1 No translations available
ENANNEX I - Annex 2 declaration-of-honour-tenders Technical SecretariatsDeclaration on honour (tender)Published on 29/01/2026Version 1 No translations available
ENANNEX I - Annex 6 - Financial Tender FormFinancial offer formPublished on 29/01/2026Version 1 No translations available
ENANNEX II - contrat-direct-service-2024 FR Recast-en OP0002Draft contractPublished on 29/01/2026Version 1 No translations available
ENANNEX II - Annex 3 to Draft contract statements-ipr-enDraft contract annexPublished on 29/01/2026Version 1 No translations available
ENANNEX II - Annex 4 - unit-cost-decision-travel enDraft contract annexPublished on 29/01/2026Version 1 No translations available
ENANNEX II - Annex 5 to Draft contract-vat-2023-enDraft contract annexPublished on 29/01/2026Version 1 No translations available
ENANNEX II - Appendix 1 Security requirements en 2025Draft contract annexPublished on 29/01/2026Version 1 No translations available

Submissions must be sent exclusively at the address for submission given below. The submission method is electronic.

FAQ's:
How to proceed if the system is slow or doesn’t work while uploading/downloading documents? Please make sure you use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. If the issue persists, try the following steps: 1. Clear the cache and cookies on the Internet brows...Published on 13/02/2025 20:52
Which Internet browsers does eSubmission support? Please use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. For the most up-to-date technical recommendations, click on the link System Requirements. You can access this link...Published on 13/02/2025 20:52
Is it possible to view the details of the submission after the deadline? The content of the submission is not accessible after submitting the tender as the system encrypts all attachments upon upload. Thus, the system will not allow decryption after the u...Published on 13/02/2025 20:50
Where can I find my submissions in Manage My Area, in the Funding & Tenders portal? Depending on the type or step of procedure, you can find the submissions in one of these sections: ·In ‘My Submission(s)’: tenders in response to open calls for tenders, requests to ...Published on 17/10/2024 20:40
Which size should attachments have? For attaching files to your tender submission, eSubmission accepts files that are less than 50 MB in size. Any larger sizes will not be accepted by the system. For the latest informa...Published on 17/10/2024 20:36
How should I name attachments in eSubmision? In eSubmission, you must name the attachments for your tender draft following the System Requirements. With regards to all attachment names, please see the following conditions: The ...Published on 03/10/2024 16:39
Can I submit a video in eSbmission? Which formats are supported? You can check the System Requirements of eSubmission: Published on 03/10/2024 16:37
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” ...Published on 03/10/2024 16:37
Do I need to validate my PIC in order to submit a tender in eSubmission? The Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory to participate in a call for tenders as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium). For subcontractors PIC i...Published on 03/10/2024 16:36
I have an issue uploading a file in eSubmission and it’s giving me an error. What do I do? When uploading a file in eSubmission, you must first make sure it follows the technical requirements of the system, which are as shown below. A)For procurement procedures: B)For req...Published on 03/10/2024 16:36
How many attachments can I upload per submission? The maximum number of documents the system will allow you to upload per tender is200 files. You are able to check the eSubmission System Requirements in the documentation by clicking...Published on 03/10/2024 16:35
Why do tenderers need a PIC? It is mandatory to register for a PIC if you intend to submit a tender or a request to participate. Only one PIC per organisation must be used. Therefore, if your organisation alread...Published on 23/04/2024 17:14
How do I register my organisation and get a Participant Identification Code (PIC)? First, check if the organisation is already registered using the Search PIC tool under 'How to Participate' > Participant Register. If your organisation is a bigger...Published on 23/04/2024 16:07
How many languages does the system support? The system is multilingual and supports all 24 official EU languages.Published on 01/04/2024 19:56
Which is the character set encoding in the system? The character set encoding is UTF-8.Published on 22/02/2024 23:58
Does the system use encryption to ensure the integrity and the confidentiality of the information? Yes, the system encrypts all uploaded documents, using an asymmetric key as an encryption mechanism.Published on 22/02/2024 23:57
Which file types does the system support? The supported file types depend on the type of submission you want to make. The allowed file types are specified within the system requirements linked to the procedure in question. M...Published on 21/02/2024 23:55
Can I view and edit my draft submission? Until the deadline for the submission has been reached, submissions in the draft status can be edited, viewed and deleted. Published on 24/03/2023 21:32
In the submission report, under the name of our entity, "Legal form: UNKNOWN" is displayed while in the system, our legal form was correctly displayed. Is this a problem for the submission? No, it is just a display issue. This is not blocking for you: you can submit. Published on 03/08/2021 22:07
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...Published on 03/08/2021 22:05

In summary, this is a European Commission call for tenders, EC-GROW/2026/OP/0002, seeking a technical secretariat to support the Gas Appliance Directive. The contract is valued at 154,000 EUR and will run for 44 months. The deadline for submissions is March 2, 2026. The tender process is electronic, and the award will be based on the best price-quality ratio. Interested parties must submit their tenders electronically, ensuring they meet all technical requirements for the eSubmission system, including file size limits (50MB per attachment, up to 200 files). A Participant Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation. The call is managed by DG GROW, focusing on internal market, industry, entrepreneurship, and SMEs.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the nature of the tender, it is likely open to organizations capable of providing technical secretariat services. This could include research institutions, consulting firms, or other entities with relevant expertise. The FAQ mentions the need for a Participant Identification Code (PIC), which is mandatory for participation as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium).

Funding Type: Procurement. This is a call for tenders, indicating a procurement process where the contracting authority (European Commission, DG GROW) is seeking services.

Consortium Requirement: The FAQ mentions that a Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory to participate in a call for tenders as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium). This suggests that both single applicants and consortia are eligible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated, but given that it is an EU tender, it is likely open to entities within the EU and possibly EEA countries.

Target Sector: The target sector is related to the Gas Appliance Regulation (GAR) 2016/426 and involves providing a technical secretariat for a group of notified bodies. The main classification (CPV) code is 73000000, which corresponds to Research and development services and related consultancy services.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned. The opportunity is at the EU level.

Project Stage: The project stage is for providing ongoing technical secretariat services, implying an operational or service-oriented stage rather than research or development.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the tender is 154,000 EUR.

Application Type: Open call. The procedure type is explicitly stated as an "Open procedure". Submissions must be sent exclusively at the address for submission given below.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for services rendered. This is a service contract.

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly detailed, but it involves at least one stage of submitting a tender. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio, suggesting an evaluation process.

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

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding requirements are not mentioned in the provided text.

Summary:

This is a call for tenders (EC-GROW/2026/OP/0002) issued by the European Commission, DG GROW, for a Technical Secretariat related to the Gas Appliance Regulation (GAR) 2016/426. The estimated total value of the contract is 154,000 EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 44 months. The procedure type is an open procedure, meaning any eligible organization can submit a tender. The submission method is electronic, and the deadline for receipt of tenders is 02/03/2026 at 16:00 Europe/Brussels time. The contract will be awarded based on the best price-quality ratio. The selected entity will provide research and development services and related consultancy services. The TED reference for this tender is 20/2026 67873-2026. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after 21/02/2026 05:59 Europe/Brussels. To participate, organizations need to register for a Participant Identification Code (PIC). The eSubmission system supports multiple languages and encrypts uploaded documents. The maximum file size for attachments is 50 MB, and the maximum number of documents that can be uploaded per tender is 200.