Call for tender for ad-hoc information retrieval for political intelligence and analysis

This publication serves as a pre-announcement of a future tender opportunity from the European Commission, specifically the Directorate-General for Communication (DG COMM). The tender title is "Call for tender for ad-hoc information retrieval for political intelligence and analysis." It aims to procure a variety of information gathering services designed to enhance political reporting and analysis capabilities. The services required include the preparation of profiles of political figures, thematic overviews, speech transcriptions, regional analyses, and social media monitoring.

The anticipated procedures will be conducted under a framework agreement that will not allow for reopening of competition, meaning that once awarded, specific tasks can be called off as needed without undergoing a competitive process each time. This procurement will follow a planned negotiated procedure aimed at securing a middle or low value contract. The precise funding amount is not specified, but the nature of this contract reflects a focus on service provision rather than grants or subsidies.

The maximum contract duration is set for 36 months. Interested parties will need to express their interest electronically, with the official start date for this process scheduled for July 15, 2025, and a submission deadline of August 15, 2025. The estimated launch date of the negotiated procedure is August 26, 2025. The primary classification for this tender involves business services under the CPV code 79000000, covering a range of sectors including law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing, and security services.

This announcement is not a formal call for tenders; rather, it informs potential bidders of the impending opportunity to express their interest. It invites all eligible economic operators capable of delivering the specified services, including large enterprises and other consulting firms. Monitoring the EU Funding & Tenders Portal will provide further information when the official call for tenders is published.

This is a publication announcing the European Commission's, DG COMM Communication, intention to publish a future negotiated low or middle value procedure. It is not a call for tenders. The procedure identifier is EC-COMM/BER/2025/MVP/0238-EXA. The title of the planned call for tender is "Call for tender for ad-hoc information retrieval for political intelligence and analysis".

The description is procuring a set of standard information gathering services for political intelligence and analysis – profiles of political personalities, thematic overviews and analyses, read-outs/minutes of relevant speeches, regional analyses, social media analyses – to be called off on short notice and in small increments up to a maximum amount as defined in a contract to strengthen the Representation’s capabilities in political reporting and analysis.

The procedure type is a planned negotiated procedure for middle/low value contract. The estimated total value is not specified. The nature of the contract is for services. The maximum contract duration is 36 months. It will be a framework agreement without reopening of competition.

The start date for expression of interest is 2025-07-15 Europe/Brussels. The deadline for expression of interest is 15/08/2025 04:59 Europe/Berlin. The indicative date of launch of the negotiated procedure is 2025-08-26 Europe/Berlin.

Submissions must be sent exclusively at the address for submission given below. The method of expression of interest is electronic. To express interest, use the "Express interest" link.

The main classification (CPV) code is 79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security.

A frequently asked question is: Where can I find the procurement documents for calls for tenders with ‘ExA' in the reference? The answer is: References that feature an ‘ExA’ are not calls for tenders. They are a publication announcing the contracting authority’s intent to launch in the future a low or middle negotiated procedure. This was published on 03/10/2024 16:32.

In summary, this is a pre-announcement for a future tender opportunity from the European Commission, DG COMM, related to information gathering services for political intelligence and analysis. The actual call for tenders is planned for the future, and this announcement serves to inform potential bidders about the upcoming opportunity and allows them to express their interest. The services required include gathering and analyzing information on political personalities, thematic topics, speeches, regional developments, and social media trends. The contract will be a framework agreement, and services will be requested on an ad-hoc basis. The expression of interest period is scheduled for July-August 2025, with the negotiated procedure expected to launch in late August 2025.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. Given the nature of the procurement, it is likely that eligible applicants could include companies or organizations that provide business services, law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing, and security services, as indicated by the CPV code. This could encompass SMEs, large enterprises, consulting firms, research institutes, or other entities capable of delivering the required services.

Funding Type: This is a procurement opportunity, specifically a planned negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract. The funding type is therefore a service contract.

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, given the nature of the services being procured (information gathering for political intelligence and analysis), it is possible that both single applicants and consortia could be eligible, depending on the scope and complexity of the requirements outlined in the full call for tenders when it is released.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly defined in the provided text. However, since the contracting authority is the European Commission, it is highly likely that the beneficiary scope includes EU member states, and potentially EEA countries or other countries with agreements with the EU. The full call for tenders will provide specific details on geographic eligibility.

Target Sector: The target sector is business services, specifically those related to political intelligence and analysis. This includes information gathering services such as profiles of political personalities, thematic overviews and analyses, read-outs/minutes of relevant speeches, regional analyses, and social media analyses. The CPV code 79000000 further specifies business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned in the opportunity details. The contracting authority is the European Commission, DG COMM, which implies a European scope. The milestones mention Brussels and Berlin in relation to dates, but these are locations and not related to country eligibility.

Project Stage: The project stage is not directly applicable, as this is a procurement of services rather than a project in a specific stage of development. The opportunity is for providing ongoing information gathering services, implying an operational or service delivery stage.

Funding Amount: The funding amount is described as a "middle/low value contract." While a specific range is not provided, this suggests the contract value is likely to be under €200k, and possibly even under €50k, but without further information, it is difficult to provide a more precise estimate.

Application Type: The application type is an expression of interest, followed by a planned negotiated procedure. This means that interested parties must first express their interest electronically. Subsequently, the contracting authority will likely invite a select number of candidates to participate in a negotiated procedure.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for providing the contracted services. The nature of support is therefore monetary, specifically payment for services rendered.

Application Stages: The application process appears to involve at least two stages: 1) Expression of interest, submitted electronically. 2) Participation in a negotiated procedure, which will likely involve submitting a detailed proposal or tender.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned. As this is a negotiated procedure, the success rate will depend on the number of candidates invited to negotiate and the quality of their proposals. Negotiated procedures typically have higher success rates for those invited to participate compared to open calls, but this is speculative without further information.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not mention any co-funding requirement. It is likely that no co-funding is required, as this is a procurement contract where the contractor is paid for services rendered.

Summary: This is a pre-announcement of a planned call for tenders by the European Commission, DG COMM, for ad-hoc information retrieval services related to political intelligence and analysis. The procedure identifier is EC-COMM/BER/2025/MVP/0238-EXA. The Commission intends to procure a set of standard information gathering services, including profiles of political personalities, thematic overviews and analyses, read-outs of speeches, regional analyses, and social media analyses. These services will be called off on short notice and in small increments, up to a maximum amount defined in the contract. The aim is to strengthen the Representation’s capabilities in political reporting and analysis. This will be a planned negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract, with a maximum contract duration of 36 months. The procedure will be a framework agreement without reopening of competition. The start date for expression of interest is planned for 2025-07-15, with a deadline of 2025-08-15. The indicative date for the launch of the negotiated procedure is 2025-08-26. Interested parties must submit an electronic expression of interest. This announcement is not the call for tenders itself, but rather a notification of the Commission's intention to launch the procedure in the future. Companies and organizations providing business services, law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing, and security services should monitor the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for the official call and related documents.