The World Academy of Agricultural Sciences ("WAAS" or the "Academy") invites qualified law firms and legal service providers ("Applicants") established in Europe to submit expressions of interest to act as external legal counsel to WAAS's European presence, providing ongoing legal advice and task-specific legal support.

Applicants meeting the conditions set out in this announcement are invited to submit an expression of interest.

WAAS is a non-profit academic and research institution engaged in agricultural science research, academic exchange, capacity building and international cooperation. Its mandate, governance and registered status are set out in its official website and registration documents.

The legal form, jurisdiction of registration and scope of activities of WAAS's European presence will be determined in accordance with applicable law and actual requirements.

The selected counsel will provide written advice, document drafting and compliance review on the following matters relating to WAAS's European presence, as commissioned from time to time:

• Establishment and governance — comparative assessment of legal forms for a European branch, representative office or cooperating entity; registration; drafting and amendment of constitutional and internal governance documents.

• Company and association law — compliance obligations and annual maintenance requirements under local company law, non-profit organisation law and association or foundation rules.

• Tax and permanent establishment — local tax registration, VAT, permanent establishment analysis and compliance guidance on cross-border fund transfers.

• Employment and labour — local employment arrangements, employment contracts, social security and workforce compliance.

• Data protection and privacy — advice on applicable data protection rules, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) where relevant.

• Contracts and intellectual property — drafting and review of cooperation agreements, donation and grant agreements, project contracts, and intellectual property ownership and licensing arrangements.

• Regulatory and sectoral compliance — admission and compliance requirements relating to research cooperation, agricultural technology projects, receipt of funds and international cooperation.

• Dispute prevention and resolution — early warning on contractual disputes, support in negotiation and mediation, and coordination and strategic advice in litigation or arbitration.

• Training and policy advice — legal and compliance training for staff at the Academy's request, and recommendations on internationally recognised good practice.

• Other matters — other related legal services instructed by the Academy in writing.

The services consist primarily of legal advice, document review and written opinions. Dedicated litigation, arbitration, patent filing and similar matters will be commissioned separately under the framework agreement and billed separately.

Applicants shall meet, or explain in writing how they meet, the following conditions:

• Licensed practice — duly registered and established in an EU Member State, the European Economic Area or another relevant European jurisdiction, and holding a valid practising licence or legal service qualification; applicants relying on local lawyers or a partner network for cross-jurisdictional services shall describe the arrangement in their submission.

• Professional capability — practical experience in entity establishment, company and non-profit organisation law, tax, employment, data protection and contract compliance.

• Relevant track record — prior service to international organisations, non-profit institutions, academic bodies, foundations or research institutions is an advantage.

• Languages — English as the working language; capability in French, German, Spanish, Italian or another European language is an advantage.

• Team — a designated and stable team, identifying the responsible partner, lead lawyer and supporting staff, with qualifications, years of practice and office locations.

• Conflicts of interest — a conflicts-of-interest clearance statement confirming no client or matter conflicting with the envisaged engagement; new potential conflicts arising during the engagement shall be disclosed in writing promptly, with appropriate withdrawal.

• Compliance and liability cover — no judicial or bar-disciplinary sanction; professional indemnity insurance appropriate to the scope of practice; basic commitments on regulatory compliance and anti-bribery.

• Fee transparency — a tiered fee structure and clear billing rules, with transparent pricing.

WAAS applies equal-opportunity selection and does not discriminate on grounds of nationality, location, gender, religion, ethnicity or other factors unrelated to professional capability.

• Form of engagement — a non-exclusive framework agreement, with services commissioned case by case through task orders or engagement letters; no minimum volume or minimum fee is committed.

• Term — an initial term of one (1) year, extendable upon written confirmation by both parties.

• Billing — primarily on a time-spent basis at tiered hourly rates, stating currency and tax treatment (EUR or USD preferred); fixed fees for dedicated matters quoted separately in writing; pre-approved travel and disbursements reimbursed against actual cost.

• Service standards — response times, delivery deadlines for opinions, confidentiality, conflicts management, document formats and dispute resolution will be set out in the framework agreement.

• Legal status — the rights, obligations, tax treatment and any privileges or immunities of WAAS under its constitution and the law of its place of registration are governed by its formal registration documents and the engagement contract; this announcement does not confirm or imply any legal status.

Submissions shall comprise a complete technical and qualification proposal together with a fee proposal, bound in a single PDF document.

• A. Qualification and technical — a signed expression-of-interest letter stating contact person, position, email and telephone; a firm profile covering year of establishment, registration, size, licence evidence and main practice areas; a team list with qualifications, years of practice, office locations and CVs; representative references relevant to this announcement (client, matter and period; sensitive commercial information may be redacted); the applicant's understanding of the scope, work approach, response mechanism and quality assurance; and statements on conflicts of interest, compliance and anti-bribery, and professional indemnity insurance.

• B. Fee proposal — a tiered hourly rate table by level (partner, senior associate, associate, support staff) with currency and tax treatment; principles and estimation method for dedicated matters; and written confirmation of acceptance of a non-exclusive framework with case-by-case commissioning and no minimum commitment.

Submissions shall be in English; versions in Chinese or other languages may be attached.

• Submission channel — waasuno@outlook.com is the sole channel for receiving submissions.

• Subject line — EoI Legal Counsel – [Firm Name] – 2026.

• Deadline — 10 December 2026, 17:00 CET (00:00, 11 December 2026, Beijing time). Only materials actually received by the Academy's mailbox by the deadline are accepted; late submissions will not be considered.

• Large files — an encrypted cloud link may be provided for large documents, with the password communicated separately; applicants are responsible for the truthfulness and completeness of their submissions.

Queries shall be submitted in writing to the same email address, referencing the relevant section number; the Academy may publish consolidated responses where appropriate.

• Procedure — eligibility screening, shortlisting, combined technical and financial evaluation, interviews where required, and negotiation and signature of the framework agreement.

• Evaluation criteria — relevant qualifications and experience, team composition, understanding of and responsiveness to the scope, comparable service record with similar institutions, reasonableness and transparency of fees, and management of compliance and conflicts.

• Evaluation follows the principles of economy, efficiency, competition, transparency, value for money and proportionality; the lowest price is not the sole award criterion.

• The Academy reserves the right to hold further discussions with any or all candidates and to continue negotiating terms with the selected firm before signature.

• Unsuccessful applicants will not receive detailed evaluation feedback; outcomes will be communicated by email.

• This announcement, together with any clarification or question-and-answer issued subsequently, is an expression of interest (EoI/RFP) document. It does not constitute an offer to contract with any institution and creates no employment or engagement relationship; rights and obligations arise only from a signed written framework agreement and task order.

• WAAS bears no costs incurred by applicants in preparing and submitting materials, including but not limited to advisory, travel, document production and translation costs.

• WAAS does not guarantee that any engagement will result, that any instruction will be issued, or any minimum volume of work; it reserves the right to cancel the process in whole or in part, reissue it, extend the deadline, amend the announcement, or make no award.

• Submitted materials and background information provided by the Academy shall be treated as confidential. Submissions are retained by the Academy for evaluation and record-keeping and will not be returned or disclosed to third parties except where legally required; confidential content should be clearly marked.

• Applicants warrant that their materials are true, lawful and valid; in the event of misrepresentation, concealment of material conflicts of interest, or unlawful conduct, the Academy may disqualify the applicant and terminate any further cooperation.

• The governing law, jurisdiction and dispute resolution of the framework agreement will be agreed between the parties in the formal contract; this announcement does not predetermine the applicable law.

• The Academy is responsible for the final interpretation and organisation of this announcement; in case of discrepancy, the English text prevails.

World Academy of Agricultural Sciences (WAAS) — Selection of Legal Counsel (European Presence). All correspondence and queries shall be submitted in writing to waasuno@outlook.com.