Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for Large media strategy, planning, buying and asset adaptation services

The European Commission DG Communication, in collaboration with the European Parliament, has launched a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) to procure large-scale media strategy, planning, buying and asset adaptation services. The estimated total value is €275,000,000 excluding VAT and the DPS maximum duration is 60 months. Procedure identifier EC-COMM/2026/DPS/0047 requires electronic submission via the Funding and Tenders Portal or Mercell with a deadline for requests to participate on 08/03/2031 at 09:00 Europe/Brussels time. Participation requires an EU Login account and organisation Participant Identification Code, evaluation will follow the best price-quality ratio and Foreign Subsidies Regulation reporting obligations apply.

What it funds

Scope

Establishment of a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) to supply large-scale media strategy, planning, media buying and asset adaptation services for the European Commission (DG COMM) and the European Parliament, covering corporate, representation and DG campaigns.

Estimated value and duration:Total estimated value €275,000,000 (excluding VAT). Maximum DPS duration 60 months (5 years). ¹

Who can apply

Legal entities and consortia operating in advertising, media buying and consultancy may apply. Participants must comply with public procurement exclusion and selection criteria, register an organisation PIC where required, and meet Foreign Subsidies Regulation reporting obligations (where applicable).

Key practical facts

1. 1Procedure type: Dynamic Purchasing System (other multiple-stage procedure).
2. 2Award method: Best price-quality ratio.
3. 3Submission: Electronic via Mercell Source-to-Contract / eSubmission (EU Login required).
4. 4Languages accepted: all 24 official EU languages (list in procurement documents).
5. 5Deadline for requests to participate: 08/03/2031 09:00 CET.

This DPS is a framework agreement without reopening of competition, usable by the buyers listed in the notice. Some procedural details and mandatory forms (including FS-PP for foreign subsidies) are in the procurement documents.

Procurement documents and full specification are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal and Mercell platforms: Funding & Tenders Portal Mercell Source-to-Contract.

Footnotes

1. 1See official notice and procurement documents on the Funding & Tenders Portal for detailed financial breakdowns, timelines and applicant requirements.

Opportunity summary

Title:Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for Large media strategy, planning, buying and asset adaptation services. Procedure identifier: EC-COMM/2026/DPS/0047 (TED ref. 163519-2026, change notices 165301-2026 and 00236683-2026). Lead contracting authority: European Commission, Directorate-General for Communication (DG COMM - Communication). Co-purchaser listed: European Parliament. Type of procedure: Dynamic purchasing system (DPS), other multiple stage procedure. Main CPV: 79341000 Advertising services (additional CPV 79341100 Advertising consultancy services). Estimated total value: €275,000,000 (excluding VAT). Nature of contract: services. Maximum duration of the DPS/framework: 60 months (5 years). Award method: best price-quality ratio. Framework agreement: framework agreement, without reopening of competition. Electronic submission via Mercell / Commission eSubmission channels is required.

Description:Purpose: to establish a new DPS to provide large-scale media strategy, planning, media buying and asset adaptation services supporting corporate, representation and Directorate-Generals' campaigns across the European Commission and identified buyers. Services will cover advertising services and advertising consultancy for pan-European communication activities.

Key dates and submission

TED publication date:09/03/2026 (initial). Deadlines for receipt of requests to participate: 08/03/2031 at 09:00:59 CET/CEST (multiple change notices confirm same deadline). Submission method: Electronic only. Address for submission / procurement documents: Mercell Source-to-Contract platform (links in procurement notice and Funding & Tenders Portal) and the Funding & Tenders Portal procurement documents page. EU Login account and an organisation Participant Identification Code (PIC) are mandatory to participate.

Procurement platforms and document access:Primary access to procurement documents: Mercell platform (s2c.mercell.com and later corrected links such as s2c.mercell.com per change notices) and the Funding & Tenders Portal tender details page Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity. Full procurement documentation must be consulted for selection, award criteria, grounds for exclusion and technical requirements.

Eligibility and applicant requirements

Eligible applicant types:Any economic operator that meets the procurement selection criteria and legal/financial/technical capacity requirements as specified in the procurement documents. This typically includes: startups, SMEs, large enterprises, advertising agencies, media buying houses, media planning consultancies, creative/adaptation studios, marketing/communication consultancies, public-private partnerships where applicable, and consortia of organisations. Subcontractor participation is allowed but the tendering economic operator must register with a PIC and satisfy requirements.

Geographic eligibility / beneficiary scope:This is an EU institution procurement; economic operators from EU Member States and countries allowed by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) and Regulation will be eligible. Languages permitted for submission include all 24 official EU languages (Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, German, Greek, English, Spanish, Estonian, Finnish, French, Irish, Croatian, Hungarian, Italian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Maltese, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Swedish). The DPS is managed from Brussels (Arr. de Bruxelles-Capitale/Arr. Brussel-Hoofdstad BE100).

Consortium requirement:The procurement allows submission by single economic operators or groups/consortia. The notices indicate the procedure will take place in successive stages and participants may be eliminated at each stage. The maximum number of participants admitted into the DPS is indicated as 1 in the TED notice data for the dynamic purchasing system, but bidders should consult procurement documents for clarification and specific rules on capacity aggregation and lead partner responsibilities.

Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR) obligations:This procedure falls under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR). Any economic operator participating must notify the contracting authority of all foreign financial contributions (FFC) of at least €4 million per third country received in the last three years where applicable (Article 28(1) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2560). In other cases participants must submit a declaration (Article 29(1)) listing FFCs or confirming none were received. Notifications/declarations must use Form FS-PP available on the Commission single market public procurement FSR page. Failure to provide required FSR information may affect eligibility.

What is being procured: services and scope

Main scope:Large media strategy, planning, buying and asset adaptation services for EU-level communication campaigns run by the European Commission (DG COMM) and listed buyers including the European Parliament and other Commission services. Services are categorised under advertising services and advertising consultancy services (CPV 79341000 and 79341100). Typical activities expected under the DPS include: strategic media planning and counsel for pan-EU campaigns; procurement of media space across platforms and territories; programmatic and direct media buying; negotiations and trafficking; campaign optimization; reporting and analytics; adaptation of advertising assets and creative formats for multiple channels and geographic markets; compliance with EU branding and legal requirements; supporting representation and Directorate-General specific campaigns.

1. 1Media strategy and planning for pan-European campaigns
2. 2Media buying across channels (TV, radio, digital, out-of-home, press, programmatic)
3. 3Asset adaptation and localisation for multiple Member States/languages
4. 4Campaign trafficking, scheduling and optimisation
5. 5Measurement, analytics, reporting and transparency on spend
6. 6Consultancy services for campaign design and media mix
7. 7Support for corporate and DG-level representation activities

Selection and award criteria

Award method indicated:best price-quality ratio. TED notices and change notices specify category of award weight criterion and that exact weights are provided in the procurement documents. The procedure is described as two-stage / multiple stage with possible elimination of participants at each stage. Sources of selection criteria and grounds for exclusion are contained in procurement documents. Bidders must consult the procurement documents for details on pass/fail selection criteria, technical and professional capacity thresholds, required certificates, minimum turnover or experience, evidence of prior relevant contracts, and proposed team composition.

Evaluation and stages:The procedure will take place in successive stages; at each stage some participants may be eliminated. The TED notices refer to a two-stage or other multiple stage procedure. Exact number of application stages, elimination points, and required deliverables per stage are defined in the procurement documents. Electronic Q&A is available through the portal and Mercell platform during the submission period, and procurement documents include instructions on how to ask questions.

Practical administrative and technical requirements

Submission system and IT rules:Electronic submission only. EU Login authentication required. A Participant Identification Code (PIC) for the organisation is mandatory. eSubmission technical requirements include supported browsers (latest Chrome or Firefox recommended), maximum file size per attachment (typically <50 MB), maximum number of attachments per submission (system allows up to 200 files), accepted file types identified in the specific System Requirements linked in the procedure. Submitted documents are encrypted by the system and cannot be decrypted after submission. Draft submissions may be edited until the deadline. Attachment naming and format rules are specified in the System Requirements. Video files may be permitted if they meet system requirements; consult system requirements in procurement documents for details.

Compliance and legal:This public procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). The procedure is subject to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 and related EU procurement rules. Sources of selection and grounds for exclusion are referenced in the procurement documents. The contracting authority has included information on remedies and review bodies, specifically the Court of Justice of the European Union and internal review contacts at DG COMM.

Languages, payment and ordering

Languages:Tenders and requests to participate may be submitted in any of the 24 official EU languages. Electronic ordering and electronic payment will be used under the DPS. Electronic catalogue is not allowed. Execution of the contract is not required to be performed within sheltered employment programmes.

Financial and contractual details

Estimated funding scale:The procurement maximum/estimated value is €275,000,000 (excluding VAT) across the DPS duration. Maximum contract duration for awards under the DPS is up to 60 months (5 years). The tender is a services contract under advertising services CPV codes. Framework agreement is without reopening of competition, meaning the DPS is a standing list of suppliers from which contracting authorities listed may place orders directly under specified conditions.

Co-funding requirement:No co-funding from applicants is required for the procurement itself. Bidders must demonstrate financial stability and capacity as required by the selection criteria, and comply with any financial guarantees or invoicing/payment terms set out in the procurement documents.

Application format and templates

Application type:open electronic call for requests to participate to join the DPS via the Mercell platform or Funding & Tenders Portal link specified in the procurement notice. Applicants must submit the request to participate/tender electronically using the eSubmission/Mercell workflows. Procurement documents will include standard templates for: declaration on honour (grounds for exclusion), selection forms (financial capacity, turnover, key staff CVs), technical offer structure, and instructions for completing FS-PP FSR forms. The notices explicitly reference the Form FS-PP for FSR notifications/declarations (available on the Commission single market FSR webpage). Applicants should download and use the forms provided in the procurement documentation; the exact structure and required annexes are defined there.

1. 1Register organisation and obtain PIC via Participant Register
2. 2Create EU Login account and join Mercell/eSubmission as required
3. 3Download procurement documents and templates from Mercell or Funding & Tenders Portal
4. 4Complete selection and exclusion forms, including FSR Form FS-PP when applicable
5. 5Prepare technical offer demonstrating relevant experience, methodology, team CVs and references
6. 6Prepare financial information and proof of solvency as required by selection criteria
7. 7Submit electronically before the deadline and keep a record of submission confirmation

Risk, compliance and remedies

Procurement project is fully or partially financed with EU funds and covered by the GPA. FSR applicability means bidders must disclose third-country foreign financial contributions as required. Sources of grounds for exclusion and other compliance checks are described in the procurement documents. Review organisation for remedies: Court of Justice of the European Union; contracting authority provides internal review and contact points at DG COMM and European Parliament for further information.

Success rates, number of stages and maximum participants

Number of application stages:The procedure is multiple-stage (two-stage or more) and participants may be eliminated at each stage. The specific count of stages and elimination criteria are provided in the procurement documents. Maximum number of participants: The TED notice text lists 'Maximum number of participants: 1' for the DPS entry in the notice metadata; bidders must consult procurement documents to reconcile this with typical DPS admission rules and to confirm whether this refers to maximum awardees per contract or an administrative value. Success rates: The TED notices do not publish historical success rates. As a large EU DPS procurement with high estimated value and selection elimination stages, success rates are competitive and depend on meeting strict selection and award criteria; no numeric success probability is provided in the notices.

Mentioned countries and locations

Explicit countries and locations mentioned in the notices:Belgium (Arrondissement de Bruxelles-Capitale / Brussel-Hoofdstad BE100) as the contracting authority seat in Brussels; Luxembourg is referenced for the Court of Justice postal address. The procurement is managed by EU institutions and is open to eligible economic operators consistent with GPA and EU procurement rules; contracting authorities listed are European Commission (DG COMM - Communication) and European Parliament. Geographic eligibility is EU-wide and consistent with GPA membership and procurement documents.

Contact and additional information

Procurement contact email provided in TED notices:comm-d3-procurement-grants@ec.europa.eu. Web information: Directorate-General for Communication internet address ec.europa.eu. Procurement documents and tender dossier are accessible via the Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page and Mercell Source-to-Contract platform links included in the notice. Public Q&A is available through the portal and Mercell; no public Q&A items were present in the scraped snapshot, but bidders should monitor the Q&A area on the platform.

Summary of important technical and administrative checklist

1. 1Confirm access to Mercell platform and Funding & Tenders Portal and download full procurement documents and templates
2. 2Obtain/verify organisation PIC and create EU Login account for eSubmission
3. 3Review selection criteria, technical specifications and award weighting in procurement documents
4. 4Prepare FSR Form FS-PP notification or declaration where applicable and include with submission
5. 5Assemble required legal, financial and technical evidence per procurement documents (turnover, audited accounts, references, staff CVs)
6. 6Follow eSubmission System Requirements: file formats, sizes (<50 MB per attachment guidance), naming conventions and maximum number of attachments
7. 7Submit electronically before deadline (08/03/2031 09:00:59 CET/CEST) and retain confirmation

This procurement establishes a DPS to supply large-scale media strategy, planning, buying and asset adaptation services for the European Commission DG COMM and other listed buyers such as the European Parliament. The DPS has an estimated total value of €275 million and a maximum duration of 60 months. The award is by best price-quality ratio and the procedure will be run in successive stages with possible elimination. Electronic submission via Mercell/Funding & Tenders Portal is mandatory; applicants must meet selection criteria, comply with FSR notification/declaration obligations, and supply the documentation and templates as specified in the procurement dossier. Interested economic operators should consult the full procurement documents via the provided platforms and follow the detailed instructions and templates there for a compliant submission.

Footnotes

1. 1Primary procurement documentation and templates are available from the Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page and Mercell Source-to-Contract platform as cited in the TED notices. See the Funding & Tenders Portal tender details page for this procedure Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity.

This is a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) tender launched by the European Commission, DG Communication (DG COMM), in collaboration with the European Parliament, for media buying and related services supporting corporate, representation, and Directorate-Generals (DGs) campaigns. The estimated total value is €275,000,000 excluding VAT, covering advertising services classified under CPV 79341000.

Key Details and Timeline

Procedure Identifier:EC-COMM/2026/DPS/0047

TED Publication Date:09/03/2026, with change notices on 10/03/2026 and 08/04/2026

Deadline for Requests to Participate:08/03/2031 at 09:00 Europe/Brussels time

Maximum Contract Duration:60 months (5 years), corrected from initial 48 months via change notice¹

The DPS is open for submission electronically and remains accessible for new suppliers to join throughout its duration, allowing mini-competitions for specific contracts.

Contracting Authorities

• European Commission, DG COMM - Communication (lead), located in Brussels (BE100)
• European Parliament (EP), located in Brussels (BE100)

Contact:comm-d3-procurement-grants@ec.europa.eu

Scope of Services

The DPS covers large-scale media strategy, planning, buying, and asset adaptation services (CPV 79341000 Advertising services; additional CPV 79341100 Advertising consultancy services). It supports communication campaigns across EU institutions. Detailed specifications are in the procurement documents.

Eligibility and Participation

Open to economic operators meeting selection criteria detailed in procurement documents. Requires EU Login account for electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Participant Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for sole candidates, tenderers, or consortium members. All 24 official EU languages accepted for submissions.

• Electronic submission required
• Electronic catalogue not allowed
• Covered by Government Procurement Agreement (GPA): yes
• Falls under Foreign Subsidy Regulation (FSR): Economic operators must notify foreign financial contributions >= €4 million per third country in last 3 years or submit declaration using Form FS-PP²

Procurement Procedure

Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) as an other multiple-stage procedure with successive stages where participants may be eliminated. Framework agreement without reopening of competition. Award method: best price-quality ratio (exact weights in documents). Maximum participants: 1 (DPS pool). Electronic ordering and payment will be used.

Submission and Documents

Submissions exclusively electronic via EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Procurement documents available at EU Funding & Tenders Portal or Mercell Source-to-Contract platform (e.g., s2c.mercell.com, updated links in change notices). Grounds for exclusion and selection criteria in documents.

Review and Further Information

• Review body: Court of Justice of the European Union
• Further information: DG COMM COMM.B - Citizens Communication or EP

Procurement financed fully or partially with EU funds. No sheltered employment requirement.

Footnotes

1. 1Change notice 165301-2026 corrected DPS duration to 60 months and platform links.
2. 2FSR details in change notice 00236683-2026; Form FS-PP at FSR Form.