OPEN INVITATION FOR QUOTATION AND SERVICE OFFER
Support Services for SYSTEMEU Project (Grant No. 101161224)
1. About SYSTEMEU
SYSTEMEU – Fostering Systemic Innovation and Digital Transformation across European Innovation Ecosystems – is a Horizon Europe COFUND project (Grant No. 101161224) co-financed by the European Commission under the HORIZON-EIE-2023-CONNECT-03-01 topic. The project is implemented over 48 months from 01 January 2025 to 31. December 2028 and is coordinated by the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship (SCE) in Munich, Germany.
SYSTEMEU is an initiative aimed at transforming European innovation ecosystems through open innovation by fostering digitalization in healthcare, energy, and mobility. It unites five regional ecosystems, fostering inclusivity and collaboration among universities, incubators, public organizations, government agencies, and innovation centers from Germany, Romania, Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Spain. SYSTEMEU addresses the issue of traditional innovation efforts’ limited focus on societal and environmental transformation, introducing a systemic and long-term perspective. By fostering a collaborative and interdisciplinary environment, SYSTEMEU will enable adaptable policies and stimulate economic vibrancy, enhancing societal wellbeing and advancing European innovation.
SYSTEMEU promises to create interconnected, inclusive, and more efficient innovation ecosystems, strengthen crossborder network collaboration through six cross-regional projects in project duration and others after the project end, expand global cooperation through existing networks of European actors and ecosystems, promote gender equality, and reduce territorial inequalities in access to innovation support, aligning with EU policies and strategies. SYSTEMEU’s innovative approach aims to usher Europe into a regenerative world.
1 SYSTEMEU brings together 16 partners across 5 European innovation ecosystems (Oberbayern – Germany, North region of Portugal -Portugal, Northwest Romania – Romania, Tuzla Canton – Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Castilla y Leon – Spain), aiming to:
➔ Accelerate digital transformation in healthcare, energy, and mobility;
➔ Promote systemic, cross-regional innovation and establish a Community of Practice entitled SYSTEMEU Innovation Academy for co-creation between Quadruple Helix stakeholders.
➔ Strengthen Quadruple Helix cooperation (academia, business, government, civil society) across five regions of SYSTEMEU through capacity building activities and direct support of FSTP in the amount of 7.7 MEUR six interregional projects.
➔ Create a scalable prototype of an interconnected innovation ecosystem for Europe. 2. Scope of the Service Agreement
SCE is inviting qualified external agencies or consortia to submit service proposals to support the implementation of SYSTEMEU from 15 November 2025 to 31 December 2028.
SYSTEMEU is structured into eight Work Packages (WPs). The current invitation seeks support for implementing cross-cutting tasks specifically under six working packages under management of Northwest Romania, Bavaria, North Region of Portugal and Tuzla Canton. Exception to invitation are reflected for three WPs entitled: WP4. Ecosystem Connection and WP7. Communication and Dissemination activities which are under management of Castilla y Leon and WP5. Undertaking Interregional Projects to Master the Digital Transformation under management of project lead – Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship.
WP1: Conceptualisation of strategically oriented long-term activities programme Work Package Number WP1 with the following objectives: Analysis of existing national and regional strategies and work plans across five partner regions
➔ Develop a clear strategic direction for the long-term programme of activities in alignment with the project’s broader mission and objectives outlined in the Annual Work Plan. ➔ Based on SYSTEMEU working plan and strategy analysis develop new annual working plans in close collaboration with regional and national governments and partner innovation actors. ➔ Documentation: Create comprehensive documentation, including strategic plans and risk assessments including a plan for continuation of cross-regional activities post post-2027.
Service provider tasks within WP 1 are the following:
Task 1. Support the WP leader in development of Annual Working Plans
Taks 2. Support the WP Leader in organisation of the cross-regional workshop Task 3. Act as a supporting quality checker of deliverables developed in WP1 in line with the Quality Assurance Plan of the project.
Anticipated involvement of service provider: 0.25 FTE for the duration of the project.
2 WP2: Policy Coordination and Funding Synergies with the objective to foster collaboration and synergies among local, regional, and national funds, organizations, and stakeholders to maximize the impact of resources and support innovation and development in the participating regions.
● Identify and promote investment opportunities within each region.
● Engage local businesses and startups to prepare for private investment.
● Develop a supportive legal and regulatory framework for private investment.
Service provider tasks within WP 2 are the following:
Task 1. Support the WP leader in development of cross-regional investment portfolio Tasks 2. Support the WP Leader in development of regulatory framework plan for period 2026- 20208 +
Task 3. Act as a supporting quality checker of deliverables developed in WP1 in line with the Quality Assurance Plan of the project.
Anticipated involvement of service provider: 0.25 FTE for the duration of the project.
WP3: Capacity building with an objective to advance the skills in open innovation and co-creation processes between QH stakeholders regionally and internationally towards ensuring agile development of cross regional projects.
Service provider tasks within WP 3 are the following:
Task 1. Support the WP leader in development of the second version of Innovation Academy Plan after the implementation of the prototype in 2025.
Tasks 2. Expand the Innovation Academy using its own pool of experts and investors relevant for the project and support in 1:1 mentoring of the created working groups of the community of practice. Task 3. Act as a supporting quality checker of deliverables developed in WP3 in line with the Quality Assurance Plan of the project.
Anticipated involvement of service provider: 0.15 FTE for the duration of the project.
WP6: Project management Work Package 6 (WP6) provides the operational backbone for the SYSTEMEU project, ensuring the coordinated, transparent, and high-quality implementation of activities across all participating regions and work packages. As the central management work package, WP6 defines the processes, responsibilities, and tools required for efficient execution of the project over its four-year duration.
The key objectives of WP6 include:
➔ Structured Project Launch and Strategic Planning: Establishing a clear management structure, roles, and work plans through a well-organized project kick-off and continuous coordination mechanisms.
➔ Proactive Risk Mitigation and Contingency Planning: Identifying and addressing potential risks through a dynamic risk management framework that supports adaptive planning and project resilience.
➔ Efficient Internal Communication and Stakeholder Engagement: Facilitating seamless collaboration across the consortium with structured communication flows, regular meetings, and stakeholder alignment processes.
➔ Robust Financial Oversight and Quality Assurance: Ensuring full compliance with Horizon Europe financial regulations through meticulous budget control and expenditure monitoring, alongside implementation of quality standards and internal evaluations.
WP6 is implemented under the leadership of the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship (SCE) and actively involves all SYSTEMEU regional ecosystems. It ensures that the project stays on course, delivers high-impact results, and adheres to both administrative and strategic expectations set by the European Commission.
Service provider tasks within WP 3 are the following:
Task 1. Support the WP leader in the monitoring of project tasks across WPs with setting clear and trackable templates.
Tasks 2. Support in internal communication and stakeholder engagement
Task 3. Act as a supporting quality checker of deliverables developed in WP1 in line with the Quality Assurance Plan of the project. Anticipated involvement of service provider: 0.25 FTE for the duration of the project.
WP8: Exploitation and legacy planning with the goal to ensure the sustainability of the project and its results beyond the end of the current funding. It will aim to produce a specific model; methodology and a plan of how best practices can be scaled further to achieve results.
Service provider tasks within WP 8 are the following:
Task 1. Support the WP leader in the development of a business model for continuation Tasks 2. Support in scouting additional revenue models for continuation of activities and ensuring at least 1 new proposal is submitted before the mid 2028.
Task 3. Act as a supporting quality checker of deliverables developed in WP8 in line with the Quality Assurance Plan of the project. Anticipated involvement of service provider: 0.1 FTE for the duration of the project.
2. Scope of the Service Agreement
SCE is inviting qualified external agencies or consortia to submit service proposals until 31st of October 2025 to support the implementation of SYSTEMEU from 1st December 2025 to 31 December 2028.
4 Expected Outputs:
➔ Workshop facilitation (online and in-person) tied to WP1 and WP3.
➔ Reports, briefings, and visual documentation across the five WPs.
➔ Process and workflow templates across the WPs,
➔ Stakeholder engagement documentation relevant for WP 6.
➔ New proposal submitted for support of the business model of SYSTEMEU for period 2029+
3. Payment Process
The selected service contractor will enter into a contract with SCE as the coordinator and lead beneficiary of SYSTEMEU. The payment process will be structured as follows:
● Contract Value: To be proposed by the applicant in the financial offer (exclusive of VAT). ● Invoicing Schedule:
○ Advance payment: 25% upon contract signature
○ Progress payments: Three payments in amount of 12,5 %, followed by 25 % and 25 % of the full contract linked to delivery of key milestones.
○ Final payment: 12.5% upon submission and approval of all final reports ● Payment Terms: 30 days upon receipt of invoice and approval by SCE
● Currency: All offers must be in EUR
SCE will ensure compliance with Horizon Europe financial regulations and reserves the right to request documentation of time spent and deliverables produced.
4. Monitoring of the Service Contractor
While the contract will be signed and managed by SCE, a monitoring group will oversee the contractor’s performance and adherence to the agreed timeline and quality standards. The monitoring group includes representatives from:
● SCE (Coordinator)
● Industrial Automation (IA), Bosnia and Herzegovina
● Municipality of Braga (MDB), Portugal
● Cluster C-EDU (Romania)
5 Monitoring Mechanisms:
● Monthly online check-in meetings (minutes required)
● Quarterly progress reports (structure to be provided by SCE)
● Feedback loops from key WP leaders (WP1, WP2, WP3, WP5, WP6, WP8) ● End-of-year performance review
5. Service Offer Content and Scope
Applicants are requested to submit the following components in their service offer (max. 15 pages including annexes). Prior to submitting they are to inquire for a detailed project summary via moritz.hoffmann@sce.de
A. Technical Proposal
● Introduction of the applicant/consortium
● Understanding of SYSTEMEU objectives and WP tasks
● Description of proposed methodology
● Overview of similar relevant experience (EU-funded projects preferred) ● Overview of team members involved (CVs in annex)
● Project management approach, including quality control
B. Financial Proposal
● Breakdown of total cost (person-days, travel, other direct costs)
● Daily rates of each team member
● VAT and other applicable taxes (if any)
C. Annexes
● CVs of key personnel
● Portfolio of similar services
Deadline for submission: 01.11.2025
Submission method: Please send your complete offer as a PDF to: moritz.hoffmann@sce.de Subject line: SYSTEMEU – Service Offer Submission
For any clarifications or questions, please contact:
Moritz Hoffmann, Project Manager
Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship (SCE)
moritz.hoffmann@sce.de
