EC-INTPA/LUN/2025/EA-RP/0214 - Global Gateway Communication Campaign

The European Commission, through its International Partnerships Directorate (INTPA), is issuing a call for tenders for the Global Gateway Communication Campaign in Zambia, designated by identifier EC-INTPA/LUN/2025/EA-RP/0214. This procurement opportunity involves recruiting a service provider for strategic communication services aimed at enhancing awareness, understanding, and positive perception of the EU's engagement in Zambia. The overall estimated contract value is 1,800,000 EUR, with a duration of 36 months.

The focus of this contract is to implement strategic communication activities that complement ongoing EU programs, ensuring that relevant audiences, including government officials, civil society, business leaders, and the public, are informed about the EU's key priorities in development and modernization efforts in Zambia. This tender is categorized under services procurement rather than a traditional grant, indicating a direct contractual relationship where the selected provider will receive payment for deliverables rather than discretionary funding.

While the opportunity does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required, the general EU procurement practices allow for joint bids from groups of economic operators. The project primarily targets the communications sector, specifically in the context of international development and public diplomacy.

Submissions must be made electronically, with a deadline set for December 29, 2025, at 10:00 Africa/Lusaka time. Applicants need to possess a Participant Identification Code (PIC) for participation. The application follows a restricted procedure, indicating that potential bidders must first submit requests to participate; only selected candidates will proceed to full tender submissions after evaluation.

Key aspects of the procurement process include two stages: an initial selection and qualification assessment, followed by negotiations for the award based on quality (80%) and price (20%) criteria. Specific details about success rates or co-funding requirements were not provided in the opportunity details.

This procurement represents the EU's commitment to effective public diplomacy and strategic communication in fostering international partnerships, particularly in Zambia and the broader Sub-Saharan African region. The contract represents a significant investment in ensuring the visibility and credibility of the EU's developmental engagements.

The European Commission, INTPA - International Partnerships is offering a call for tenders for Global Gateway Communication Campaign Services for Zambia. The procedure identifier is EC-INTPA/LUN/2025/EA-RP/0214. This is a restricted procedure, and submissions must be electronic. The tender was published on 27/11/2025. The TED reference is 229/2025 787465-2025.

The purpose of this call is to recruit a service provider under the Cooperation Facility (ACT-60799) to implement strategic communication activities. These activities are designed to ensure that awareness, understanding, and a positive perception of the EU are commensurate with the scale, scope, and ambition of the EU’s sustained engagement in Zambia. The goal is for this to be adequately reflected in the political leverage of the EU as a partner for development, growth, and modernisation. The action will complement all ongoing EU programs by informing relevant audiences about key priorities and strengthening relationships and trust with identified target groups and the wider public.

The estimated total value of the tender is 1,800,000 EUR. The maximum contract duration is 36 months. The award method will be based on the best price-quality ratio. This is not a framework agreement. The place of delivery or performance is Sub-Saharan Africa (31085111). The relevant program is CFSP (44995767).

The deadline for receipt of requests to participate is 29/12/2025 at 10:00 Africa/Lusaka time.

One document is available for download: ENa5f Additional information CN en Global Gateway Communication Campaign Services for ZambiaInvitation to submit a request to participate, published on 27/11/2025, Version 1, with no translations available.

Submissions must be sent exclusively via electronic submission.

Some frequently asked questions (FAQ) and their answers related to the eSubmission system are provided:

How to proceed if the system is slow or doesn’t work while uploading/downloading documents? Use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. If the issue persists, clear the cache and cookies on the Internet browser.

Which Internet browsers does eSubmission support? Use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. For the most up-to-date technical recommendations, click on the link System Requirements.

Is it possible to view the details of the submission after the deadline? No, the content of the submission is not accessible after submitting the tender as the system encrypts all attachments upon upload. Thus, the system will not allow decryption after the upload.

Where can I find my submissions in Manage My Area, in the Funding & Tenders portal? Depending on the type or step of procedure, you can find the submissions in one of these sections: In ‘My Submission(s)’: tenders in response to open calls for tenders, requests to participate.

Which size should attachments have? For attaching files to your tender submission, eSubmission accepts files that are less than 50 MB in size. Any larger sizes will not be accepted by the system.

How should I name attachments in eSubmission? In eSubmission, you must name the attachments for your tender draft following the System Requirements. With regards to all attachment names, please see the following conditions: The System Requirements should be consulted.

Can I submit a video in eSubmission? Which formats are supported? Check the System Requirements of eSubmission.

I received an invitation from the F&T Portal but cannot view the procurement documents. Invited candidates can only see the procurement documents after having selected an organisation. Go to F&T Portal, “My Invitations”. Click on “Select Organisation” from the “Action”.

Do I need to validate my PIC in order to submit a tender in eSubmission? The Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory to participate in a call for tenders as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium). For subcontractors PIC is not mandatory.

I have an issue uploading a file in eSubmission and it’s giving me an error. What do I do? When uploading a file in eSubmission, you must first make sure it follows the technical requirements of the system.

How many attachments can I upload per submission? The maximum number of documents the system will allow you to upload per tender is 200 files. You are able to check the eSubmission System Requirements in the documentation.

Why do tenderers need a PIC? It is mandatory to register for a PIC if you intend to submit a tender or a request to participate. Only one PIC per organisation must be used.

How do I register my organisation and get a Participant Identification Code (PIC)? First, check if the organisation is already registered using the Search PIC tool under 'How to Participate' > Participant Register.

How many languages does the system support? The system is multilingual and supports all 24 official EU languages.

Which is the character set encoding in the system? The character set encoding is UTF-8.

Does the system use encryption to ensure the integrity and the confidentiality of the information? Yes, the system encrypts all uploaded documents, using an asymmetric key as an encryption mechanism.

Which file types does the system support? The supported file types depend on the type of submission you want to make. The allowed file types are specified within the system requirements linked to the procedure in question.

Can I view and edit my draft submission? Until the deadline for the submission has been reached, submissions in the draft status can be edited, viewed and deleted.

In the submission report, under the name of our entity, "Legal form: UNKNOWN" is displayed while in the system, our legal form was correctly displayed. Is this a problem for the submission? No, it is just a display issue. This is not blocking for you: you can submit.

I sent my submission on time and a few days later, I received an automatic email informing me that the deadline for the reception of submissions had been reached. Does this mean that my submission was not correctly sent? No, this is an auto-generated notification sent when the time limit of receipt defined for the call for tenders has been reached. Until then, you had the possibility of withdrawing.

In summary, this is a call for tenders by the European Commission for a service provider to conduct a communication campaign in Zambia under the Global Gateway initiative. The goal is to improve the perception and understanding of the EU's role in Zambia's development. The contract is worth 1.8 million EUR and will last for 36 months. The application process is electronic, and the deadline for applications is December 29, 2025. Applicants need to have a PIC (Participant Identification Code) and should carefully review the system requirements for eSubmission, including file size limits and naming conventions. The tender aims to find a service provider who can effectively communicate the EU's priorities and strengthen relationships with the Zambian public.

Eligible Applicant Types: The opportunity is open to a Service Provider. The specific types of organizations that can be service providers are not detailed in the provided text, but generally, this could include companies, consulting firms, research institutions, or other entities capable of providing the required services.

Funding Type: This is a procurement opportunity, specifically a call for tenders. The nature of the contract is for services.

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required or if a single applicant is sufficient. However, the mention of a "Service Provider" suggests that a single entity could potentially apply, but a consortium is not necessarily excluded. The PIC (Personal Identification Code) is mandatory to participate in a call for tenders as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium).

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The place of delivery or performance is specified as Sub-Saharan Africa. The specific eligibility of applicants based on their location is not explicitly stated, but the focus on Sub-Saharan Africa suggests that entities with experience or presence in the region would be preferred.

Target Sector: The primary target sector is related to communication and research and development services. Specifically, the tender focuses on strategic communication activities to promote awareness, understanding, and positive perception of the EU's engagement in Zambia. The CPV code 73000000 indicates "Research and development services and related consultancy services."

Mentioned Countries: Zambia is explicitly mentioned as the country where the communication campaign will be focused. The broader region of Sub-Saharan Africa is also mentioned as the place of delivery or performance.

Project Stage: The project is at the implementation stage, focusing on the execution of strategic communication activities. The goal is to enhance the awareness and perception of the EU's work in Zambia, indicating a move beyond the initial research or development phases.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the contract is 1,800,000 EUR.

Application Type: The application type is an open call for tenders, with electronic submission being the required method. The procedure type is specified as a restricted procedure.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for services rendered. The contract is for the provision of services related to strategic communication.

Application Stages: The procedure type is "Restricted procedure", which implies that there are at least two stages: a first stage where candidates submit a request to participate, and a second stage where selected candidates are invited to submit a full tender.

Success Rates: The provided text does not include information about the success rates for this specific tender.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for tenders (EC-INTPA/LUN/2025/EA-RP/0214) issued by the European Commission, specifically the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA). It seeks to recruit a service provider to implement a Global Gateway Communication Campaign in Zambia. The primary goal is to enhance awareness, understanding, and positive perception of the EU's engagement in Zambia through strategic communication activities. The estimated total value of the contract is 1,800,000 EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 36 months.

The tender is a restricted procedure, meaning that applicants must first submit a request to participate, and only those selected will be invited to submit a full tender. Submissions must be electronic. The deadline for receipt of requests to participate is December 29, 2025, at 10:00 Africa/Lusaka time. The place of delivery or performance is Sub-Saharan Africa, with a specific focus on Zambia.

The selected service provider will be responsible for implementing strategic communication activities that complement ongoing EU programs in Zambia. These activities aim to inform relevant audiences about key priorities, strengthen relationships and trust with target groups, and ensure that the EU's role as a partner for development, growth, and modernization is adequately reflected.

To participate, tenderers need a Personal Identification Code (PIC). The eSubmission system supports various file types and has specific requirements for attachment sizes and naming conventions. The system also supports all 24 official EU languages and uses encryption to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of the information.