Creation and dissemination of a Toolkit for Local and Regional Social Economy Policy Support

The European Commission DG EMPL has issued an open tender (EC-EMPL/2026/OP/0009) for the creation, testing, translation, dissemination and piloting of a modular toolkit to support local and regional authorities in designing, funding and delivering social economy strategies. The estimated contract value is €1,500,000 for a planned 24-month implementation period and procurement documents (tender specifications, draft contract, financial form, declaration on honour and annexes) are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal is required by 02 September 2026 at 15:00:59 (Europe/Brussels) and clarifications close 24 August 2026; award will be based on quality (70%) and price (30%). Eligible bidders are organisations or consortia with demonstrated experience in public policy, social economy, EU funding and capacity building, and must follow the provided templates and security/VAT requirements in the procurement package.

Opportunity type and lead authority

EU tender managed by DG EMPL

Procurement for the design, testing, translation, dissemination and piloting of a modular toolkit to help local and regional authorities develop, fund and deliver social economy strategies and policies. The toolkit should include templates, a self-diagnostic maturity tool with KPIs, stakeholder mapping and engagement materials, a funding navigator, communication packs in local languages, starter packs on financing, State aid and procurement, and link to relevant EU instruments.

Who can apply:Legal entities able to bid for public service contracts (consortia allowed); SME suitability flag is false so larger organisations or consortia with required capacities are expected. Submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal (eSubmission).

Estimated contract value:Estimated overall contract amount approximately €1 500 000 ¹

Planned contract duration about 24 months. Award criteria weight:quality 70% and price 30%.

1. 1Scope: toolkit creation, testing, translation, dissemination and piloting with selected local authorities
2. 2Deliverables: strategy template, self-diagnostic tool, stakeholder engagement kit, funding navigator, communication toolkits, starter packs on financing/State aid/procurement, capacity-building options
3. 3Submission method: eSubmission via the Funding & Tenders Portal

Call identifier EC-EMPL/2026/OP/0009. Main CPV 79400000. Full tender documents and draft contract available on the portal: Tender details.

Footnotes

1. 1Estimated total procedure value stated in the call metadata: €1 500 000. See official tender documents for budget breakdown.

Basic Opportunity Information

Opportunity Title:Creation and dissemination of a Toolkit for Local and Regional Social Economy Policy Support

Opportunity Type:Tender / Public procurement (services contract)

Call Identifier:EC-EMPL/2026/OP/0009

Lead Contracting Authority:European Commission, DG EMPL - Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

Estimated total procedure value:€1,500,000 (estimated overall contract amount).

Deadlines:Submission deadline: 2 September 2026, 15:00:59 (Europe/Brussels). Additional dates: initial publication 17 June 2026; open tender event 3 September 2026 at 15:00 (local time). The period for additional information requests ends 24 August 2026. Draft contract and all procurement documents published 17 June 2026 ¹.

Purpose and Scope of Contract

Objective:To develop, test, translate and disseminate a modular, off-the-shelf toolkit that local and regional authorities across the EU can use to design, fund and deliver credible social economy strategies and policies. The contract includes creation/design of the toolkit, piloting with selected local authorities, translation, dissemination and potential complementary capacity building (peer learning, training).

Required toolkit components (explicitly requested in tender specification):a strategy template with good-practice sidebars; a self-diagnostic tool with maturity tracks and light KPIs; stakeholder-ecosystem mapping and engagement kit; a funding navigator; communication toolkits in local languages; starter packs for financing, State aid and procurement. The toolkit should signpost existing EU instruments that support social economy policies and be modular for local/regional adaptation.

Procurement and Contract Details

Contract nature:Services (public procurement). Planned duration: 24 months. Tendering method: electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal (eSubmission required). The procurement is open to participants per procurement documents and follows awarding criteria split between quality (70) and price (30) as stated in the lot description. The tender is subject to government agreement constraints and standard EU procurement rules.

Documents available (key procurement documents published)

1. 101. Invitation to tender (EN)
2. 202. EN Tender specifications EC-EMPL2026OP0009 VT2026011 (detailed requirements and deliverables)
3. 303. Declaration on honour (tender) template (DoH)
4. 404. Draft contract (VT 2026 011 draft contract)
5. 505. Annex 6 Financial tender form (financial offer form)
6. 606. ANNEX IV docx (selection/award templates or annexes)
7. 707. annex-vat-2023-en (VAT rules annex)
8. 808. VT 2026 011 Appendix 2 Security requirements (security and data handling requirements)

Eligibility and Applicant Requirements

Eligible Applicant Types:The tender is targeted at organisations capable of delivering complex policy-oriented toolkits and related services. This includes, but is not limited to: consultancies and advisory firms, NGOs and non-profit organisations with social economy expertise, research institutes and universities, SMEs and large enterprises offering policy design/communication services, public bodies if permitted under procurement rules, and consortia or partnerships combining several of the above. Individual natural persons are generally not the intended tenderers for a contract of this scope.

Selection requirements and supporting documents:Tenderers must follow the selection criteria and provide required procurement evidence as set out in the tender specifications and annexes. Documents include financial offer form, declaration on honour, proof of technical and professional capacity, evidence of relevant experience in social economy policy support, CVs of key experts, and compliance with security and data protection requirements. The tender documentation contains specific tenderer qualification requests and might require procurement-specific declarations and certificates.

Consortium Requirement:Type: Other. The call allows bids by single economic operators or consortia (joint bids). The procurement documentation provides guidance on tenderer qualification and requires that if a consortium or subcontractors are used, the relationships and capacities be clearly demonstrated in the submission (see Tender Specifications and Annexes).

Geographic and Beneficiary Scope

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The contracting authority is the European Commission (DG EMPL). The toolkit is intended primarily for local and regional authorities across EU Member States and relevant Programme geographies. Eligibility to tender is governed by EU procurement rules and the contracting documents; typically this means bidders from EU Member States and other countries eligible under the Funding & Tenders Portal procurement rules. The deliverable target audience explicitly covers regions and cities across EU Member States.

Mentioned Countries:No specific countries are listed in the description beyond the EU as the region of focus. The contracting authority is the European Commission and the toolkit is targeted at EU local and regional authorities.

Thematic Focus and Expected Project Stage

Target Sector:Social economy, public policy, social inclusion, local and regional governance. Secondary thematic areas: public procurement, State aid rules, financing for social economy, communications and capacity building.

Project Stage:The contract covers creation/design (development), testing and piloting (validation and demonstration), translation and dissemination (deployment). Expected maturity of deliverables: development through to demonstration and initial roll-out with local authority pilots.

Financial and Funding Details

Funding Type:Tender / Service contract awarded by the European Commission. The award is a paid contract (procurement) rather than a grant, loan or equity instrument.

Funding Amount:Estimated overall contract amount: €1,500,000 (published as the estimated total procedure value). The procurement documents include the financial offer form that bidders must complete to present their proposed price.

Co-funding Requirement:No co-funding by the bidder is required in the form of matching EU funds; the contracting authority will pay the agreed contract price under the procurement. Bidders must ensure their financial proposal covers all costs to deliver the contract. Any rules on VAT handling and invoicing are specified in the annexes (annex-vat document).

Application and Evaluation Process

Application Type and Submission Method:Open competitive tender via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Electronic submission is required (eSubmission). Tenderers must upload required documents (technical offer, financial offer using Annex 6, declaration on honour, CVs, supporting evidence) by the submission deadline. There is an opportunity for clarification questions until the cut-off date noted in the procurement documents.

Award criteria and weighting:Quality 70 percent, Price 30 percent. Detailed sub-criteria for quality (technical approach, methodological soundness, relevant experience, team composition, project management, dissemination and exploitation plan, piloting approach and capacity building) are detailed in the tender specifications and must be addressed in the technical offer.

Application Stages:2 to 3 typical stages: 1) Submission and administrative/eligibility screening; 2) Evaluation of technical and financial offers (quality and price scoring); 3) Contract award and signature followed by mobilisation and implementation. The procurement may include clarifications or request for best and final offers if provided for in the tender specs.

Success Rates:Not published. As a competitive public procurement, the success rate depends on the number and quality of tenders submitted; procurement documents do not specify historic acceptance rates.

Nature of Support and Deliverables

Nature of Support:Monetary payment under a public services contract. The contractor will be remunerated for delivering the specified toolkit, pilots, translations and dissemination activities according to contract terms and invoicing rules. Non-financial outputs: methodology, digital and offline toolkit materials, translated toolkits, tested prototypes, training/peer-learning session design and delivery, stakeholder engagement processes and dissemination products.

Templates and Application Structure (as provided in procurement package)

Available templates and forms that bidders must use or consult (see procurement document list):

1. 1Financial tender form (Annex 6): structured price breakdown to be completed and uploaded as part of the offer.
2. 2Declaration on Honour (DoH) template: to establish compliance with exclusion and selection criteria.
3. 3Tender Specifications (main technical requirements): outlines requested work packages, deliverables, reporting, KPIs, piloting requirements, language and translation needs, dissemination obligations and project timelines.
4. 4Draft Contract: contains contractual clauses, payment schedule, deliverables and acceptance rules; bidders must confirm acceptance or propose required clarifications before award.
5. 5Appendix on Security Requirements: details data protection, confidentiality and security measures required during contract execution.
6. 6Annexes on VAT and procurement-specific administrative rules: guidance on invoicing, VAT treatment and subcontracting rules.

Suggested structure for the technical offer (reflecting standard procurement expectations and tender specification):

1. 1Executive summary (project understanding and summary of approach).
2. 2Methodology and technical approach (how each toolkit component will be produced, modularity, user adaptation, digital/non-digital formats).
3. 3Work plan and timeline (work packages, milestones, deliverables, piloting schedule).
4. 4Team and organisation (CVs of key experts, roles and responsibilities, evidence of previous relevant projects).
5. 5Quality assurance and risk management (testing procedures, acceptance criteria, contingency plans).
6. 6Stakeholder engagement and piloting strategy (how local/regional authorities will be selected and engaged, feedback loops).
7. 7Dissemination and exploitation plan (translation strategy, communication toolkits, training and peer-learning actions).
8. 8Deliverables and KPIs (mapping to tender specification light KPIs and maturity tracks).
9. 9Consortium and subcontracting arrangements (if applicable, including lead partner responsibilities and subcontractor roles).

Financial offer must follow the Annex 6 template and present a clear breakdown of costs mapped to work packages and deliverables, including any travel, translation, piloting and dissemination costs and any subcontracting fees.

Evaluation and Contracting Considerations

Quality is heavily weighted (70 percent) therefore bidders must prioritise a strong methodological approach, experienced team, clear piloting and dissemination plans and robust QA procedures. Price is 30 percent, so competitive but realistic costing that demonstrates value for money is required.

The draft contract and security annexes contain standard EC clauses on IP, confidentiality, data protection and performance guarantees. Bidders should review the draft contract carefully and ensure compliance with the security requirements and VAT handling annexes. The contracting authority may request clarifications during evaluation and enters a contract with the successful tenderer following award procedures.

How this Opportunity Should Be Approached

Recommended approach for bidders:assemble a multidisciplinary team combining policy design expertise, practical social economy implementation experience, communications and translation capacity, and technical skills to produce digital and printable toolkit elements. Include partners or subcontractors with local/regional networks for piloting and testing. Provide concrete examples of past relevant projects, detailed work plan and measurable KPIs for the self-diagnostic tool and pilot evaluation. Ensure the financial offer aligns with the technical proposal and that all required administrative templates are completed and signed.

Summary

What this opportunity is about and how to explain it:This is a public tender, launched by the European Commission DG EMPL, to commission the development and roll-out of a modular toolkit to support local and regional authorities across the EU in designing, funding and delivering social economy strategies. The contractor will design the toolkit components (strategy templates, self-diagnostic tools with maturity tracks and light KPIs, stakeholder mapping and engagement kits, funding navigator, local-language communication toolkits, starter packs on financing, State aid and procurement), test and pilot them with selected local authorities, translate and disseminate the outputs, and potentially deliver capacity building actions. The procedure is an open electronic tender with an estimated budget of €1.5 million, quality-weighted evaluation (70 quality / 30 price), and a 24-month planned implementation period. Bidders must submit technical and financial proposals using the provided templates and comply with the procurement documents, draft contract and security requirements. The tender is oriented to organisations (including consortia) with proven policy design, social economy expertise, stakeholder engagement and dissemination capabilities. Further details, including the full tender specifications and all annexes, are available in the procurement document package on the Funding & Tenders Portal Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement documents and draft contract published on 17 June 2026 on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: Invitation to tender, Tender specifications, Draft contract, Financial tender form, Declaration on honour, security and VAT annexes. Access and submit via the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Opportunity Overview

The European Commission, DG EMPL (Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion), has launched a call for tenders (EC-EMPL/2026/OP/0009) to create and disseminate a modular, 'off-the-shelf' toolkit for local and regional authorities to design, fund, and deliver credible social economy strategies [[1]][[5]].

The estimated contract value is €1,500,000, with a planned duration of 24 months (9 months tender validity) [[1]][[LOT-0001]].

Key Objectives and Toolkit Components

Core Toolkit Elements:The toolkit must include a strategy template with good-practice sidebars, a self-diagnostic tool with 'maturity tracks' and light KPIs, a stakeholder-ecosystem mapping kit, a funding navigator, communication toolkits in local languages, and starter packs for financing, State aid, and procurement [[1]][[7]].

Additional Scope:The contract covers creation/design, testing, translation, dissemination, and piloting with selected local authorities, potentially complemented by capacity-building actions like peer learning or training [[1]][[7]].

Who Should Apply (Eligibility)

This is a tender for service providers, likely requiring expertise in public policy, social economy, EU funding, and capacity building. While specific eligibility criteria are in the tender specifications, providers should demonstrate experience in developing policy tools for local/regional authorities [[1]][[LOT-0001]].

The tender is suitable for SMEs (SME suitability indicator is false, but SMEs can still participate) and requires electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal [[LOT-0001]][[1]].

Critical Dates and Deadlines

Award Criteria and Contract Details

The award is based on quality (70% weight) and price (30% weight), with quality criteria detailed in the procurement documents [[LOT-0001]].

The contract is a service contract (CPV 79400000) under the EU Funds programme, with electronic ordering and payment mandatory [[LOT-0001]][[1]].

Key Documents Available:Tender specifications, draft contract, financial offer form, declaration on honour, and annexes (security requirements, VAT) are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal [[LOT-0001]][[1]].

Footnotes

1. 1Official call details: EU Social Economy Gateway
2. 2Tender Portal: EU Funding & Tenders Portal