Open Call Round 1 - Call for External Evaluators
Deadline: 25 October 2026
AENAON OPEN CALL 1
CALL FOR EXTERNAL EVALUATORS
Open Call 1 | Call for Expressions of Interest
AENAON is seeking independent external experts to evaluate eligible proposals submitted under AENAON Open Call 1 (Financial Support to Third Parties – FSTP). At least two independent external evaluators will assess each eligible proposal against the published award criteria: Excellence (30%), Impact (30%) and Implementation (40%), using a 0-5 scoring scale and the evaluation procedures defined in the Open Call documentation.
AENAON supports the offshore wind ecosystem through a Federated Digital Twin-based Cyber Range Platform, cyber range training and scenario-based exercises, cybersecurity preparedness services, and integration, testing and validation activities relevant to offshore wind and interconnected critical infrastructure.
Independence, impartiality, confidentiality, absence of conflicts of interest and compliance with the applicable geographical eligibility requirements are mandatory conditions for appointment.
What Evaluators Will Do
Selected evaluators will be expected to:
- Review the Open Call documentation, evaluation criteria, scoring scale and evaluator instructions.
- Assess assigned proposals independently and impartially through the AENAON evaluation environment.
- Provide criterion-specific scores, strengths, weaknesses and clear evidence-based justification.
- Complete the required individual evaluation reports within the agreed deadlines.
- Participate in consensus discussions and contribute to a consensus report where requested.
- Declare any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest immediately and refrain from evaluating affected proposals.
- Maintain strict confidentiality before, during and after the evaluation process. Confidential information includes proposal content, applicant information, evaluation comments and scores, deliberations and any other non-public information accessed during the assignment.
- Comply with the applicable data-protection requirements and evaluator instructions.
Evaluators do not make contracting decisions. Final selection is confirmed by the relevant AENAON governance bodies on the basis of the evaluation results, the applicable eligibility requirements and the available Open Call budget.
Ideal Evaluator Profile
We welcome expressions of interest from experts with strong experience in one or more of the following areas:
- Cybersecurity for critical infrastructure, including energy, utilities, OT/ICS/SCADA and cyber-physical systems.
- Offshore wind, renewable energy digitalisation and sector-specific operational environments.
- Digital twins, simulation environments and cyber range technologies.
- Threat and risk assessment, vulnerability assessment, penetration testing, attack simulation and responsible vulnerability disclosure.
- Cybersecurity training, preparedness, incident-response exercises, scenario design, and red-team/blue-team methodologies.
- Technology validation, integration, demonstration, and innovation uptake.
- Security standards, cybersecurity governance and regulatory alignment, including NIS2-related preparedness.
- Evaluation of EU-funded research, innovation, deployment or cascade-funding proposals.
Additional assets include the ability to assess both technical merit and implementation feasibility, strong analytical writing skills, excellent written English and availability during the expected evaluation period.
Eligibility, Independence and Ethics Requirements
As evaluation is an AENAON project activity under the FSTP framework, appointment is subject to the applicable geographical restrictions. Evaluators must comply with the geographical eligibility requirements applicable to the project activity: An evaluator must hold the nationality of an EU-27 Member State, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, or an additional third country only where it is expressly confirmed as fully associated with Digital Europe Specific Objective 3 – Cybersecurity and Trust and included in the definitive AENAON Open Call 1 List of Eligible Countries. Association only with SO1, SO2, SO4 or SO5 does not establish eligibility.
- Evaluators must act independently, impartially, and in their personal capacity.
- Evaluators must be independent from the AENAON consortium and from applicants assigned to them for evaluation.
- Any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest must be disclosed immediately. Relevant circumstances may include employment or contractual ties, financial interests, recent professional collaboration, or close personal relationships involving an applicant.
- Selected experts must sign the required Evaluator Agreement and declarations covering independence, confidentiality, conflicts of interest and data protection before receiving access to proposal or applicant information.
- AENAON may exclude or reassign an evaluator where a conflict of interest or other eligibility/compliance issue exists.
Remuneration and Evaluator Agreement
Selected experts will receive remuneration for evaluation services, subject to successful completion and acceptance of the assigned evaluation work and any required consensus activities. The applicable remuneration, expected workload, payment arrangements, and required supporting documentation will be communicated to selected experts and formally established in the Evaluator Agreement.
Payment will be made following successful completion and acceptance of the assigned work, including any required consensus activities and upon submission of the required invoice or equivalent payment documentation in accordance with the applicable AENAON administrative and financial procedures. Any taxes, social-security contributions or other statutory obligations, arising from the remuneration, remain the responsibility of the evaluator under applicable national legislation.
The evaluation assignment will commence only after the Evaluator Agreement has been duly signed.
6. Indicative Timeline and Conditions
Item | Information |
| Expression-of-interest deadline | 25 October 2026 |
Evaluation period | November-December 2026 |
Working language | English |
Location | Remote / online |
Estimated workload | To be confirmed based on the number and complexity of assigned proposals |
Remuneration | Confirmed in the Evaluator Agreement before appointment |
Dates may be adjusted if necessary. Any updates will be communicated through the official AENAON channels.
How to Express Interest
Interested experts should submit their expression of interest by email to info@aenaon-project.eu using the subject line: ‘AENAON External Evaluator – Expression of Interest’.
The expression of interest should include:
- An up-to-date CV in English, preferably in Europass or equivalent format.
- A short motivation statement (maximum one page) describing relevant expertise and interest.
- The main expertise areas for which the interested expert wishes to be considered.
- A brief description of previous proposal-evaluation or comparable assessment experience, if not clearly included in the CV.
- Confirmation of availability during the indicative evaluation period.
- Confirmation of nationality and country of residence for verification of the applicable geographical eligibility requirements. Supporting documentation may be requested before appointment.
Shortlisted interested experts may be asked to provide additional information or supporting evidence and may be invited to a brief clarification interview where necessary. Submission of an expression of interest does not create any entitlement to appointment. Experts may be included in an evaluator pool and contacted according to the expertise required for the proposals received.
Selection of Evaluators
Expressions of interest will be assessed on the basis of demonstrated expertise, relevant professional and evaluation experience, complementarity and balance of the evaluator pool, availability, independence, absence of conflicts of interest and compliance with the applicable geographical eligibility requirements.
Selected experts will receive the Evaluator Agreement, the required independence/confidentiality/conflict-of-interest and data-protection documentation, access instructions, briefing material and evaluation templates before proposal assignment.
Data Protection and Confidentiality
Personal data submitted in connection with this Call for Expressions of Interest will be processed solely for the purposes of evaluator selection, appointment, administration and audit, in accordance with applicable data-protection requirements. Personal data may be accessed by authorised AENAON consortium personnel and competent bodies where required by applicable contractual, legal or audit obligations.
Further information on the processing of personal data, including the identity and contact details of the data controller, purposes and legal basis of processing, recipients, retention periods and data-subject rights, is provided in the AENAON Privacy Notice for Independent External Evaluators.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many proposals will I evaluate?
The number of assigned proposals will depend on the volume of eligible expressions of interest, expertise matching, proposal complexity and evaluator availability. The expected workload will be confirmed before appointment.
Will I work alone?
Each eligible proposal is assessed independently by at least two external evaluators. Consensus discussions may follow where required by the evaluation procedure.
Can I evaluate if I am connected to a potential applicant?
Any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest must be disclosed. AENAON will determine whether the evaluator can be assigned to the proposal or must be excluded or reassigned.
How are evaluators selected?
Selection is based on expertise fit, relevant professional and evaluation experience, availability, independence, absence of conflicts of interest, balance of the evaluator pool and compliance with the applicable geographical eligibility requirements.
When will I receive the detailed evaluation instructions?
Selected evaluators will receive briefing material, scoring templates and the applicable evaluation instructions before proposal assignment.
Contact / Express Interest
Expressions of interest and questions: open-call@aenaon-project.eu
Expression-of-interest deadline: 25 October 2026.
Participation as an independent external expert does not create an employment relationship. Submission of an expression of interest does not create an entitlement to appointment or compensation. AENAON may adjust the recruitment timetable or evaluator’s assignments where required by the Open Call process.
Application deadline: 25/10/2026
Send expressions of interest to: open-call@aenaon-project.eu
AENAON Privacy Notice for Independent External Evaluators
Call for Expressions of Interest – Open Call 1
Grant Agreement No. 101249723 | Version 1.0 – September 2026
1. Who We Are and What This Notice Covers
This Privacy Notice explains how Circular Economy Foundation (CEF), acting as data controller for the AENAON Open Call, processes personal data of individuals who submit an expression of interest to act as an independent external evaluator for AENAON Open Call 1, and of evaluators who are subsequently selected, appointed and administered.
Expressions of interest are submitted by email to open-call@aenaon-project.eu and are accessed and handled only by CEF’s authorised personnel. Personal data of Open Call applicants and sub-grantees is covered by the AENAON Open Call Privacy Notice. The general AENAON project website is covered by the Website Privacy & Cookies Policy .
| Data Controller | Circular Economy Foundation (CEF), Rue de la Gare 6, 1040 Brussels, Belgium. |
|---|---|
| Data Protection Officer contact | dpo@aenaon-project.eu |
| Legal framework | GDPR; Belgian Data Protection Act of 30 July 2018; Grant Agreement No. 101249723 (Articles 13, 15, 20, 25); Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 |
2. Personal Data We Process
Where legitimate interest is used as a legal basis, it has been balanced against the rights and reasonable expectations of experts applying to act as evaluators in an EU-funded Open Call programme.
| Activity | Data Categories | Purpose | Legal Basis (GDPR Art. 6) | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expression of interest and evaluator pool | Name, email address and professional contact details; CV and motivation statement (employment history, education, qualifications, expertise areas, previous evaluation or comparable experience); availability; correspondence, including any clarification interview. | Receiving and assessing expressions of interest; assessing expertise and experience; matching evaluators to proposals; balancing the evaluator pool for the AENAON Open Calls. |
Art. 6(1)(b) — steps at the request of the expert prior to entering into an Evaluator Agreement; Art. 6(1)(f) — legitimate interest in constituting a qualified and balanced evaluator pool. |
Not placed in the pool: 12 months after notification of the outcome. Placed in the pool but not appointed: until conclusion of the Open Call 2 evaluation. In each case, longer if an audit or legal proceeding is ongoing. |
| Independence, conflict-of-interest and eligibility checks | Signed Declaration of Independence, Confidentiality and Absence of Conflict of Interest; information on affiliations and interests; nationality and country of residence, where indicated in the CV or requested from shortlisted candidates. | Verifying independence, absence of conflicts of interest and the geographical eligibility requirements applicable to evaluators, before any access to proposals; conflict-of-interest records. |
Art. 6(1)(c) — audit and record-keeping obligations under the GA and applicable EU financial rules; Art. 6(1)(f) — legitimate interest in a fair, secure and auditable evaluation process. |
5 years after final payment under the GA, or until conclusion of any ongoing audit, investigation or legal proceedings, whichever is later. |
| Appointment, remuneration and payment | Postal address; tax or identification number where required; signed Evaluator Agreement; assignment records; invoices and bank details. | Appointing evaluators; concluding and administering the Evaluator Agreement; remuneration, invoicing and financial records. |
Art. 6(1)(b) — Evaluator Agreement; Art. 6(1)(c) — audit and record-keeping obligations under the GA. |
5 years after final payment under the GA, or until conclusion of any ongoing audit, investigation, litigation, recovery or dispute, whichever is later. |
| Evaluation work and audit trail | Platform account and access-log data; individual evaluation reports, consensus reports, scores and comments attributable to the evaluator; related correspondence. | Conducting and administering evaluation and consensus activities; maintaining the Open Call evaluation audit trail. |
Art. 6(1)(b) — Evaluator Agreement; Art. 6(1)(c) — audit and record-keeping obligations under the GA. |
5 years after final payment under the GA, or until conclusion of any ongoing audit, investigation, litigation, recovery or dispute, whichever is later. |
Records relevant to audit, review, investigation, litigation or recovery may be retained until that procedure is fully closed.
We collect this data directly from you and through the declarations and agreements you sign. Providing the information requested in the Call for External Evaluators is necessary for us to assess your expression of interest and, where applicable, to verify eligibility and appoint you. If it is not provided, we may be unable to assess your expression of interest or to proceed with appointment.
3. Special Category and Sensitive Personal Data
We do not intentionally collect special-category data (Article 9 GDPR) or data relating to criminal convictions or offences. Please do not include such data, or other information that is not necessary for the assessment of your expression of interest, in your CV, motivation statement or email.
4. Who We Share Data With
Access is limited to persons who need the information for the purposes described in this Notice. Your personal data is not made available to Open Call applicants.
| Recipient | Data shared and purpose |
|---|---|
| Open Call Coordination Committee (OCCC) | The information needed to approve evaluator selection and appointment (for example expertise summary and independence declaration), under confidentiality obligations. |
| Good Grants (Open Call submission and evaluation platform) | For appointed evaluators only: account details, proposal assignment, evaluation workflow and evaluation reports. Good Grants acts as processor on documented instructions from CEF under an Article 28 GDPR data processing agreement. The platform is administered by the AENAON consortium on behalf of CEF. Data is hosted in the EU. |
| Microsoft Ireland Operations Ltd (SharePoint and Teams) | Secure storage of evaluator records in a restricted-access repository accessible only to CEF’s authorised personnel, and delivery of online clarification interviews where held. Microsoft acts as processor under the Microsoft Data Processing Agreement incorporated into the Microsoft Product Terms. Asfalys SRL, as holder of the Microsoft 365 subscription, has no access to evaluator records. |
| ECCC, European Commission, OLAF, EPPO, European Court of Auditors | Financial, contractual and personal data required for audits, checks and investigations under the GA and applicable EU law. Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR. |
| Belgian Data Protection Authority | Where required by law or in response to a complaint. |
Service providers act on documented instructions under Data Processing Agreements.
5. International Transfers
Evaluator selection and evaluation take place within the EEA. Where transfers outside the EEA are necessary, one of the following safeguards applies:
- Adequacy decision under Article 45 GDPR;
- Standard Contractual Clauses under Article 46 GDPR, with a Transfer Impact Assessment where required;
- A derogation under Article 49(1)(b) GDPR where no other safeguard is available, and only where strictly necessary for the performance of the relevant agreement with you.
6. Your Rights Under GDPR
You have the rights of access (Art. 15), rectification (Art. 16), erasure (Art. 17), restriction (Art. 18), portability (Art. 20), objection (Art. 21) and lodging a complaint with a supervisory authority (Art. 77).
The right to erasure does not apply where processing is necessary to comply with the audit and record-keeping obligations under the Grant Agreement or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims. The right to object does not apply where processing is based on a legal obligation (Article 6(1)(c) GDPR).
To exercise any right, contact dpo@aenaon-project.eu. We respond within one month, extendable by two months for complex requests.
Complaints: Belgian Data Protection Authority (APD/GBA), Rue de la Presse 35, 1000 Brussels — www.dataprotectionauthority.be , contact@apd-gba.be. You may also complain to the supervisory authority of your country of residence or place of work.
7. How We Protect Your Data
We apply technical and organisational measures under Article 32 GDPR, including:
- TLS/HTTPS encryption in transit and at rest where technically feasible;
- Role-based access controls and, where available, multi-factor authentication for platform administration;
- Evaluator records held in a restricted-access repository, accessible only to authorised personnel on a need-to-know basis;
- Signed confidentiality and conflict-of-interest declarations for evaluators and for personnel with access to proposal data;
- Documented breach-management procedures and regular security reviews.
Personal data breaches likely to risk your rights and freedoms are notified to the Belgian DPA within 72 hours (Article 33 GDPR) and to you where the breach is likely to result in a high risk (Article 34).
8. Automated Decision-Making and Profiling
CEF does not take evaluator-selection decisions solely by automated means within the meaning of Article 22 GDPR. Expressions of interest are assessed by human reviewers against the published requirements, and selection and appointment are decided by the Open Call Coordination Committee (OCCC).
9. Contact
| Data Controller | Circular Economy Foundation (CEF), Rue de la Gare 6, 1040 Brussels, Belgium |
|---|---|
| Data Protection Officer Contact | dpo@aenaon-project.eu |
| Call for External Evaluators enquiries | Open-call@aenaon-project.eu |
| Supervisory Authority | APD/GBA, Rue de la Presse 35, 1000 Brussels |
10. Changes to This Notice
We may update this Notice to reflect changes in the evaluator process, legal requirements or data-protection arrangements. The version published through the official AENAON channels applies to the relevant processing. Where changes are material, affected candidates and evaluators are informed by email. Previous versions are available on request.
11. Legal References
- Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR)
- Belgian Data Protection Act of 30 July 2018
- Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 — Financial Regulation (Article 207; audit, transparency and record-keeping)
- Grant Agreement No. 101249723: Articles 13 (Confidentiality and Security), 15 (Data Protection), 20 (Record-keeping), 25 (Audits and investigations)
- AENAON Consortium Agreement, Sections 10 (Confidentiality) and 11 (Privacy and Data Protection)
AENAON – Grant Agreement No. 101249723 | Privacy Notice for Independent External Evaluators