Distribution and Storage Services

This call for tenders from the Publications Office of the European Union seeks a supplier for distribution and storage services under a single framework contract with an estimated ceiling of €9,000,000 over a maximum of 60 months. The contract covers inbound logistics, warehousing, outbound logistics and an Integrated Logistics System with the warehouse and data processing located in the EU within a maximum five hour truck distance from the Publications Office in Luxembourg. Award will follow the best price quality ratio with quality weighted 60 percent and price 40 percent, and tenderers must meet selection criteria including a minimum average turnover of €4,500,000, project references and governance team CVs. Electronic submission only via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal, deadline for receipt of tenders 10 June 2026 at 10:00 Europe Luxembourg time and deadline for questions 02 June 2026 at 23:59 Europe Luxembourg time.

What it funds

Scope in brief

Framework contract for comprehensive distribution and storage services for EU publications:inbound logistics (receiving/ASN), warehousing and storage, outbound logistics (picking, packaging, shipping/delivery), an Integrated Logistics System (ILS) and ad-hoc services including takeover and handover phases.

Estimated value and duration:Estimated total ceiling €9,000,000; maximum contract duration 60 months (12-month Takeover + 48-month Operational phase including 6-month Handover).

Who can apply & key requirements

Open procedure. Participation is open to natural and legal persons within the scope of the Treaties and to entities from third countries where permitted by international procurement agreements. Tenders may be submitted by a sole economic operator or a group (joint tender); subcontracting is permitted. Registration in the Participant Register and a PIC are mandatory. EU Login is required for eSubmission.

Eligibility highlights:Average yearly turnover requirement: at least €4,500,000 (over the last two financial years). Warehouse operations and staff must be located within the EU; the main warehouse must be within a maximum 5-hour truck distance from Publications Office, Luxembourg.

1. 1Submission method: electronic via eSubmission; EU Login and PIC required
2. 2Award criteria: best price-quality ratio (quality 60% / price 40%)
3. 3Type of contract: framework agreement without reopening of competition; specific contracts awarded under the FWC
4. 4Main CPV: 63120000 Storage and warehousing services
5. 5Insurance, security, data protection and ILS requirements are mandatory (see tender specifications)

Submissions must follow the Tender Specifications and Annexes; tender documents (specifications, price list, draft FWC, tech annexes) are published on the F&T Portal. Electronic questions are handled via the Portal Q&A. EU Login with 2-factor authentication will be required after June 2026. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Full procurement documents, registration and eSubmission access are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal F&T Portal - tender page.

Call / Tender Identification

Distribution and Storage Services — EC-OP/2025/OP/0050

Opportunity type:Open procedure call for tenders (framework contract) managed by the Publications Office of the European Union (acting on behalf of EU institutions, agencies and bodies). TED reference: 84/2026 297110-2026. Procedure identifier: EC-OP/2025/OP/0050. Main classification (CPV): 63120000 - Storage and warehousing services. Nature of the contract: services. Framework agreement: single FWC (no reopening of competition). Estimated total value: €9,000,000 (FWC ceiling over max 60 months). Maximum contract duration: 60 months (12 months Takeover phase + 48 months Operational phase including 6 months Handover). Award method: best price-quality ratio (quality weighting 60%, price 40%).

Primary link:Full procurement documents (incl. Tender Specifications, Price List, Draft FWC, Technical Annexes and security appendices) are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Call page ¹.

Deadlines and Key Dates

TED publication date:30/04/2026. Deadline for receipt of tenders: 10/06/2026 10:00 Europe/Luxembourg. Date/time of public opening (virtual): 10/06/2026 15:00 Europe/Luxembourg. Contracting authority will not reply to questions submitted after 02/06/2026 23:59 Europe/Luxembourg. Note: electronic submission through eSubmission (EU Login required; 2-factor authentication will be mandatory as of 30 June 2026).

What is being procured (scope)

The FWC covers distribution and storage services for publications produced by EU institutions, agencies and bodies. Core services include: S1 Inbound logistics (receiving, ASN handling, physical and logical receiving, inventory management), S2 Warehousing and Storage (storage conditions, inventory control, insurance, destocking and recycling), S3 Outbound logistics (order processing, picking, packing, shipping, delivering, tracking), S4 Integrated Logistics System (ILS) (software and data exchange, reporting, helpdesk), S5 Ad-hoc and Other services (special deliveries, repackaging, project work), S6 Takeover (warehouse setup and ILS configuration, up to 12 months) and S7 Handover (last 6 months of Operational phase). The contractor must operate a secure EU-located warehouse (max 5 hours truck distance from Publications Office, 20 rue de Reims, L-2417 Luxembourg) and provide EU-located ILS, personnel, KPI reporting, risk & disaster recovery, quality assurance, environmental and data protection compliance.

Documentation supplied by Contracting Authority

Key published documents (examples):Invitation to Tender; Tender Specifications (detailed technical requirements and evaluation rules); Price List and Case Study (Excel template with transactional units to be completed by tenderers); Draft FWC (contract conditions); Appendix 2 Security requirements; Appendix 3 Security baseline for external connections; Technical Annex I (ILS functional & security requirements); Technical Annex II (API requirements); Technical Annex III (statistical data); Technical Annex IV (zones/country distribution); ILS mock-ups and reporting templates; Annexes with administrative forms (PARFs, CV forms, Declaration on honour, Commitment letter, etc.). All are available on the F&T Portal and listed in the call documents.

How to apply

Electronic submission only via the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission system. Tenderers (each legal entity and each member of a joint tender) must be registered in the Participant Register and have a PIC. EU Login is mandatory; 2-factor authentication will be required from 30/06/2026. Tenders must include the administrative package, selection evidence (Declaration on honour, economic & financial and technical capacity), technical tender (structured by Annex 14 and Document 1–5 content limits), and financial tender (completed price list and case study in PDF and Excel).

Evaluation and award

Evaluation sequence:administrative checks, exclusion criteria, economic & financial selection (minimum average annual turnover last two years >= €4,500,000), professional & technical selection (minimum three PARFs meeting requirements, CVs for governance team), compliance with minimum technical requirements, technical award (100 points; pass marks per criterion; total pass mark 60), financial evaluation and calculation of price–quality ratio (quality 60% / price 40%). The award is to the tenderer with best price-quality ratio and only one FWC will be signed. The tenderer with best ratio will be requested to provide supporting documents for declarations. The Contracting Authority may conduct warehouse site visits prior to signature.

Mandatory and critical requirements

Tenderers must comply with all minimum requirements in Tender Specifications Chapter 4 (technical specs). Non-compliant tenders will be rejected. Warehouse location and truck distance requirement (max 5 hours from Publications Office, Luxembourg) is mandatory. Stock and processing must be within EU territory. Insurance minimum €1.5 million for stock. ILS must meet functional, security and reporting requirements (see Technical Annex I & II). KPIs, liquidated damages and quality assurance obligations are specified in the FWC and Tender Specifications. Tenderers must be able to perform Takeover within defined timelines; late Takeover or major incidents can lead to contract termination.

Deliverables and performance management

Deliverables include:Takeover Report, acceptance notes for Takeover and Handover, monthly activity reports, Draft Billing Statements (DBS), pro-forma and final invoices, KPI reporting, audit and stock reconciliation results, ILS configuration and mock-ups, helpdesk set up. The FWC contains detailed invoicing and billing rules, KPI targets, liquidated damages for KPI breaches (detailed list of KPIs and corresponding financial penalties), audit and inspection rights, and quality assurance plan obligations.

Administrative & contractual modalities

The FWC will be signed in English; communications linked to the FWC in English. Draft FWC (Main, Special and General Conditions) sets bank account, payment terms, price revision formula, data protection clauses, intellectual property rules, termination and sanctions, insurance and guarantees rules (no pre-financing; Takeover interim payment rules defined), and specific rules for joint tenders, subcontracting and reliance on third-party capacities. Framework ceiling cannot be exceeded. The FWC requires compliance with EU restrictive measures; entities subject to sanctions cannot participate.

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: SMEs, large enterprises, logistics companies, warehousing providers, transport carriers, technology providers (ILS/IT), system integrators, joint ventures, consortia, public-private partnerships and other legal entities. The call is open to natural and legal persons falling within scope of EU Treaties, international organisations, and third-country entities where procurement rules allow.
2. 2Funding Type: This is a public procurement (tender) using a framework agreement model (service contract). Not a grant, loan or equity instrument. The mechanism is procurement of services governed by the Financial Regulation.
3. 3Consortium Requirement: Single contractor or joint tender allowed. Tenderers may submit as sole economic operator or as group (joint tender). Joint tenders require agreement/power of attorney (Annex €4B). Subcontracting and reliance on capacities of other entities allowed subject to documentation (Annex 4A, Annex 7 Commitment letter).
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Services must be performed within EU territory; contractor warehouse and staff must be located within EU. Place of performance: EU; Contractor must ensure EU-based data processing and storage (ILS). The Distribution zones cover worldwide deliveries but warehouse/ILS must be EU-based. Third-country participation subject to procurement access agreements and restrictions.
5. 5Target Sector: Logistics and distribution (storage & warehousing services), integrated logistics IT systems (ILS), transport and postal services, data processing and reporting, publishing & distribution for public sector publications.
6. 6Mentioned Countries: Luxembourg (Publications Office location). Distribution zones defined and include all countries worldwide; Technical Annex IV lists countries per zone (Zones A–E and O). No exclusivity to member states only; deliveries worldwide possible via zones. Specific documents reference many countries; primary place of performance is EU (Luxembourg).
7. 7Project Stage: Operational service delivery and long-term operations (mature commercial logistics and systems). The opportunity expects an operational-ready provider with proven experience (warehousing, ILS, transport) and ability to conduct Takeover and Handover phases.
8. 8Funding Amount: Estimated total value of the FWC ceiling is €9,000,000 over up to 60 months. Takeover flat fees capped (if applicable) at €300,000 for new tenderer, €100,000 for incumbent for ILS configuration; Price list entries are to be filled by tenderers (Annex 2).
9. 9Application Type: Open call for tenders (procurement) — single submission deadline. Electronic eSubmission via F&T Portal. Not rolling or invitation-only.
10. 10Nature of Support: Direct service contract (money paid to contractor in return for services). Financial flows are contractual payments (monthly fixed and variable fees, reimbursement for customs duties where applicable).
11. 11Application Stages: Single-stage tender submission with subsequent verification stage for supporting documents (administrative checks, selection and evaluation, requests for supporting documents from best-ranked tenderers). Practically multi-step evaluation: 1) administrative, 2) exclusion, 3) selection (economic & financial), 4) technical compliance, 5) technical award, 6) financial evaluation, 7) price-quality ratio calculation, 8) request for supporting documents prior to signature.
12. 12Success Rates: Not stated explicitly. As a single-award FWC with open procedure the success rate depends on number of bidders; historical success rates are not published for this tender. The evaluation pass mark is minimum 60/100 in technical and meeting all selection/exclusion criteria.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: No co-funding required. The contractor must provide services at prices in price list; invoicing and payment are contractual. Tenderers must demonstrate financial capacity (minimum average turnover €4,500,000 over last two years).
14. 14Templates: The procurement provides templates and mandatory forms: Annex 1 list of documents, Annex 2 Price List and Case Study (Excel + PDF), Annex 3A Identification form, Annex €3BPersons designated to sign FWC, Annex 4A Questionnaire for joint tenders/subcontracting/freelancing, Annex €4BAgreement/Power of Attorney model, Annex 6 Declaration on honour, Annex 7 Commitment letter, Annex 10 PARF (Project Activity Reference Form), Annexes 11–14 CV and technical tender forms, Annex 14 Form for the technical tender. Technical tender must follow Document 1–5 structure and page limits. All templates are supplied in call documents on the Portal.

Detailed Selection & Award Requirements (extracted)

Selection criteria (summary):Exclusion: Article 138 of the Financial Regulation. Economic & financial capacity: average yearly turnover in last two financial years at least €4,500,000 (tenderer may rely on capacities of other entities with Commitment letter). Documents: Declaration on honour (Annex 6) at submission; supporting documents requested later for shortlisted tenderers (recent judicial record extract, tax and social security certificates). Technical and professional capacity: at least three PARFs (Annex 10) from projects executed during the three-year reference period preceding the deadline; PARFs must cover services S1–S5 and provide at least 250 person-days combined for key governance profiles (Contract Manager, Delivery Manager, Quality Manager). CVs for governance team (Annex 11–13) to be provided on request from shortlisted tenderers. Tenderers may rely on subcontractors or other entities; roles must be declared (Annex 4A, Annex 7).

Award criteria (technical):The technical tender is evaluated against five main criteria totalling 100 points with pass marks per criterion: 1) organisation & workflow (25 pts, pass 15), 2) data protection & environment (10 pts, pass 6), 3) Quality Assurance Plan (15 pts, pass 9), 4) Warehousing & Storage management (25 pts, pass 15), 5) ILS management and mock-ups (25 pts, pass 15). Minimum total technical score to proceed to price evaluation: 60/100. Financial tender: price list and case study (Annex 2) must be completed and submitted in PDF and Excel. The price-quality ratio uses formula R = (60*Q / Qmax) + (40 * Pmin / P).

Technical & Operational Highlights (must be addressed fully in tender)

1. 1Warehouse requirements: located in EU, 24/7 security or electronic surveillance, climate controlled (12°C–30°C; humidity 40%–65% with tolerances), weatherproof, pest-free, racks, fire detection/protection, insurance covering production value min €1.5 million, capacity to host approx. 200 m3 with scalability.
2. 2ILS (Integrated Logistics System): contractor’s ILS must support advanced shipment notifications (ASN), logical and physical receiving, inventory management (physical and logical stock), order management (SAO, MAO), reservations and embargo handling; role-based access via EU Login, audit trail, reporting (monthly DBS, KPI reports), API integration with Publications Office production workflow (UPP), annual penetration testing, session/security controls and parameterised queries as specified in Technical Annex I & II.
3. 3Inbound logistics: ASN processing, physical inspection within specified SLA (48 hours standard, 4 hours urgent), ASN contents, packing list checking, reporting of discrepancies within deadlines, repackaging on demand, receiving fees invoiced per item according to price list.
4. 4Warehousing & storage: item storage fee invoiced per cubic metre of net volume per day; inventory checks, annual stock control, cycle counting, stock reconciliation, inventory audit access by Publications Office.
5. 5Outbound logistics: picking (manual and automated), insertions, packaging (regular and over-sized), labelling with EU template, shipping (tracked/untracked), delivery modes (letters, parcels, urgent, freight, chartered trucks) across zones A–E, tracking, returns, special fixed-time deliveries, handling of customs and DDP/DDU rules and reimbursement of customs duties where applicable.
6. 6Management & governance: provide Contract Manager, Delivery Manager, Quality Manager (CVs must meet Annex 13 profiles), Quality Assurance Plan, KPIs and risk management, Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity, project management using PM2 methodology, reporting and meeting schedule, monthly activity reports, invoicing procedures (DBS, pro-forma and final invoices).
7. 7Environmental & data protection: demonstrate compliance with GDPR (EU 2016/679) and Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 for processing data on behalf of EU bodies; ILS and data storage must be located in EU/EEA; measures for anonymisation where required; environmental policy, materials and transport emissions management, recycling and destocking procedures.

Fees, Pricing and Invoicing

The price structure is transactional (monthly fixed fee + monthly variable costs based on price list transactional units). The price list template (Annex 2) sets required transactional units (receiving item, urgent receiving, storage per m3/day, picking per item, packaging per packaging unit by weight classes, shipping per zone and weight classes, urgent services, freight per kg, chartered trucks per km, manual labour hourly rate, Takeover and Handover flat fees). Takeover flat fee for new tenderer capped at €300,000; incumbent ILS configuration capped at €100,000. Prices must be indicated in EUR, VAT excluded (EU institutions are VAT-exempt under Protocol privileges). The case study in Annex 2 will be used for price-quality ratio calculation. Invoices follow Draft Billing Statement (DBS) procedure; monthly invoicing and final invoices require DBS approval and supporting documents. Customs duties and related expenses are reimbursable on presentation of supporting documents per contract rules.

Risks, KPIs and Sanctions

The FWC defines detailed KPIs covering availability, receiving deadlines, ILS availability, stock accuracy, handling accuracy, delivery performance, security and data protection incidents, quality of reporting and invoicing. Liquidated damages are specified per KPI (examples: per-day penalties for Takeover delays, per-item or per-hour penalties for receiving/handling delays, percentage reductions of monthly costs for accuracy shortfalls, monetary penalties for data protection/security incidents). Overall liquidated damages cannot exceed 100% of the monthly invoice value. Repeated major incident patterns or KPI breaches can trigger termination of the FWC. The Contracting Authority may conduct audits and site visits.

How this opportunity would be explained in plain terms

This is an EU public procurement to select a logistics provider to receive, store, manage and distribute printed and physical publications (and related materials) produced for EU institutions and agencies. The selected contractor will sign a framework service contract (maximum value €9 million over up to five years) and will supply warehousing, stock management, packing, shipping, tracking and an integrated logistics IT system (ILS) plus ad-hoc services. The award is based on a combination of technical quality (detailed service and system proposals, governance and KPIs) and price. Tenders must follow the strict administrative, technical and security rules set out in the Tender Specifications and submit the price list and case study. The contract requires EU-based warehouse/operations and EU-located data processing, compliance with data protection rules and environmental provisions. All procurement documents and templates are on the F&T Portal; electronic submission is mandatory via eSubmission.

• Immediate actions for interested organisations: register organisation in Participant Register (get PIC), create EU Login account with 2FA, download all call documents (Tender specifications, Price List, Draft FWC, Technical Annexes), prepare administrative declarations (Annex 6), prepare PARFs and CVs for governance team, complete the price list and case study (Excel + PDF), draft technical tender following Annex 14 form and Document 1–5 structure, ensure warehouse location satisfies 5-hour truck distance to Luxembourg, ensure insurance and data hosting arrangements comply with requirements.

Footnotes

1. 1All procurement documents including Tender Specifications, Price List & Case Study, Draft FWC and Technical Annexes are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: ec.europa.eu

Opportunity Overview

This is a call for tenders issued by the European Commission's Publications Office for the provision of distribution and storage services. The opportunity seeks to establish a single framework contract (FWC) with an estimated total value of €9,000,000 over a maximum period of 60 months. The contract will cover the distribution of publications issued by various EU institutions, agencies and bodies to final recipients worldwide, as well as the storage of these publications in a dedicated warehouse facility.

Procedure Identifier:EC-OP/2025/OP/0050

TED Reference:84/2026 297110-2026

Key Deadlines

This is a time-sensitive opportunity with imminent deadlines. ¹

Contracting Authority

The Publications Office of the European Union, based in Luxembourg, is the lead contracting authority. The Publications Office is the official provider of publishing services to all EU institutions, bodies and agencies and serves as the central point of access to EU law, publications, data and official information. The Publications Office will act as the sole point of contact with the contractor and may request services on behalf of other EU institutions, agencies and bodies.

Funding Amount and Contract Value

Estimated Total Value:€9,000,000 over a maximum period of 60 months

Contract Structure:The estimated value will be divided into a maximum of 12 months for the Takeover phase and 48 months for the Operational phase, which includes a 6-month Handover phase. This is an estimate only and there is no commitment as to exact quantities to be ordered. The actual value will depend on quantities ordered through specific contracts, with the FWC ceiling representing the maximum amount to be spent.

Award Method:Best price-quality ratio

Nature of the Contract

This is a framework contract without reopening of competition. The signature of the FWC does not impose an obligation on the contracting authority to conclude specific contracts with the contractor; only implementation through specific contracts is binding on the contracting authority. The FWC will be concluded in English, and all formal communication related to the FWC and its implementation will be conducted in English.

Scope of Services

The framework contract covers the distribution of publications issued by different EU institutions, agencies and bodies to various final recipients, and the storage of these publications in a warehouse. The contractor must provide flexible and reactive logistics services based on an appropriate Integrated Logistics System (ILS) and warehousing infrastructure. Services will be provided to geographical zones covering both the European Union territory and the entire world.

Main Operational Services

• Service 1 (S1): Inbound Logistics - transportation to warehouse, Advanced Shipment Notification, receiving, and inventory management
• Service 2 (S2): Warehousing and Storage - storage conditions, physical and logical stock management, returns management, loss and damage handling, destocking and recycling
• Service 3 (S3): Outbound Logistics - planning, dispatching, handling, shipping, delivering, special projects, and proof of delivery
• Service 4 (S4): Integrated Logistics System (ILS) - management system enabling coordination of all inbound, warehousing and outbound operations
• Service 5 (S5): Ad-hoc and Other Services - additional services as requested
• Service 6 (S6): Takeover - executed during maximum 12 months of Takeover phase
• Service 7 (S7): Handover - executed during last 6 months of Operational phase

Eligibility and Who Can Apply

Participation in this call for tenders is open on equal terms to all natural and legal persons falling within the scope of the EU Treaties, as well as to international organisations. It is also open to all natural and legal persons in third countries provided that the country has a special agreement with the European Union in the field of public procurement on the conditions laid down in that agreement.

Tender Submission Options

• Sole economic operator (sole tenderer)
• Group of economic operators (joint tender) - all partners assume joint and several liability
• Subcontracting and freelancing are permitted in either case

Key Eligibility Requirements

• Must be registered in the Participant Register and obtain a Participant Identification Code (PIC)
• Must not be subject to EU restrictive measures
• Must not be subject to exclusion criteria as defined in Article 138 of the Financial Regulation
• Must meet economic and financial capacity requirements
• Must meet professional and technical capacity requirements
• Must comply with all minimum requirements specified in the procurement documents

Selection Criteria

Economic and Financial Capacity

Tenderers must demonstrate average yearly turnover during the past two financial years of at least €4,500,000. Tenderers may rely on the capacities of other entities to fulfil this criterion by submitting a Commitment letter. Supporting documents including balance sheets and profit and loss accounts for the last two years may be requested by the EU Validation Services at any time during the procedure.

Professional and Technical Capacity

Tenderers must demonstrate professional and technical capability through project references and key personnel qualifications. At least three Project Activity Reference Forms (PARFs) must be submitted, covering all required services (S1 to S5) with a combined minimum of 250 person-days for Contract Manager, Delivery Manager, and Quality Manager roles. The accepted PARFs must collectively cover all services that might be requested.

Required Governance Team Profiles:Minimum 1 and maximum 2 CVs each for Contract Manager, Delivery Manager (operational), and Quality Manager. All proposed persons must fulfil requirements concerning education, knowledge and skills, experience and languages as specified in the tender documents.

Place of Performance

The warehouse and its staff must be located within the territory of the European Union, within a truck distance of maximum five (5) hours from the EU Publications Office's main location at 20, rue de Reims, L-2417 Luxembourg. For evaluation purposes, the website qualitycarriers.com shall be used to calculate truck distance. The warehouse must provide sufficient storage space to accommodate approximately 200 cubic metres. Training sessions and meetings will be conducted via videoconference, with occasional in-person meetings in Luxembourg and/or Brussels (generally no more than 4 during Takeover phase and no more than 2 per year during Operational phase), with all costs included in monthly fixed costs.

Warehouse Requirements

The warehouse must meet strict operational and environmental standards to ensure proper storage of EU publications.

• Insurance: Minimum €1.5 million coverage against fire, theft, flood, loss and damage; insurance must cover production value, not only paper value; valid insurance documentation must be provided at least 2 weeks before stock transfer begins
• Construction: Weatherproof with solid floors, clear areas for receiving, inspection, storage and dispatch
• Cleanliness: Clean and pest-free, protected from dust and dirt
• Fire Safety: Equipped with fire-detection and protection devices and fire alarms
• Security: 24-hour physical or electronic security, CCTV surveillance, access controls and visitor logs
• Storage System: Proper and non-polluting stacking/racking system
• Environmental Control: Constant temperature between 12°C and 30°C (maximum tolerance 2°C in 24 hours) and relative humidity between 40% and 65% (maximum tolerance 5% in 24 hours), monitored by permanent sensors with automatic recording and database access for the EU Publications Office
• Light Protection: No warehouse stock exposed to direct sunlight or UV radiation

Award Criteria and Evaluation

The FWC will be awarded to the tenderer offering the best price-quality ratio. Quality is weighted at 60 percent and price at 40 percent. Only tenders that pass all previous evaluation stages (administrative checks, exclusion criteria, selection criteria, and compliance with minimum requirements) will be considered for calculation of the price-quality ratio.

Technical Award Criteria

Tenders must achieve at least the pass mark for each criterion and a total score of at least 60 points to be considered for award. Tenderers should elaborate on all points addressed by the Tender specifications to score as many points as possible. Simply repeating mandatory requirements without providing additional details will result in a low score.

Technical Tender Documentation Requirements

• Document 1 (maximum 15 pages): Internal organisation of work, teams, workflow for each service, and overall FWC management proposal
• Document 2 (maximum 5 pages): Proposal for data protection and environmental provisions implementation
• Document 3 (maximum 10 pages): Quality Assurance Plan including coordination, control, KPI monitoring, risk assessment, escalation procedures, quality certifications, and financial monitoring approach
• Document 4 (maximum 10 pages): Proposal for managing Warehousing and Storage (Service S2) including warehouse location details, work safety and security measures, and insurance approach
• Document 5 (maximum 15 pages plus 4-6 mock-ups): Proposal for managing Integrated Logistics System (Service S4) including ILS configuration, management of specific contracts, Helpdesk service description, Disaster Recovery planning, and visual presentation of proposed user interface

All technical tender documents must be in A4 format, Calibri font size 11, averaging 2,500 characters per page with spaces. Where documents exceed maximum limits, only the maximum allowed number of pages will be evaluated starting from the beginning. Cross-references between documents are not permitted. Technical tenders must not include any price indication.

Financial Tender

Tenderers must complete the price list and case study form provided by the contracting authority. Prices must be indicated in euros, all-inclusive covering all expenses incurred by the contractor, and quoted free of all duties, taxes and other charges including VAT. Two decimal places are allowed. The price list must be submitted in both PDF and MS Excel format, with the PDF version taking precedence in case of discrepancy. Any omission of prices for required services may cause the tender to be considered null and void.

Submission Requirements

Tenders must be submitted electronically through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. An EU Login account is required for electronic submission. As of 30 June 2026, two-factor authentication will be mandatory to access EU Login accounts.

Submission Method:Electronic submission only via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal

Required Administrative Documents:Cover letter (maximum 1 page, signed by authorised representative, including contact person name and email, and PIC of tenderer and consortium members), Form for identification of tenderer, Questionnaire for joint tenders/subcontracting/freelancing (if applicable), Agreement/Power of attorney (if applicable), Declaration on honour on exclusion criteria and selection criteria (signed), short description of economic activity (maximum 5 pages), Commitment letter (if applicable), Project Activity Reference Forms (minimum 3), CVs of proposed governance team, and technical tender documents as specified above.

Document Signature:Documents must be signed either by hand-written signature or preferably by qualified electronic signature (QES) as defined in Regulation (EU) No 910/2014. Hand-written signatures lead to additional administrative burden and are discouraged. Originals of hand-signed documents (except the FWC and amendments) do not need to be submitted but must be kept for 5 years from notification of procedure outcome or from final payment if awarded.

File Size Limitations:Maximum 50 MB per file; maximum 200 files per submission

Evaluation Process

The contracting authority will evaluate tenders in the following order, though not necessarily sequentially: checking of administrative documents; verification of restrictive measures and rejection grounds; checking of exclusion criteria; evaluation of economic and financial capacity; evaluation of professional and technical capacity; evaluation of compliance with minimum requirements; evaluation of technical tender; evaluation of financial tender; calculation of price-quality ratio; and checking of supporting documents.

If evaluation of any element demonstrates grounds for rejection, the tender will be rejected without full evaluation. Rejected tenderers will be informed of rejection grounds without feedback on non-assessed content. Only tenderers for whom verification of all elements reveals no grounds for rejection can be awarded the FWC.

Supporting documents for exclusion and selection criteria will only be requested from the tenderer to whom award of the FWC might be proposed, with one week to provide them. The contracting authority reserves the right to request updated declarations or supporting documents at any moment during the procedure if necessary to ensure proper conduct.

Key Performance Indicators and Liquidated Damages

Compliance with various service requirements is monitored through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Failure to comply with KPI requirements may lead to the application of liquidated damages. KPIs cover areas including receiving timeframes, logical data entry accuracy, warehousing conditions maintenance, inventory management, order accuracy, delivery deadlines, and other operational metrics as specified in the tender documents.

Data Protection and Security

The contractor must ensure compliance with applicable data protection rules including the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and EU Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2018/1725. The contractor must present a detailed description of understanding regarding processing operations of personal data, approach to anonymisation, and compliance with the Privacy Statement available on the Publications Office website. Security requirements are specified in the draft FWC and related annexes, and the place of performance must be located within the EU to guarantee appropriate level of assurance for data protection and security compliance.

Environmental Provisions

The EU Publications Office considers respect for the environment a core obligation and expects the successful contractor to actively pursue a green policy in all aspects of work covered by the FWC. The contractor must demonstrate understanding and compliance with environmental provisions including environmental policy, buildings, materials (recyclability and lack of environmental damage in disposal), equipment, transport/travel (CO2 emissions), and measures for destocking and recycling. Materials destocked will be recycled wherever possible with certified waste disposal providers.

Contract Terms and Conditions

The FWC will be governed by the Financial Regulation and the draft FWC provided in the procurement documents. Tenderers must take full account of the complete set of procurement documents, including the draft FWC, as it will define and govern the contractual relationship. Special attention must be paid to provisions specifying rights and obligations of the contractor, particularly regarding payments, performance, confidentiality, and checks and audits.

Debt Offset:If a tenderer to whom the FWC is awarded has established debt(s) owed to the Union, the European Atomic Energy Community or an executive agency, such debt(s) may be offset against any payment due under the FWC in accordance with Articles 101(1) and 102 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. The contracting authority will verify the existence of overdue debts and inform the tenderer, who must then inform all group members before FWC signature.

Electronic Exchange System:For all exchanges with the contractor during FWC execution and for future possible subsequent proceedings, the contracting authority may use an electronic exchange system meeting requirements of Article 151 of the Financial Regulation. At the contracting authority's request, use of such a system shall become mandatory for the contractor at no additional cost.

Intellectual Property Rights

Tenderers must provide statements concerning intellectual property rights as specified in the tender documents. All quotations or information originating from other sources to which third parties may claim rights must be clearly marked with source publication including date and place, creator, number, and full title to allow easy identification.

Joint Tenders and Subcontracting

Economic operators may submit tenders as joint tenders or as sole tenderers with subcontractors/freelancers. In joint tenders, all partners must assume joint and several liability towards the contracting authority. One partner must be designated as group leader with power of attorney to act on behalf of all members. All group members must sign an Agreement/Power of attorney using the model provided in the tender documents.

For subcontracting and freelancing, the contractor retains full liability towards the contracting authority for FWC performance. The contracting authority will treat all contractual matters exclusively with the contractor. During FWC execution, the contractor will need express authorisation from the contracting authority to replace a subcontractor or freelancer or to subcontract tasks not envisaged in the original tender. Changes concerning identified subcontractors during the procurement procedure require prior written approval subject to verification that new subcontractors are not subject to restrictive measures, have access to procurement if applicable, and are not in an exclusion situation.

Important Procedural Information

Participant Register:Any economic operator willing to participate must be registered in the Participant Register. Each participant obtains a Participant Identification Code (PIC), a 9-digit unique identifier. Registration is required only once and information can be updated or reused in other calls. Each participant must ensure SME status is registered and kept up to date.

Validation Services:The EU Validation Services may contact participants at any moment during the procurement procedure and ask for supporting documents on legal existence, status and financial capacity through the register's messaging system. It is the participant's responsibility to provide a valid email address and check it regularly. A request for supporting documents does not imply the tenderer has been successful.

Site Visit:The EU Publications Office reserves the right to conduct a site visit to the warehouse proposed by the tenderer being considered for award to verify compliance with Tender specifications requirements. The tenderer will receive an email invitation to schedule the visit within 10 working days.

Questions and Clarifications:Tenderers may submit questions to the contracting authority. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after 02 June 2026 at 23:59 Europe/Luxembourg. Questions and answers will be made available to all participants.

Additional Opportunities

In line with point 11.1(e) of Annex I to the Financial Regulation, during the three years following entry into force of the original FWC, the contracting authority may use the negotiated procedure without prior publication of a contract notice for services consisting of repetition of similar services (up to a maximum of 50 percent of the original FWC value) entrusted to the economic operator awarded the original FWC by the same contracting authority.

Contact and Further Information

For detailed information about this procurement opportunity, including all tender specifications, draft contract, technical annexes, and submission procedures, visit the EU Funding and Tenders Portal at EU Funding & Tenders Portal. The tender specifications document and all supporting materials are available for download from the portal. Tenderers are strongly encouraged to review all procurement documents thoroughly before submitting their tenders.

The Publications Office website provides additional information about the organisation and its mission at OP Portal. For technical support regarding the submission system, contact the IT Helpdesk through the portal.

Footnotes

1. 1As of the current date (Wednesday, 06 May 2026), the deadline for tender submission is 4 days away. Prospective tenderers must act immediately to prepare and submit their applications. The deadline for questions is even more imminent at 2 days away. Organisations considering participation should prioritize reviewing all procurement documents and assembling required documentation without delay.