01 Proposal · Page Limit and Layout The recommended maximum length of the technical proposal is 30 pages in total, covering the three award criteria. The proposal must be submitted using the award criteria template (Annex 6) available in the Funding and Tenders Portal as a single PDF document. Proposals may be submitted in any official language of the European Union, though submission in English is recommended as it is EFSA's working language.
02 Eligible · Countries for Participation The call does not explicitly restrict participation by country. However, applicants must be on the list of competent organisations designated by the Member States in accordance with Article 36 of Regulation (EC) 178/2002 and Commission Regulation (EC) 2230/2004. This list is regularly updated by EFSA Management Board. Non-EU participants may participate but must comply with specific obligations including respect for general principles, use of qualified external auditors, and allowing checks and audits by EU bodies.
03 Competent · Organisation Requirement Yes, applicants must be designated as competent organisations according to Article 36 of Regulation (EC) 178/2002 and Commission Regulation (EC) 2230/2004. This is a mandatory eligibility requirement. The list of competent organisations is regularly updated by EFSA Management Board and is available for consultation at the provided link. In case of a consortium, all partners must also be on this list.
04 General · Eligibility Criteria The general eligibility criteria require that: (1) At the deadline for submission of proposals, the applicant and in case of consortium also its partner/s are on the list of competent organisations designated by the Member States in accordance with Article 36 of Regulation (EC) 178/2002 and Commission Regulation (EC) 2230/2004; and (2) The applicant and in case of consortium also its partner/s are involved in the execution of the project.
05 Other · Eligibility Conditions Applicants must not be in any of the exclusion situations referred to in Article 138(1) of the EU Financial Regulation. This includes situations related to fraud, corruption, grave professional misconduct, bankruptcy, breach of social security or tax obligations, involvement in criminal organisations, money laundering, terrorism-related crimes, child labour, human trafficking, or creation under different jurisdiction to circumvent legal obligations. Applicants must also demonstrate stable and sufficient financial resources to maintain their activity throughout the project period.
06 Financial · and Operational Capacity Applicants and consortium partners must have stable and sufficient financial resources to maintain their activity throughout the period during which the project is being carried out. If EFSA considers financial capacity is weak, it may request further information, decide not to give pre-financing, give pre-financing in instalments, require a bank guarantee, or require joint and several financial liability of co-beneficiaries. If the EFSA Authorising Officer considers financial capacity insufficient, the application may be rejected. For professional and operational capacity, the applicant or consortium must have extensive and demonstrable experience in basic and applied scientific research relevant to food microbiology and food technology, risk assessment and/or risk management in biological hazards, and project management. At least 4 experts must be proposed with Master's degree (minimum 5 years university), demonstrable post-graduate experience with at least 3 publications in past 3 years, and at least 3 years post-graduate working experience in specified scientific fields.
07 Exclusion · Criteria Applicants and partners must not be in any of the exclusion situations referred to in Article 138(1) of the EU Financial Regulation. These include: bankruptcy or similar proceedings; breach of social security or tax obligations; grave professional misconduct; fraud, corruption, involvement in criminal organisations, money laundering, terrorism-related crimes, child labour, or human trafficking; creation under different jurisdiction to circumvent fiscal, social or other legal obligations; substantial errors, irregularities or fraud; serious breach of obligations under the agreement or during award; or systemic or recurrent errors, irregularities, fraud or serious breach of obligations in other EU grants under similar conditions.
08 Evaluation · and Award Criteria Proposals are evaluated in five sequential steps: (1) Verification of submission requirements; (2) Eligibility criteria; (3) Exclusion criteria; (4) Selection criteria; (5) Award criteria. If a proposal fails at any step, it is automatically excluded. Award criteria consist of three components: (1) Understanding the assignment and methodology (MAX 40 points, minimum 60% = 24 points) - assesses understanding of assignments, tasks, and methodology for alternative methods for animal by-products; (2) Project management and organisation (MAX 40 points, minimum 60% = 24 points) - assesses project structure, work packages, timelines, milestones, communication with EFSA, and coordinator role; (3) Risk Management and quality assurance (MAX 20 points) - assesses identification of risks, mitigation strategies, and quality assurance mechanisms.
09 Scoring · Methodology and Thresholds The scoring methodology allocates points across three award criteria with a maximum total of 100 points. Criterion 1 (Understanding assignment and methodology) has a maximum of 40 points with a minimum threshold of 60% (24 points). Criterion 2 (Project management and organisation) has a maximum of 40 points with a minimum threshold of 60% (24 points). Criterion 3 (Risk Management and quality assurance) has a maximum of 20 points with no specified minimum threshold. To be considered for the reserve list, proposals must: (1) score at least 60% of points for criteria 1 and 2; and (2) score a minimum of 70 points out of the maximum possible 100 points. Proposals meeting these thresholds are ranked on a reserve list valid for six months from signature of the feedback letter.
10 Submission · Modalities and Procedures Proposals must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal before the deadline (10/12/2026 at 17:00 EFSA Local Time). Applicants must be registered in the Participant Register to obtain a Participant Identification Code (PIC). All applications must be submitted through the EU Funding and Tenders portal; hard copy paper applications will not be accepted. Proposals may be submitted in any official language of the European Union, though English is recommended as EFSA's working language. Supporting documents (e.g. CVs) are required and are an integral part of the proposal. If supporting documents are in a language other than English, a reliable translation of relevant parts into English is appreciated. The submission system allows applicants to prepare applications electronically in a structured and secured way. Applicants are advised to start completing applications early and submit several hours before the deadline.
11 Evaluation · Timeline and Grant Agreement The indicative procedure timetable is as follows: Launch date 08/10/2026 (publication on EFSA website and Funding & Tender portal); Deadline for clarification questions 02/12/2026; EFSA reply to clarification questions 04/12/2026; Deadline for proposal submission 10/12/2026 at 17:00 EFSA Local Time; Notification of evaluation results February 2027 (estimated); Grant agreement signature March 2027 (estimated). All applicants will be informed of the decision regarding their application within 6 months of the deadline for submission of proposals. Signature of the grant agreement will take place within 3 months from the date the successful applicant(s) has/have been informed of the decision. The applicant(s) will be notified whether they are placed on the reserve list. EFSA reserves the right to invite the 1st ranked applicant on the reserve list to adapt its proposal based on evaluators' comments. Following successful adaptation, the award decision is taken and the grant agreement is prepared.
12 Legal · and Financial Arrangements The grant is a financing not linked to costs (FNCL) grant governed by the EU Financial Regulation (Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509). The form of grant is based on financing not linked to costs in accordance with Article 125(1)(a) of the EU Financial Regulation. This is an action grant intended to help achieve a Union policy objective. The grant does not require co-financing, estimated budgets, or timesheets to record work. Payment of agreed sums from EFSA is based on acceptance by EFSA of delivered work. The total envelope available is EUR 300,000.00. The grant principles applicable are: Non-retroactivity (tasks should not be performed before grant agreement signature); and the following principles do NOT apply: Co-financing, No-profit, and Non-cumulative. Subcontracting is not allowed for any of the tasks. The Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA) has a maximum duration of 4 years. Specific agreements under the FPA have a maximum duration of 8 months. The FPA continues to apply to specific agreements after its expiry, with services to be performed no later than 8 months after FPA expiry.
13 Draft · Grant Agreement Key Terms The Draft Specific Grant Agreement establishes the terms for implementation of actions under the Framework Partnership Agreement. Key terms include: (1) Grant form is financing not linked to costs (FNCL); (2) Grant mode is action grant; (3) Eligible contributions are financing not linked to costs if work packages are completed and work is properly implemented or results are achieved per Annex 1; (4) Subcontracting is not allowed; (5) Beneficiaries are jointly and severally liable for technical implementation; (6) Coordinator must monitor proper implementation, act as intermediary for communication, and distribute payments to co-beneficiaries; (7) Prefinancing of 30% of maximum grant amount is paid within 30 days of entry into force; (8) Final payment is made within 90 days of receiving deliverables; (9) No-profit rule does not apply; (10) Late payment interest is ECB + 3.5%; (11) Beneficiaries must keep records and supporting documents to prove proper implementation; (12) Beneficiaries must respect confidentiality and provide Individual Declarations of Interest for project team members; (13) Ownership of delivered outputs vests solely in EFSA; (14) Any communication or publication requires prior written authorization from EFSA; (15) Beneficiaries must ensure EU grant does not benefit entities subject to EU restrictive measures.
14 Draft · Framework Partnership Agreement Terms The Draft Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA) establishes a long-term cooperation framework between EFSA and one or several partners. Key terms include: (1) FPA duration is 48 months from signature of last party to sign, non-extendable; (2) Overall envelope amount is EUR 300,000.00 for implementation via specific grant agreements; (3) Specific grant agreements must be signed before FPA expiry; (4) FPA terms continue to apply to specific agreements for maximum 6 months after FPA expiry; (5) Only participants in the FPA consortium can be awarded grants, but not all must participate in all grants; (6) Beneficiaries must respect FPA objectives and implement as described in Annex 1; (7) Beneficiaries must maintain mutual cooperation and regular transparent exchanges with EFSA; (8) Either party may request suspension on duly justified grounds; (9) Either party may request termination on duly justified grounds; (10) Terminated beneficiaries cannot participate in new grants signed after termination date but remain obligated under ongoing grants; (11) Communications follow same rules as grant agreements; (12) Amendments follow same procedures as grant agreements; (13) New beneficiaries can accede under same conditions as grant agreements; (14) Applicable law and dispute settlement follow same rules as grant agreements; (15) Partners must provide Individual Declarations of Interest for project team members with influence/control over scientific outputs; (16) Confidentiality obligations apply; (17) Ownership of outputs vests in EFSA; (18) Communication/publication requires prior written EFSA authorization.