Update of territorial autonomy and authority indexes at local and regional level: Lot 1 Update of the Local Autonomy Index (LAI) and Lot 2 Update of the Regional Autonomy Index (RAI)

The European Commission's Joint Research Centre has issued a call for tenders under the reference EC-JRCSVQ2025OP3852 to update the Local Autonomy Index (LAI) and the Regional Authority Index (RAI). This procurement opportunity is divided into two lots: Lot 1 focuses on updating the LAI, with an estimated value of 180,000 EUR, covering EU Member States and additional countries from the Council of Europe and OECD from 1990 to 2025. Lot 2 targets the RAI, with an estimated value of 90,000 EUR, for 43 countries, extending its coverage from 1950 to 2025 to support contemporary governance analysis and policy development related to Sustainable Development Goals.

The procedure is an open tender, utilizing electronic submission for proposals due by October 31, 2025. The contracts have a maximum duration of 12 months, and the evaluation will be based on a quality-price ratio of 60% to 40%. Eligible applicants include research institutes, universities, consultancies, and entities experienced in cross-national research and index construction. Consortiums are permitted, but not required, and no co-funding is necessary, with the EU financing the entire contract value.

Submissions must adhere to specific technical criteria, including file types, sizes, and encryption standards to ensure confidentiality. Important dates include the public opening of proposals on November 3, 2025, and the final date for clarifications on October 23, 2025. A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for submission. The overall aim is to enhance the methodological rigor of these indexes, providing critical insights for policy analysis and governance research across various levels of government.

The European Commission, DG JRC Joint Research Centre, has published a call for tenders EC-JRCSVQ2025OP3852 to update territorial autonomy and authority indexes at local and regional level. The call is divided into two lots: Lot 1 for updating the Local Autonomy Index (LAI) and Lot 2 for updating the Regional Autonomy Index (RAI). The TED reference for this call is 186/2025 634717-2025.

The submission method is electronic and the procedure type is open. The estimated total value for both lots is 270,000 EUR. The TED publication date is 29/09/2025.

Lot 1 focuses on updating the Local Autonomy Index (LAI). The overall aim of this contract is to produce an updated and methodologically harmonised version of the LAI, covering the period 1990-2025, for EU Member States and additional countries within the Council of Europe and OECD. The updated dataset (LAI 3.0) will provide a robust evidence base for analysing the degree, evolution, and patterns of local self-government in a comparative and longitudinal perspective. The nature of the contract is for services, with a maximum contract duration of 12 months. The award method is best price-quality ratio and the estimated value is 180,000 EUR. The main classification (CPV) is 73210000 Research consultancy services, with an additional classification of 73000000 Research and development services and related consultancy services. The date and time of public opening is 03/11/2025 at 12:30 Europe/Madrid. The deadline for receipt of tenders is 31/10/2025 at 16:00 Europe/Madrid. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after 23/10/2025 at 06:00 Europe/Madrid.

Lot 2 focuses on updating the Regional Authority Index (RAI). The overall aim of this contract is to produce an updated and methodologically sound version of the RAI for 43 countries, extending the existing dataset beyond its current time coverage (1950-2018) to 2025 and strengthening its applicability for contemporary governance analysis and SDG-related policy support. The nature of the contract is for services, with a maximum contract duration of 12 months. The award method is best price-quality ratio and the estimated value is 90,000 EUR. The main classification (CPV) is 73210000 Research consultancy services, with an additional classification of 73000000 Research and development services and related consultancy services. The date and time of public opening is 03/11/2025 at 12:30 Europe/Madrid. The deadline for receipt of tenders is 31/10/2025 at 16:00 Europe/Madrid. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after 23/10/2025 at 06:00 Europe/Madrid.

The following documents are available for download:

EN1- Invitation to tender EC-JRCSVQ2025OP3852 Update LAI and RAI IndexesInvitation letterPublished on 29/09/2025All lotsVersion 1 No translations available
EN2- Admin annex-OP3852 Update LAI and RAI IndexesTender specifications - adm. partPublished on 29/09/2025All lotsVersion 1 No translations available
EN2.1- Annex 2. Declaration-of-honour-tenders OP3852 Update LAI and RAI IndexesDeclaration on honour (tender)Published on 29/09/2025All lotsVersion 1 No translations available
EN2.2. LOT 1 LAI Annex 6. Financial tender formFinancial offer formPublished on 29/09/2025Lot 1Version 1 No translations available
EN2.2. LOT 2 RAI Annex 6. Financial tender formFinancial offer formPublished on 29/09/2025Lot 2Version 1 No translations available
EN3- LOT 1 LAI OP3852 Technical SpecificationsTechnical specificationsPublished on 29/09/2025Lot 1Version 1 No translations available
EN3- LOT 2 RAI OP3852 Technical SpecificationsTechnical specificationsPublished on 29/09/2025Lot 2Version 1 No translations available
EN4.1. Appendix 1 Security requirementsDraft contract annexPublished on 29/09/2025All lotsVersion 1 No translations available
EN4.2. Annex III- Declaration on the list of pre-existing rightsDraft contract annexPublished on 29/09/2025All lotsVersion 1 No translations available
EN4.3. Annex IV- Group members shares in total contract value for VAT purposesDraft contract annexPublished on 29/09/2025All lotsVersion 1 No translations available

Submissions must be sent exclusively at the address for submission given below, using the electronic submission method.

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In summary, this tender opportunity is for research and development services related to updating the Local Autonomy Index (LAI) and the Regional Authority Index (RAI). The European Commission is seeking qualified organizations or consortia to update these indexes, providing valuable data for analyzing governance and policy across EU member states and other countries. The tender is divided into two lots, allowing bidders to focus on either local or regional autonomy, or both. The submission process is electronic, and potential applicants must adhere to specific technical requirements for their submissions. The deadline for submitting tenders is October 31, 2025.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given the nature of the tender, it is likely that eligible applicants could include research institutions, universities, consulting firms, and other organizations with expertise in political science, public administration, and data analysis.

Funding Type: The funding type is procurement, specifically a service contract. The call is an invitation to tender, implying a procurement process where the selected tenderer will be awarded a service contract.

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the documents include "Annex IV- Group members shares in total contract value for VAT purposes," which suggests that consortia are permitted. Therefore, either a single applicant or a consortium could be eligible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The description of Lot 1 mentions "EU Member States and additional countries within the Council of Europe and OECD." Lot 2 mentions 43 countries. This suggests that the geographic eligibility includes at least EU Member States, countries within the Council of Europe, and OECD countries. It is likely that the tender is open to entities from these countries.

Target Sector: The target sector is research and development services, specifically in the area of political science and public administration. The tender focuses on updating indexes related to local and regional autonomy. The relevant sectors include research consultancy services, political science, public administration, and data analysis.

Mentioned Countries: The text mentions "EU Member States," "Council of Europe," and "OECD" countries. Additionally, Lot 2 specifically mentions 43 countries.

Project Stage: The project stage is updating existing indexes, which implies a development and validation stage. The aim is to produce updated and methodologically harmonized versions of the Local Autonomy Index (LAI) and Regional Authority Index (RAI). This suggests that the underlying research and methodology are already established, and the focus is on updating and refining the data.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value for both lots is 270,000 EUR. Lot 1 has an estimated value of 180,000 EUR, and Lot 2 has an estimated value of 90,000 EUR. Therefore, the funding range is variable, with a maximum of 180,000 EUR for Lot 1 and 90,000 EUR for Lot 2.

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, specifically for updating the LAI and RAI indexes.

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly stated, but it is likely a multi-stage process involving submission of a tender, evaluation, and contract award. Based on the documentation, it can be inferred that there are at least two stages: submission of the tender and subsequent evaluation.

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

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for tenders by the European Commission, DG JRC Joint Research Centre, for updating the Local Autonomy Index (LAI) and the Regional Authority Index (RAI). The tender is divided into two lots: Lot 1 focuses on updating the LAI for EU Member States and additional countries within the Council of Europe and OECD, with an estimated value of 180,000 EUR. Lot 2 focuses on updating the RAI for 43 countries, with an estimated value of 90,000 EUR. The overall aim is to produce updated and methodologically harmonized versions of these indexes, covering the period up to 2025. The procedure is an open call for tenders, with electronic submission. The deadline for receipt of tenders is 31/10/2025, and the contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after 23/10/2025. The maximum contract duration is 12 months. The tender is relevant to organizations with expertise in research and development services, particularly in political science, public administration, and data analysis. A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory to participate in this call for tenders. The eSubmission system supports various file types and has a maximum attachment size of 50 MB per file, with a limit of 200 files per submission. The system supports all 24 official EU languages and uses encryption to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of the information.