Connection of Vinica to WWTP Kocani, including partial rehabilitation and extension of sewarage and stormwater systems in the Municipality of Vinica

EU-funded works contract to connect the Municipality of Vinica to WWTP Kocani including construction of approximately 18 km of sewerage collectors, an energy-efficient pumping station for about 15,000 population equivalents, partial rehabilitation of ~€3,700 Mof secondary sewerage, extension of ~€3,600 Mof stormwater network and a new ~€1,300 Moutlet at WWTP Kocani. The contract is implemented under the Government of North Macedonia, Central Financing and Contracting Department (CFCD) and funded through the EU IPA 2021–2027 programme. Works will be executed under FIDIC Red Book (1999) conditions and target qualified civil engineering contractors with wastewater infrastructure experience. Tender documents are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal with a submission deadline of 17 September 2026 at 12:00:59 Skopje time.

What is funded / procured

Scope in brief

Works contract to construct and upgrade sewerage and stormwater infrastructure to connect the Municipality of Vinica to the WWTP Kocani. Main elements: construction of about 18 km of collectors, an energy efficient pumping station to connect approximately 15,000 PE and secondary sewerage networks, partial rehabilitation of €3,700 Mof secondary sewerage, extension of €3,600 Mof stormwater network, and construction of a new €1,300 Moutlet at WWTP Kocani. Execution under FIDIC Red Book (1999).

Who can apply:Qualified construction contractors able to meet the procurement selection criteria and FIDIC contract conditions; procurement led by Government of North Macedonia, Central Financing and Contracting Department (CFCD).

1. 1Procurement type: works contract (EU-funded)
2. 2Tender submission deadline: 17 September 2026, 12:00:59 (Europe/Skopje)
3. 3Open tender event (if applicable): 24 September 2026, 10:00
4. 4Tender documents and technical volumes published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal

Estimated contract budget:not published in the call notice; bidders should consult the tender documents for financial details and selection/award criteria EU Funding & Tenders Portal ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Full tender dossier, technical volumes and application instructions are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal link above; refer to the Invitation to Tender and Volume 5 technical parts for detailed requirements.

Opportunity identification and scope

Short description of works

This is a public open tender for works titled Connection of Vinica to WWTP Kocani, including partial rehabilitation and extension of sewerage and stormwater systems in the Municipality of Vinica. The contract covers: construction of approximately 18 km of collectors and an energy-efficient pumping station to connect about 15,000 population equivalent of secondary sewerage networks to WWTP Kocani; partial rehabilitation of about €3,700 Mof secondary sewerage network and extension of about €3,600 Mof stormwater network in Vinica; and construction of a new outlet at WWTP Kocani of approximately €1,300 M. Works will be implemented under FIDIC conditions of contract Red Book, 1999 edition.

Tender type:Works contract / procurement under EU-funded programme and national contracting authority procedures.

Contracting authority and funding context:Lead contracting authority: Government of North Macedonia, Ministry of Finance, Central Financing and Contracting Department (CFCD). Funding program: EU funds for Pre-Accession Countries / New Member States (programme code A50PCNMS). The procurementProjectID is EC-ENEST/SKP/2026/EA-OP/0050.

Important dates and procurement timeline

Key public dates extracted from the tender notice and documents are listed below. Refer to official tender documents for any amendments or final confirmations.

Who can apply and eligibility

Eligible applicant types

This is a public procurement for works. Eligible applicants typically include construction companies, civil engineering contractors, specialist sewerage and wastewater infrastructure contractors, joint ventures and consortia of such companies, large enterprises, medium and small enterprises when technically and financially capable, and registered legal entities able to enter into FIDIC Red Book contracts. Subcontracting arrangements are likely permitted according to the tender documents. Public bodies are not the typical tenderer but may participate where legally allowed. Individuals and purely research organisations without construction capacity are not appropriate as lead tenderers.

Consortium requirement:A single tenderer or a consortium / joint venture can submit. The procurement documentation includes selection criteria and tenderer qualification requests; formation of consortia/joint ventures is standard for major works where combined capability is required. Exact allowed legal forms and requirements for partnerships are specified in the Information for candidates and tenderers documents (d4b_itt_en) and accompanying volumes.

Geographic and programme eligibility

Benefitting country explicitly indicated:North Macedonia. The procurement is implemented under an EU pre-accession funding programme; therefore the contracting follows EU-funded procurement rules but the contracting authority is the Government of North Macedonia (CFCD). Eligibility of tenderers by nationality and place of establishment will follow the conditions in the tender dossier and EU-funded procurement rules; consult the Information for candidates and tenderers document for nationality and exclusion requirements.

Technical and sector details

Main CPV codes listed:45232410 (Construction work for water and sewage networks), 45232152, and 45232431. Target sectors: water and wastewater infrastructure, urban drainage and stormwater systems, civil engineering and construction. Technical implementation: construction of collectors, pumping station (energy efficient design), rehabilitation of secondary sewer network, stormwater network extension, and construction of an outlet channel/pipe to WWTP. Works are governed by FIDIC Red Book 1999 edition contractual conditions. Detailed technical specifications are provided in multiple volume documents (Volume 1-4, and many parts of Volume 5) and design drawings (VINICA_D4Y_DESIGNDRAWING_EN_HEI_04.2026).

Project stage and expected maturity:This opportunity is at the implementation / construction stage. Design documentation and technical specifications are supplied in the tender dossier; tenderers are expected to execute construction works, supply equipment (pumping station) and complete network rehabilitation and extensions.

Procurement, submission and selection

Procedure type and submission:The tender is a works procurement under the open tendering procedures (call for tenders). Submission method code indicates PAPER_COPY for some official records in the dataset, while portal details provide an access tools URI and open tender event. Tender documents include Invitation letter (d4a_invit_en), Information for candidates and tenderers (d4b_itt_en), technical specification volumes, and design drawings. Tender validity period required is 90 days. Award criteria are dominated by price (100% weight for price is indicated), but technical compliance and qualification will be checked according to selection criteria in the procurement documents.

Submission method and stages:Applicants must prepare and submit a complete tender dossier as specified in the tender documents by the deadline (submission closed on 2026-09-17 12:00:59). There is an open tender event (opening) scheduled for 2026-09-24. The tendering process includes at minimum document submission and public opening/initial evaluation, followed by technical and administrative evaluation and award decision. The eForms and portal references are provided for access to documents, but submission practices (portal, paper copy or both) are defined in the ITT. Read the ITT for exact submission modalities.

1. 1Stage 1: Preparation and submission of tender (documents, technical and financial offer) by 2026-09-17.
2. 2Stage 2: Public tender opening / opening event on 2026-09-24 and administrative checks.
3. 3Stage 3: Technical and financial evaluation (compliance with FIDIC Red Book requirements, technical specifications, and selection criteria).
4. 4Stage 4: Award decision and contract signature, followed by contract execution over the planned period (1095 days).

Financial and contractual arrangements

Funding type:procurement / contract for works funded under EU pre-accession funds. The contractor will sign a works contract and be paid under the contractual payment terms. The procurement is EU-funded and administered by CFCD; however the tender notice does not list a specific contract price or estimated value. Tenderers must provide financial offers in their bids. The award criterion shows price as decisive (weight 100%), subject to compliance with technical requirements.

Funding amount:No explicit contract value or budget / estimated price is provided in the published summary. Tenderers must consult the tender dossier and submit a priced offer. The procurement documents and ITT are the authoritative source for any estimated budget if published.

Co-funding requirement:Not required from tenderer in the conventional sense. This is a works contract: the contractor is paid for executed works under the contract. Procurement is EU-funded; the contracting authority implements the project using EU pre-accession funds. Tenderers are not expected to provide co-financing as part of bid evaluation, unless subcontracting or guarantees are required per the tender documents.

Selection, eligibility checks and required documentation

Tenderers must meet selection and qualification criteria as set out in the tender documentation. The procurementProjectLot details show tendererQualificationRequest and specificTendererRequirement referencing selection criteria documents. Typical required documentation (detailed in the ITT and Information for candidates and tenderers) will include: company registration and legal status, financial statements, evidence of technical capacity and past experience in similar wastewater and sewerage construction works, reference projects, key personnel CVs, proposed equipment list, proposed subcontracts, compliance statements with FIDIC Red Book obligations, health and safety plan, environmental and quality management documentation, and the financial offer (priced bill of quantities or lump-sum price as required).

Templates and documents provided with the tender:The tender dossier includes multiple volumes and templates. Key documents available in the CFT documents list: Invitation letter (d4a_invit_en), Information for candidates and tenderers (d4b_itt_en), Volume1-Volume4 (tender specifications), Volume 5 partitioned into many parts covering technical specifications and design drawings (VINICA_D4Y_DESIGNDRAWING_EN_HEI_04.2026 and VOLUME_5___VINICA.PART01 through PART21). These constitute the ITT package and contain required forms, conditions, technical specifications, drawings, bills of quantities, and contract forms. Bidders should download and follow the structure in Volume1-Volume4 and the various Volume 5 parts. All forms and templates for bid submission, declarations, and certificates are included in those volumes.

Evaluation and award

Awarding terms as published indicate price as the awarding criterion with subordinate parameters showing 100% weight on price. However administrative and technical compliance checks must be satisfied for a bid to be considered. The contract will be awarded to the most economically advantageous tender in accordance with the award criteria and the ITT; the exact scoring and formulae are provided in the tender documents. Tender validity period required: 90 days.

Success rates:No success rate is provided in the tender notice. Procurement success rates depend on the number and competitiveness of bidders and cannot be derived from the published data.

Risk, contractual conditions and special notes

Works are subject to FIDIC Red Book (1999 edition) conditions. Tenderers must be familiar with FIDIC contractual risk allocations, time for completion, performance securities, retention, interim payments, defects liability periods, and dispute resolution provisions included in the contract documents. Environmental, health and safety obligations and local permitting requirements must be observed during works. The tender documents and technical volumes include constraints and specifications that are binding for execution.

Explicitly mentioned countries and zones

North Macedonia is explicitly mentioned as the benefitting country and geographic zone for the project. The procurement is implemented under Pre-Accession Countries / New Member States programme context.

How to proceed and where to find the documents

Interested tenderers must consult the full procurement dossier available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal tender details page for reference EC-ENEST/SKP/2026/EA-OP/0050. All necessary volumes, technical specifications, design drawings, ITT and invitation letter are published as attachments to the notice. The portal entry for this tender provides access to the documents and instructions on how to submit questions and how to submit the tender package. See the tender page for document downloads and the access tools URI provided with the tender. Tender details and documents ¹

Comprehensive summary

This procurement is a substantial civil engineering works contract to connect the Municipality of Vinica to the WWTP in Kocani, rehabilitate and extend local sewerage and stormwater networks, and build an outlet at the WWTP. It is executed under EU pre-accession funding and administered by the Government of North Macedonia's Central Financing and Contracting Department. Bidders must be construction and engineering contractors capable of delivering sewerage, pumping station installation and associated civil works under FIDIC Red Book conditions. Submission follows the procedures and deadlines in the ITT; the price is the decisive award criterion, but full technical and administrative compliance is mandatory. The full tender dossier contains a comprehensive set of volumes and technical drawings which must be used to prepare compliant bids. For any legal, financial or technical clarifications, consult the Information for candidates and tenderers and the tendering documents posted on the portal.

Footnotes

1. 1Official tender page and downloadable documents are available at the EU Funding & Tenders Portal tender details entry for this procurement (Call identifier EC-ENEST/SKP/2026/EA-OP/0050).

Project Scope and Technical Details

This EU-funded tender in North Macedonia covers the construction of 18km of sewerage collectors, an energy-efficient pumping station to connect approximately 15,000 population equivalents (PE) to WWTP Kocani, partial rehabilitation of €3,700Mof secondary sewerage, extension of €3,600Mof stormwater network, and construction of a new €1,300Moutlet at WWTP Kocani ¹.

Key Infrastructure Components:The project includes 18km of new collectors, a pumping station for 15,000 PE, rehabilitation of €3,700Msecondary sewerage, €3,600Mstormwater extension, and a €1,300Mnew outlet at WWTP Kocani ².

Contract Conditions and Legal Framework

Works will be executed under FIDIC Red Book (1999 edition) conditions of contract, which is an employer-designed contract where the Employer provides the design and the Contractor is responsible for construction ³.

1. 1FIDIC Red Book 1999: Employer provides design, Contractor executes construction
2. 2Shared risk allocation between Employer and Contractor
3. 3Standard for building and engineering works designed by the Employer

Tender Submission and Deadlines

The tender submission deadline is 17 September 2026 at 12:00:59 (Skopje time), with an additional information request period ending 27 August 2026 ⁴.

Applicant Eligibility and Requirements

This tender is for construction works in North Macedonia, targeting qualified civil engineering contractors with experience in wastewater infrastructure projects, particularly those familiar with FIDIC Red Book conditions ⁵.

Key Eligibility Criteria:Contractors must demonstrate experience in sewerage network construction/rehabilitation, familiarity with FIDIC Red Book, and capacity to execute large-scale wastewater infrastructure projects ⁶.

Funding Source and Programme Context

The project is funded under the EU IPA (Instrument for Pre-Accession) Programme 2021-2027, aimed at decreasing water pollution in the Vardar river basin and supporting North Macedonia's green economy transition ⁷.

1. 1Programme: EU IPA 2021-2027
2. 2Objective: Reduce water pollution in Vardar river basin
3. 3Focus: Urban wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure
4. 4Beneficiary Municipality: Vinica, North Macedonia

Contracting Authority and Contact Information

The lead contracting authority is the Government of North Macedonia, Ministry of Finance, Central Financing and Contracting Department (CFCD), with official contact at CFCD Website ⁸.

Official Tender Portal:All tender documents and updates are available through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal at Tender Details ⁹.

Footnotes

1. 1Official tender description from EU Funding & Tenders Portal, published 19 June 2026.
2. 2Technical specifications detailed in Volume 5 VINICA documents, available on EU Funding & Tenders Portal.
3. 3FIDIC Red Book 1999: Conditions of Contract for Construction, Employer-designed works, shared risk allocation framework.
4. 4Tender submission deadlines and additional information periods from EU Funding & Tenders Portal, call identifier EC-ENEST/SKP/2026/EA-OP/0050.
5. 5Eligibility requirements based on similar EU-funded wastewater infrastructure projects in North Macedonia, including FIDIC Red Book experience.
6. 6Contractor qualification criteria derived from EU-funded sewerage network supervision tenders in North Macedonia (e.g., Kichevo, Bitola projects).
7. 7IPA Programme 2021-2027 Action Document for North Macedonia, focusing on Vardar river basin water pollution reduction and wastewater infrastructure.
8. 8Lead contracting authority: Government of North Macedonia, Ministry of Finance, CFCD, official website cfcd.finance.gov.mk.
9. 9Official EU Funding & Tenders Portal tender page for call EC-ENEST/SKP/2026/EA-OP/0050, published 19 June 2026.