CFT-1764 - IT CONSULTANCY FOR CONTENT MANAGEMENT

The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group has launched a call for tenders under the identifier EIB/2024/OP/0014 for IT consultancy services related to content management. The opportunity aims to establish framework agreements with up to five successful tenderers. The total estimated value for this procurement is 130 million EUR, with a maximum contract duration of 72 months.

This tender is categorized as an open procedure, and submissions must be made electronically. The primary focus is on ICT services that include the development, maintenance, and support of various content management systems such as Microsoft 365, Microsoft SharePoint, OpenText Content Management, and custom web solutions based on .NET and PHP/Drupal frameworks.

Eligible applicants are expected to be legal entities capable of providing IT consultancy services, which can include large enterprises, IT consultancies, and possibly research institutions. The tender does not expressly indicate a requirement for consortiums, but both single applicants and consortia may be suitable.

The geographic scope appears to target entities within the EU and EEA, although references for work performed outside these areas might be acceptable. The selection process will evaluate applicants based on their suitability to perform professional activities, financial standing, and technical abilities, with a competitive nature indicated by the limited number of available contracts.

The application deadline is set for June 12, 2025, with the opening of tenders occurring shortly after on June 13, 2025. The tender documents detail important information, including administrative clauses, technical specifications, and pricing forms, which are now published in various versions for clarity.

Overall, the EIB is seeking experienced IT consultancies to provide comprehensive content management services, and applicants are urged to carefully review the associated documentation and adhere to submission guidelines. The contract will be awarded based on the best price-quality ratio, emphasizing the importance of both technical capability and cost-effectiveness.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group has issued a call for tenders, EIB/2024/OP/0014, titled "IT Consultancy for Content Management". The procedure identifier is EIB/2024/OP/0014. This is an open procedure, and submissions must be made electronically. The objective is to award Framework Agreements to up to 5 successful tenderers for IT consultancy services related to content management for the EIB Group.

The estimated total value of this procurement is 130,000,000 EUR. The TED publication date was 25/03/2025. The lead contracting authority is the European Investment Bank. The main classification (CPV) code is 72200000, which refers to software programming and consultancy services. The nature of the contract is for services, and the maximum contract duration is 72 months. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio, and the framework agreement involves reopening of competition.

The selection criteria include: Suitability to pursue the professional activity, Economic and financial standing, and Technical and professional ability. Detailed information on these criteria can be found in the procurement documents.

Key milestones include: TED publication date: 25/03/2025, Date and time of public opening: 13/06/2025 11:00 Europe/Luxembourg, Deadline for receipt of tenders: 12/06/2025 15:00 Europe/Luxembourg, and the Contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after: 28/05/2025 05:00 Europe/Luxembourg.

The tender documents include: General Administrative and Submission Clauses (GASC) Tender specifications adm. part (Version 1, published on 25/03/2025), Terms of Reference (Version 1, published on 25/03/2025), Annex A Technical Specifications (Version 1, published on 25/03/2025), Annex B Technical Proposal Form (Version 1, published on 25/03/2025), Annex C Pricing Form Financial offer form (Version 1, published on 25/03/2025), Annex D.1 Model Framework Agreement for Provision of Services Draft contract (Version 2, published on 23/05/2025), Annex D.2 General Terms Conditions for ICT services for Framework Agreements Draft contract: general conditions (Version 1, published on 25/03/2025), Annex D.3 Contract template implementing the Framework Agreement Draft contract annex (Version 1, published on 25/03/2025), Annex E Contract Reference Form Other invitation to tender document (Version 1, published on 25/03/2025), and Annex F Checklist Other invitation to tender document (Version 1, published on 25/03/2025).

The IT consultancy services relate to content management and cover the following domains:
Development, maintenance, and support of a Microsoft365, Microsoft SharePoint, and .Net platform.
Development, maintenance, and support of the EIB Group’s Document Management System based on OpenText Content Management (Extended ECM).
Development, maintenance, and support of custom-built web content management solutions, in platforms different to M365 (mainly based on .NET and PHP/Drupal frameworks).
Development, maintenance, and support of the EIB Group’s Enterprise Search solutions.
Development, maintenance, and support of other IT platforms, solutions, and tools that may be used by the EIB during the term of the Framework Agreement for the purposes of content management.

There are specific instructions for using the eSubmission system, including supported browsers (Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox), attachment size limits (less than 50 MB), and file naming conventions. The system supports 24 official EU languages and uses UTF-8 character set encoding. It encrypts all uploaded documents using an asymmetric key.

The Annex D.1 Model Framework Agreement for Provision of Services has been updated to Version 2, providing clarifications on Intellectual Property Rights. The updates are visible in Track Changes in Articles 11 and 12.

Some frequently asked questions (FAQ) and their answers include:
Tenderers can rely on a third party to fulfil technical and professional capacity selection criteria.
The EIB Group uses LAMP (PHP, Drupal) and C#.Net (Windows) technology for non-M365 content management solutions.
It is acceptable to include references for assignments performed at client premises located outside the EU/EEA.
CVs are not required in the tenderer's response to the point 2.10 Case study of Annex B, but the team setup and composition shall be described.
The technical offer for the case study should only cover the development phase.
There are no page limit or font type and size requirements for questions 2.1 2.9 in Annex B.
The exclusion criteria evidence documents shall not be more than one year old.
Any modification to the framework agreement and/or contract shall be agreed by both parties in writing.
The Model Framework Agreement and the General Terms and Conditions for framework agreements shall not be amended, and tenderers cannot propose limitations of liability.
Only volumes of consultancy provided on-site in the last 3 years can be counted for fulfilling requirement T.1.6.
All consortium members must provide their turnover figures for each of the last 3 years.
For the purposes of Pass/Fail requirement T.1.4, it is acceptable if at least one contract demonstrates that the Tenderer has successfully developed, maintained and supported custom applications.
It is acceptable to only include the percentage of subcontracting and omit the value in EUR in Form 2 Deed of undertaking.

In summary, this tender is an opportunity for IT consultancy firms to secure a framework agreement with the EIB Group for providing content management services. The EIB is looking for up to five companies to provide a range of IT services related to content management, including development, maintenance, and support for various platforms and solutions. The tender documents provide detailed specifications, selection criteria, and submission guidelines. Interested parties should pay close attention to the deadlines and ensure they meet all the requirements for electronic submission. The EIB has also provided answers to several questions from potential tenderers, offering further clarification on various aspects of the tender process and requirements. The total estimated value of the framework agreements is 130 million EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 72 months.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the nature of the tender, it is expected that eligible applicants would be firms, companies, or organizations that can provide IT consultancy services. This likely includes SMEs, large enterprises, and potentially research institutes or public-private partnerships with relevant expertise.

Funding Type: The funding type is procurement, specifically a framework agreement for services. The EIB intends to establish framework agreements with up to 5 tenderers.

Consortium Requirement: Both single applicants and consortia are likely eligible, as the documentation refers to consortium members needing to provide turnover figures.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated, but the Q&A section indicates that references for assignments performed at client premises located outside the EU/EEA are acceptable. This suggests that the opportunity is open to entities within the EU/EEA and potentially to those outside, provided they meet other requirements.

Target Sector: The target sector is ICT, specifically IT consultancy services related to content management. This includes development, maintenance, and support for various platforms and solutions such as Microsoft 365, Microsoft SharePoint, .NET, OpenText Content Management (Extended ECM), PHP/Drupal frameworks, and Enterprise Search solutions.

Mentioned Countries: Luxembourg is mentioned in reference to the Luxembourg Copyright Act. The EU and EEA are also mentioned as regions.

Project Stage: The project stage is for established services, focusing on development, maintenance, and support. The tender seeks experienced providers capable of handling existing systems and developing new solutions.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the framework agreement is 130,000,000 EUR. This is the total value of the framework agreement and not the funding amount for a single project.

Application Type: The application type is an open call for tenders, with electronic submission.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for services provided under the framework agreement.

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly stated, but it involves at least one stage of submitting a tender, followed by evaluation based on selection criteria (suitability to pursue professional activity, economic and financial standing, technical and professional ability).

Success Rates: The success rate is not explicitly stated, but the tender indicates that up to 5 successful tenderers will be awarded framework agreements.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding is not explicitly mentioned, but tenderers are expected to provide pricing forms, indicating that the award will be based on the best price-quality ratio.

Summary:

This is a call for tenders by the European Investment Bank (EIB) to establish framework agreements with up to five IT consultancy service providers. The focus is on content management services, covering a range of platforms and solutions including Microsoft 365, SharePoint, .NET, OpenText ECM, PHP/Drupal, and Enterprise Search. The estimated total value of the framework agreement is 130 million EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 72 months. The procedure is an open call, with electronic submissions required. Tenderers will be evaluated based on their professional activity, economic and financial standing, and technical abilities. The deadline for submitting tenders is June 12, 2025. The opportunity targets ICT companies with proven experience in content management and related IT services, potentially including both EU/EEA-based companies and those from outside the region. The selected providers will be expected to deliver development, maintenance, and support services for the EIB Group's content management infrastructure. A key update to the tender is a revised Model Framework Agreement (Annex D.1) clarifying Intellectual Property Rights, specifically in Articles 11 and 12. Tenderers should pay close attention to the Q&A section, which provides clarifications on various aspects of the tender requirements, including the use of subcontractors, the acceptability of references from outside the EU/EEA, and the handling of intellectual property.