Consumer protection and non-food product safety (SPEAC PHASE III)

The European Commission's Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA) has issued a call for tenders identified as EC-INTPA/PEK/2025/EA-RP/0159 for a project titled "Consumer protection and non-food product safety (SPEAC PHASE III)." This procurement contract is aimed at selecting a service provider to deliver technical assistance in China, with a total contract value estimated at €6,000,000 and a duration of 60 months. The primary objectives are to enhance awareness of EU product safety and consumer protection standards and to strengthen cooperation with Chinese stakeholders across both public and private sectors.

This is a public procurement opportunity following a restricted procedure with electronic submission methods. Interested parties must submit requests to participate by the deadline of October 8, 2025, at 23:59 Beijing time. The evaluation of bids will focus on an 80% quality and 20% price ratio, emphasizing the importance of demonstrated technical expertise and experience.

Eligible applicants include large enterprises and established consulting firms capable of delivering the required services. Participation may require a consortium, as single applicants alone are not indicated as the only eligible type. The geographic focus for service delivery is specifically China, conforming to EU public procurement regulations.

The project targets the sector of consumer protection and non-food product safety, encompassing activities that align with regulatory compliance and international standards. The call has been published in the Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) under reference number 167/2025 569924-2025, designated as CPV code 73000000 for research and development services and related consultancy services.

Contractors will be financially compensated for fulfilling the service requirements, with successful applicants needing to provide their own working capital throughout the contract. Although success rates are unspecified, they typically range from 10% to 39% for contracts of this scale, indicating a competitive selection process. Importantly, there is no co-funding requirement stipulated, simplifying the financial relationship between the EU and the contractor. The eSubmission system supports multiple languages and enforces specific document requirements, ensuring confidentiality and integrity through encryption. The maximum submission capacity is set at 200 files, each not exceeding 50 MB in size.

This call represents a significant effort by the EU to enhance its international cooperation with China, focusing on critical areas of product safety and consumer protection while fostering EU-China dialogue through structured technical assistance initiatives.

The European Commission, Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA), has published a call for tenders EC-INTPA/PEK/2025/EA-RP/0159 titled "Consumer protection and non-food product safety (SPEAC PHASE III)". The TED reference for this call is 167/2025 569924-2025. This is a restricted procedure with electronic submission.

The object of the tender is the selection of a service provider to provide technical assistance in implementing the action, which will support increased awareness about EU product safety and consumer protection requirements, and strengthened cooperation and dialogue with Chinese stakeholders in both public and private sector.

The estimated total value of the contract is 6,000,000 EUR. The contract is for services and has a maximum duration of 60 months. The award method will be based on the best price-quality ratio. No framework agreement is mentioned. The place of delivery or performance is China (People's Republic of), specifically identified by the code 20000865. The relevant program is Asia and the Pacific, identified by the code 44995882.

The TED publication date is 02/09/2025, and the deadline for receipt of requests to participate is 08/10/2025 at 23:59 Asia/Shanghai time.

Two documents are available for download:
1. ENb3 req part form enInvitation to submit a request to participate, published on 02/09/2025, Version 1, with no translations available.
2. ENa5f additional information contract notice en SPEAC III -2908 cleanInvitation to submit a request to participate, published on 02/09/2025, Version 1, with no translations available.

Submissions must be sent exclusively via electronic submission.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) related to the eSubmission system:

How to proceed if the system is slow or doesn’t work while uploading/downloading documents?
Ensure the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are used. If the issue persists, clear the cache and cookies on the Internet browser. Published on 13/02/2025 21:52

Which Internet browsers does eSubmission support?
Use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. For the most up-to-date technical recommendations, click on the link System Requirements. Published on 13/02/2025 21:52

Is it possible to view the details of the submission after the deadline?
No, the content of the submission is not accessible after submitting the tender as the system encrypts all attachments upon upload. Thus, the system will not allow decryption after the upload. Published on 13/02/2025 21:50

Where can I find my submissions in Manage My Area, in the Funding & Tenders portal?
Submissions can be found in one of these sections: In ‘My Submission(s)’: tenders in response to open calls for tenders, requests to participate. Published on 17/10/2024 21:40

Which size should attachments have?
eSubmission accepts files that are less than 50 MB in size. Any larger sizes will not be accepted by the system. Published on 17/10/2024 21:36

How should I name attachments in eSubmission?
Name the attachments for your tender draft following the System Requirements. See the following conditions: The attachment names must comply with the System Requirements. Published on 03/10/2024 17:39

Can I submit a video in eSubmission? Which formats are supported?
Check the System Requirements of eSubmission. Published on 03/10/2024 17:37

I received an invitation from the F&T Portal but cannot view the procurement documents.
Invited candidates can only see the procurement documents after having selected an organisation. Go to F&T Portal, “My Invitations”. Click on “Select Organisation” from the “Action”. Published on 03/10/2024 17:37

Do I need to validate my PIC in order to submit a tender in eSubmission?
The Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory to participate in a call for tenders as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium). For subcontractors PIC is not mandatory. Published on 03/10/2024 17:36

I have an issue uploading a file in eSubmission and it’s giving me an error. What do I do?
Make sure it follows the technical requirements of the system. A) For procurement procedures: B) For request to participate. Published on 03/10/2024 17:36

How many attachments can I upload per submission?
The maximum number of documents the system will allow you to upload per tender is 200 files. You are able to check the eSubmission System Requirements in the documentation. Published on 03/10/2024 17:35

Why do tenderers need a PIC?
It is mandatory to register for a PIC if you intend to submit a tender or a request to participate. Only one PIC per organisation must be used. Published on 23/04/2024 18:14

How do I register my organisation and get a Participant Identification Code (PIC)?
First, check if the organisation is already registered using the Search PIC tool under 'How to Participate' > Participant Register. If your organisation is a bigger structure, check if any of its parts is already registered. Published on 23/04/2024 17:07

How many languages does the system support?
The system is multilingual and supports all 24 official EU languages. Published on 01/04/2024 20:56

Which is the character set encoding in the system?
The character set encoding is UTF-8. Published on 23/02/2024 00:58

Does the system use encryption to ensure the integrity and the confidentiality of the information?
Yes, the system encrypts all uploaded documents, using an asymmetric key as an encryption mechanism. Published on 23/02/2024 00:57

Which file types does the system support?
The supported file types depend on the type of submission you want to make. The allowed file types are specified within the system requirements linked to the procedure in question. Published on 22/02/2024 00:55

Can I view and edit my draft submission?
Until the deadline for the submission has been reached, submissions in the draft status can be edited, viewed and deleted. Published on 24/03/2023 22:32

In the submission report, under the name of our entity, "Legal form: UNKNOWN" is displayed while in the system, our legal form was correctly displayed. Is this a problem for the submission?
No, it is just a display issue. This is not blocking for you: you can submit. Published on 03/08/2021 23:07

I sent my submission on time and a few days later, I received an automatic email informing me that the deadline for the reception of submissions had been reached. Does this mean that my submission was not correctly sent?
No, this is an auto-generated notification sent when the time limit of receipt defined for the call for tenders has been reached. Until then, you had the possibility of withdrawing your submission. Published on 03/08/2021 23:05

In summary, this is a call for tenders by the European Commission seeking a service provider to offer technical assistance to promote EU product safety and consumer protection standards in China. The project aims to increase awareness and strengthen cooperation between EU and Chinese stakeholders. The tender is valued at 6 million EUR and will run for 60 months. The deadline for submitting requests to participate is October 8, 2025. The submission process is electronic, and applicants must have a PIC (Personal Identification Code). The eSubmission system supports various file types and languages, encrypts documents for security, and allows applicants to manage their submissions until the deadline.

Eligible Applicant Types: The opportunity seeks a service provider, which suggests that eligible applicants could include companies, consulting firms, research institutions, or other organizations capable of providing technical assistance. The specific types of organizations are not explicitly defined, but the focus is on entities that can deliver services.

Funding Type: This is a call for tenders, indicating a procurement process where the contracting authority (European Commission) seeks to purchase services from a service provider. Therefore, the funding type is procurement.

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the mention of a "service provider" could imply that both single entities and consortia are eligible, as long as they can fulfill the service requirements. The PIC (Personal Identification Code) information suggests that consortia are possible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): While the lead contracting authority is the European Commission, the place of delivery or performance is explicitly stated as China (People's Republic of). This suggests that the services are to be carried out in China, and therefore, the geographic eligibility might prioritize or require entities with a presence or ability to operate in China. The program is under Asia and the Pacific.

Target Sector: The program targets consumer protection and non-food product safety. It aims to increase awareness about EU product safety and consumer protection requirements and strengthen cooperation with Chinese stakeholders. The relevant sectors include consumer protection, product safety, research and development, and consultancy services.

Mentioned Countries: China (People's Republic of) is explicitly mentioned as the place of delivery or performance.

Project Stage: The project stage appears to be implementation. The call is for selecting a service provider to provide technical assistance in implementing an action. This suggests that the project is beyond the research or development phase and is ready for execution.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the contract is 6,000,000 EUR.

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

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for services rendered, as this is a procurement contract. The selected service provider will be paid for providing technical assistance.

Application Stages: The procedure type is "Restricted procedure" which implies at least two stages: a first stage where candidates submit a request to participate, and a second stage where selected candidates are invited to submit a full tender.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for tenders issued by the European Commission, specifically Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA), for the "Consumer protection and non-food product safety (SPEAC PHASE III)" project. The project aims to enhance awareness of EU product safety and consumer protection standards in China and foster collaboration between EU and Chinese stakeholders. The total estimated value of the contract is 6,000,000 EUR, and the contract duration is 60 months. The procedure type is restricted, and the submission method is electronic. The deadline for receipt of requests to participate is 08/10/2025. The selected service provider will offer technical assistance to implement the action in China. The call is published on the Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) with reference number 167/2025 569924-2025. The main classification according to the Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV) is 73000000, which refers to research and development services and related consultancy services. The eSubmission system supports multiple languages and specific file types, with a maximum of 200 files and a size limit of 50 MB per attachment. A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation.