Cooperation facility II in Lesotho - Technical Assistance and Operational Third Party Monitoring

Restricted tender (two-stage) to establish a fee-based Cooperation Facility II providing on-demand technical assistance and operational third-party monitoring to the EU Delegation in Lesotho, financed under NDICI with an estimated contract value of €1,700,000 and a maximum duration of 48 months. Requests to participate must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by 25 May 2026 09:00 Africa/Maseru time, and shortlisted candidates (4 to 8) will be invited to tender. Selection requires minimum average annual turnover of €800,000 for the last three closed financial years, at least five relevant staff on average, and completion of at least three contracts each exceeding €680,000 in the last three years in technical assistance relevant to programming, project design and policy dialogue in sectors such as renewable energy and water. Award will be based on the best price-quality ratio and all communications and submissions must be in English using the prescribed templates and declarations on honour.

What it funds

Scope

A flexible, on-demand technical assistance facility to support the EU delegation in Lesotho with programming, implementation and steering of the EU cooperation portfolio under the MIP 2021-2027 and Team Europe initiatives; includes operational third-party monitoring and advisory services.

Estimated contract value:€1 700 000 (fee-based, estimated total value). ¹

Who can apply

Open to natural persons and legal entities (including consortia) effectively established in EU Member States or in eligible countries under Article 28 of Regulation (EU) 2021/947 (NDICI). Subcontracting is allowed; shortlisted candidates will be invited to tender (4 to 8 invited).

Key administrative facts

1. 1Procedure type: Restricted (two-stage).
2. 2Award method: Best price-quality ratio.
3. 3Maximum contract duration: 48 months.
4. 4Main CPV: 79400000 Business and management consultancy and related services.
5. 5Place of performance: Lesotho.

Selection highlights:minimum average annual turnover €800 000 (last 3 closed financial years); technical capacity requires at least 3 completed contracts (each > €680 000) in technical assistance for programming/design and policy dialogue under Global Gateway or similar frameworks in renewable energy and water sectors in the last 3 years.

Requests to participate and tenders must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal / eSubmission; registration in the Participant Register (PIC) and an EU Login account are required. See procurement documents for the full Request to Participate form and templates ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Additional Information to the Contract Notice and procurement documents available on the Funding & Tenders Portal: Additional information to the Contract Notice.

Opportunity summary

This is a restricted-procedure tender to establish a fee-based framework agreement (Cooperation Facility II) delivering flexible on-demand targeted technical assistance and operational third-party monitoring services to support the European Union’s cooperation portfolio in Lesotho under the MIP 2021-2027 and the Team Europe initiative. The services will support programming, implementation, steering and monitoring of EU-funded activities in Lesotho. The contracting authority is the European Union, represented by the European Commission on behalf of and for the account of Lesotho. The procurement is financed under NDICI (NDICI AFRICA/2024/045-833, ACT 60797).

Key facts and administrative data

Detailed eligibility and participation rules

Eligible Applicant Types:Participation is open to all natural persons who are nationals of and legal persons effectively established in an EU Member State or in an eligible country or territory as defined under Article 28 of Regulation (EU) 2021/947. Candidates may participate individually or as a grouping/consortium (permanent or ad hoc). Public bodies may participate but must provide equivalent financial information. Sub-contracting is allowed. If relying on other entities for capacity, candidates must provide a formal commitment by those entities and the supporting entities must respect the same eligibility rules.

Funding Type:This is a procurement contract financed by EU external action funds (NDICI). The financial mechanism is a fee-based service contract (framework agreement) for services; not a grant or loan.

Consortium Requirement:A single candidate can apply or a consortium may apply. A consortium may be permanent or an ad-hoc grouping for this tender. If a consortium applies, all members are jointly and severally liable. Short-listed candidates cannot change the composition of the tendering entity without prior authorisation and alliances between short-listed candidates are prohibited.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Open to organisations and natural persons established in EU Member States or in eligible countries or territories under Article 28 of Regulation (EU) 2021/947; the contract will be performed in Lesotho and is part of the Sub-Saharan Africa NDICI geographic programme.

Target Sector:Business and management consultancy related to international cooperation, technical assistance in programming and project design, policy dialogue support under Global Gateway or similar frameworks. The contract explicitly mentions sectors of renewable energy and water as relevant experience for technical capacity criteria.

Mentioned Countries:Lesotho (place of performance). Eligibility references EU Member States and eligible countries under the NDICI Regulation but no specific third countries are listed beyond Lesotho in the procurement documents.

Project Stage:The facility covers programming, implementation and monitoring stages. Required experience should include completed technical assistance services in programming and project design and policy dialogue support (i.e., mature implementation and operational monitoring capabilities). Expected maturity: development, implementation, monitoring and steering (demonstration/operational).

Funding Amount:Estimated total value of the procurement is €1 700 000 (excluding VAT). The procurement establishes a framework and options may allow additional similar services to be awarded up to 50% of the initial contract by negotiated procedure if conforming to the basic project.

Application Type:Two-stage restricted procedure: first submit a request to participate (via F&T Portal eSubmission). Between 4 and 8 candidates will be short-listed and invited to submit full tenders (invitation to tender expected around 15/06/2026). Requests to participate must be submitted via the F&T Portal only.

Nature of Support:Contractual financial remuneration for delivered services (monetary). Beneficiaries will provide consultancy and monitoring services and be paid under the contractual terms; non-financial services (TA, monitoring outputs) are the deliverables.

Application Stages:Two main evaluation stages: Stage 1 - Request to participate (selection and short-listing). Stage 2 - Invitation to tender (award evaluation leading to contract award). In practice applicants must pass two stages to obtain the contract.

Success Rates:Between 4 and 8 candidates will be short-listed from all eligible requests to participate. The success probability to be invited to tender depends on the number of eligible applicants; if more than 8 eligible candidates meet selection criteria, re-examination and ranking using additional comparative criteria will limit invitations to 8. Final award rate equals number of contracts awarded (framework agreement) divided by invited tenderers; not explicitly stated. Historically, restricted procedures with 4-8 shortlist places produce single-digit to mid-20s percent invitation probabilities depending on market interest.

Co-funding Requirement:No co-funding from the applicant is required as this is a fee-based services contract financed by NDICI. However, candidates must demonstrate their own financial and professional capacity and provide requested financial data in EUR for evaluation (average turnover, accounts, etc.).

Selection and award criteria, and candidate obligations

Selection criteria (summary). The procurement document sets clear quantitative selection requirements that candidates must meet in order to be short-listed for the second stage.

1. 1Economic and financial capacity: Minimum average annual turnover of €800 000 for the last 3 financial years for which accounts have been closed (or equivalent information for public bodies).
2. 2Professional capacity: On average at least 5 staff personnel in the last three years directly employed or legally contracted with specialist knowledge related to the contract. Candidates must not be subject to professional conflicting interests; the contracting authority will examine conflicts including prior EU-funded projects implemented in the Kingdom of Lesotho.
3. 3Technical capacity: Completion of services under at least 3 contracts during the last three years prior to submission deadline, each with a value of more than €680 000. The completed services must be in the domain of technical assistance in programming and design of projects and support to policy dialogues under the Global Gateway framework or similar frameworks, in the sectors of renewable energy and water.

Additional comparative selection criteria (used only if more than 8 eligible candidates meet selection criteria): 1) highest number of qualifying contracts fulfilling the technical capacity criterion; 2) highest cumulated value of those qualifying contracts. These are applied in that order for ranking.

Award criterion:Best price-quality ratio. Exact weighting and scoring breakdown will be specified in the procurement documents and in the invitation to tender.

Submission format, documents and templates

Requests to participate must be submitted using the standard request to participate form available from the Commission Annexes/Wiki link (Annexes page) and must include a Declaration on Honour on exclusion and selection criteria using the provided template. Any additional unsolicited brochures or documents will not be considered. Financial figures must be expressed in EUR; conversions should use the InforEuro exchange rate of April 2026 if applicable.

Required attachments (at request to participate stage):Upload the completed Request to Participate form under 'Other documents'; upload the Declaration referred to in Point 7 of the request to participate form under 'Other documents'; upload the Declaration on Honour on Exclusion and Selection criteria under 'Declaration on Honour'. If relying on capacity-providing entities or subcontractors, provide the same declarations signed by those entities and a separate document proving their capacities.

Templates and online resources referenced:Request to participate form and Declaration on Honour templates are available via the Commission Annexes page: wikis.ec.europa.eu. Guidance on how to register for a Participant Identification Code (PIC) and complete the Participant Register is provided on the Funding & Tenders Portal. eSubmission Quick Guide and System Requirements pages provide technical guidance for electronic submission.

Technical and operational notes for applicants

Important technical requirements and operational notes applicants must observe:

1. 1EU Login account and EU Login two-factor authentication will be required to subscribe and submit via the Funding & Tenders Portal. From 30 June 2026 two-factor authentication is mandatory for access to EU Login and the Portal; plan to register a second-factor method well in advance.
2. 2A valid Participant Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for any organisation participating in the submission. Each consortium member must have a PIC for group submissions.
3. 3Only one request to participate or tender may be submitted by a natural or legal person. Submissions in addition to the required documents will be disregarded.
4. 4All communications and submissions must be in English.
5. 5Files attached to submissions must comply with eSubmission System Requirements (file size limits, naming, formats). The system accepts attachments smaller than 50 MB each; a maximum of 200 files per submission is indicated. See eSubmission System Requirements for full details.
6. 6If relying on third-party capacities, proof of commitment and documentary evidence of the third entity’s capacities must be provided in separate documents, not mixed into the request to participate form.
7. 7If fewer than 4 eligible candidates meet selection criteria, the contracting authority may still invite those who meet criteria to tender. If more than 8 meet criteria, ranking using additional comparative criteria will determine which 8 are invited.

Milestones and timeline

Where to apply and how to obtain documents

All procurement documents, the request to participate form, Additional Information to the Contract Notice and updates are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal tender page for this opportunity (Tender details page and Documents/Attachments section). Requests to participate and subsequent tender submissions must be uploaded through the F&T Portal eSubmission service (EU Login account required). Subscribe to the call on the Portal to receive notifications about updates or Q&A publications.

Procurement documents and additional file:Primary procurement documents include: Contract Notice, Additional Information to the Contract Notice (A5f), Request to Participate form and Declaration on Honour templates, eSubmission Quick Guide and System Requirements pages. The Additional Information to the Contract Notice (A5f) contains the full selection criteria, deadlines and practical steps and is published on the tender page Additional information to the Contract Notice.

Compliance, exclusions and grounds for rejection

Candidates must submit a signed Declaration on Honour confirming they are not in any situation listed in the PRAG exclusion grounds. Entities included in EU restrictive measures lists at the time of award cannot be awarded. If an ineligible person participates in a consortium, the entire consortium will be excluded. Candidates must ensure completeness of their submissions at the time of submission; late or incomplete submissions will be rejected. Only documentation and declarations specifically requested shall be considered.

Templates: structure and contents to prepare

Applicants should prepare the following structured documents in the formats requested prior to submission:

1. 1Completed Request to Participate form (use official template): includes candidate identification, legal status, PIC, contact details, economic and financial information (turnover, balance sheet summaries), professional capacity details (staff numbers and profiles), technical capacity references (contract summaries, values, dates, deliverables and documentary proof).
2. 2Declaration on Honour on exclusion and selection criteria (signed template): confirms absence of exclusion grounds and compliance with selection criteria; if relying on other entities, those entities must sign equivalent declarations.
3. 3Proof of technical experience certificates for at least 3 relevant contracts: include contract reference, contracting authority/entity, dates, role of candidate, value of candidate-specific part (if in consortium), deliverables accepted, and documentary evidence (approval of report/deliverable, proof of payment, certificate from awarding entity).
4. 4Financial supporting documents where applicable (audited accounts or equivalent for last 3 closed financial years) and conversion to EUR using InforEuro April 2026 rate if original amounts are in another currency.
5. 5If relying on capacity-providing entities: separate capacity letters/commitments and supporting declarations and evidence for those entities, provided as separate documents.
6. 6Consortium agreement or consortium letter clarifying leader and joint-and-several liability (if already legally established); otherwise a statement of intent and understanding of joint liability for the tendering stage.

Final summary and explanation

This procurement establishes a four-year fee-based framework to supply tailored technical assistance and operational third-party monitoring to the EU Delegation in Lesotho. It is a restricted two-stage procedure financed by NDICI for the Sub-Saharan Africa geographic programme with an estimated value of €1.7 million. Suitable applicants include consultancies, NGOs, consortia, research organisations or public bodies established in eligible countries who can demonstrate sufficient economic capacity (minimum average turnover €800 000 over the last three closed financial years), professional capacity (average of at least 5 relevant staff) and technical capacity (at least three completed contracts each above €680 000 in the last three years in programming and design of projects and policy dialogue support under Global Gateway or similar frameworks, particularly in renewable energy and water). The selection process will short-list 4 to 8 candidates to invite to tender, with award based on best price-quality ratio. Submissions must be made electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission facility using an EU Login account (two-factor authentication will be mandatory in 2026); follow the specific templates for the request to participate and Declaration on Honour. Applicants should prepare complete supporting evidence of financials, staff, and past projects in the required template structure to maximise short-listing chances. For full procurement rules, selection and award weighting, and templates consult the procurement documents on the tender page and the Additional Information to the Contract Notice Additional information to the Contract Notice ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1The legal basis and eligibility are defined under Regulation (EU) 2021/947 establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe. See the Additional Information to the Contract Notice A5f and the Practical Guide (PRAG) for full procedural rules and templates.

Funding Opportunity Overview

This is a restricted tender procedure for technical assistance services to support the European Union delegation in Lesotho. The facility provides flexible, on-demand technical assistance aimed at improving the programming, implementation and strategic steering of the EU cooperation portfolio under the Multiannual Indicative Programme 2021-2027 and Team Europe initiatives in Lesotho. The contract is financed through the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) under the Sub-Saharan Africa programme.

Key Financial and Contractual Details

Estimated Contract Value:€1,700,000 (excluding VAT)

Contract Duration:48 months maximum

Contract Type:Fee-based services contract

Procedure Type:Restricted procedure with two-stage evaluation

Award Criteria:Best price-quality ratio

Critical Deadlines

Request to Participate Deadline:25 May 2026 at 09:00 (Africa/Maseru time, UTC+02:00)

Provisional Invitation to Tender:15 June 2026

Provisional Contract Commencement:1 November 2026

Eligibility and Participation Requirements

Participation is open to all natural persons and legal entities that are nationals of or effectively established in a Member State of the European Union or in an eligible country or territory as defined under Article 28 of Regulation (EU) 2021/947. Consortia are permitted, with all members being jointly and severally liable to the contracting authority. Each entity may submit only one request to participate, whether as an individual or as a consortium member. Subcontracting is allowed. ¹

Selection Criteria

Economic and Financial Capacity

Candidates must demonstrate average annual turnover of not less than €800,000 over the last three financial years for which accounts have been closed.

Professional Capacity

• Minimum of 5 staff personnel directly employed or otherwise legally contracted on a permanent or non-permanent basis in areas of specialist knowledge related to the contract, calculated on average during the current year and the previous two years
• No professional conflicting interests that may negatively affect contract performance, assessed through declarations and examination of EU financed projects previously implemented by the candidate in Lesotho

Technical Capacity

Candidates must have completed services under at least 3 contracts implemented at any moment during the last three years before the submission deadline. Each contract must have a value exceeding €680,000. The completed services must be in the domain of technical assistance in programming and design of projects and support to policy dialogues under the Global Gateway framework or similar investment frameworks in the sectors of renewable energy and water. ²

Two-Stage Evaluation Process

This is a restricted procedure with a two-stage evaluation. In the first stage, candidates submit requests to participate and are evaluated against the selection criteria. Between 4 and 8 candidates will be invited to submit detailed tenders in the second stage. If more than 8 eligible candidates meet the selection criteria, ranking will be based on: (1) the highest number of contracts meeting the technical capacity criterion, and (2) if tied, the highest cumulated value of completed services meeting the technical capacity criterion.

Submission Requirements and Process

All submissions must be made exclusively through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal using the eSubmission system. Candidates must register in the European Commission's Participant Register to obtain a Participant Identification Code (PIC). All written communications must be in English. Financial data must be expressed in EUR, with currency conversions made using the InforEuro exchange rate of April 2026. ³

Requests to participate must include:(1) the request to participate form completed according to specified format, (2) a signed declaration on honour regarding exclusion and selection criteria, and (3) supporting documentation as required. Any additional documentation beyond what is requested will not be considered. Candidates may withdraw or replace their request to participate before the deadline by providing a withdrawal receipt from eSubmission.

Scope of Services

The technical assistance facility will provide flexible, on-demand support to the EU delegation in Lesotho. Services aim at more effective programming, implementation and strategic steering of the EU cooperation portfolio. Based on contextual information, the facility supports implementation of the Multiannual Indicative Programme 2021-2027 and Team Europe initiatives, with focus areas including financial inclusion, sustainable socioeconomic development, water and sanitation sector policies, renewable energy and sustainable energy generation, and good governance. The facility will also support monitoring of relevant projects and programmes at national and transboundary/regional levels.

Contracting Authority and Contact Information

The contracting authority is the European Union, represented by the European Commission on behalf of and for the account of Lesotho. The EU Delegation to Lesotho is located at 167 Constitution Road, Maseru, West, P.O. Box 518. Inquiries should be directed to delegation-s-africa-call-for-tenders@eeas.europa.eu. The contract will be performed in Lesotho.

Important Procedural Notes

Candidates must ensure they are not subject to any grounds for exclusion as listed in Section 2.4.2.1 of the Practical Guide (PRAG). Candidates included in EU restrictive measures lists at the moment of award decision cannot be awarded the contract. Short-listed candidates may not form alliances or subcontract to each other for this contract unless prior authorisation is obtained from the contracting authority. ⁴

Clarifications on the contract notice must be requested in writing through the F&T Portal at least 21 days before the deadline for submission of requests to participate. Clarifications will be published at least 8 days before the submission deadline. Candidates will be notified of evaluation outcomes by email to the address provided in their eSubmission application.

As of 30 June 2026, two-factor authentication will be mandatory for accessing EU Login accounts used to submit requests to participate. Candidates should register their preferred two-factor authentication method in advance to avoid submission delays.

Financing and Legal Framework

This procurement is financed under NDICI AFRICA/2024/045-833, ACT 60797, and is governed by Regulation (EU) 2021/947 establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument - Global Europe. The procurement is not covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). The main classification is CPV 79400000 (Business and management consultancy and related services), with additional classifications including CPV 73210000 (Research consultancy services) and CPV 73220000 (Development consultancy services).

Options and Extensions

Provided they are in conformity with the basic project, new services or works consisting of repetition of similar services or works may be entrusted to the initial contractor up to 50 percent of the initial contract value by negotiated procedure without prior publication of a contract notice.

Key Applicant Considerations

• This is a competitive restricted procedure; only 4 to 8 candidates will be invited to submit detailed tenders
• Technical experience in renewable energy and water sectors under Global Gateway or similar frameworks is essential
• Candidates must demonstrate substantial prior experience with EU-financed projects, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Consortium participation is encouraged but all members share joint and several liability
• The evaluation emphasizes both price and quality; cost alone will not determine the award
• Early registration in the Participant Register is recommended to avoid delays
• All communications must be in English; no translations are provided
• The facility requires flexibility to respond to on-demand technical assistance needs in a dynamic development context

Footnotes

1. 1Regulation (EU) 2021/947 defines eligible countries and territories. Consortia must ensure all members meet eligibility requirements and that the leader is clearly designated for all communications with the contracting authority.
2. 2Technical capacity evidence must include documentary proof such as approval of reports or deliverables, proof of payment, or certificates from the entity that awarded the contract, clearly detailing the value of services completed. For consortium-implemented projects, the specific contribution of each member must be clearly documented.
3. 3The InforEuro exchange rate for April 2026 is available at InforEuro. Candidates should verify current rates before submitting financial data.
4. 4Grounds for exclusion include criminal convictions, professional misconduct, conflicts of interest, and inclusion in EU restrictive measures lists. Candidates must declare compliance through signed declarations on honour submitted with their request to participate.