Procurement description
1. Purpose of contract
The European Labour Authority (ELA) is a Union body established by Regulation (EU) 2019/1149. Its aim is to ensure that EU rules on labour mobility and social security coordination are enforced in a fair, simple and effective way and to make it easier for citizens and businesses to reap the benefits of the internal market.
Background and objectives of the requested services
The Annual Work Programme 2023 of the European Labour Authority (ELA) establishes that ELA ‘will conduct a strategic foresight exercise, building potential scenarios of the future of labour mobility in the EU’. In this context, further reference is made to ‘a future-oriented, forward-looking perspective for EURES’, a network of public and private employment services active in 31 European countries, in which since 2021 ELA has the role of the European Coordination Office.
Against this background, ELA is starting a strategic foresight/scenario building activity on the topic of ‘The impact of common labour market imbalances (labour shortages and surpluses) on EURES services by 2030’. This specific topic was chosen due to the perceived aggravating labour market imbalances, and the thereof resulting challenges for employers, workers, jobseekers and labour market institutions, including EURES, PES, ministries, social partners and other stakeholders.
Methodology of strategic foresight/scenario building
Scenario building is a well-established and recognised scientific methodology of strategic foresight. It is a qualitative analytical approach. In contrast to quantitative forecasting which results in a numerical estimation of future developments, scenario building aims at developing a range of potential plausible futures. In the framework of the exercise, a variety of ‘stories’ about how the future could look like are developed. All potential futures might realistically realise, but there will be no indication of which of the potential futures is more likely to materialise than others.
Aim of the activity is to jointly think about and raise awareness about what might happen in the future, including considering ‘out of the box’ developments. The identification of influence factors on the future development and their interplay and effects help labour market actors in the design and preparation of policies and interventions.
The methodology follows a standardised approach:
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First stakeholder workshop on influence factors (‘drivers’)
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Drafting of so-called ‘driver files’, summarising the definition, past and potential future trends for the identified influence factors
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Second stakeholder workshop on scenarios
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Drafting of a number of future scenarios, describing how the future could potentially look like based on expected developments of the influence factors
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Third stakeholder workshop to validate the developed scenarios
Purpose of this contract
As part of the approach described above, the purpose of this contract is to deliver the so called ‘driver files’. The contractor is expected to:
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Participate in the first stakeholder workshop which will take place on 17 October 2023 in ELA’s premises in Bratislava. It is expected that there will be about 15 external participants (e.g. national administrations or their implementing bodies, EURES network, social partners, European Commission, researchers) as well as ELA staff. The contractor will follow the discussions in the meeting which are an essential input into the ‘driver files’. No active contribution from the contractor (e.g. moderation, providing contributions) is required.
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Draft ‘driver files’, based on the outcomes of the first stakeholder workshop. The topics and the number of the required driver files will be determined in/shortly after the workshop, but the number will be limited to a maximum of 10 driver files. A driver file is a document defining an influence factor (e.g. migration and intra-EU mobility, digitalisation, economic situation, labour supply and demand etc.), describing its past development (and ideally also some future outlook) and deriving a minimum of two hypotheses on how this factor might develop in the future. It follows a standardised structure along the mentioned elements and, depending on the topic, has about 5-15 pages. The contractor is requested to conduct desk research (literature review, web search, secondary data analysis) and compile the relevant information.
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Revise and finalise the driver files based on ELA’s input and requests. The driver files have to be finalised (i.e. approved by ELA) by 27 November 2023.
2. Price and duration
The maximum amount for this contract is EUR 30 000. The estimated performance period of the resulting contract is 2 October – 15 December 2023 (contract not renewable).
3. Description of the process
Economic operators interested in the subject of this publicity are asked to note that this is not a call for tenders. It is a publication to announce ELA’s intention to launch a negotiated procedure for the award of a low value contract and allow interested economic operators to express their interest.
The indicative time schedule for launching the negotiated procedure is August 2023. Interested economic operators can express their interest to participate in this negotiated procedure until 13 September 2023 at 12:00 pm, CET time in writing to ela-procurement@ela.europa.eu. The indicative date to sign the contract is beginning of October 2023.
This ex-ante publicity has an indicative value and is in no way binding on ELA. ELA may decide not to launch the procurement procedure without candidates being entitled to claim any compensation.
4. Who will be invited to submit a tender?
Only invited candidates having received an invitation to tender from ELA may participate in the planned procedure.
Consequently, any tender received from a legal or natural person not invited to tender, even if in a consortium with an invited candidate, will be rejected. Therefore, if it is the case, please express your interest as a consortium. As an alternative, you may freely use subcontracting when submitting an offer.
If you have expressed interest in this publicity and you have access to the procurement, you will be invited to submit a tender. ELA reserves the right to invite also other economic operators than those having expressed interest following this ex-ante publicity.
Invited candidates can submit a joint tender with other economic operators only if they have expressed interest in the planned procedure as a consortium.
Subcontracting is permitted.
Protection of personal data
If processing your expression of interest involves the recording and processing of personal data (such as name, address and CV), this data will be processed pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 2018/1725. Unless indicated otherwise, any personal data will be processed solely for evaluation purposes under the negotiated procedure by the Executive Director of ELA. Details concerning the processing of personal data are available in the privacy statement. The tenderer's personal data may be registered in the Early Detection and Exclusion System (EDES) if the tenderer is in one of the situations mentioned in Article 136 of the Financial Regulation. For more information, see the privacy statement.