BSGEE 2026-007 Leasing vélo

Public procurement tender BSGEE 2026-007 issued by the Bureau of the Secretary-General of the European Schools seeks a single contractor to provide an operational bicycle leasing service to staff of the European Schools in Belgium under a framework agreement, with an estimated maximum value of €1,144,369. The procedure is an open electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, documents are in French and the submission deadline is 12 November 2026. Key selection and technical requirements include demonstrated experience with at least two comparable bicycle leasing projects, an average annual turnover above €200,000, and a Belgian dealer network of at least 30 retailers plus provision of maintenance, insurance, 24/7 assistance and a digital ordering/administration tool. Awards will be made on the best price-quality ratio (price 80%, quality 20%) using the published annex templates (notably the financial Annex 4).

What it will fund

Scope

Operational bicycle leasing service for staff of the European Schools in Belgium (Brussels sites and Mol). The framework covers electric and non-electric bicycles, mandatory accessories, insurance, assistance and maintenance budgets; individual leasing contracts (standard 36 months) are issued under the framework agreement.

Suppliers must be registered in the Participant Register (PIC) and submit offers in French via eSubmission. The contracting authority is the Bureau of the Secretary-General of the European Schools acting for participating European Schools in Belgium. 1

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement documents and eSubmission access available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: F&T Portal opportunity page.

Procurement and selection logistics

What is being procured (scope & technical highlights)

Evaluation & award (how offers are scored)

Tender documents and templates (available annexes)

All documents are available for download from the Funding & Tenders Portal tender details page for BSGEE 2026-007. Tender details and documents TED notice Model financial form 1

Practical application requirements and constraints

Submission is electronic only through eSubmission (EU Login). A PIC (Participant Identification Code) is required for each legal entity taking part. Attachments must respect eSubmission system requirements (file types, sizes; guidance on the portal). Questions during the tender are to be submitted via the portal Q&A area by the published deadline; contracting authority may refuse to answer questions submitted less than six working days before deadline. Maximum number of uploaded attachments per tender is 200 files.

Tender-specific obligations and reporting

Who can apply

Answers to categorisation and extraction questions

Important compliance and operational notes

Mandatory use of eSubmission; PIC registration required. Declaration on honour and requested supporting documentation must be provided. Minimum technical and dealer network requirements are contractually binding. Bidders must use the financial Excel template and provide the minimum discounts and service levels required. The framework is single-supplier; individual leasing contracts follow the terms of the framework and sample leasing contract must be provided with the offer. The contracting authority reserves the right to suspend, request clarifications, or reject offers not conforming to minimum requirements.

Footnotes

1. 1The portal pages contain full procurement documents, submission instructions and the eSubmission access link.

Executive Summary

This is a public procurement tender, not a grant. The European Schools in Belgium seek one supplier for an operational bicycle leasing service for their employees, including conventional and electric bicycles, accessories, maintenance, insurance, breakdown assistance, administration and employee leasing management. The procurement is conducted as an open procedure for a single framework contract without reopening of competition. 1

The contracting authority is the Bureau of the Secretary-General of the European Schools, acting on behalf of the participating Belgian European Schools. The indicative maximum value is €1,144,369 including the framework contract reserve. The official portal states a tender submission deadline of 12 November 2026 at 00:00 Brussels time. The earlier metadata deadline of 31 December 2025 should be treated as superseded or erroneous.

The opportunity is most suitable for established bicycle leasing companies, financial leasing providers, mobility service operators or consortia that can demonstrate at least two comparable bicycle leasing projects, operate a Belgian dealer network of at least 30 bicycle retailers, and provide the required insurance, maintenance, assistance and digital administration services.

Opportunity Identification

Official Source and Key Dates

The official tender page and its seven procurement documents are the authoritative sources for the opportunity, including the invitation letter, tender specifications, administrative information annex, declaration of honour, quality criteria, financial offer form and draft framework contract. 1

Key dates and values

Scope of the Procurement

The successful contractor must provide an operational bicycle leasing scheme for approximately 2,550 employees of the participating European Schools in Belgium. The scheme is intended to operate through salary sacrifice from gross salary or deduction from holiday allowance. Bicycles may be used for commuting, business travel and private travel.

Participating entities include the Bureau of the Secretary-General of the European Schools, European School Brussels 1, European School Brussels 2, European School Brussels 3, European School Brussels 4 and the European School of Mol. The participating entities may be extended to other schools established under the Convention defining the Statute of the European Schools.

The framework is not divided into lots. A single contractor will be selected. Each participating entity may use the framework independently by concluding specific contracts or issuing orders under the framework. Signature of the framework does not guarantee any minimum purchase volume.

The indicative quantities in the financial model are estimates only. Actual orders will depend on employee demand and specific contracts. The financial ceiling of the framework may not be exceeded.

Products and Service Requirements

The supplier must offer a sufficiently broad catalogue covering conventional and electric bicycles. The required categories include city bicycles, electric city bicycles limited to 25 kilometres per hour, road or sport bicycles, electric road or sport bicycles, folding bicycles, electric folding bicycles, electric cargo or tricycle bicycles, 45 kilometre per hour electric bicycles, electric longtail bicycles and adapted bicycles for people with physical disabilities.

The minimum required Belgian dealer network is 30 bicycle retailers, including at least one retailer in every Belgian province and at least seven in the Brussels-Capital Region. The network should be sufficiently distributed across Belgium to allow employees to select and collect bicycles locally.

All bicycles must comply with applicable Belgian road traffic legislation and relevant European and Belgian standards. The contractor must arrange any required certificate of conformity, registration with the Belgian vehicle registration authority and number plate for bicycles where legally required. Legal insurance obligations for high-speed electric bicycles must also be covered.

The supplier must provide an employee-facing selection, simulation, ordering and reporting tool. The tool must allow employees to understand the available bicycle options, leasing cost and impact on their available budget, and must support the ordering process and administrative follow-up.

The supplier must support the contracting authority without additional charge in preparing the bicycle leasing policy applicable to employees. The policy must clearly explain the rights and obligations of employees, employers and the leasing provider.

Mandatory services included in each bicycle leasing contract are annual maintenance, damage and theft insurance, breakdown assistance, contract duration and termination arrangements, and warranty coverage. The tenderer must submit a sample bicycle leasing contract with its offer.

Maintenance and Insurance Requirements

Basic Bicycle Specifications

The tender requires a basic city bicycle priced at no more than €900. It must have an aluminium or steel frame, sizes from S to XL, adjustable handlebar and saddle, at least six gears, front and rear brakes, puncture-resistant tyres, legally compliant reflectors and lighting, a bell, kickstand and front and rear mudguards. It must be delivered fully assembled, adjusted and ready for use.

The basic electric city bicycle must be priced at no more than €2,500 and must additionally include a 250 watt continuous motor, at least 40 newton-metres of torque, pedal assistance detection, a removable and lockable battery of at least 400 watt-hours, a practical range of at least 50 kilometres under the specified test conditions, a charger capable of full charging within six hours, a readable display, at least three assistance levels and hydraulic disc brakes meeting the specified disc diameter requirements.

Contract Duration and Employee Leasing Terms

The framework agreement has an initial duration of 12 months and may be renewed three times, for a maximum framework period of 48 months. Individual bicycle leases may be concluded throughout the framework period and normally last 36 months. Because individual leases may continue after the framework ends, the procurement documents indicate that the practical duration of the overall arrangement may reach approximately seven years.

At the end of a standard 36 month individual lease, the employee must be able either to return the bicycle or purchase it, including options, at a residual value of 16 percent. The leasing company remains the owner during the leasing period.

Employees must be able to terminate an individual lease early. The tender offer must state the termination compensation and the purchase price or return conditions according to the number of months remaining. The reference compensation levels are 12 monthly leasing payments during the first three months, nine payments from month four to month twelve, six payments from month thirteen to month twenty-four and three payments from month twenty-five to month thirty-six.

For serious and prolonged illness exceeding eight months, death, dismissal or resignation, subject to the exclusions stated in the specifications, the compensation for returning the bicycle may not exceed eight monthly leasing payments. Any administrative termination fee may not exceed €100 excluding VAT. Lower amounts or no administrative fee receive favourable consideration.

The contractor must provide reporting on early termination, including the reason for termination or nature of the claim, total amount paid by the contracting authority, any insurance or contractor compensation paid to the employee and the reason for the decision.

Contract Value and Commercial Structure

The estimated maximum framework value is €1,144,369. The framework ceiling is calculated using the estimated total financial offer for the expected purchase volume over the maximum framework duration, increased by a 25 percent reserve for price indexation, unforeseen requirements and possible participation by newly established entities.

Within three years of signing the framework, the contracting authority may use a negotiated procedure for additional similar services up to a maximum of 50 percent of the initial market value, subject to the conditions in the procurement documents. This possibility is not an automatic commitment to purchase additional services.

The financial offer must be submitted using Annex 4. Prices must be stated in euros and include VAT. The tenderer must state the complete cost structure, including bicycle prices, discounts, leasing charges, interest, administration, maintenance, insurance, breakdown assistance, delivery, assembly, registration, reporting and other applicable costs.

The indicative bicycle prices in the financial model are comparison assumptions and are not fixed retail prices for every employee order. The 16 percent residual value must be used for the standard 36 month calculation. The mandatory maintenance budgets must be included in the comparative pricing exercise.

Discount percentages stated in the offer become minimum discounts for the corresponding bicycle categories during framework execution. Insurance percentages, breakdown assistance amounts and administration charges stated in the offer also form binding maximum parameters where the tender documents specify that they may not be increased during execution.

Eligibility and Who Can Apply

Any natural or legal person with the legal and regulatory capacity to perform the service may submit an offer. Offers may be submitted by a single economic operator or by a consortium. Subcontracting is permitted.

Participation is open to operators established in countries covered by the EU Treaties and to international organisations. Operators established in third countries may participate only where a specific EU public procurement agreement grants access. The WTO Government Procurement Agreement does not apply to this procurement, so establishment in a GPA country alone does not create access.

The tenderer, every consortium member, relevant subcontractors and entities whose capacities are relied upon must have access to EU procurement procedures and must not be subject to EU restrictive measures. The same restrictions apply throughout contract execution.

A participant cannot submit both as a sole tenderer and as a member of another consortium in the same procedure. Consortium members are jointly and severally responsible for the performance of the contract. A lead member and a single authorised contact must be appointed.

The tender is not identified as SME-specific. The procurement data indicates that it is not reserved as suitable exclusively for SMEs. SMEs may nevertheless participate individually, through a consortium or through subcontracting if they meet the requirements.

Mandatory Selection Criteria

The selection assessment covers legal and regulatory capacity, economic and financial capacity, technical and professional capacity, exclusion grounds and access to procurement procedures.

The economic and financial criterion is assessed on a consolidated basis for the relevant entities associated with the offer. Technical capacity may be supported by other entities only where those entities perform the services for which their capacity is relied upon.

Submission Requirements

Submission is exclusively electronic through the eSubmission application linked from the Funding and Tenders Portal. Offers sent by email, post or another method will not be considered.

Each participating organisation must be registered in the European Commission Participant Register and must have a valid nine digit Participant Identification Code. The PIC is required for the tenderer and each consortium member. The organisation's legal, financial and SME status information should be checked and updated before submission.

The offer must be submitted in French and must contain all information requested in the tender documents. The core submission package should include the administrative information and declarations, the technical offer, the completed quality response, the completed financial offer, the sample leasing contract, the insurance and assistance conditions, the maintenance arrangements and information on any designated subcontractors or supporting entities.

The financial offer must use Annex 4 and only the designated fields should be completed. The financial form states that the offer is evaluated solely on the information provided in that form and must be signed by an authorised legal representative.

Documents requiring signature should preferably use a qualified electronic signature. Where a handwritten signature is used, the tenderer must retain the originals and may be required to provide them. Evidence of signing authority must be supplied where documents are signed by authorised representatives rather than the legal representative directly.

Technical submission constraints include the eSubmission system requirements. Attachments should be prepared well in advance, checked for accepted file types and size limits, and uploaded before the deadline. The portal guidance indicates that individual attachments must be below 50 MB and that the system supports up to 200 files per submission, subject to the applicable technical requirements.

Evaluation and Award

The contract will be awarded to the compliant offer that provides the best price quality ratio, subject to successful checks on access, exclusion, selection capacity, restrictive measures and conformity with all mandatory requirements.

The price score is based on the lowest compliant total offer compared with each other compliant offer. The financial model is therefore commercially decisive, but an unusually low offer may be examined and rejected under the applicable financial rules.

Quality scoring favours lower early termination charges and a clear process that minimises administrative effort for the employer, employee, leasing company and bicycle retailer. The tenderer should describe the complete workflow from employee simulation and approval through ordering, delivery, payroll interaction, maintenance, claims, termination and reporting.

Key Commercial and Compliance Risks

There is no guaranteed minimum order volume. The supplier bears the risk that employee take-up and actual orders are lower than the indicative quantities used for the financial comparison.

The successful contractor must finance and operate a long-term service involving insurance claims, bicycle ownership, maintenance budgets, dealer relationships, employee payroll interaction and possible early termination. Pricing should account for these obligations rather than focusing only on the bicycle acquisition price.

The 36 month individual lease period may extend beyond the 48 month framework period. The contractor must therefore be able to service existing individual leases after the framework has expired.

The required Belgian dealer network and service coverage are substantive operational requirements. A supplier relying on a small number of retailers or an uncommitted partner network may fail the technical requirements or be unable to deliver the promised service quality.

All mandatory accessories, insurance, assistance, maintenance, delivery, assembly, registration, reporting and administrative costs must be reflected in the financial offer. Omissions may make the offer non-compliant or result in unpriced obligations during execution.

The procurement documents are published in French. A bidder that cannot prepare a legally and technically complete French-language offer should use a consortium or qualified local support arrangement, while ensuring that roles, capacity and subcontracting are transparently documented.

Recommended Bid Preparation Plan

1. Confirm eligibility, country of establishment, legal status, procurement access and absence of EU restrictive measures.

2. Register or validate the organisation in the Participant Register and obtain or confirm the PIC.

3. Map the Belgian dealer network and document at least 30 retailers, including the required provincial and Brussels coverage.

4. Select at least two qualifying bicycle leasing references from the previous three years and collect the required project details.

5. Prepare the financial model using the required 36 month term, 16 percent residual value and minimum maintenance budgets.

6. Build the technical response around the employee journey, payroll or holiday allowance process, bicycle selection, delivery, maintenance, insurance, breakdown assistance, claims and early termination.

7. Obtain signed declarations of honour and letters of commitment from consortium members, subcontractors and supporting entities where applicable.

8. Review the draft framework contract for payment, liability, audit, confidentiality, data protection, reporting, termination and post-framework servicing obligations.

9. Submit questions through the portal before 4 November 2026 at 23:59 Brussels time.

10. Upload and electronically submit the complete offer well before 12 November 2026 at 00:00 Brussels time, then retain the eSubmission receipt as proof of timely submission.

Overall Assessment

This is a substantial but operationally demanding framework opportunity rather than a conventional EU funding scheme. The strongest bidders will combine financial leasing capability, a proven salary sacrifice or comparable employee benefit model, a broad Belgian bicycle retailer network, robust insurance and assistance services, and a low-administration digital platform.

The 80 percent price weighting creates strong pressure to submit a competitive and complete financial model. However, mandatory technical compliance and the two qualifying reference projects are threshold issues. A bidder that fails the reference, turnover, dealer network, language, declaration or eSubmission requirements may be rejected before its price and quality are fully evaluated.

The opportunity appears attractive for a Belgian or Belgium-capable specialist with existing infrastructure and employee leasing experience. It is less suitable for a bicycle retailer without financial leasing, insurance, payroll administration and multi-site service capability unless the retailer forms a consortium or appoints suitably qualified partners.

Footnotes

1. 1The official EU Funding and Tenders Portal record identifies the procedure as EURSC/2026/OP/0012, provides the tender documents, states the estimated value of €1,144,369, identifies the European Schools as lead contracting authority and gives the 12 November 2026 submission deadline. The European Schools public procurement page confirms that its tender notices are published through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. Official European Schools procurement information