Cross-border cooperation in the Western Balkans – Regional Technical Assistance - Cross-border Institution Building (CBIB+) Phase V

The European Commission, specifically the ENEST.B Directorate for Western Balkans, is issuing a call for tenders for the Cross-border cooperation in the Western Balkans Regional Technical Assistance Cross-border Institution Building (CBIB+) Phase V. This tender represents a €3 million funding opportunity and is set for a maximum duration of 36 months. It is categorized as an electronic submission and currently available for participation.

This call aims to provide regional technical assistance supporting the management structures of the IPA III Cross-border Cooperation (CBC) programmes within the Western Balkans, which includes Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, and Kosovo. This project is a continuation, as it follows Phase IV, which is concluding in December 2025. The goal is to maintain the implementation of previously planned activities.

Eligible applicants primarily include organizations with expertise in administration services, especially those focused on cross-border cooperation and institution building. The process is a restricted procedure, meaning candidates must first submit a request to participate by January 29, 2026, after which selected organizations will be invited to submit full proposals.

The tender emphasizes technical quality, with 80% of the award decision based on quality criteria and 20% on cost efficiency. There is no co-funding requirement from the applicants, as this project is 100% financed through EU funds under the IPA III framework.

To participate, organizations must have a Participant Identification Code (PIC), which is mandatory. The submission process must adhere to electronic requirements, and there are specific guidelines provided for document handling, such as file size limits and naming conventions.

The procurement documents, including detailed notices on the call, are available for download, and a set of FAQs addresses common queries regarding the submission process. Overall, this opportunity is a strategic investment in institutional strengthening and regional cooperation within the Western Balkans aimed at facilitating the region's preparation for EU membership.

The European Commission, ENEST.B Western Balkans, is launching a call for tenders EC-ENEST/2025/EA-RP/0163 for the Cross-border cooperation in the Western Balkans Regional Technical Assistance Cross-border Institution Building (CBIB+) Phase V. The TED reference is 249/2025 864841-2025. This is an electronic submission and is currently open for submission.

CBIB+ Phase V is the follow-up regional technical assistance supporting the management structures of IPA III Cross-border Cooperation (CBC) programmes within the Western Balkans. The current Phase IV of the project will end in December 2025. Continuation of support in technical assistance will ensure implementation of foreseen activities. The procedure type is a restricted procedure.

The estimated total value of the tender is 3,000,000 EUR. The TED publication date is 26/12/2025. The main classification (CPV) is 75100000 Administration services. The nature of the contract is for services. The maximum contract duration is 36 months. The award method is best price-quality ratio. There is no framework agreement.

The places of delivery or performance are: Albania (20000825), Bosnia and Herzegovina (20000836), Serbia (20001057), Montenegro (20001058), Kosovo * UN resolution (31008860), and North Macedonia (20000952). The programme is the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (42921320).

The deadline for receipt of requests to participate is 29/01/2026 12:00 Europe/Brussels.

The following documents are available for download:
1. ENEC ENEST2025EA RP0163 additional information contract notice CBC Phase V (5)Invitation to submit a request to participatePublished on 12/01/2026Version 2 No translations available
2. ENb3 req part form en (1)Invitation to submit a request to participatePublished on 26/12/2025Version 1 No translations available
3. ENa14a declaration honour procurement enInvitation to submit a request to participatePublished on 26/12/2025Version 1 No translations available

Submissions must be sent exclusively at the address for submission given below. The submission method is electronic.

There are some frequently asked questions (FAQ) available:
How to proceed if the system is slow or doesn’t work while uploading/downloading documents? Please make sure you use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. If the issue persists, try the following steps: 1. Clear the cache and cookies on the Internet brows...Published on 13/02/2025 20:52
Which Internet browsers does eSubmission support? Please use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. For the most up-to-date technical recommendations, click on the link System Requirements. You can access this link...Published on 13/02/2025 20:52
Is it possible to view the details of the submission after the deadline? 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 u...Published on 13/02/2025 20:50
Where can I find my submissions in Manage My Area, in the Funding & Tenders portal? Depending on the type or step of procedure, you can find the submissions in one of these sections: In ‘My Submission(s)’: tenders in response to open calls for tenders, requests to ...Published on 17/10/2024 20:40
Which size should attachments have? For attaching files to your tender submission, eSubmission accepts files that are less than 50 MB in size. Any larger sizes will not be accepted by the system. For the latest informa...Published on 17/10/2024 20:36
How should I name attachments in eSubmision? In eSubmission, you must name the attachments for your tender draft following the System Requirements. With regards to all attachment names, please see the following conditions: The ...Published on 03/10/2024 16:39
Can I submit a video in eSbmission? Which formats are supported? You can check the System Requirements of eSubmission: Published on 03/10/2024 16:37
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 16:37
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 i...Published on 03/10/2024 16:36
I have an issue uploading a file in eSubmission and it’s giving me an error. What do I do? When uploading a file in eSubmission, you must first make sure it follows the technical requirements of the system, which are as shown below. A)For procurement procedures: B)For req...Published on 03/10/2024 16:36
How many attachments can I upload per submission? The maximum number of documents the system will allow you to upload per tender is200 files. You are able to check the eSubmission System Requirements in the documentation by clicking...Published on 03/10/2024 16:35
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. Therefore, if your organisation alread...Published on 23/04/2024 17:14
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...Published on 23/04/2024 16:07
How many languages does the system support? The system is multilingual and supports all 24 official EU languages.Published on 01/04/2024 19:56
Which is the character set encoding in the system? The character set encoding is UTF-8.Published on 22/02/2024 23:58
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 22/02/2024 23:57
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. M...Published on 21/02/2024 23:55
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 21:32
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 22:07
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...Published on 03/08/2021 22:05

In summary, this is a call for tenders by the European Commission for regional technical assistance to support cross-border cooperation programs in the Western Balkans. The project, named CBIB+ Phase V, aims to continue the support provided in the previous phase to the management structures of IPA III Cross-border Cooperation programmes. The total estimated value is 3 million EUR, and the contract will last for 36 months. The call is a restricted procedure, meaning that only pre-selected candidates will be invited to submit a full tender. The deadline for submitting a request to participate is January 29, 2026. The tender focuses on administration services and will be carried out in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, and North Macedonia. The submission must be done electronically, and potential applicants should consult the provided documents and FAQs for detailed instructions and technical requirements. A Participant Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given the nature of the call for tenders which is related to regional technical assistance and institution building, it can be inferred that eligible applicants could include organizations with expertise in these areas, such as consulting firms, research institutions, universities, NGOs, and other entities with relevant experience.

Funding Type: The funding type is procurement, specifically a service contract. The call is for tenders, and the nature of the contract is explicitly stated as "services".

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the FAQ section mentions that a 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). This suggests that both single applicants and consortia are eligible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility for this opportunity includes the Western Balkans region. Specifically, the places of delivery or performance are listed as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo (UN resolution), and North Macedonia.

Target Sector: The target sector for this program is administration services, as indicated by the main classification (CPV) code 75100000. More specifically, it targets cross-border cooperation and institution building within the Western Balkans, focusing on regional technical assistance to support the management structures of IPA III Cross-border Cooperation (CBC) programmes.

Mentioned Countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia.

Project Stage: The project stage is continuation of support, as the call refers to CBIB+ Phase V, which is a follow-up to the current Phase IV. The aim is to ensure the implementation of foreseen activities, suggesting the project is in the implementation or operational stage.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of this opportunity is 3,000,000 EUR.

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

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive a service contract, implying that they will receive money in exchange for providing services related to regional technical assistance and cross-border institution building.

Application Stages: The procedure type is "Restricted procedure". Restricted procedures generally involve two stages: a selection stage where candidates are assessed against pre-defined criteria, and an award stage where the selected candidates are invited to submit full tenders. Therefore, there are at least 2 stages.

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

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not mentioned in the provided text.

Summary: This opportunity is a call for tenders issued by the European Commission, ENEST.B - Western Balkans, for the CBIB+ Phase V project. This project aims to provide regional technical assistance to support the management structures of IPA III Cross-border Cooperation (CBC) programmes within the Western Balkans. The total estimated value of the contract is 3,000,000 EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 36 months. The call is open to organizations with expertise in administration services, cross-border cooperation, and institution building in the Western Balkans, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, and North Macedonia. The submission method is electronic, and the deadline for receipt of requests to participate is January 29, 2026. The procedure is a restricted procedure, meaning that it involves a selection stage followed by an award stage. Tenderers need a PIC (Personal Identification Code) to participate, and submissions must adhere to the eSubmission system requirements, including file size limits and naming conventions. The selected tenderer will be awarded a service contract to provide the necessary technical assistance.