Workplace practices and practical resources for the prevention of work-related cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), return-to-work (RTW) of workers after a...

EU-OSHA has published an open tender (OSHA/2026/OP/0023) for research and evidence synthesis on workplace practices and practical resources to prevent work-related cardiovascular disease, support return-to-work after CVD events, and retain workers with chronic CVDs, split into two independent lots. The estimated total procedure value is €155,000 (Lot 1: €115,000, up to 12 months; Lot 2: €40,000, up to 11 months) and tenders must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (EU Login) by 10 September 2026. Award will be on the best price-quality ratio with quality weighted 80% and price 20%, and bidders must satisfy the exclusion and selection criteria and follow the tender specifications and annex templates.

What it funds

Scope and purpose

Service contracts to deliver (a) field‑based case‑study research on workplace prevention of work‑related cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), return‑to‑work (RTW) after a CVD event and retention at work (RAT) of workers with chronic CVDs (Lot 1) and (b) a systematic mapping, critical assessment and reference guide of practical workplace resources addressing CVD prevention, RTW and RAT (Lot 2).

Key outputs (examples):Lot 1: minimum five published case studies, comparative final report (25–35 pages), executive summary, policy brief and presentation. Lot 2: structured inventory (≥10 resources), minimum five in‑depth case examples, practical reference guide (≈15–20 pages), final report, policy brief and presentation.

Who can apply

Open procedure. Eligible applicants:any natural or legal person and international organisations covered by the EU Treaties (including tendering as sole tenderer or as a joint tender). Participation rules and exclusion/selection criteria apply as described in the tender specifications.

Minimum technical and financial thresholds (selection)

1. 1Lot 1: consolidated average annual turnover last 2 years > €65,000; at least two similar projects in last 5 years ≥ €60,000 each; team with senior researcher (≥5 years) and project manager (≥3 years).
2. 2Lot 2: consolidated average annual turnover last 2 years > €25,000; at least two similar projects in last 5 years ≥ €25,000 each; team with senior researcher (≥5 years) and project manager (≥3 years).

How much (budget and duration)

Estimated total procedure value:€155,000 (all lots). Lot 1 estimated value: €115,000 — maximum duration 12 months. Lot 2 estimated value: €40,000 — maximum duration 11 months.

Practical details & deadlines

1. 1Call identifier: OSHA/2026/OP/0023 (TED ref. 148/2026 539937‑2026).
2. 2Submission method: electronic only via EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission (EU Login required).
3. 3Deadlines: two timestamps appear in publication metadata; official tender deadline (closing date) — 10 September 2026 at 16:00 (Europe/Madrid). Public opening: 11 September 2026 at 11:00 (Europe/Madrid).
4. 4Place of performance: contractor’s premises and online; lead contracting authority EU‑OSHA (Bilbao, Spain).
5. 5Language: documents and deliverables in English; proposals may be submitted in an EU official language but procurement documents are in English.

Award and evaluation

Award method:best price‑quality ratio. Weighting: Quality 80% / Price 20%. Quality scoring requires minimum thresholds per sub‑criterion (see tender specs).

How to apply (quick steps)

1. 1Register organisation in the Participant Register to obtain a PIC and set up EU Login.
2. 2Prepare separate technical and financial tenders per lot (use tender templates/Annex 6 financial model).
3. 3Upload submissions via eSubmission before the deadline; follow eSubmission system requirements.
4. 4Include required selection evidence, declaration on honour (Annex 2), Annex 1 document checklist and any subcontractor commitment letters where applicable.

Tender documents (Invitation, Tender specifications and draft contract) and editable annexes were published on 04/08/2026 on the Funding & Tenders Portal; questions are handled via the Portal Q&A.

For full procurement documentation and submission access use the official opportunity page on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal OSHA/2026/OP/0023 tender details and the TED notice (TED ref. 148/2026) EU tender notice ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Official procurement page includes Invitation to Tender, Tender specifications (Annex I), editable annexes and Draft contract. Use eSubmission via EU Login to submit; refer to the published timeline and Q&A on the Portal.

Key facts and administrative data

Contracting authority:European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). Call identifier: OSHA/2026/OP/0023. Procedure type: Open procedure. Submission method: Electronic (eSubmission via EU Funding & Tenders Portal, EU Login required). TED reference: 148/2026 (TED publication date 04/08/2026). Deadlines: deadline for receipt of tenders 10 September 2026, 16:00 (Europe/Madrid). Public opening session 11 September 2026 11:00 (Europe/Madrid). Q&A cut-off for contracting authority replies: 02 September 2026 23:59 (Europe/Madrid).

Estimated total value:Estimated overall contract value €155,000. Lot 1 estimated value €115,000 (maximum duration 12 months). Lot 2 estimated value €40,000 (maximum duration 11 months) ¹.

Opportunity overview and objectives

Purpose:procure research and synthesis services to address the evidence–practice gap in occupational prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), return-to-work (RTW) after a CVD event and retention at work (RAT) of workers with chronic CVDs. The call is part of EU-OSHA's OSH overview activity on CVDs (several projects in 2025–2027). The call is split into two independent lots which can be tendered separately: Lot 1 field-based qualitative case study research in organisations; Lot 2 systematic mapping, compilation and critical assessment of practical workplace resources and development of a practical reference guide for workplace actors and intermediaries.

Rationale:while epidemiological evidence links work-related exposures to CVD, well-documented workplace-level prevention practices and resources are scarce and fragmented. The contracting authority seeks actionable lessons, good practice examples and transferable resources, with special attention to micro and small enterprises (MSEs) and SMEs, high-risk sectors, and vulnerable worker groups (older workers, women, migrant workers, shift workers, workers with pre-existing conditions, low socioeconomic status).

Lots and scope of work

Lot 1 — Case studies on workplace practices for CVD prevention, RTW and RAT

Core objectives:implement qualitative, field-based case study research in a minimum of five in-depth cases selected from a long list of at least ten candidate organisations; investigate awareness, risk assessment, prevention approaches, combined risk-factor management, RTW and RAT arrangements, coordination between workplace actors and occupational health services, worker consultation, drivers/barriers, transferability to MSEs/SMEs; produce standalone case reports and a 25–35 page comparative final report with policy pointers and an executive summary and policy brief.

Methods required:qualitative case-study methodology combining desk research, semi-structured interviews (employers, HR managers, OSH professionals, occupational health/medical services, workers and worker representatives), surveys and/or focus groups, at least one site visit per case where feasible. At minimum for each case: one interview with management, one interview and/or survey of workers or representatives and one interview with OSH professionals or occupational health services; recordings of interviews/focus groups; signed informed consent forms.

Deliverables and outputs (Lot 1):inception report; long list and shortlist of case studies with evidence of access; interim report and progress reporting; minimum five draft and final standalone case study reports (6–10 pages each); final comparative report 25–35 pages (without annexes); executive summary (up to 6 pages); up to 8-page policy brief; PowerPoint presentation up to 20 slides. All deliverables in high-quality, accessible English (CEFR C1 or equivalent) and using templates supplied by the contracting authority.

Lot 2 — Compilation and assessment of practical resources for workplaces

Core objectives:map, compile and critically assess practical workplace resources (risk assessment tools, guides, protocols, training materials, occupational health protocols, RTW/RAT protocols, awareness materials) relevant to prevention of work-related CVDs, RTW and RAT across EU, national, sectoral, social-partner and workplace contexts; develop typology and assessment framework; assess usability, quality, evidence base and transferability (especially to MSEs/SMEs and high-risk sectors); produce a structured inventory, minimum five in-depth case examples of resources, a 15–20 page practitioner reference guide, a 25–35 page final report, policy brief and presentation.

Methods required:systematic mapping via desk research and interviews; development of typology and selection criteria; structured inventory of at least ten resources with short critical assessments; in-depth descriptions (1,000–2,000 words) of at least five validated resources; stakeholder interviews with resource developers and users; final reference guide targeted at workplace actors.

Deliverables and outputs (Lot 2):inception report; mapping report (20–30 pages) and structured inventory of minimum ten resources; shortlist and selection justification for five in-depth resources; five standalone 1,000–2,000-word case descriptions; a 15–20 page practical reference guide for workplace actors; final report 25–35 pages; policy brief (max 8 pages); PowerPoint up to 20 slides. All deliverables in high-quality accessible English and using contracting authority templates.

Minimum technical requirements per lot:Lot 1: clearly defined research questions; detailed methodology for Tasks 1–3; detailed search strategy and information sources; initial list of ≥5 candidate case study candidates with evidence of access; minimum number of case studies offered; minimum number of data collection activities per case; recording method; interview guides; languages available in team; example case study report template; project management and quality assurance approach. Lot 2: clearly defined research questions; detailed search strategy; preliminary typology of resources and assessment criteria; draft inventory template; minimum five candidate resource examples with short draft assessments; interview plan (minimum interviews offered); languages available; templates/outlines for case examples, reference guide and reports.

1. 1Lot 1 minimum outputs: inception report, long list (≥10) and shortlist (≥5) candidate cases, interim report (condition for 40% interim payment), minimum five draft/final case studies (6–10 pages), final 25–35 page report, executive summary (≤6 pages), policy brief (≤8 pages), PowerPoint (≤20 slides).
2. 2Lot 2 minimum outputs: inception report, Task 1 draft report (20–30 pages) with structured inventory (≥10 resources), shortlist of ≥5 candidate resources, interim report (condition for 40% interim payment), minimum five draft/final standalone case examples (1,000–2,000 words each), practical reference guide (15–20 pages), final 25–35 page report, policy brief (≤8 pages), PowerPoint (≤20 slides).

Reporting, meetings and quality:contractors must chair kick-off meeting and monthly progress reporting (concise), provide minutes within one week, follow templates supplied by contracting authority, ensure internal quality assurance, provide signed informed consent forms for interviewees, permit contracting authority to request documentary evidence, accept plagiarism checks and disclose any use of generative AI (AI may be used only for language editing and minor editorial tasks; AI must not be used to generate original analysis or data).

Eligibility, selection and award

Who may submit:open to any economic operator established in the territory of the Treaties and to international organisations, and to natural or legal persons established in third countries that have a special agreement with the EU in the field of public procurement (check rules on access to procurement). Participation requires registration in the Participant Register and a PIC. Tenderers may submit as sole tenderer or as a joint tender (group). Subcontracting is permitted but identified subcontractors (>15% share or whose capacity is relied upon) must be declared and provide commitment letters. The contracting authority will verify exclusion and selection criteria and may request documentary evidence during the procedure.

Selection criteria (summary):Economic and financial capacity: Lot 1 average annual turnover > €65,000 (last two financial years). Lot 2 average annual turnover > €25,000 (last two financial years). Technical and professional capacity: Lot 1 at least two similar projects in last 5 years with minimum value €60,000 each; team must include senior researcher (≥5 years in work-related NCDs/OSH), project manager (≥3 years), at least one member with 3+ years experience in OSH/work-related NCDs and one with 3+ years in qualitative case study research; all team members C1 English. Lot 2 at least two similar projects in last 5 years with minimum value €25,000 each; team must include senior researcher ≥5 years, project manager ≥3 years, relevant experts and at least one team member with demonstrable experience on practical workplace resource development/analysis; all team members C1 English. Full details and documentary evidence requirements are in the tender specifications and Annexes.

Exclusion:standard EU Financial Regulation exclusion grounds apply; tenderers must submit Declaration on Honour (Annex 2) and provide documentary evidence if requested. Tenderers must ensure none of the involved entities are subject to EU restrictive measures that would affect performance of the contract.

Award criteria and weighting:Award method: best price-quality ratio. Price 20%, Quality 80% (quality criteria subdivided into methodology for tasks, clarity of background, organisation of work and team, quality assurance, approach to accessibility and non-technical audiences). Minimum thresholds apply (e.g. 50% per quality subcriterion and 60% overall).

Administrative and procedural information

Application submission:electronic only via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission application. EU Login account required. Tenders must be submitted in an official EU language; the contracting authority publishes documents in English. Tenders must contain the technical tender and the financial tender using the financial model in Annex 6. Separate technical and financial tenders must be uploaded per lot. Draft contract and tender specifications are published as Annexes (Invitation to Tender, Tender specifications and editable annexes, Draft direct contract for services) and must be read in full and accepted by tenderers. The contracting authority will not accept variants to the model solution described in the tender specifications.

Submission checks and system details:follow eSubmission system requirements (supported browsers, file types, file size limits). Maximum 200 attachments per submission, attachments <50 MB recommended. The system encrypts attachments upon upload. Use the Participant Register PIC. Submission receipt with timestamp from eSubmission is proof of timely submission. Drafts may be edited until the deadline. Withdrawal and replacement of tenders is possible before the deadline via eSubmission. The contracting authority may refuse to reply to questions submitted after the Q&A cut-off date.

Documents available to download:Invitation to tender; Annex I Tender specifications and annexes; editable annexes of the tender specifications; Draft direct contract for services. Editable annexes include templates for Declaration on Honour, Agreement/Power of attorney (joint tender), list of identified subcontractors, commitment letters, financial offer form and other required forms. Tenderers must consult these annexes and use the provided templates for submission.

Evaluation process and stages

One-stage open procurement:submission of full technical and financial tenders via eSubmission. Evaluation sequence: administrative compliance and eligibility checks; non-exclusion verification; selection criteria assessment (legal/regulatory capacity, financial and economic capacity, technical and professional capacity); verification of minimum requirements specified in Section 1.4; award evaluation applying the price/quality formula and weightings. The contracting authority may request clarifications and documentary evidence during evaluation; failure to provide requested evidence within deadlines may lead to rejection.

1. 1Stage 1: Administrative and eligibility checks, Declaration on Honour (Annex 2) and registration (PIC).
2. 2Stage 2: Selection criteria verification (financial, economic, technical/professional capacities).
3. 3Stage 3: Compliance with minimum requirements and full technical evaluation against quality award criteria.
4. 4Stage 4: Financial evaluation and calculation of best price-quality ratio; ranking and contract award to highest scoring tenderer.

Who should apply and eligible applicant types

Eligible applicant types include:research and consultancy organisations, research institutes, universities, think tanks, policy and OSH consultancies, multidisciplinary teams or consortia combining occupational safety and health expertise, occupational medicine, public health / epidemiology, qualitative research and stakeholder engagement skills, and experience producing accessible outputs for policymakers and workplace actors. Social partners' agencies, sectoral organisations and NGOs with research capacity may apply alone or as part of a group. Subcontractors and entities on whose capacities tenders rely must be declared where applicable.

Eligibility and geographic scope

Eligible applicants:natural and legal persons coming within the scope of the EU Treaties and international organisations. Participation may also be open to entities established in third countries that have an applicable public procurement agreement with the EU — check the rules in Section 2.2 of the tender specifications. The expected scope of study is EU Member States (geographic coverage across EU MS, with comparisons and transferable lessons). Where appropriate, relevant non-EU resources may be included if particularly relevant and transferable.

Mentioned countries / geographies in the call:EU Member States (explicitly referenced). Studies and resources across the EU; resources from outside the EU may be included where relevant and transferable.

Funding and contract type

Nature of funding:direct service contracts awarded under an open procurement procedure. Financial mechanism: service contract (payment for services). The contracting authority will sign a direct contract with the successful tenderer for each lot awarded. The contract value per lot is fixed up to the estimated amounts indicated in the call. Payments are fee-based according to deliverables and milestones; payment schedule includes an interim payment (40% conditional on accepted interim report) and final payment (balance) upon acceptance of final deliverables. No grant co-financing is required; this is a procurement contract for services and no co-funding is requested.

Budget and financial details

Estimated total procedure value €155,000. Lot 1 estimated value €115,000; Lot 2 estimated value €40,000. Contract durations: Lot 1 up to 12 months; Lot 2 up to 11 months. Interim payment conditions: interim report acceptance is a condition for the interim payment (40%). Final payment after acceptance of all deliverables (balance 60%). See Annex 6 financial offer form and the draft contract for detailed invoicing and VAT clauses.

Assessment and evaluation tips for applicants

Tenderers must provide evidence to meet selection criteria:past project descriptions with values, dates, client contact and scope; CVs and role mapping for team members using clear formats (preferably Europass); evidence of language capacity (CEFR C1 or equivalent) for those producing and editing English-language outputs. Proposals should include clear research questions, operational definitions, detailed research design, search strategies and sampling approaches, interview topic guides and templates, quality assurance and risk mitigation plans, data protection approach and ethics considerations, informed consent templates, and a realistic timeline aligned to the milestone payment schedule. Use the contracting authority templates in the editable annexes and include the completed financial model (Annex 6).

• Follow templates in Annexes for Declaration on Honour, commitment letters for subcontractors/entities, Agreement/Power of Attorney for joint tenders.
• Include evidence of secured access or preliminary letters of cooperation for proposed case organisations or resource owners.
• Provide sample case study report template and resource case description example as required in the minimum requirements.
• Disclose any intended use of generative AI (permitted only for language editing and minor editorial tasks).

Selection of subcontractors and entities relied upon

Rules:subcontractors whose intended individual share is above 15% or whose capacities are relied upon to meet selection criteria must be identified in Annex 4 and provide commitment letters (Annex 5.1) at tender submission. Entities whose capacities are relied upon but which are not subcontractors must provide commitment letters (Annex 5.2). Tenderers must indicate proportion of subcontracting and provide evidence if requested. Changes to identified subcontractors after submission require prior written approval by contracting authority.

Application templates and form structure

Required attachments and templates are provided as annexes and must be used where indicated. Key templates and forms include: Annex 1 list of documents to be submitted; Annex 2 Declaration on Honour (exclusion and selection); Annex 3 Agreement / Power of attorney for joint tenders; Annex 4 list of identified subcontractors; Annex 5.1 commitment letter by an identified subcontractor; Annex 5.2 commitment letter by an entity on whose capacities is relied; Annex 6 Financial offer form. The tender specifications include detailed requirements on structure and minimum content of the technical tender (research questions, methodology, search strategy, team, workplan, quality assurance, templates) and the financial offer (Annex 6).

1. 1Administrative forms: Declaration on Honour (Annex 2), evidence of legal existence (on request), authorisation to sign documents.
2. 2Technical tender: methodology and research design for Tasks 0–3, sample interview guides, languages and team CVs mapped to tasks, examples of candidate cases or resources, quality assurance plan, data protection and ethics approach.
3. 3Financial tender: completed Annex 6 financial offer form with breakdown by tasks and personnel days; prices in EUR, VAT treatment and bank account details.

Editable annexes and the draft contract are published in the call documents; tenderers must read the draft contract carefully as it defines contractual terms including payment schedule, intellectual property rights, data protection and audit provisions. The contracting authority requires deliverables to be supplied in templates supplied by the contracting authority and reserves the right to run plagiarism checks. The use of generative AI tools is permitted only for language editing and minor editorial tasks and must be disclosed by the contractor.

Evaluation thresholds, scoring and award formula (summary)

Award score:Final score (max 100) = price index (20 points max) + technical index (80 points max). Price index formula: (lowest price / price of tender in question) x 20. Quality is assessed against multiple subcriteria (methodology for Tasks 1–3, clarity of background, team composition and organisation of work, quality assurance and accessibility of outputs). Minimum pass marks: tenders must score at least 50% for each quality subcriterion and at least 60% overall for quality to be considered. Tenders failing minimum requirements will be rejected.

Success rates, procurement competitiveness and co-funding

Success rates:not specified in the tender documentation. This is an open procurement governed by the EU Financial Regulation and award is based on best price-quality ratio. Co-funding: no co-funding required or expected; this is a purchased service contract. Any subcontracting costs must be included in the financial offer and do not constitute co-funding.

Project maturity and target stage

Project stage and expected maturity:applied / implementation research and knowledge synthesis. Lot 1 is field-level qualitative research and case development (development, validation and demonstration of practices in workplace contexts). Lot 2 is mapping, critical assessment and practical guidance (knowledge synthesis and development of reference materials for workplace implementation). Outputs are intended for policy and practice uptake and publication by EU-OSHA.

Target sectors and thematic coverage

Target thematic sector:occupational safety and health, public health and non-communicable diseases, with specific focus on cardiovascular diseases. High-risk sectors flagged by the contracting authority: transport and logistics, construction, healthcare, manufacturing, shift-work environments and other sectors where multiple work-related exposures coexist. The call expects consideration of psychosocial, ergonomic, physical, chemical and biological exposures, and their interactions.

Deliverable quality, language and accessibility requirements

All deliverables must be written in high-quality, accessible English (at least CEFR C1 level). Outputs must be accessible and oriented to non-technical audiences, use templates supplied by the contracting authority, and follow guidance for plain language presentation, visuals and slides. All sources must be properly referenced. Plagiarism will not be tolerated; contracting authority may run plagiarism checks. Use of generative AI is allowed only for language editing and minor editorial tasks and must be disclosed by the contractor.

Cross-cutting issues and ethics

Data protection and ethics:tenderers must comply with applicable data protection regulation (Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 and national rules). Interviews and fieldwork require informed consent and secure storage of data. Contractors must indicate whether they will collect personal data and provide a data protection approach. Occupational health / medical data: if medical data are handled, contractors must comply with medical confidentiality and national rules and restrict use to aggregate reporting unless explicit consent and lawful basis are established.

Templates, submission checklist and practical pointers

Key templates to use and upload in eSubmission:Annex 2 Declaration on Honour; Annex 3 Agreement/Power of Attorney for joint tenders; Annex 4 list of identified subcontractors; Annex 5.1 commitment letters (identified subcontractors); Annex 5.2 commitment letters (entities relied upon); Annex 6 Financial offer form. Technical tender should include research questions, detailed methodology and search strategy, sampling, minimum number of interviews and site visits per case, draft interview guides and tools, example case study report template, draft outlines for final reports and policy brief, CVs and role mapping, languages available and quality assurance plan. Ensure early registration in Participant Register (PIC) and allow time to upload documents before the deadline.

Submission address and contact info

Electronic submissions only via EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission. For procurement administrative contact: procurement@osha.europa.eu. Technical queries should be submitted in the Portal Q&A section (EU Login required) before the Q&A cut-off. Read the eSubmission Quick Guide and system requirements in the Portal and use supported browsers (Chrome or Firefox) to avoid upload issues.

Important documents and where to find them:Invitation to tender, Tender specifications and annexes, Editable annexes and Draft direct contract for services are published in the Funding & Tenders Portal call page and must be consulted. Editable Annexes include templates referenced above ¹.

1. 11.0 Invitation to tender OSHA2026OP0023 (PDF)
2. 22.0 Annex I Tender specifications and annexes (PDF)
3. 32.1 Editable annexes of the tender specifications (DOCX templates)
4. 43.0 Annex II Draft direct contract for services (PDF)

Final practical summary — who, what, how and why

This is an EU-OSHA procurement for services to research and synthesise workplace practices and practical resources addressing work-related cardiovascular disease prevention, return-to-work and retention at work. The opportunity is divided into two independent lots: field-based qualitative case-study research (Lot 1) and a systematic mapping, assessment and compilation of practical workplace resources and a practitioner reference guide (Lot 2). Estimated total procedure value is €155,000 (Lot 1: €115,000; Lot 2: €40,000). The procurement is an open procedure requiring electronic submission through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by 10 September 2026. Selection is based on exclusion, selection (financial, economic and technical capacity) and award criteria (best price-quality ratio; price 20%, quality 80%). Successful bidders will sign a direct service contract with EU-OSHA and deliver specified outputs according to the milestone schedule. The procurement targets research organisations, consultancies and consortia with demonstrated qualitative field research experience, OSH and work-related disease expertise, and the ability to produce high-quality, accessible outputs for policy and workplace audiences.

Footnotes

1. 1Call documents including the Invitation to Tender, Tender specifications and the editable annex templates (Annexes 1-6 and the draft contract) are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal call page and must be used. See the call page for downloads and templates.

This is an EU-OSHA services tender for research and evidence synthesis on workplace practices and practical resources to prevent work-related cardiovascular disease, support return to work after a cardiovascular event, and retain workers with chronic cardiovascular disease, and it is split into two independent lots.[1]

The portal lists a total estimated contract value of €155,000, with Lot 1 at €115,000 for 12 months and Lot 2 at €40,000 for 11 months.[1]

The award method is best price-quality ratio, with quality weighted at 80 percent and price at 20 percent.[1]

What the opportunity is about

The policy aim is to address a documented gap between evidence and practice by identifying real workplace prevention measures, return-to-work arrangements, retention-at-work practices, and practical tools that workplace actors can use, especially in higher-risk sectors, occupations and worker groups.[1]

Tenders may be submitted for either lot, each lot is assessed independently, and partial or conditional bids are not permitted.[1]

Who can apply and how to submit

As an open procedure, the opportunity is available to economic operators that meet the exclusion and selection criteria in the procurement documents, and submission is electronic through the Funding and Tenders Portal with EU Login access.[1]

The main CPV is 73000000, covering research and development services and related consultancy services.[1]

Key dates

What bidders should be ready to provide

• Lot 1 bidders should show a clear research design, a detailed methodology for all tasks, a search strategy, an initial list of at least five candidate cases, a minimum number of case studies to be delivered, planned data collection activities, recording methods, language coverage, example interview guides or survey questions, a case report template, an outline for the final report and policy brief, and project management and quality assurance arrangements.[1]
• Lot 2 bidders should show a clear research design, a detailed methodology for all tasks, a search strategy, a typology and assessment framework for workplace resources, an initial inventory template, at least five example resources, the minimum number of resources to be developed in depth, interview arrangements, language coverage, a case example template, draft outlines for the final report, reference guide and policy brief, and project management and quality assurance arrangements.[1]

For Lot 1, the work is structured around an inception phase, selection of at least ten candidate case studies, in-depth field research in at least five cases, and a comparative final report with standalone case studies and policy outputs.[1]

For Lot 2, the work is structured around an inception phase, mapping and critical assessment of a minimum of ten practical resources, selection of at least five for in-depth description, and a final reference guide and synthesis report.[1]

The portal metadata flags the procedure as not SME suitable, which suggests the contracting authority expects substantial research, fieldwork and reporting capacity rather than a small-scale procurement.[1]