Dear all interested in the external quality assessment scheme,

Please find below some important information regarding the schedule:

• Registration is now open and will close on August 11th. Attached you will find the registration form, which must be completed and returned to
• Please note that the registration does not yet include a cost estimate. Due to the individualized nature of the EQA scheme, we can only provide cost details after registration, once aspects such as the type of collection tubes, aliquot sizes, and shipping requirements have been clarified with each participant.
• The estimated cost per participant is approximately €1,500–2,000 (excluding the return shipment of the samples from your institution to Jena on dry ice). Unfortunately, costs have increased due to the expiration of dedicated funding for personnel, which must now be covered by the scheme.

The number of participants is limited to 25. Detailed documentation (including SOPs and a checklist) will be provided after the registration period ends.

An introductory webinar for all registered participants will take place in September 2025 (exact date to be announced, likely between September 18th and 25th).

The proficiency test will begin on October 27th, 2025.

Scope of the test: The EQA scheme will cover all modules outlined in the original application.

Module 1: Testing the homogeneity of plasma aliquots after centrifugation of blood samples by measuring the platelet count.

Module 2: Testing of volume accuracy of plasma aliquots after centrifugation of blood samples and aliquoting by gravimetric determination of the volume

Module 3: Verification of entry control and corresponding documentation

Module 4: Assessment of the shipping and packing of potential infectious samples according to ADR (UN3373) packing instruction P650

Module 5: Temperature monitoring of samples during shipment on dry ice

Module 6: Identification of contamination using NMR (ethanol/isopropanol)

Module 7: Verification of the sample certificate in accordance with ISO 20387 and DIN/TS 13283 (optional)

A more detailed overview about the different modules offered, can be found on the BBMRI Newsroom page (link below).

BBMRI.QM Newsroom - BBMRI-ERIC

If you have any questions or need further information, don’t hesitate and contact me.