CFT-1843 Payroll and Legal Services for EIB non-EU External Offices.

European Investment Bank (EIB) open call for tenders EIB/2026/OP/0002 (TED ref 73/2026 255049-2026) to establish multiple-provider framework agreements for payroll (Lot 1) and legal (Lot 2) services for non-EU external offices. Estimated total value €3,000,000 (Lot €1 2,000,000; Lot €2 1,000,000) over up to 72 months including renewals, with electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal required by 05/06/2026 15:00 Europe/Luxembourg. Evaluation is by best price-quality ratio with quality 70% and price 30%, selection requires specified technical, financial and legal capacity evidence and Lot 1 includes mandatory IT and data residency requirements. Framework awards will appoint multiple operators per lot (min 2, max 5) and call-offs will be issued via a cascade mechanism under Luxembourg law with strict GDPR and contractual compliance obligations.

What it funds

Scope

Procurement by the European Investment Bank (EIB) for external-office HR support:Lot 1 payroll services and Lot 2 legal services for EIB non-EU external offices. Framework agreements will be awarded to multiple providers; individual assignments (call-offs) issued under the framework.

Estimated budget and duration:Total estimated value €3 000 000 (Lot €1 2 000 000; Lot €2 1 000 000) over the full duration. Maximum contract duration per framework agreement up to 72 months ¹.

1. 1Who can apply: professional service providers (single firms or consortia). Subcontracting permitted; joint offers allowed.
2. 2Eligible services: multi-country payroll administration (Lot 1) and local labour/tax/social-security legal advice and representation (Lot 2).
3. 3Key administrative prerequisites: EU Login/eSubmission access, Participant Identification Code (PIC) where required; follow EIB tender forms and administrative clauses.

Procedure:open procedure; award by best price-quality ratio. Tender documentation, Terms of Reference, model framework agreements, IT and pricing annexes, administrative forms and SCCs are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and form part of the procurement documents ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Full procurement documents (Terms of Reference, Annexes, Model Framework Agreement, IT requirements, pricing forms and administrative forms) are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal entry for CFT-1843 (EIB/2026/OP/0002).

High-level description

The European Investment Bank (EIB) published an open call for tenders (TED ref. 73/2026 255049-2026) to establish multiple-operator framework agreements for professional services supporting EIB non-EU external offices. The procurement is split into two lots: Lot 1 Payroll Services and Lot 2 Legal Services. The Bank will appoint several framework members (minimum 2, up to 5) and will use a cascade mechanism to request and award individual assignments (call-offs). The framework duration is four years with up to two one-year renewals (maximum 6 years). Estimated total value across lots for the framework duration is €3,000,000 (Lot 1: €2,000,000; Lot 2: €1,000,000). Submissions are electronic via the EU F&T Portal (eSubmission). TED publication date 15/04/2026; tender deadlines and milestones are stated in the procurement documents.

Key administrative and procedural facts

1. 1Procurement type: Open procedure, framework agreement, multiple operators in cascade.
2. 2Lead contracting authority: European Investment Bank (EIB).
3. 3Submission method: Electronic via eSubmission (EU Login required).
4. 4TED publication date: 15/04/2026.
5. 5Deadlines (as published): Deadline for receipt of tenders 05/06/2026 15:00 Europe/Luxembourg; public opening 08/06/2026 10:00 Europe/Luxembourg. Contracting authority not bound to reply to questions submitted after 18/05/2026 23:59 Europe/Luxembourg.
6. 6Maximum contract duration: 72 months (framework with renewals up to 6 years).
7. 7Award method: Best price-quality ratio (quality 70% / price 30% in evaluation).
8. 8Estimated total value: €3,000,000 over full framework duration (Lot €1 2,000,000; Lot €2 1,000,000).
9. 9Contract form: Model framework agreement (several providers cascade) and model call-off contract or appointment letter.

Scope and services required

The procurement aims to transition EIB non-EU external offices HR activities to a provider model. Providers will act as single point of contact for assigned countries and deliver two separate lots: Lot 1 Payroll Services and Lot 2 Legal Services. Services are structured across four pillars for payroll (transition, managed payroll provisioning, project/ad-hoc services, exit) and for legal services include local Labour, Tax and Social Security legal advice, document drafting, permits/visas support, representation, compliance updates, translations and account management. Detailed technical specifications, IT requirements, SLA and pricing forms are published as annexes to the Terms of Reference.

Eligibility, selection and exclusion

General public procurement requirements apply (EIB follows EU procurement principles). Tenderers must meet exclusion rules (declarations on honour Form 5) and demonstrate selection criteria (technical and professional capacity, economic and financial capacity and legal capacity). Specific pass/fail selection requirements per lot are provided (detailed below). Joint tenders and subcontracting are permitted; groups must designate a leader and accept joint and several liability.

Selection / pass-fail minimum requirements (summary)

1. 1Lot 1 (Payroll) mandatory selection experience: minimum 3 relevant and verifiable contracts providing multi-country payroll services outside EEA/UK/Switzerland/US, each for at least 12 months within the last 3 years and each with a minimum value of €200,000. Up to 5 references can be submitted using Form 7.
2. 2Lot 2 (Legal) mandatory selection experience: minimum 3 relevant and verifiable contracts providing multi-country legal services in labour, taxation and social security law outside EEA/UK/Switzerland/US, each for at least 12 months within the last 3 years and each with a minimum value of €25,000. Up to 5 references via Form 7.
3. 3Economic and financial capacity (turnover): Lot 1 minimum annual turnover €600,000; Lot 2 minimum annual turnover €200,000 for each of the last 3 financial years (Form 6 and accounts required).
4. 4Legal capacity: proof of registration to pursue professional activity in country of establishment (Lot 1) and, for Lot 2, evidence that local legal team members are registered with local Bars and authorised under national law.

Award criteria and evaluation

Award will be on the most economically advantageous tender (best price-quality ratio). Quality accounts for 70% and price 30%. Quality evaluation is granular (Lot 1 and Lot 2 each use defined qualitative award criteria with maximum scores and minimum pass thresholds). Lot 1 quality criteria focus on methodology across four pillars, geographical coverage (points for up to 15 current locations + 4 potential), governance, IT solution quality (Annex B) and quality assurance/data protection. Lot 2 quality criteria focus on approach and methodology for legal service delivery, geographical coverage, and governance/account management.

Quality scoring and minimums:Each Lot has a 100-point quality scale with minimum thresholds (combined minimum 50 points). Failure to meet minimum scores leads to rejection.

Pricing and financial evaluation

Financial proposals must follow the provided Annex C (Lot 1) and Annex D (Lot 2) pricing templates. Evaluation uses a Total Financial Scenario extracted from the Pricing Form. The lowest-priced tender receives 100 financial points; others are scored proportionally (Fs = 100 x Fm / F). Final score = Qs x 0.7 + Fs x 0.3. Pricing cells are strictly controlled and tenderers are not allowed to add rows or change matrices. Price indexation rules: fixed prices for first 2 years; annual indexation thereafter tied to EU 27 HICP if requested by either party.

IT, data protection and security

Lot 1 requires an IT platform with mandatory and awardable IT requirements defined in Annex B (sheets for mandatory pass/fail and quality scoring). Mandatory items include data residency in EU/EEA, GDPR compliance, data export after termination, backups, penetration testing, business continuity, secure APIs and support in English. Data residency, controller-processor relationships and Standard Contractual Clauses are specified. The Framework Agreement includes model SCCs and clauses addressing EU Controller to Non-EU Processor transfers where relevant. For Lot 2 legal services, data protection and secure handling of client data, encryption and translation provisions are required as described in Terms of Reference and Appendix E model SCCs.

Key documents provided in the procurement dossier

• General Administrative and Submission Clauses (GASC)
• Terms of Reference (ToR) with Annex A Technical Specifications (detailed Lot breakdown)
• Annex B IT Requirements (mandatory and award scoring)
• Annex C Pricing Form (Lot 1)
• Annex D Pricing Form (Lot 2)
• Model Framework Agreement (multi-operator cascade) and Appendices
• Model Contract / Appointment Letter templates
• Administrative Forms for EIB tenders (Forms 1–7, incl. Form 7 contract reference form)
• Model Standard Contractual Clauses and Data Protection Appendices
• Model Service Level Agreement (SLA) (Appendix II to ToR)

Tender submission and format

Tenders must be submitted electronically via the eSubmission application of the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. EU Login (with two-factor authentication required after 30 June 2026) and a valid PIC are necessary. Submissions must be in English or French. Administrative forms (Forms 1–6) must be completed and signed (wet signature scanned or QES). Tender structure: Part I Administrative & selection evidence; Part II Technical proposal (format limits and page maximums apply); Part III Financial proposal (Annex C/D Pricing Form signed). Supporting evidence such as audited accounts and references (Form 7) must be included. eSubmission technical constraints (file size, file types, encryption of attachments) apply. The Bank’s General Administrative and Submission Clauses and Appendix I provide e-submission instructions and system rules.

Contract model, governance and compliance

The framework agreement is a multiple-operator, without reopening cascade (several providers). Contracts called off under the framework will use the model framework agreement and model contract templates provided (or an appointment letter for smaller value assignments). All call-offs are subject to the Bank’s General Terms and Conditions (Appendix C) including confidentiality, data protection, security requirements, audit rights, business continuity, reporting and service levels. Framework Members must designate named account and operational contacts and provide governance structures for the services. The Bank reserves the right to verify references and to audit performance.

Important dates and milestones (procurement schedule)

Frequently overlooked / critical administrative items

1. 1Complete and sign Administrative Forms 1–6 (Form 5 Declaration on honour is mandatory for exclusion grounds).
2. 2Provide Form 7 contract references and ensure references are verifiable (contactable).
3. 3Attach audited accounts and Form 6 financial capacity for the last 3 financial years as required.
4. 4Follow the Annex B IT mandatory checklist (Lot 1) precisely; failure on mandatory IT requirements leads to disqualification.
5. 5Do not change the pricing template structure; only editable cells may be filled. Missing or incorrect price cells may cause disqualification.
6. 6If relying on subcontractors or group members, include Forms 3 and 4 and specify responsibilities; joint tenderers must accept joint and several liability.
7. 7Meet the minimum turnover and reference thresholds per lot.

Risks and practical recommendations for bidders

1. 1Ensure references meet geographic and value constraints (outside EEA/UK/Switzerland/US).
2. 2Plan IT demonstration and evidence for Annex B (mandatory and quality requirements).
3. 3Prepare data protection documentation and SCC completion early. If data processing occurs outside EU/EEA, be ready to accept model SCCs and to complete transfer impact assessment.
4. 4Consolidate consortium or subcontractor responsibilities in Deed of Undertaking (Form 2) and Form 3/4 declarations.
5. 5Allow time to collect original documents to provide if awarded (exclusion and selection evidence) as EIB typically requests originals within a short period before contract signature.
6. 6Follow eSubmission system requirements (file types, size < 50 MB per file, maximum 200 attachments) and test uploads well before the deadline.
7. 7If offering software, prepare source code escrow deposit (Framework Agreement escrow commitments are specified).

Eligible Applicant Types

Eligible applicant types:Private companies (large enterprises, SMEs), law firms, consulting firms, payroll service providers, partnerships, consortia (joint offers) and subcontractors. Public bodies, NGOs or research organisations may participate if they meet the selection criteria and legal capacity requirements, but the procurement is aimed principally at commercial payroll and legal services providers. Individuals are not the typical intended bidder format; joint tenders are tolerated and must accept joint and several liability.

Funding Type

This procurement is a public contract for services awarded through a framework agreement. The primary financial mechanism is procurement (service contract). The framework may give rise to purchase orders / call-off contracts (service contracts).

Consortium Requirement

Consortiums (joint offers) are permitted but not mandatory. Tenderers may bid as sole tenderers, with or without subcontractors, or as consortia. If a consortium is used, joint and several liability is required and a consortium leader must be designated (Form 2 and Form 3).

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility)

Open to economic operators regardless of country of establishment (EU/EEA and third countries). Service delivery covers EIB non-EU external offices worldwide; IT/data residency requirements demand EU/EEA hosting for payroll data unless agreed otherwise. Certain references must be for work performed outside EEA/UK/Switzerland/US.

Target Sector

Target sectors:HR services (payroll outsourcing), legal (labour, tax, social security), professional services for financial/international organisation support, ICT (payroll platform) and compliance/data protection.

Mentioned Countries

Countries explicitly mentioned in the Terms of Reference and annexes as current locations where Local Agents are engaged: Ivory Coast (Abidjan), Ethiopia (Addis Ababa), Serbia (Belgrade), Egypt (Cairo), Moldova (Chisinau), Ukraine (Kyiv), Türkiye (Istanbul), Kenya (Nairobi), South Africa (Pretoria), Morocco (Rabat), Dominican Republic (Santo Domingo), Georgia (Tbilisi), Tunisia (Tunis), Cameroon (Yaoundé), Colombia (Bogota). Potential locations referenced: Brazil, Panama, Jordan, Uzbekistan. Many other non-EU global partner countries are within scope for services.

Project Stage

Expected project maturity:operational services delivery and transition. For Payroll (Lot 1) the Bank expects a phased transition from incumbent providers to managed service and platform operation (transition, pilot, go-live, stabilization) — maturity expected at operational and managed-services levels. For Legal (Lot 2) the maturity expected is operational legal practice and ongoing advisory capacity.

Funding Amount

Estimated total value across both lots for the Framework Agreement duration (renewals included): €3,000,000. Lot 1 estimated value €2,000,000; Lot 2 estimated value €1,000,000. No guaranteed call-off volume is pledged; these are estimates for the framework duration.

Application Type

Applicants must submit proposals via an open call (public procurement open procedure) through the eSubmission system on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (open call). The procurement is not by invitation only. Questions to the contracting authority are handled via the Portal's Q&A.

Nature of Support

Beneficiaries (framework members) will receive monetary remuneration under call-off contracts when assigned work (service contract payments). In addition to monetary payment, successful suppliers will receive non-financial benefits: contractual partnership with EIB, multi-country mandates, access to EIB operational requirements and templates, and continued framework visibility.

Application Stages

Number of procurement and award stages:one-step open procedure followed by framework award and then multiple separate call-off award steps (cascade) for assignments. In procurement evaluation the Bank performs exclusion/selection checks, technical and financial evaluation in one evaluation process. After framework award, each assignment follows an award process in cascade to the ranked providers (sequential requests to framework members).

Success Rates

No explicit success rate published. Indicative maximum number of framework beneficiaries per lot: up to five (5) providers will be appointed provided sufficient admissible tenders are received. Final probability of award depends on number and quality of bidders and their ranking; historically framework procedures with multiple operators yield modest per-bidder probabilities but concrete success rate is not published by the Bank.

Co-funding Requirement

No co-funding requirement. This is a procurement contract:the Bank pays suppliers for services under call-off contracts per the pricing in the submitted tender and the call-off assignment. No matching or grant co-financing is required from bidders.

Templates and application forms (structure and guidance)

The procurement dossier provides standard administrative forms and templates that must be completed and uploaded: Form 1 Tenderer Contact Form; Form 2 Deed of Undertaking (organisation, consortium declarations); Form 3 Consortium Member Declaration; Form 4 Subcontractor Declaration; Form 5 Declaration on honour on exclusion criteria and selection criteria and absence of conflict of interest; Form 6 Financial Capacity; Form 7 Contract Reference Form (project references). Additionally the Terms of Reference include Annexes: Annex B IT Requirements (mandatory and award quality), Annex C (Lot 1 Pricing Form), Annex D (Lot 2 Pricing Form), draft Model Framework Agreement, Model Contract and Appendices (including SCCs for transfers to non-EU processors). These templates govern required content and signature requirements and must be included in the tender. Electronic signatures (QES) or wet-signed scans are accepted per GASC.

Tender administrative forms (structure summary):Form 1: Tenderer contact details; Form 2: Deed of Undertaking (single tenderer or consortium information and roles); Form 3: Consortium member declaration; Form 4: Subcontractor declaration; Form 5: Declaration on honour (exclusion/conflict of interest); Form 6: Economic and Financial Capacity (turnover figures – last 3 audited years); Form 7: Contract Reference Form (detailed reference template; Lot-specific minimum values and geographic restrictions).

How to complete the most important templates (practical checklist)

1. 1Carefully complete Form 5 Declaration on honour; this is mandatory for all tenderers and must be signed (wet or QES).
2. 2Provide Form 7 references for each lot applied for — include client contact details, contract value, duration, role, scope and why relevant. Ensure references are reachable and within the required geographic/value/time filters.
3. 3Complete Form 6 with three-year turnover figures and attach audited annual accounts (signed). If consolidated accounts, provide explanation and page references.
4. 4Fill Annex B (IT mandatory & award) for Lot 1: mark Yes/No for each mandatory requirement and provide supporting documentation when requested; failure on mandatory criteria = rejection.
5. 5Complete Pricing Forms (Annex C Lot 1 / Annex D Lot 2) strictly in the editable cells and sign each page; do not change matrix structure.
6. 6Prepare technical proposal narrative within specified page limits and addressing all award sub-criteria item by item, including transition plan, governance, team CVs and IT solution description.
7. 7Submit all documents within eSubmission before the deadline and ensure all required signatures and scanned originals are included or to be posted if requested by GASC (originals only when explicitly requested).

Detailed pass/fail and award checklist (concise)

• Mandatory: Form 5 declaration; Form 1 contact details; Form 2 Deed of Undertaking; proof of legal capacity/registration.
• Selection evidence: Form 6 financials, audited accounts (3 years), Form 7 references (3 references meeting lot-specific thresholds), professional registrations (for Lot 2 lawyers).
• IT Mandatory: Annex B Sheet 1 (Lot 1) pass/fail – data residency, GDPR, backups, penetration testing, BCP/DR, secure APIs.
• Technical proposal: must meet minimum quality thresholds in the award matrix (e.g., minimum 50/100 quality or sub-criteria minimums as stated).
• Financial proposal: correctly completed Annex C/D price scenarios and signature; financial scoring uses Total Financial Scenario.

What is this opportunity about and explanation

This procurement is a strategic outsourcing initiative by the EIB to streamline and professionalise payroll and local labour-law legal services for its non-EU external offices. The Bank intends to create framework agreements with several qualified providers for two distinct lots: (1) multi-country payroll managed services including a payroll platform, transition and exit services, ongoing payroll processing, time & attendance and reporting capabilities; and (2) multi-country labour, tax and social security legal advisory services including contract drafting, work permit support, representation and compliance updates. The framework is designed as a cascade across top-ranked providers so that the Bank can call off assignments flexibly while ensuring continuity, service-level discipline and legal/data-protection safeguards. Tenderers must demonstrate relevant multi-country experience outside EEA/UK/Switzerland/US, adequate turnover, strong IT and data protection arrangements (for payroll), robust governance and clear operational models for multi-country delivery. The procurement uses a best price-quality ratio with substantial focus on technical quality and IT/data protection for payroll work. The procurement documentation contains extensive templates and model contracts which must be followed closely. Successful framework members will be placed on a roster and invited sequentially to bid for assignments; call-offs will be awarded on the terms of the framework agreement and the applicable call-off specification and price schedule.

Reference and procurement portal:Full procurement documentation and all templates are available in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page for CFT-1843. See the Terms of Reference and Annexes for the full details and model contracts EIB Tender Opportunity. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement documentation includes: General Administrative and Submission Clauses (GASC), Terms of Reference (ToR) and Annexes (A: Technical Specs; B: IT Requirements; C & D: Pricing Forms), Model Framework Agreement and Model Contracts, Administrative Forms (Forms 1-7) and Model Standard Contractual Clauses for cross-border data transfers.

Opportunity Overview

This is an open procedure call for tenders (EIB/2026/OP/0002, TED reference 73/2026 255049-2026) issued by the European Investment Bank (EIB) to establish framework agreements in cascade with multiple providers (minimum 2, maximum 5 per lot) for payroll and legal services supporting EIB's non-EU external offices. The total estimated value is €3,000,000 (Lot 1: €2,000,000; Lot 2: €1,000,000) over the full duration including renewals. Services aim to streamline HR management by transitioning to a provider model with a single point of contact per assigned countries, covering approximately 80 Local Agents across 15 current countries (e.g., Egypt, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tunisia, Georgia, Moldova, Serbia, Türkiye, Ukraine, Colombia, Dominican Republic) and potential expansion to 4 more (Brazil, Panama, Jordan, Uzbekistan).

Key Dates and Procedure

• TED publication: 15/04/2026
• Deadline for questions: 18/05/2026 23:59 Europe/Luxembourg
• Deadline for tenders: 05/06/2026 15:00 Europe/Luxembourg (electronic submission via eSubmission portal required; EU Login mandatory with 2FA from 30/06/2026)
• Public opening: 08/06/2026 10:00 Europe/Luxembourg
• Expected framework signature: Q3 2026

Tenders must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Procedure type: Open. Award method: Best price-quality ratio (Quality 70%, Price 30%). Framework type: Without reopening of competition, multiple operators in cascade.

Lots and Scope

Lot 1: Payroll Services (CPV 79211110, estimated EUR 2M, max 72 months)

Services cover transition (Pillar 1), managed payroll provisioning (Pillar 2:compliance, calculations, reporting, optional payments), project/ad-hoc (Pillar 3), and exit services (Pillar 4) for assigned countries. Requires IT platform meeting mandatory specs (Annex B Sheet 1, e.g., EU/EEA data residency, GDPR compliance). Pricing pillars: one-off transition/exit fees, monthly all-inclusive per office size, daily rates for profiles (e.g., Senior Payroll Expert). Total scenario for evaluation.

Lot 2: Legal Services (CPV 79100000, estimated EUR 1M, max 72 months)

Services include legal support (office opening/closing, contracts, work permits), advice (labour/tax/social security), compliance updates, representation, document review/translation, account management for assigned countries/regions (e.g., EU enlargement, Sub-Saharan, North Africa, Latin America). Hourly fees by profile (Junior Associate, Counsel/Senior Associate, Partner) and region. Average total price for evaluation across offered regions.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria (Pass/Fail)

Exclusion:Declaration on honour (Form 5); applies to tenderers, consortia, subcontractors.

Technical/Professional (T1):Lot 1: 3 contracts (max 5 refs via Form 7), multi-country payroll outside EEA/UK/CH/US, min 100 employees, 12+ months, €200K each (last 3 years). Lot 2: 3 contracts, multi-country legal (labour/tax/SS), outside EEA/UK/CH/US, 12+ months, €25K each.

Economic/Financial (F1):Annual turnover: Lot €1 €600K; Lot €2 €200K (last 3 years, Form 6 + statements).

Legal Capacity:Lot 1: Trade/professional register. Lot 2: Authorisation + local Bar membership proof.

Award Criteria (Quality max 100 pts, min thresholds)

Financial score:Lowest total scenario = 100 pts; others inverse proportion. Final: 70% Quality + 30% Price. Top 5 per lot awarded.

Tender Structure and Documents (17 available)

• Administrative forms (Forms 1-7)
• GASC, Terms of Reference + Annexes A (specs), B (IT reqs), C (pricing)
• Model Framework Agreement (Annex D), SCCs (Appendices E)
• Technical proposal: Max pages per criterion, Annex B completion (Lot 1)
• Financial: Annex C pricing forms (fixed, no changes)

Joint tenders/subcontracting permitted (Forms 2-4); reliance on others ok with undertakings. No variants. Official portal: EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Framework and Contract Details

Duration:48 months + 2x12 renewals (72 max). Call-offs via cascade (top-ranked first). Payments: Per call-off (e.g., monthly/quarterly Pillar 2, milestones Pillar 1/4). Governed by Luxembourg law; EIB GTCs apply. Data protection: Strict GDPR/EU 2018/1725 compliance, EU/EEA residency (Lot 1 IT), SCCs if non-EU.

Risks and Considerations

• No volume guarantee; estimated values max.
• Mandatory IT pass/fail (Lot 1); full geo coverage scored high.
• Strict deadlines; eSubmission only.
• Post-award docs: VIF, bank stmt, registration extract.
• Prior notice: Earlier CFT-1804 awarded Nov 2025¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Similar prior tender CFT-1804 (global payroll/legal) awarded 07/11/2025 per TED notices.