Election Observation and Democratic Support IV

The European Commission has issued a call for tenders titled "Election Observation and Democratic Support IV" under the procedure identifier EC-FPI/2025/EA-RP/0025. This tender aims to enhance the methodology of EU election observation, improve the quality and consistency of reports, and address modern challenges such as hybrid threats and disinformation. The total estimated contract value is €6 million, with a duration of 36 months.

This is a restricted procurement procedure requiring electronic submission of proposals by interested parties. The deadline for submitting requests to participate is August 28, 2025, at 14:00 Brussels time. The place of delivery or performance is specified as Belgium, but the opportunity is open to entities from EU/EEA countries.

Eligible applicants can be single entities or consortia with expertise in areas relevant to election observation, democratic support, methodology development, training, and communication. The evaluation process will prioritize the best price-quality ratio.

The tender includes objectives such as supporting the development of election observation methodology aligned with international standards, improving public communication about EU electoral missions, and optimizing operational procedures for these missions. The main classification (CPV) code for this opportunity is 80531200, relating to technical training services.

The application involves a two-stage process:first, a request to participate must be submitted, followed by a full proposal submission for shortlisted candidates. There is no co-funding requirement mentioned, and interested applicants must have a Participant Identification Code (PIC) to participate in the tender process. The eSubmission system used for applications supports multiple languages and encrypts documents for security.

Overall, this tender represents a significant opportunity for organizations specializing in election observation and support services to contribute to the enhancement of democratic processes within the EU context.

The European Commission, FPI Service for Foreign Policy Instruments has published a call for tenders named "Election Observation and Democratic Support IV". The procedure identifier is EC-FPI/2025/EA-RP/0025. This is a restricted procedure, and submissions must be electronic. The call is currently open for submission. The estimated total value of the contract is €6,000,000. The TED publication date is 29/07/2025. The deadline for receipt of requests to participate is 28/08/2025 at 14:00 Europe/Brussels time. The maximum contract duration is 36 months. The award method is best price-quality ratio. No framework agreement is mentioned. The place of delivery or performance is Belgium, specifically with the code 20000839. The relevant program is Human Rights, identified by the code 42921284. The TED reference is 143/2025 493549-2025.

The purposes of this contract are as follows:

Support the continued development of EU election observation methodology in line with relevant international standards of democratic elections and improving effective follow-up of the recommendations made by EU electoral missions.

Support high quality and consistency of EU electoral missions reporting and communication products and the enhancement of public outreach/visibility/awareness raising and understanding (through traditional and new channels of communication) of EU electoral missions both in the country of the mission and in the EU press and institutions.

Contribute to assessing how new features or challenges to election observation such as hybrid threats, disinformation, information manipulation and the use of artificial intelligence impact election observation methodology and how they can be addressed.

Provide methodological support to members of EU election missions, to ensure an uniform application of existing methodology and training to potential members of EU election missions, to expand the pool of qualified candidates.

Support optimising EU electoral missions’ operational procedures.

The main classification (CPV) code is 80531200 Technical training services. The nature of the contract is services.

One document is available:Additional information contract notice Invitation to submit a request to participate, published on 29/07/2025, Version 1, with no translations available.

Submissions must be sent exclusively at the address for submission given below, using the electronic submission method.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) related to the eSubmission system:

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, submissions can be found in one of these sections: In ‘My Submission(s)’: tenders in response to open calls for tenders, requests to participate.

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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?

Name the attachments for the tender draft following the System Requirements. Attachment names must adhere to specific conditions.

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” column.

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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?

Make sure the file 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. 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.

What is the validity period of a PIC?

A PIC is unique and its validity is not limited in time.

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 your submission.

In summary, this is a call for tenders by the European Commission's Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) focusing on Election Observation and Democratic Support. The contract aims to enhance EU election observation methodology, improve the quality and consistency of mission reports, address new challenges like hybrid threats and AI, provide methodological support and training, and optimize operational procedures. The total estimated value is €6 million, and the contract duration is 36 months. The procedure is restricted, meaning only invited candidates can submit a full tender. The deadline to request participation is August 28, 2025. The tender requires electronic submission and a PIC (Participant Identification Code) is mandatory for applicants. The eSubmission system supports multiple languages and encrypts uploaded documents. The tender seeks to improve the EU's capacity to observe and support democratic elections worldwide, ensuring they adhere to international standards and are resilient against modern threats.

Eligible Applicant Types:The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, based on the nature of the tender, it can be inferred that eligible applicants could include organizations with expertise in election observation, democratic support, methodology development, training, communication, and related areas. This might include NGOs, research institutes, consulting firms, universities, and other entities with relevant experience.

Funding Type:The funding type is a service contract, as indicated by "Nature of the contract: services". This implies that the selected applicant will be contracted to provide specific services related to election observation and democratic support.

Consortium Requirement:The text mentions that a Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory to participate in a call for tenders as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium). This suggests that both single applicants and consortia are eligible to apply.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated. However, given that it is an EU tender related to election observation, it is likely open to entities based in the EU and potentially other countries participating in EU external action programs. The place of delivery or performance is indicated as Belgium.

Target Sector:The target sector is primarily focused on democratic support and election observation. This includes areas such as: development of election observation methodology, improving follow-up of recommendations from EU electoral missions, enhancing reporting and communication related to electoral missions, addressing challenges like hybrid threats and disinformation in election observation, providing methodological support and training to election mission members, and optimizing operational procedures for electoral missions. The program also touches on human rights.

Mentioned Countries:Belgium is the only country explicitly mentioned as the place of delivery or performance. The opportunity is related to EU election missions, implying a global scope, but no specific countries beyond Belgium are named.

Project Stage:The project stage is focused on development, validation, and optimization of existing methodologies and practices in election observation. It is not an early-stage research project but rather an initiative to improve and expand current EU election observation efforts.

Funding Amount:The estimated total value of the contract is €6,000,000.

Application Type:The application type is an open call for tenders, with electronic submission. It is also specified as a restricted procedure. This means there is likely a pre-selection phase based on requests to participate, followed by a full proposal submission from shortlisted candidates.

Nature of Support:The beneficiaries will receive a service contract, meaning they will receive money in exchange for providing specific services related to election observation and democratic support.

Application Stages:The procedure type is specified as a restricted procedure, which typically involves at least two stages: a request to participate (pre-selection) and a full proposal submission for those who are pre-selected. Therefore, there are at least 2 stages.

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

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

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for tenders issued by the European Commission, specifically the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI), related to "Election Observation and Democratic Support IV". The procedure identifier is EC-FPI/2025/EA-RP/0025. The tender aims to support the continued development and improvement of EU election observation methodology, enhance the quality and consistency of reporting and communication related to EU electoral missions, address new challenges such as hybrid threats and disinformation, provide methodological support and training to election mission members, and optimize operational procedures.

The estimated total value of the contract is €6,000,000, and the maximum contract duration is 36 months. The procedure type is a restricted procedure, meaning applicants must first submit a request to participate, and those who are pre-selected will be invited to submit a full tender. Submissions must be sent electronically. The deadline for receipt of requests to participate is 28/08/2025 at 14:00 Europe/Brussels time. The place of delivery or performance is Belgium.

Eligible applicants can be either single entities or consortia with expertise in election observation, democratic support, methodology development, training, and communication. The contract will be awarded based on the best price-quality ratio. The tender falls under the thematic area of human rights. The selected contractor will provide technical training services.