Industry and Fusion Laboratories Portal

HOW TO DO BUSINESS

Here you will find guidance, tutorials and all necessary information to do business.

Glossary

Definitions

The glossary below contains definitions of key terms related to F4E procurement and the ITER project. Understanding these terms is important for companies interested in tendering for F4E contracts or participating in the ITER project. The glossary is intended to serve as a helpful reference tool for those new to the field, as well as for those who are familiar with the terminology but need a quick reminder and better understanding of the terms you may have seen over this page.

Award Criteria	The predetermined standards or criteria used to evaluate and select a winning tender or proposal in a public procurement process. These criteria are used to determine which tender or proposal offers the best value for money/lowest price, taking into consideration various factors such as price, quality, technical merit, sustainability, and other relevant considerations.
Background	In the context of F4E contracts and grants, background refers to any information or intellectual property that is held by the contractor or developed outside the scope of the contract, which is necessary to carry out the contract or for using the services or goods supplied under the contract.
Broader Approach (BA)	A cooperation framework was established between Europe and Japan for advancing fusion energy research and development.
Call for Expression of Interest (CEI)	A notice published by a contracting authority inviting potential bidders to express their interest in a future procurement procedure.
Call for Nominations (CfN)	A procedure used to select candidates for a specific position or task, typically in a public sector organization or program.
Call for Proposals (CfP)	A process in which an organization invites interested parties to submit a proposal for a particular project or initiative, typically funded by the organization.
Candidate	An individual or organization (company) that has applied or been nominated for a position or task.
Contracting Authority	An organization or entity responsible for awarding contracts, typically in the public sector. (F4E)
DEMO	A fusion power plant that is designed to produce electricity from fusion reactions, with the goal of demonstrating the commercial viability of fusion power.
Economic Operator	A company or individual that is engaged in economic activity, such as buying, selling, or providing services. (Your company)
EU Supply	An e-procurement platform that F4E uses to manage its procurement processes.
EUROfusion	A consortium of European fusion research institutions that coordinates fusion research activities in Europe.
E-submission tool	The E-submission tool is a web-based tool that vendors/economic operators use to submit their bids electronically.
Exclusion Criteria	The specific conditions or grounds that disqualify a potential tenderer from participating in a public procurement process within. These criteria are set by F4E and may include factors such as past convictions for corruption or fraud, failure to pay taxes or social security contributions, bankruptcy, conflicts of interest, or other legal or financial reasons that may indicate a lack of integrity, reliability, or suitability to participate in the procurement process.
Fusion for Energy (F4E)	A European Union organization is responsible for providing Europe's contribution to ITER, the international nuclear fusion project.
Intellectual Property (IP)	Refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names and images used in commerce, for which exclusive rights are recognized.
Invitation to Tender (ITT)	A document that is issued by a contracting authority to invite bids for a particular contract or project.
International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER)	A major international project to build a large-scale experimental nuclear fusion reactor.
Know-How	It refers to knowledge, expertise, and skills that are not necessarily protected by intellectual property rights but are still valuable and can be used to achieve a particular objective.
National Industry Liaison Officer (ILO)	A representative in each EU Member State who promotes participation in F4E projects by companies and organizations in that state.
Nuclear Safety	The set of measures and regulations that are designed to ensure the safe operation of nuclear facilities and the protection of the public and the environment from nuclear hazards.
Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU)	The official journal of the European Union, publishes information related to EU legislation, tenders, and public procurement.
Protection-Important Components (PIC)	The measures taken to protect the most important components of a nuclear facility from damage or failure.
Protection-Important Activities (PIA)	The measures taken to protect the most important activities of a nuclear facility from disruption or failure.
Quality Assurance (QA)	The set of activities and processes that are designed to ensure that products or services meet certain quality standards.

Selection Criteria	The criteria that are used to evaluate the suitability of tenderers for a particular contract or project.
Tender Electronic Daily (TED)	An online database that provides information on public procurement notices and tender opportunities in the European Union.
Threshold	A limit beyond which certain rules or regulations apply, such as the minimum value of a contract that must be advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union.