BSGEE 2026-012 School trip for Varese

European Schools has published an open procedure tender EURSC/2026/OP/0009 for a services framework agreement to provide travel services for the BSGEE 2026-012 school trip for Varese with an estimated ceiling of €1,500,000. Electronic tenders must be submitted via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by 13 October 2026 at 12:00 Europe/Brussels with questions cutoff 5 October 2026 23:59. The framework is for an initial 12 month period renewable up to three times to a maximum of 48 months and offers will be evaluated on the best price quality ratio weighted 65 percent quality and 35 percent price. The tender is open to economic operators established in the EU/EEA able to meet the administrative, selection and technical requirements in the tender documents including submission of the prescribed Annexes and use of EU Login and a PIC for eSubmission.

What it funds

Scope

Framework contract for the organisation of sustainable school trips (transport, accommodation, catering, activities, supervision, insurance) for pupils, teachers and accompanying staff of the European School of Varese.

Estimated value:€1 500 000 (total estimated overall value for the framework) ¹.

1. 1Contract type: single framework agreement (no reopening of competition)
2. 2Maximum duration: 48 months (FWC initial 12 months, renewable up to 3 times)
3. 3Award method: best price-quality ratio (price 35 %, quality 65 %)

Who can apply:economic operators established in the EU/EEA (sole tenderers or groups). Subcontracting is permitted but identified subcontractors above 20 % must be declared. See tender specifications for exclusion/selection rules and required documents ¹.

What the contracting authority expects from bidders:Detailed financial offer using Annex 6, a quality offer using Annex 7, evidence of technical capacity (minimum three similar school‑trip projects in last 3 years) and financial statements; a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) and required language/experience levels for staff are specified in the tender documents ¹.

1. 1Price model: per student prices for listed scenarios (Annex 6) with all costs included
2. 2Quality evaluation: organisation/support, programme, educational value, environmental measures, insurance
3. 3Contracts: framework contract with specific contracts/orders issued during its term

Footnotes

1. 1Full procurement documents, tender specifications, annexes and draft framework contract are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal F&T Portal.

Basic facts and procurement identifiers

Title:BSGEE 2026-012 School trip for Varese. Procedure identifier: EURSC/2026/OP/0009. TED reference: 174/2026 622552-2026. Procurement type: Open procedure, electronic submission (eSubmission). Contracting authority / lead: European Schools (European School of Varese participating). Main CPV: 63515000 Travel services. Nature of contract: services. Estimated total value (FWC ceiling): €1 500 000. Type of procurement instrument: single framework contract without re-opening of competition (framework agreement, concluded for an initial period of 12 months, renewable up to 3 times, maximum total duration 48 months). Maximum contract duration: 48 months.

Key dates:TED publication date / procurement documents published: 09/09/2026. Deadline for receipt of tenders: 13/10/2026 12:00 Europe/Brussels. Virtual public opening: 13/10/2026 14:30 Europe/Brussels. Last date to submit questions: 05/10/2026 23:59 Europe/Brussels. Submission method: eSubmission via the Funding & Tenders Portal with EU Login account required.¹

What is being procured (scope and services)

Subject:award of a single framework contract to a travel agency for the organisation of sustainable overnight school trips for pupils, teachers and accompanying staff of the European School of Varese. Scope includes: transport (bus, train, flights where justified), accommodation, catering, organisation and supervision of educational activities and visits, risk management, cancellation insurance, on site coordination and emergency contact (SPOC), and turnkey packages on request. Tender specifications set out minimum technical requirements for transport safety, accommodation standards, sustainability measures, educational programme quality, insurance and staff qualifications. The framework contract will be used to order specific trips drawn from scenarios included in the financial annex (Annex 6).

Estimated contract structure and value:Estimated overall procedure value / FWC ceiling: €1 500 000 (EUR excluding VAT). The FWC is concluded for an initial period of 12 months and renewable up to three times (total maximum 48 months). The contracting authority has no obligation to order up to the ceiling; orders will be placed by specific contracts (order forms) under the framework. Pricing must be provided for the 2026/2027 school year with a specified revision mechanism linked to the ISTAT FOI index; annual increases may not exceed that index unless fully justified.

Application, eligibility and submission

Submission method:electronic only via the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission application. EU Login account and Participant Identification Code (PIC) registration are mandatory. Language for tenders: English or Italian. Tender validity requirement: at least 6 months from submission, except where specified otherwise. Attachments technical: financial form (Annex 6) must be provided both as Excel (native) and signed PDF. Tenderers must follow the naming and file-size rules in eSubmission (attachments generally limited to <50 MB per file and maximum 200 files per submission).

Documents to submit (high level):Required documents include: Annex 1.1 Tenderer identification form, Declaration on Honour (Annex 2) for exclusion and selection criteria, Annex 3 Agreement / Power of Attorney if joint tender, Annex 4 list of identified subcontractors where applicable, Annex 5 commitment letters for identified subcontractors and entities whose capacities are relied upon, Annex 6 Financial Form (Excel + signed PDF), Annex 7 Quality of the offer (completed), technical tender addressing technical specifications, and any supporting evidence for selection criteria (financial statements, project lists, CVs).

Evaluation and award

Award method:best price-quality ratio with weighting: Quality 65 points, Price 35 points. Price scoring: lowest tender receives full 35 points; scores for other tenders are scaled proportionally. Quality scoring: evaluated against Annex 7 (Organization & support 20 pts, Quality of programme 25 pts, Educational value 10 pts, Environmental measures 5 pts, Insurance 5 pts). Minimum requirements in the technical specifications are mandatory and non‑compliant offers will be rejected. Detection of abnormally low tenders is applied in line with Financial Regulation rules.

1. 1Quality evaluation is solely on the information requested in Annex 7; tenderers must fill in the tables and provide programmes and environmental measures per scenario.
2. 2Selection criteria: legal capacity, economic and financial capacity (minimum positive average pre-tax annual profit for at least 3 of last 5 years), and technical/professional capacity (at least 3 similar school-trip projects in last 3 years with minimum 50 participants each; project manager/SPOC and minimum staffing and language requirements).
3. 3Exclusion checks: Declaration on Honour plus supporting evidence on request; EDES checks and other audits may be performed.

How the framework will be used and ordering

This is a single framework contract without re‑opening of competition. The School will issue specific contracts (order forms) under the FWC to book individual trips or packages. For each requested trip the contractor must confirm availability and final price and deliver tickets, vouchers and documentation. The FWC foresees a SPOC (single point of contact) for operational management, emergency procedures, and on‑site support for turnkey trips when agreed.

Tenderer and delivery requirements (technical highlights)

Key technical requirements from the Technical Specifications:provision of a named project manager/SPOC (must be on payroll of tenderer, Italian C1 and English B2 required, minimum 2 years coordinating large groups), minimum two full time employees for service implementation with specified language skills, experience with school trips (transport, accommodation, activities), robust emergency procedures and travel insurance, environmental measures to reduce impact (preference for trips near school, sustainable accommodation and transport choices), accommodation standards (rooms, sanitary facilities, first aid), subcontractor disclosure where share >20% or relied upon for selection criteria.

1. 1Transport: preference for train or day travel where feasible (<400 km one way or 800 km round trip); bus transport must comply with children transport legislation; air travel only where justified or >400 km.
2. 2Accommodation: appropriate to age group, full board where specified, linen and laundry provisions, medical room or nurse on request.
3. 3Insurance: cancellation insurance mandatory and evidence to be provided; host centres must hold civil liability and property insurance.

Procurement-specific clarifications found in Q&A

Clarifications published in the procurement Q&A:dates listed in some scenarios (for example 'Monday–Friday, 14–19 June 2027') were corrected to Monday 14 June to Friday 18 June 2027. For repeated scenario listings: P5 (primary 5) options represent alternative offers from which the School will select one trip per year (P5 organises only one trip per year and will choose among offered proposals). S3 (secondary 3) scenarios may represent alternative options and/or may be split into multiple groups and trips according to language sections; therefore not all S3 proposals will necessarily be ordered each year. These clarifications are published in the portal Q&A and the contracting authority explicitly confirms the corrected dates and the selection logic for P5 and S3.

Categorization answers (structured)

Below are the requested categorization fields completed from the procurement documentation.

Eligible Applicant Types:SMEs and large enterprises (travel agencies and tour operators), travel operators, tour organisers, cultural and educational travel providers, social enterprises able to deliver travel services, subcontractors such as local host centres or activity providers. Joint tenders (groups) are allowed; public bodies are not excluded per se, but tenderers must be established in the EU/EEA. Individuals cannot be contracting parties for this FWC. Nonprofit organisations, youth hostels and youth centres can participate if they meet the legal and selection criteria.

Funding Type:Procurement for services via a framework contract — not a grant, loan or equity. The financial instrument is a service contract procured through public procurement rules (open procedure).

Consortium Requirement:Single contractor required for the single FWC, but joint tenders (consortia) are explicitly allowed. If a group submits a joint tender, members must appoint a group leader and sign the Agreement/Power of Attorney (Annex 3). Subcontracting is permitted under conditions and identified subcontractors above 20% must be declared.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Economic operators established in the European Union / European Economic Area (EEA) are eligible. Procurement documents reference EU/EEA; services are to be performed in locations across Europe (examples in Annex 6 include Italy, Germany, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Slovenia, Poland, Austria etc.).

Target Sector:Travel and tourism sector specifically educational school trips: travel services, accommodation, catering, educational activities and supervision. CPV codes: 63515000 Travel services; additional CPVs include travel agency and tour operator related services.

Mentioned Countries:Countries explicitly or implicitly mentioned in the procurement documents and Annex 6 scenarios include: Italy (Varese, Ravenna, Lake Garda, Trentino, Varazze), France (Les Contamines), Germany (Berlin), Greece (Rhodes, Kos), Portugal (Lisbon), Spain (Barcelona), Poland (Krakow), Slovenia (Ljubljana), Austria (Boario Terme scenario references), and France (Strasbourg). The contracting authority is based in Belgium (Brussels for the Office of the Secretary General).

Project Stage:Operational / delivery stage: organisation, delivery and management of school trip services (planning, booking, execution, evaluation). This procurement is for operational service delivery (implementation/delivery and turnkey trips), not research or R&D.

Funding Amount:Estimated overall FWC ceiling: €1 500 000 (excluding VAT). Individual trip values are specified per scenario in Annex 6 (typical per‑student prices range from approximately €280 to €750 depending on destination and services).

Application Type:Open call (open procedure) with a single submission deadline. Electronic submission only (eSubmission) via the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Nature of Support:Commercial service contract — beneficiaries (contractor) will receive payment for delivered services (monetary). No grant funding.

Application Stages:Single-stage tender submission with subsequent evaluation and award. The process includes: 1) electronic tender submission, 2) public opening, 3) administrative and exclusion checks, 4) selection (capacity) checks, 5) technical & quality evaluation, 6) financial scoring and ranking, 7) award and contracting. Additional requests for evidence may be issued to the presumed winner prior to signature.

Success Rates:Not provided in documents. As a single-award FWC open tender, success rate depends on number of bidders; historical public procurement typical win rates vary widely. No explicit success rate available from the procurement notice.

Co-funding Requirement:No co‑funding required. The contractor prices services and invoices the contracting authority for delivered services. No matching funds requested from tenderers.

Templates and application form structure

Mandatory application templates and forms provided in the procurement documents and must be used: Invitation letter, Draft FWC, Tender specifications (administrative and technical parts), Annex 2 Declaration on Honour (exclusion & selection), Annex 3 Agreement / Power of Attorney for joint tenders, Annex 4 subcontractor list, Annex 5 commitment letters, Annex 6 Financial Offer form (Excel native file and signed PDF), Annex 7 Quality of the Offer template (to be filled directly). The application requires both a technical tender (narrative and completed Annex 7) and a financial tender using the provided Annex 6 spreadsheet; the financial annex must be returned in native Excel format and a signed PDF export.

1. 1Annex 6 Financial offer form: Excel file with scenario lines for each proposed trip; tenderers must fill green cells and submit Excel and signed PDF versions. The form requires per‑student maximum cost and description of improvements/deteriorations.
2. 2Annex 7 Quality of the offer: structured tables per scenario to describe programme, educational value, environmental measures, organizational and emergency support; quality scoring is based only on content submitted here.
3. 3Annex 2 Declaration on Honour: mandatory signed declaration for exclusion and selection criteria; supporting evidence to be provided upon request.

Tenderers must ensure the financial form total equals the total amount entered in the eSubmission fields; in case of discrepancy the uploaded financial tender (Annex 6) amount prevails. Tenderers must sign required documents electronically (qualified electronic signature recommended) or by hand and retain originals for audit purposes.

Evaluation of offers — practical tips

To maximise quality score tenderers should:complete Annex 7 fully and per scenario; provide detailed daily programmes, explicit educational aims and alignment with learning objectives; demonstrate environmental measures (low‑impact transport choices, local/organic catering, reduced travel distances where possible), show robust risk management and emergency procedures and name a qualified SPOC and staff with CVs evidencing required language and experience levels. Financial offers must be clear, all inclusive and show the breakdown of costs (transport, accommodation, meals, activities, insurance).

Summary:This is an open electronic call for tenders to conclude a single framework contract for the provision of school trip travel services to the European School of Varese. The contract is a services procurement (travel services CPV) with an estimated overall ceiling of €1 500 000. Eligible applicants are travel agencies, tour operators, and organisations able to deliver the full range of travel, accommodation, catering, educational and supervision services described. Tenderers must submit technical and financial offers using the provided templates (Annex 6 and 7), fulfil selection criteria (financial capacity and proven experience), pass exclusion checks, and will be assessed on price (35%) and quality (65%). Final orders will be placed under the framework by specific contracts; P5 and S3 scenario listings in Annex 6 describe alternative offers from which the School will select actual trips (P5 organises one trip per year chosen from offers; S3 trips may be split by groups). Corrected scenario dates and Q&A clarifications are published in the portal documents and must be followed by tenderers.¹

Footnotes

1. 1Access procurement documents and submit tenders via the Funding & Tenders Portal: ec.europa.eu

Opportunity overview

This is a European Schools procurement for travel services linked to the BSGEE 2026-012 school trip for Varese, managed under procedure EURSC/2026/OP/0009 and published as an open procedure with an estimated value of €1,500,000.[4] The contract is a services framework agreement rather than a grant, so no funding rate or co financing percentage applies.

Key commercial terms

Who can apply

The tender is open to economic operators able to deliver the required travel services and satisfy the administrative, technical and selection requirements set out in the procurement documents. The portal requires EU Login for electronic submission, and tenderers must use a PIC to participate.

• Electronic submission is mandatory.
• The contracting authority will not reply to questions submitted after 5 October 2026 at 23:59 Brussels time.
• The published document set includes the invitation letter, administrative specifications, technical specifications, financial form, declaration on honour, quality annex and draft framework contract.
• The notice indicates 7 documents in total.
• The contract is not marked as SME suitable.
• Applicants should prepare for a 6 month tender validity period.

Scope and practical implications

The Q and A indicates the contract covers multiple school trip scenarios, including repeated use for some classes, with P5 limited to one trip per year and S3 potentially divided into different groups depending on language needs. The dates in one scenario were also corrected to Monday 14 June 2027 through Friday 18 June 2027, which suggests the technical documents contain scenario based planning requirements.

Official notice:The authoritative portal page and documents are available at EU Funding and Tenders Portal¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Official notice and procurement documents: EU Funding and Tenders Portal.