Enhancing the market surveillance

This is a call for tenders issued by the European Union, specifically targeting the enhancement of market surveillance in North Macedonia by strengthening the capacities of the State Market Inspectorate (SMI). The objective is to improve the SMI's ability to enforce consumer protection laws, compliance with product safety regulations, and technical requirements for products. The project will be executed through various training and support activities, including structured training, advising, coaching, and peer-to-peer exchanges.

Eligible applicants for this tender are primarily government entities, specifically the SMI. The funding type is a service contract for procurement, structured as an open call, with a total estimated contract value of 3,000,000 EUR. The applications are to be submitted electronically, with a deadline of June 16, 2025. The contract duration can last up to 36 months, and the funding is intended to cover 100% of the project costs without any co-funding requirements.

The tender encompasses a single-stage application process, where candidates will be evaluated based on criteria divided into quality and price, with quality receiving a higher weight in the evaluation. The geographic scope is primarily North Macedonia, qualifying as an EU candidate country under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPARD).

The project focuses on enhancing the regulatory framework relating to market surveillance, consumer rights education, and product safety, thereby supporting public administration and consumer protection sectors. As the tender follows a restricted procedure, only pre-selected candidates will be invited to submit detailed proposals. A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is required for participation, whether as a single applicant or as part of a consortium. Interested entities must be prepared to address the technical and professional capacities stipulated in the selection criteria.

Overall, this tender represents a significant opportunity for organizations with expertise in legal, marketing, consulting, and business services, aimed at improving market and consumer protections in North Macedonia.

This is a call for tenders, reference number EC-ENEST/SKP/2025/EA-RP/0040, titled "Enhancing the market surveillance". The TED reference is 94/2025 316733-2025. It is an open for submission, electronic submission method, restricted procedure.

The action aims to strengthen the capacities of the State Market Inspectorate (SMI) in North Macedonia to exercise its legally prescribed competencies according to the Law on Consumer Protection, the Law on General Product Safety, and the Law on technical requirements for products and conformity assessment. This will be achieved through various forms of training, including structured training, advising, coaching, on-the-job support, and peer-to-peer exchange.

The project specifically aims to:

Improve the capacities of SMI to operate efficiently and effectively within the new legal framework to ensure that only safe and compliant products are placed on the market.
Enhance the knowledge of economic operators to implement their obligation to place safe and compliant products on the market.
Improve consumers' understanding of their rights and obligations.

The estimated total value of the tender is 3,000,000 EUR. The TED publication date is 16/05/2025. The lead contracting authority is the European Union, represented by the European Commission on behalf of and for the account of North Macedonia. The main classification (CPV) code is 79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security. The nature of the contract is for services, with a maximum contract duration of 36 months. The award method is best price-quality ratio. There is no framework agreement.

The selection criteria include:

Suitability to pursue the professional activity (consult the procurement documents).
Economic and financial standing (consult the procurement documents).
Technical and professional ability (consult the procurement documents).

The place of delivery or performance is North Macedonia (20000952). The programme is the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (42921320).

The deadline for receipt of requests to participate is 16/06/2025 at 14:00 Europe/Skopje.

Submissions must be sent exclusively via electronic submission at the address provided.

One document is available: "Additional information to Contract NoticeInvitation to submit a request to participate," published on 16/05/2025, Version 1, with no translations available.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

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. Published on 13/02/2025 20:52.
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. You can access this link. Published on 13/02/2025 20:52.
Is it possible to view the details of the submission after the deadline? 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. Published on 13/02/2025 20:50.
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. Published on 17/10/2024 20:40.
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. For the latest information. Published on 17/10/2024 20:36.
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. Published on 03/10/2024 16:39.
Can I submit a video in eSubmission? Which formats are supported? You can check the System Requirements of eSubmission: Published on 03/10/2024 16:37.
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”. Published on 03/10/2024 16:37.
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. Published on 03/10/2024 16:36.
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, which are as shown below. A) For procurement procedures: B) For req. Published on 03/10/2024 16:36.
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 by clicking. Published on 03/10/2024 16:35.
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. Therefore, if your organisation already. Published on 23/04/2024 17:14.
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. If your organisation is a bigger. Published on 23/04/2024 16:07.
What is the validity period of a PIC? A PIC is unique and its validity is not limited in time. Published on 22/04/2024 22:55.
How many languages does the system support? The system is multilingual and supports all 24 official EU languages. Published on 01/04/2024 19:56.
Which is the character set encoding in the system? The character set encoding is UTF-8. Published on 22/02/2024 23:58.
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. Published on 22/02/2024 23:57.
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. M. Published on 21/02/2024 23:55.
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. Published on 24/03/2023 21:32.
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. Published on 03/08/2021 22:07.
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. Published on 03/08/2021 22:05.

In summary, this tender opportunity focuses on enhancing market surveillance in North Macedonia by strengthening the capacities of the State Market Inspectorate (SMI). The EU is providing funding to improve the SMI's ability to enforce consumer protection laws, product safety regulations, and technical requirements for products. The project involves training and support for the SMI, as well as efforts to educate economic operators and consumers about their rights and obligations. The tender is a restricted procedure, meaning that only pre-selected candidates will be invited to submit full proposals. The selection will be based on a best price-quality ratio, and the maximum contract duration is 36 months. Interested parties must submit their requests to participate electronically by the specified deadline. A Participant Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation. The eSubmission system supports various file types and uses encryption to ensure data integrity and confidentiality.

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 business services, law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing, and security. These could be private companies, consulting firms, or potentially public sector organizations with relevant expertise. The selection criteria mention "Suitability to pursue the professional activity," "Economic and financial standing," and "Technical and professional ability," suggesting that the applicants will be assessed on their professional capabilities and financial stability.

Funding Type: The funding type is procurement, specifically a service contract. The notice is a "Call for tenders" and the "Nature of the contract" is explicitly stated as "services".

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required or if a single applicant is sufficient. However, the FAQ section 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.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The place of delivery or performance is North Macedonia. The lead contracting authority is the European Union, represented by the European Commission on behalf of and for the account of North Macedonia. The program is the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance. This indicates that the primary beneficiary is North Macedonia, and the opportunity is likely targeted at organizations that can provide services within North Macedonia. While not explicitly stated, it is likely that organizations from EU member states and potentially other countries eligible for pre-accession assistance could apply, provided they can deliver the required services in North Macedonia.

Target Sector: The target sector is primarily related to enhancing market surveillance and strengthening the capacities of the State Market Inspectorate (SMI) in North Macedonia. This includes sectors related to consumer protection, product safety, and technical requirements for products and conformity assessment. The main classification (CPV) code provided, 79000000, points to business services, law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing, and security. Therefore, the target sectors encompass regulatory compliance, training and capacity building, and business support services.

Mentioned Countries: North Macedonia is explicitly mentioned.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on implementation and capacity building. The description indicates that the action will strengthen existing capacities and improve the effectiveness of the State Market Inspectorate. This suggests that the project is beyond the research and development phase and is geared towards practical application and enhancement of existing systems. The activities involve training, advising, coaching, and on-the-job support, indicating a focus on operational improvement.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the contract is 3,000,000 EUR.

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

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive a service contract. The selected contractor will receive money in exchange for providing services related to strengthening market surveillance in North Macedonia.

Application Stages: The procedure type is a restricted procedure, suggesting that there are multiple stages. Typically, a restricted procedure involves a first stage where candidates submit a request to participate based on selection criteria, and a second stage where selected candidates are invited to submit a full tender. Therefore, there are at least two 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 is a call for tenders issued by the European Union, represented by the European Commission, on behalf of and for the account of North Macedonia. The purpose of the tender is to procure services aimed at enhancing market surveillance in North Macedonia by strengthening the capacities of the State Market Inspectorate (SMI). The project focuses on improving the SMI's ability to enforce laws related to consumer protection, product safety, and technical requirements for products. The selected contractor will be responsible for providing training, advising, coaching, and on-the-job support to the SMI, as well as enhancing the knowledge of economic operators and improving consumer understanding of their rights and obligations. The estimated total value of the contract is 3,000,000 EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 36 months. The procedure 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 sent electronically. The deadline for receipt of requests to participate is 16/06/2025 at 14:00 Europe/Skopje. The tender targets organizations with expertise in business services, law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing, and security. A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation, whether as a single candidate or as part of a consortium.