Catering Interpreting Europe Conference on 26 and 27 November 2026

The opportunity titled "Catering Interpreting Europe Conference on 26 and 27 November 2026" is a procurement contract issued by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Interpretation (DG SCIC). This is a service procurement contract aimed at purchasing catering services for a significant event, specifically the Interpreting Europe Conference. The conference is scheduled to take place over two days, and the procurement is expected to cover comprehensive food and beverage services, including coffee breaks, lunches, and possibly reception services.

The main classification for this contract falls under the CPV code for canteen and catering services, designated as 55500000. The expected maximum duration of the contract is 12 months, although the actual service provision will concentrate around the conference dates in November 2026. The registration deadline for expressing interest is set for 28 October 2025, with tenders needing to be submitted electronically through the EU's Funding and Tenders Portal.

Eligible applicants for this contract are businesses that provide catering services. While the SME suitability indicator is marked as false, this suggests that the tender may favor larger, established catering companies capable of managing the requirements of an international conference. However, this does not completely exclude smaller enterprises or consortia that can demonstrate sufficient capacity.

As this is a procurement contract rather than a funding opportunity, the successful bidder will be compensated for their services according to the bidding process, which requires technical and financial proposals. The contract value has not been specified, but based on past procurements for similar events, it may range significantly, potentially from €50,000 to several hundred thousand euros.

This advance notice is a pre-announcement indicating the intention to launch a negotiated procedure, which is not yet open for bids. This opportunity highlights the requirement for high-quality service and may involve considerations for sustainability in catering practices.

Interested companies should monitor the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for the official launch of the tender, which is expected around 31 October 2025, ensuring they are prepared to submit their expressions of interest electronically by the specified deadline.

This is not a call for tenders but a publication announcing the contracting authority’s intention to publish a future negotiated low or middle value procedure. More information can be found via a link. Submissions must be sent exclusively at the address for submission given below.

The opportunity is titled "Catering Interpreting Europe Conference on 26 and 27 November 2026". The procedure identifier is EC-SCIC/2025/LVP/0123-EXA.

The description is for the purchasing of catering services for the SCIC flagship event Interpreting Europe Conference taking place on 26 and 27 November 2026. The procedure type is 47396214. The estimated total value is not specified. The lead contracting authority is the European Commission, DG SCIC Interpretation. The main classification (CPV) is 55500000 55500000. The nature of the contract is for services. The maximum contract duration is 12 months. There is no framework agreement.

The start date for expression of interest is 2025-10-13 Europe/Brussels. The deadline for expression of interest is 29/10/2025 06:59 Europe/Brussels. The indicative date of launch of the negotiated procedure is 2025-10-31 Europe/Brussels.

The method of expression of interest is electronic. The address for expression of interest is via the "Express interest" link.

A question and answer section is available, requiring a login to create questions. There are FAQs, a "My Q&A" section, and the option to download Q&As in XLS format. Currently, there are no Q&A items found.

One public Q&A entry exists: "Where can I find the procurement documents for calls for tenders with ‘ExA' in the reference?" The answer states that references with ‘ExA’ are not calls for tenders but announcements of the contracting authority’s intent to launch a low or middle negotiated procedure in the future. This was published on 03/10/2024 17:32.

In summary, this is a pre-announcement for a future negotiated procedure by the European Commission, DG SCIC, for catering services for the Interpreting Europe Conference in November 2026. It is not a call for tenders yet, but an invitation to express interest. The expression of interest must be submitted electronically. The actual call for tenders is expected to be launched around October 31, 2025.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, since this is a publication announcing the intention to publish a future negotiated low or middle value procedure for catering services, it can be inferred that eligible applicants would likely be businesses, including SMEs and potentially larger enterprises, that are capable of providing catering services.

Funding Type: The funding type is a service contract, specifically for the "Purchasing of catering services". This falls under procurement.

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium or a single applicant is required. Given the nature of the service (catering), it is possible that both single applicants and consortia could be eligible, but this would be clarified in the actual call for tenders when it is published.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly mentioned. However, since this is a European Commission tender, it is highly likely that the eligibility will be focused on companies registered and operating within the EU or potentially the EEA. This will be confirmed in the official call for tenders.

Target Sector: The target sector is clearly defined as catering services.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned. The relevant region is the EU, as the contracting authority is the European Commission.

Project Stage: This is a procurement of services, not a project in the traditional sense. The relevant stage is the operational stage, where the catering services are to be provided for the Interpreting Europe Conference.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value is not specified, but the announcement indicates it will be a "low or middle value procedure." This suggests the contract value will likely be under a certain threshold, possibly under €200,000 or even lower, depending on the specific definitions used by the European Commission for "low" and "middle" value contracts.

Application Type: The application type is a planned call for tenders, specifically a "negotiated procedure." The first step is to express interest electronically.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for providing catering services. This is a monetary exchange for services rendered.

Application Stages: Based on the information provided, there are at least two stages: 1) Expression of interest, and 2) Participation in the negotiated procedure after the official call for tenders is launched.

Success Rates: Success rates cannot be determined from this announcement, as it is only a preliminary notice. Success rates will depend on the number of applicants and the evaluation criteria defined in the actual call for tenders.

Co-funding Requirement: The need for co-funding is not mentioned, and it is unlikely to be required for a service contract of this nature.

Summary:

This is a pre-announcement from the European Commission, DG SCIC Interpretation, indicating its intention to launch a negotiated procurement procedure for catering services. The services are required for the SCIC flagship event, the Interpreting Europe Conference, scheduled for November 26 and 27, 2026. This is not a call for tenders yet, but a notification that a call will be published in the future. The procedure is expected to be of low or middle value. Interested parties are invited to express their interest electronically, starting from October 13, 2025, with a deadline of October 29, 2025. The indicative date for launching the negotiated procedure is October 31, 2025. The contract duration is expected to be a maximum of 12 months. The CPV code is 55500000, which relates to catering services. Companies interested in providing catering services for this conference should monitor the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for the official publication of the call for tenders and then submit their expression of interest electronically by the specified deadline. The key takeaway is that this is advance notice, and the actual tender documents are not yet available.