Digital Communication Services for the European Commission Representation in Finland

The European Commission Directorate-General for Communication, Representation in Finland, has published an open procedure tender (EC-COMM/HEL/2025/OP/0101) for a single-award framework contract to provide digital communication services including influencer collaborations, paid media buying, content production, events and a part-time communications expert. The estimated maximum value of the framework contract is €700,000 with reimbursable expenses including media buying capped at 40 percent and a maximum duration of 48 months. Tenders must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission system by 18 June 2026 at 16:00 Europe/Helsinki, with questions accepted until 10 June 2026 23:59 Europe/Helsinki. Award will be by best price-quality ratio with quality weighted 70 percent and price 30 percent, and bidders must meet selection and exclusion criteria including turnover and project experience requirements.

What this tender buys

Framework contract to provide digital communication services for the European Commission Representation in Finland: influencer collaborations and events, paid social/media buying, production of visual material, training/briefings for creators, and a part‑time communication expert to support Representation social channels.

Who can apply

Open procedure. Eligible applicants are legal or natural persons (companies, agencies, NGOs, consortia) established in the scope of the EU Treaties or in third countries covered by international procurement agreements; joint bids and subcontracting allowed subject to procurement rules.

Key financials:Estimated total (framework ceiling) €700,000; reimbursable costs (including media buying) capped at 40% of the framework; prices quoted in EUR and exclusive of VAT ¹.

1. 1Who should bid: communication agencies, digital/social specialists, influencer agencies, content producers and consortia able to mobilise profiles (account manager, project manager, communication experts, social media analyst, graphic designer, part‑time community expert).
2. 2What is scored: quality (70%) and price (30%) — includes case studies, methodology, team and project management.
3. 3Contract form: single non‑reopening framework contract; specific contracts/orders issued under the framework.

Deadlines and practicals

Submission deadline:Deadline for receipt of tenders: 18 June 2026 at 16:00 (Europe/Helsinki). Electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (EU Login required) ¹.

Other dates:TED publication date 06/05/2026; public opening 22 June 2026 11:00 Europe/Helsinki. Questions cut‑off: 10/06/2026 23:59 Europe/Helsinki ¹.

How to apply — essentials

Tenders must be uploaded electronically in the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission system. Complete technical and financial offers per the annex templates; include declaration on honour, capacity evidence, CVs for proposed profiles and project references. See procurement documents on the Portal EC Tender page ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Full tender dossier, templates and all dates are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: Digital Communication Services for the European Commission Representation in Finland Tender details.

Quick facts

Contracting authority:European Commission, DG COMM – Representation in Finland. Procedure type: Open procedure, call for tenders resulting in a single framework contract for services. Main CPV: 79416200 Public relations consultancy services. Nature of procurement: services (framework agreement without reopening of competition).

Estimated total value and ceiling:Framework contract ceiling €700,000 (total, including reimbursable expenses and media buying).

Who can apply (eligible applicant types)

Permitted applicants:natural and legal persons, international organisations and consortia. The procurement rules explicitly allow sole tenderers or joint tenders (groups of economic operators). Subcontracting is permitted and subcontractors whose share exceeds 20% or whose capacity is relied upon for selection must be identified and provide commitment letters. Entities subject to EU restrictive measures are ineligible.

Funding and contractual model

Type of opportunity:Call for tenders / procurement leading to a framework service contract. Financial mechanism: public procurement (service contract), not a grant, loan or equity. Award method: best price-quality ratio (economically most advantageous tender). The contracting authority will sign a single framework contract with one contractor; specific contracts (order forms) will be issued under that framework. The contract is non-exclusive.

Consortium requirement and organisational models

Submission options:single tenderer or group/joint tender. If bidding as a group each group must appoint a group leader. Joint tender members are jointly and severally liable. Subcontractors may be used; identified subcontractors ( >20% share or relied-on for selection) must be listed in Annex 4 and provide signed commitment letters (Annex 5.1). Entities on whose capacity the tenderer relies but who are not subcontractors must provide a commitment letter (Annex 5.2).

Geographic eligibility (beneficiary scope)

Primary geographic focus and place of performance:Finland (contracting authority Representation in Finland). However, participation is open to natural and legal persons within the scope of the EU Treaties and to entities from third countries that have procurement access under international agreements (Agreement on Government Procurement applies). Remote delivery and missions are possible but processing and storage of personal data must take place within the EU/EEA unless explicitly authorised.

Mentioned countries and jurisdictions:Finland (place of performance and contracting authority); Belgium is referenced in security/screening procedures for Commission premises and access; EU / EEA (general processing and data localisation rules apply). The procurement is open to Agreement on Government Procurement signatory countries.

Sectors, activities and technical scope

Target sector:communication / public relations / digital communications. Key thematic areas: promotion of EU political priorities and European values, youth outreach, public information, campaigns, digital community management, influencer engagement, paid advertising, media buying, production (graphic, photo, video), events and trainings aimed at content creators/influencers, risk and disinformation mitigation, monitoring and evaluation.

1. 1Core service families sought: influencer/content-creator collaboration (three engagement models), paid social media advertising and media buying, trainings/briefings/events for influencers, production and procurement of visual assets, and provision of a part-time communications expert for social channels (profile P6).
2. 2Required profiles to be available for mobilisation: Account Manager (P1), Project Manager (P2), Communication Expert (P3), Social Media Analyst (P4), Graphic Designer (P5), Part-time Communication Expert (P6).
3. 3Environmental sustainability: tender responses must demonstrate environmental awareness and measures to reduce the carbon footprint of activities.
4. 4Disinformation and media literacy: actions may be required that support EU-level efforts to counter disinformation.

Expected project stage and deliverables

Maturity expected:implementation-ready operational services covering planning, creative concept, production, media buying, campaign execution, monitoring and evaluation. The contractor must be able to deliver both short-term smaller-budget actions and larger multi-week or multi-phase campaigns, plus ongoing community management and part-time staffing on digital channels. Two case-studies are required in the technical offer to demonstrate approach and capacity.

Funding amount and reimbursement rules

Framework contract ceiling:€700,000 (total ceiling). Reimbursable expenses (including media buying) are possible but cumulative reimbursables must not exceed 40% of the overall framework contract value. Reimbursable items include travel, accommodation, participation fees, buying advertising space, influencer fees, stock assets and production costs. Where reimbursements are requested, the contractor must provide market offers: one offer for values up to €15,000; at least three offers for values between €15,000.01 and €60,000 (unless demonstrably unavailable). Management fees (percentages for reimbursable items and media buying) must be included in the financial offer (M1, M2). Travel/accommodation ceilings conform to Commission rules and Finnish ceilings for accommodation (example: €170/night in 2026, excluding breakfast) and subsistence per Finnish tax guidance.

Application and submission

Submission method:electronic submission only via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission facility. EU Login (now requiring 2-factor authentication) is mandatory. Tenders must be submitted before the deadline and only via eSubmission; late submissions are rejected. Tender language: any official EU language but procurement documents are in English and the English version is the authentic text for this procedure.

Key submission dates and portal:Submission deadline: 18 June 2026, 16:00 Europe/Helsinki. Virtual public opening: 22 June 2026, 11:00 Europe/Helsinki. Procurement documents and submission via EU Funding & Tenders Portal F&T Portal ¹.

1. 1Registration requirements: Participant Register / PIC required for each entity (9-digit PIC).
2. 2EU Login: required and 2-factor authentication mandatory from 30/06/2026 (applicant advisory).
3. 3Required forms and documents: Declaration on Honour (Annex 2), Technical Offer Form (Annex 7), Financial Offer Form (Annex 6), List of Projects (Annex 9), Commitment letters for subcontractors (Annex 5.1) and entities relied upon (Annex 5.2), Agreement/Power of Attorney for joint tenders (Annex 3), Annex 4 listing identified subcontractors.

Application type, stages and evaluation process

This is a single-stage open tender leading to the award of a framework contract. Evaluation consists of administrative compliance checks, exclusion and selection checks, technical evaluation (quality) and financial evaluation. Award criterion: best price-quality ratio (70% quality / 30% price).

1. 1Number of application stages: 1 main submission stage (tender submission via eSubmission) followed by evaluation phases (administrative, exclusion/selection, technical and financial evaluation) and award decision. The procedure includes a public opening event.
2. 2Technical evaluation: requires completion of the Technical Offer Form (Annex 7) answering four sections (quality/relevance; methodology; management; case studies). Maximum pages defined per section; annexes limited to three A4 pages.
3. 3Financial evaluation: completed using the provided financial model (Annex 6). Tenderers must supply hourly rates for profiles P1–P6, percentage management fees M1 (other reimbursables) and M2 (media buying). Evaluation uses a notional reference annual usage multiplied by contract years.

Nature of support for beneficiaries

Nature of support:contracted services and reimbursable third-party costs. Beneficiaries (contractor) will receive payment for delivered services and reimbursement for agreed market-priced third-party costs. No grant funding is provided. The contractor may receive monetary payments (fees, reimbursements); also non-monetary services required by the contract include access to Commission premises, Commission-owned IT equipment where applicable and briefings/training by the Representation.

Application success rates

Success rates:not published in the call documents. As an open single-award framework contract with a limited ceiling and specialized service requirements, competition may be moderate. No explicit benchmarked success rate is available from the tender documents.

Co-funding and financial contribution requirements

Co-funding:not required as an equity or grant co-funding. The contractor must finance operational costs and can be reimbursed for pre-agreed market-priced third-party costs. The contractor bears the cost of meeting contractual obligations (e.g. security clearances, compliance) and may be required to provide guarantees where requested in a specific contract. Reimbursable costs are subject to market offers and prior approval by the contracting authority.

Application templates, structure and mandatory annexes

Tenderers must use the procurement-provided templates and mandatory annexes uploaded on the Portal. Information submitted outside the specified response areas will not be evaluated. Key templates and the structure required are listed below and must be followed exactly.

1. 1Invitation to tender (covering administrative instructions) - mandatory; read first.
2. 2Tender Specifications (Annex I) - defines scope, minimum requirements, selection and award criteria, reimbursables rules and security obligations.
3. 3Technical Offer Form (Annex 7) - mandatory; response areas: Section 1 Quality & relevance; Section 2 Methodology; Section 3 Management & organisation; Section 4 Case studies (two case studies – 3 pages each max). Annexes to technical offer permitted (max 3 A4 pages).
4. 4Financial Offer Form / model (Annex 6) - mandatory; insert hourly rates for profiles P1–P6, management fees M1/M2 percentages, and ensure Total Reference Price matches eSubmission fields.
5. 5Annex 9 List of Projects – completed for Criterion T1 (each project presented with mandatory template fields: subject, client, description, dates, contract value, location and deployed profiles).
6. 6Declaration on Honour (Annex 2) – mandatory for exclusion/selection declarations; may be re-used if issued within one year for same contracting authority and unchanged circumstances.
7. 7Agreement/Power of Attorney (Annex 3) – for joint tenders; signed by all group members; joint and several liability clause.
8. 8Annex 4 – list of identified subcontractors and expected proportion of subcontracting (if applicable).
9. 9Annex 5.1 – commitment letter by identified subcontractors (mandatory when subcontractor identified and relied upon for selection).
10. 10Annex 5.2 – commitment letter by entities on whose capacity tenderer relies (not subcontractors).
11. 11Draft framework contract and Appendices (including security appendices 2 and 3) – review carefully; these define contractual obligations, security screening, and data handling requirements.

Templates: recommended structure for applicants

How the application forms map to a compliant submission and evaluation (applicant checklist):

1. 1Administrative package: Declaration on Honour(s), evidence of legal representation, PIC, LEAR registration and signed power of attorney (if joint tender).
2. 2Selection evidence: Annex 9 completed project references; CVs of proposed staff; consolidated turnover evidence if requested; any further documentary evidence if asked by Commission.
3. 3Technical offer (Annex 7): structured responses limited to page counts. Include: proposed services, processes for audience segmentation and monitoring, quality assurance processes, personnel organisation and mobilisation plan, detailed responses to the two case studies (creative approach, deliverables, workload distribution by profile). Attach up to three pages of annexes if needed and reference them in the TOF.
4. 4Security and data handling: confirm compliance with Appendix 2 and Appendix 3 security requirements, indicate data localisation for personal data processing (inside EU/EEA or state exception if applicable), supply Ethics Reminder acknowledgement for individual service providers where required.
5. 5Financial offer: Annex 6 template completed, present hourly rates per profile (P1–P6), management fees M1 and M2, reference prices (notional annual usage) will be used for evaluation. Ensure the Total Reference Price in the uploaded file matches the eSubmission numeric field.

Evaluation and award detail

Award is based on 70% quality / 30% price. Quality scoring is structured with minimum pass mark 60 out of 100 (i.e. tenders must reach at least 60 points on the quality evaluation). Quality sections are scored on clarity, relevance, methodology, resources and two worked case-studies. Financial evaluation uses the notional reference usage over one year multiplied by contract duration to produce a comparative total reference price for ranking. The contracting authority may request clarifications or missing documents during evaluation, and the contracting authority reserves the right to reject tenders that do not comply with minimum requirements or that are abnormally low.

Security, screening and data protection

Security:contractors and service providers must comply with contract Appendix 2 (security requirements for contractors, including background checks and ethics reminder) and Appendix 3 (Security Baseline for External Connections and Acceptable Use Policy) where remote service delivery or access to Commission CIS is involved. Personnel who will access Commission premises or IT assets may require national security screening and identity validation. Personal data processing by the contractor must comply with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725; the tender must indicate whether personal data will be processed and stored within the EU/EEA and disclose any intentions to process outside that territory. The baseline requires that, as a rule, personal data remain in EU/EEA unless specific prior authorisation is obtained.

What the opportunity is about and how to explain it

This is a procurement tender (open procedure) to select one supplier to sign a multi-year framework contract to provide a wide range of digital communication services to the European Commission Representation in Finland. The scope includes short-term and campaign-level activities: influencer partnerships and collaborations, paid social advertising and media buying, production of visual assets, organisation of influencer events and briefings, and provision of a part-time communications expert for the Representation’s social channels. The framework allows the Representation to order stand-alone services or larger packages as specific contracts under the FWC. The tender evaluates both technical quality and price (70/30 split) and contains mandatory templates and annexes. Security, data protection and procurement rules are stringent: EU Login and PIC are required, personnel may need screening, reimbursable third-party costs are allowed but capped, and all procurement rules in the tender specifications and draft contract must be accepted unreservedly.

1. 1How to prepare: register in Participant Register and obtain a PIC; set up EU Login with 2FA; read Invitation, Tender Specifications and Draft Framework Contract; complete Annex 7 (Technical Offer Form) within page limits; complete Annex 6 Financial Offer; fill Annex 9 List of Projects for technical capacity; prepare Declaration on Honour, Annex 3 for joint tenders, Annex 4/Subcontractor commitment letters as relevant.
2. 2Key evaluation tips: address award criteria exactly as specified (use the dedicated response areas in Annex 7), submit the two case studies as required, supply CVs and staff availability for profiles P1–P6, provide documented evidence for projects cited in Annex 9, include environmental/sustainability measures and disinformation mitigation approach, and ensure financial sheet totals correctly match eSubmission fields.
3. 3Submission: upload all required documents into eSubmission before 18/06/2026 16:00 local time; attend virtual opening if desired (register in advance); be prepared to supply documentary evidence on exclusion/selection if requested during evaluation.

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement documents and submission are managed via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: ec.europa.eu. Use the Tender Details page for this call for full document downloads and eSubmission access.

Opportunity Overview

The European Commission, Directorate-General for Communication (DG COMM), is seeking qualified service providers to deliver digital communication services for its Representation in Finland. This is a framework contract tender issued under open procedure, designed to support punctual communication actions, short-term initiatives, and larger campaigns aligned with the European Commission's Political Priorities. The tender is identified as EC-COMM/HEL/2025/OP/0101 with TED reference 87/2026 311189-2026.

Contracting Authority:European Commission, DG COMM - Communication, Representation in Finland, located at Malminkatu 16 A, P.O. Box 1250, FI-00100 Helsinki, Finland.

Key Dates and Deadlines

Tenders received after the deadline will be rejected. The submission receipt provided by the eSubmission system with the official date and time of receipt constitutes proof of compliance with the time limit. ¹

Funding Amount and Contract Value

Estimated Total Value:€700,000 (seven hundred thousand euros). This represents the framework contract ceiling, which is the maximum amount to be spent under the contract. The actual volumes will depend on the quantities ordered through specific contracts, and there is no commitment to exact quantities.

Reimbursable Expenses Limit:Reimbursable expenses, including media buying, must not exceed cumulatively 40 percent of the overall budget for the framework contract.

Contract Duration and Type

Duration:The framework contract will be concluded for a maximum of 48 months. Within three years following signature, the contracting authority may use the negotiated procedure to procure new similar services from the contractor up to a maximum of 50 percent of the initial framework contract ceiling.

Contract Type:Framework agreement without reopening of competition. A single framework contract will be awarded to one contractor. Specific contracts will be awarded on the basis of terms laid down in the framework contract.

Scope of Services

The framework contract will support the Representation's communication activities focused on engaging citizens, particularly young people, with European Union policies and values. Services will be delivered through various channels including social media, digital platforms, and partnerships with influencers and content creators.

Core Services Required

• Collaborations with social media influencers and content creators, including campaign design, influencer identification, negotiations, and performance monitoring
• Paid advertising of collaborations and other campaigns, including advertisement planning, media buying, and campaign evaluation
• Organisation of trainings, briefings, seminars, and trips targeted at social media influencers and content creators
• Production or buying of visual materials for the Representation's channels, including graphic design, photo and video shoots, and image purchasing
• Provision of a part-time communication expert to support work on digital channels and social media accounts, including community management and social media monitoring

All proposed solutions must demonstrate environmental awareness and a consistent approach to reduce environmental impact at all stages of communication actions. The contractor may be asked to deliver all services or a selection of them, with services available as stand-alone offerings.

Required Professional Profiles and Staffing

The contractor must have access to and be able to mobilise all required profiles during the contract duration. The team must include the following positions with specified experience levels:

Language Requirements

• Account Manager, Project Manager, and Communication Expert: Finnish (C2 level) and English (B2 level)
• Social Media Analyst and Graphic Designer: Finnish (B2 level) and English (B2 level)
• Part-time Communication Expert: Excellent Finnish (C2 level), sufficient Swedish (B1 level), very good English (C1 level)

The part-time communication expert will work up to 220 normal working days per year, with core tasks and working hours defined monthly. The contractor must propose individual profiles meeting requirements and must replace personnel who prove incapable of performing tasks to required standards. Replacement candidates must be proposed within 7 working days and any replacement will be provided at no additional cost to the contracting authority.

Eligibility and Who Can Apply

Eligible Applicants

Participation is open on equal terms to all natural and legal persons coming within the scope of the EU Treaties, as well as to international organisations. This includes natural and legal persons established in third countries provided that the country has a special agreement with the European Union in the field of public procurement or has ratified the Agreement on Government Procurement concluded within the World Trade Organisation.

Submission Methods

Economic operators can submit a tender either as a sole tenderer or as a joint tender (group of economic operators). Subcontracting is permitted. All tenders must be submitted exclusively via the electronic submission system (eSubmission) available through the Funding and Tenders Portal. Tenders submitted by any other method will be disregarded.

Registration Requirements

Each economic operator (and each member of a group in the case of a joint tender) must be registered in the European Commission's Participant Register to obtain a Participant Identification Code (PIC), a 9-digit unique identifier. Registration is required to submit a tender using eSubmission. Economic operators already registered must reuse their existing PICs.

Selection Criteria and Minimum Requirements

Economic and Financial Capacity

Criterion F1 - Average Yearly Turnover:Tenderers must demonstrate average yearly turnover of the last two financial years above €350,000. This criterion applies to the tenderer as a whole, with consolidated assessment of combined capacities of all involved entities. Evidence must include copies of profit and loss accounts and balance sheets for the last two years for which accounts have been closed, or appropriate statements from banks. The most recent year must have been closed within the last 18 months. This evidence does not need to be provided with the tender but may be requested by the contracting authority at any time during the procedure.

Technical and Professional Capacity

Criterion T1 - Digital Communication Services Experience:Tenderers must prove experience in the field of digital communication services. Minimum requirement is at least three similar projects (in scope and complexity) completed in the last three years preceding the tender submission deadline, with a minimum value of €25,000 for each project. At least one project must have been carried out for the public sector or NGOs. At least one project should include deployment of at least two profiles described in Criterion T2. Evidence must be provided using the template in Annex 9, with only contract references submitted on these templates being considered. The contracting authority may request statements from clients and may contact them directly.

Criterion T2 - Human Resources:The team delivering the service must include one part-time Communication Expert with at least three years of relevant experience, one Account Manager with at least five years of relevant experience, and four additional profiles (Project Manager, Communication Expert, Social Media Analyst, Graphic Designer) each with at least three years of relevant experience. This criterion applies to the tenderer as a whole with consolidated assessment. Tenderers must provide a report of maximum two pages on the adequacy of human resources and CVs of proposed staff to prove professional skills. This evidence must be provided with the tender.

Exclusion Criteria

Tenderers found to be in any exclusion situation listed in Article 138(1) of the Financial Regulation will be rejected. Each tenderer must submit a Declaration on Honour in the model provided in Annex 2, signed by an authorised representative. The initial verification will be based on submitted declarations and consultation of the European Union's Early Detection and Exclusion System (EDES). ²

Exclusion situations include bankruptcy or insolvency, breach of tax or social security payment obligations, grave professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, criminal offences, significant deficiencies in contract performance, irregularities, creation of entities to circumvent legal obligations, and intentional resistance to investigations or audits.

Restrictive Measures and Access to Procurement

Tenderers must ensure that no involved entities, subcontractors, or entities on whose capacity they rely are subject to EU restrictive measures adopted under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union or Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU. Such measures consist of prohibitions to make available or transfer funds or economic resources or to provide financing or financial assistance, or of an asset freeze. The prohibition applies throughout the whole performance of the contract.

Award Criteria and Evaluation

Tenders will be evaluated on the basis of the best price-quality ratio. The evaluation will be based on price (30 percent weighting) and quality (70 percent weighting).

Price Evaluation (30 percent)

The price considered for evaluation will be the total price of the tender, covering all requirements set out in the tender specifications. Prices must be expressed in euros and quoted free of all duties, taxes, and other charges, including VAT. The European Union is exempt from VAT under Articles 3 and 4 of the Protocol on the Privileges and Immunities of the European Union.

Quality Evaluation (70 percent)

Tenderers must respond to all quality criteria in the Technical Offer Form (Annex 7). Responses must address specific requirements within specified page limits. The scoring methodology awards points based on assessment levels ranging from Excellent (full marks) to Clearly Insufficient/Irrelevant (zero marks).

Award Formula

Score for tender X = Total quality score (out of 100) for tender X multiplied by 70 percent, plus Cheapest Price multiplied by 100 multiplied by 30 percent divided by Reference price X. Should two or more tenders achieve the same result, the tenderer with the highest quality marks will be deemed the most economically advantageous tender. If this does not resolve the tie, the contracting authority will apply the award criteria in descending order (Quality, Case Studies, Contract Management) until a winner can be determined.

Tender Submission Requirements

Documents to Submit

• Declaration on Honour on exclusion and selection criteria (Annex 2), signed by authorised representative
• Agreement/Power of Attorney (Annex 3) if submitting as a joint tender
• List of identified subcontractors and proportion of subcontracting (Annex 4)
• Commitment letters from identified subcontractors (Annex 5.1) and entities on whose capacity the tenderer relies (Annex 5.2)
• Technical and professional capacity form listing projects (Annex 9)
• Technical Offer Form (Annex 7) addressing all quality criteria
• Financial Offer Form (Annex 6) with pricing schedule and reference price calculation
• CVs of proposed staff demonstrating professional skills

All documents must be submitted via eSubmission. The technical tender must provide all information needed to assess compliance with Section 1.4 of the specifications and award criteria. Tenders deviating from minimum requirements or not covering all requirements may be rejected as non-compliant.

Financial Offer Requirements

The financial tender must include a complete breakdown of price using the Financial Model in Annex 6. Tenderers must provide hourly rates for six profiles (Account Manager, Project Manager, Communication Expert, Social Media Analyst, Graphic Designer, and Part-time Communication Expert) and management fees as percentages for reimbursable expenses and media buying. The financial model calculates reference prices based on notional annual usage volumes multiplied by the contract duration.

Reimbursable Expenses:For reimbursable expenses including media buying, fixed percentages for management fees are applicable to total estimated market prices. Tenderers must submit minimum numbers of offers depending on value: one offer for €0-15,000; at least three offers for €15,000.01-60,000. In exceptional cases, only one offer may be submitted for media buying above €15,000 upon specific written request by the contracting authority. All prices must be approved in advance in writing by the contracting authority to be reimbursed.

Signature Requirements

Where a document needs to be signed, the signature must be either hand-written or preferably a qualified electronic signature (QES) as defined in Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 (eIDAS Regulation). Tenderers are strongly encouraged to sign with QES as hand-written signatures create additional administrative burden. The originals of hand-signed documents (other than the contract) do not need to be submitted but the contracting authority reserves the right to request them.

Submission Process and Portal Access

Tenders must be submitted exclusively via the electronic submission system (eSubmission) available from the Funding and Tenders Portal at Link. To submit a tender, economic operators must register in the European Commission's Participant Register and obtain a Participant Identification Code (PIC). Detailed instructions on submission are available in the eSubmission Quick Guide at eSubmission Guide.

Tenderers are invited to get familiar with the system and system requirements, particularly accepted file formats, well in advance. The supported browsers are the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Maximum file size for attachments is 50 MB. The maximum number of documents that can be uploaded per tender is 200 files.

Questions and Clarifications

Upon request, the contracting authority may provide additional information solely for the purpose of clarifying the procurement documents. Any request for additional information must be made in writing only through the Funding and Tenders Portal by clicking Create a Question in the Questions and Answers section. EU Login registration is required to submit a question. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to requests for additional information received less than six working days before the deadline for receipt of tenders. The last date for submitting questions is 10 June 2026 at 23:59 Europe/Helsinki time.

Any additional information will be published on the Funding and Tenders Portal. It is the economic operator's responsibility to check for updates and modifications during the submission period.

Opening of Tenders and Evaluation

Tenders will be opened in a virtual opening session on 22 June 2026 at 11:00 Europe/Helsinki time. A maximum of two representatives per tender may attend. Tenderers may request to attend by sending an email to COMM-REP-PROCUREMENT@ec.europa.eu as soon as possible and not later than three hours before the scheduled start. The request must include the full names and email addresses of representatives, the name of the represented tenderer, and the submission receipt generated by eSubmission.

The public part of the opening session will be strictly limited to verification that each tender was submitted in accordance with submission requirements and announcement of the names of tenderers received. Once the contracting authority has opened the tenders, they become its property and shall be treated confidentially.

Data Protection and Privacy

If processing a reply to the invitation to tender involves recording and processing of personal data (such as name, address, and CV), such data will be processed pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies. Personal data will be processed solely for evaluation purposes under the call for tenders by the European Commission acting as data controller. ³

Tenderers may exercise their rights under Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 or submit comments, questions, concerns, or complaints regarding the collection and use of personal data by contacting COMM-REP-PROCUREMENT@ec.europa.eu and explicitly specifying their request. The tenderer's personal data may be registered in the Early Detection and Exclusion System (EDES) if the tenderer is in one of the situations mentioned in Article 138 of the Financial Regulation.

Key Contractual Provisions

Tenderers must take full account of the complete set of procurement documents, including the provisions of the draft contract, as the latter will define and govern the contractual relationship. Special attention should be paid to provisions specifying rights and obligations of the contractor, particularly those on payments, performance of the contract, confidentiality, and checks and audits.

Debt Offset:If a tenderer to whom the contract is awarded has established debt owed to the Union, the European Atomic Energy Community, or an executive agency implementing the Union budget, such debt may be offset against any payment due under the contract in line with Articles 101(1) and 102 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 and conditions set out in the draft contract.

Security Requirements:When performing tasks for the contracting authority in execution of the contract, the contractor and its personnel shall comply with the contracting authority's applicable security requirements. Any financial burden for complying with security measures (such as security background checks or security clearance) will be entirely at the expense of the contractor and not of the contracting authority.

Environmental Considerations:Environmental considerations shall be taken into account by the contractor throughout the complete life cycle of providing products or services. When applicable, the contractor shall assist the Commission to perform its commitments as set in the EMAS EC Environmental Policy and shall follow EMAS best practices.

Equal Opportunities:The contractor shall observe a policy on the promotion of equality and diversity in the implementation of the contract by applying the principles of non-discrimination and equality set out in the EU Treaties. The contractor shall establish, maintain, and promote an open and inclusive working environment respecting human dignity and principles of equal opportunities, especially through removal of all obstacles to recruitment and potential discrimination based on sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age, or sexual orientation.

Important Notices and Disclaimers

This invitation to tender is in no way binding on the contracting authority. The contracting authority's contractual obligation commences only when the contract with the successful tenderer is signed by both parties. Up to the point of signature, the contracting authority may cancel the procurement procedure without tenderers being entitled to claim any compensation. This decision must be substantiated and tenderers notified.

The period of validity of the tender, during which tenderers may not modify the terms of their tenders in any respect, is indicated in Section 5.1.12 of the contract notice. Submission of a tender implies acceptance of all terms and conditions set out in the procurement documents and, where appropriate, waiver of the tenderer's own general or specific terms and conditions. The submitted tender is binding on the tenderer to whom the contract is awarded for the duration of the contract.

All costs incurred for the preparation and submission of tenders as well as for attending the opening session are to be borne by the tenderers and will not be reimbursed. No more than one tender can be considered per tenderer. If the same tenderer submits more than one tender, neither of which has been withdrawn, only the latest tender will be considered.

After submitting a tender but before the deadline for receipt of tenders, a tenderer may definitively withdraw its tender or withdraw it and replace it with a new one. A withdrawal receipt will be provided by eSubmission as proof of withdrawal. To submit a new version, the tenderer must create a new tender in eSubmission and include all information and documents required in the procurement documents, even if some have already been included in the replaced tender.

Contact Information and Support

For technical problems with eSubmission, please contact the eSubmission Helpdesk as soon as possible. Contact details are available in the eSubmission Quick Guide. For questions about the procurement procedure, use the Questions and Answers section on the Funding and Tenders Portal. For data protection inquiries or complaints, contact COMM-REP-PROCUREMENT@ec.europa.eu.

Subscription to the call for tenders at the Funding and Tenders Portal link allows interested economic operators to receive email notifications when new information or documents are published. Subscription is free of charge and does not involve any commitment to submit a tender.

Additional Resources

All procurement documents are available in English on the Funding and Tenders Portal. Tenderers may submit tenders in any official language of the European Union. For detailed information on EU Login, visit EU Login Help. For information on the Participant Register and PIC registration, visit the register's help pages. For system requirements and technical specifications, consult the eSubmission Quick Guide and System Requirements documentation.

Footnotes

1. 1If no submission receipt is received in reasonable time after submission, please contact the eSubmission Helpdesk as soon as possible. The submission receipt with the official date and time of receipt constitutes proof of compliance with the time limit for receipt of tenders.
2. 2The contracting authority may request documentary evidence of non-exclusion at any time during the procurement procedure. All tenderers are invited to prepare such evidence in advance, as they may be requested to provide it within a short deadline. If the tenderer does not provide valid documentary evidence within the deadlines set by the contracting authority, the tender may be rejected. In any event, the tenderer proposed for award must provide such evidence or the tender will be rejected unless the tenderer can justify the failure on grounds of material impossibility.
3. 3Details concerning the processing of personal data are available in the privacy statement at Privacy Statement. The Early Detection and Exclusion System (EDES) information is available at EDES Information.