In September 2023, PIO and VMM appointed Verhaert New Products and Services NV to prepare the procurement. 

The purpose of Verhaert's preparation was twofold. On the one hand, to map out VMM's needs for the renewed NEMO in detail and systematically with end users and stakeholders (including VMM and VLM employees). On the other hand, to present these needs to the market in order to have them validated for their (technological, legal, etc.) feasibility, complexity, preconditions, development time, etc., and together with the market to define potential solution directions within the set preconditions, for the scale level on the one hand and the sub-processes of NEMO on the other.

The market consultation took place online on March 28, 2024 from 1 to 5 pm. A total of 14 participating parties signed present.

In early June 2024, Verhaert delivered the final report summarizing the main insights from the needs analysis and market consultation. The report is written in Dutch, but an English-language summary is available at the end of the report.

With the insights gathered from the preliminary process, VMM together with the PIO can define a procurement strategy, and then translate it into sound and realistic specifications to which candidate entrepreneurs and research institutions can subscribe. Publication of the specifications is expected during fall 2024.