EU-Caribbean Strategic Communication Facility

The EU-Caribbean Strategic Communication Facility is a restricted two-stage tender launched by the European Commission Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA) to plan and execute multiannual regional strategic communication campaigns across 16 Caribbean countries. The estimated total budget is €2,300,000 and the contract duration is 36 months with a provisional start date of 31 October 2026. Requests to participate must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal eSubmission system by 26 May 2026 and all communications are in English. Eligible natural and legal persons, consortia and international organisations must meet selection criteria including minimum average annual turnover of €1,000,000, staffing thresholds and technical references of at least two contracts of €500,000 each with at least one implemented in the Caribbean.

What it funds

Scope summary

Provision of a fee-based facility to plan and execute multiannual, regional strategic communication campaigns across the Caribbean to raise awareness and shape positive perceptions of the EU and its international partnerships and external policy priorities.

Estimated contract value:€2,300,000 (estimated total value); maximum duration 36 months from signature ¹

Who can apply

Open to eligible natural and legal persons, consortia and international organisations in line with NDICI rules. Subcontracting allowed; consortia members are jointly and severally liable. Applicants must meet financial, professional and technical selection criteria (notably average turnover >= €1,000,000; minimum staffing and prior contract experience in communications, with at least one contract implemented in the Caribbean) ¹.

Key practical facts

1. 1Procedure type: Restricted tender (shortlist 4 to 8 candidates)
2. 2Submission: Electronic via EU Funding & Tenders Portal (eSubmission) — EU Login required (2-factor authentication will be mandatory in 2026)
3. 3Language: English
4. 4Award: Best price-quality ratio
5. 5Provisional contract start: 31 October 2026; period of implementation: 36 months

Deadlines

Deadline for receipt of requests to participate:26/05/2026 16:00 (America/Barbados). (Tender published 22/04/2026.)

Interested applicants must use the request to participate form and follow the procurement documents available on the Funding & Tenders Portal; only one request per candidate (or per lot) is allowed. Subscribe to the call on the portal for updates and Q&A Link to procurement page ¹

Footnotes

1. 1See the additional information / contract notice and procurement documents on the Funding & Tenders Portal for full eligibility, selection and submission requirements: A5f additional information (PDF).

Basic facts and purpose

Opportunity title:EU-Caribbean Strategic Communication Facility. Contracting authority: European Commission, Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA). Procedure identifier/internal reference: EC-INTPA/BGI/2026/EA-RP/0058 (TED reference 78/2026 274097-2026). Nature of contract: services; main CPV: 98300000 Miscellaneous services. Procedure type: restricted procedure (two-stage). Submission method: electronic via the Funding & Tenders Portal / eSubmission. Language of procedure: English. Estimated total value: €2 300 000 (estimated value excluding VAT). Maximum contract duration: 36 months (period of implementation: 36 months from contract signature). Provisional commencement date: 31 October 2026. Award method: best price-quality ratio; framework agreement and option to entrust up to 50% additional similar services by negotiated procedure without prior publication, if conforming to the basic project.

Objective:The facility will support planning and execution of multiannual strategic communication campaigns at Caribbean-wide regional scale to ensure more impactful communication on the EU’s international partnerships’ objectives and external policy priorities, contributing to raising awareness and shaping a positive perception of the EU and its role in the Caribbean.

Geographic scope and places of performance

The contract will be performed across the Caribbean region. Explicit countries/places of delivery or performance listed in the call notice and the additional information document are: Antigua and Barbuda; Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Cuba; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Grenada; Guyana; Haiti; Jamaica; St Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; St Vincent and the Grenadines; Suriname; Trinidad and Tobago.

Key dates and deadlines

TED publication / contract notice publication date:22 April 2026. Deadline for receipt of requests to participate (first-stage): 26 May 2026 16:00 America/Barbados (UTC-04:00). Provisional date of invitation to tender (second stage): 2 June 2026. Provisional commencement date of contract: 31 October 2026. Note: electronic submission via eSubmission requires EU Login; 2-factor authentication becomes mandatory for EU Login accounts during 2026 — ensure account readiness.

Eligibility and participation

Legal basis and eligibility:Regulation (EU) No 2021/947 establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI). Participation is open to eligible natural and legal persons and to international organisations as permitted under the NDICI rules and the PRAG provisions referenced in the procurement documents. All participants must respect nationality and eligibility rules contained in the tender documents. Sub-contracting is allowed. Candidates may rely on capacity-providing entities; where relied upon they must provide commitments and documentary proof of resources. A maximum of one request to participate or tender may be submitted by any natural or legal person. In case of lots, one submission per lot is allowed.

Eligible applicant types:Open to registered organisations including communication agencies, consultancies, media and advertising companies, consortia (permanent or ad hoc), NGOs, research institutes or other legal persons and international organisations. Public bodies may participate but must supply equivalent financial information. Individual natural persons are not the primary target unless legally established entities. Consortium participation is explicitly permitted and common for this procurement (members are jointly and severally liable).

Selection, capacity and award criteria

This is a restricted two-stage procurement:first stage invites requests to participate; contracting authority will shortlist between 4 and 8 candidates (minimum 4, maximum 8) to be invited to submit full tenders. If fewer than 4 meet criteria the authority may invite those who do. If more than 8 meet criteria, re-examination ranking rules apply.

1. 1Selection criteria — Economic and financial capacity: average annual turnover for last three closed financial years must be not less than €1,000,000. Current ratio (current assets/current liabilities) in the last closed year must be at least 1. In a consortium each member must fulfil the current ratio requirement.
2. 2Selection criteria — Professional capacity: over the current year and the previous two years on average at least 10 personnel directly employed or legally contracted in specialist knowledge areas related to this contract. At least 4 of those must be permanently employed in fields related to the contract (communication, advertising, marketing, content marketing, or 360° campaign). Candidate must not be subject to professional conflicting interests.
3. 3Selection criteria — Technical capacity: completion of services under at least 2 contracts during the last four years before submission deadline; each contract must be of value not less than €500,000; services must belong to communication, advertising, marketing, content marketing, or 360° campaign domains. At least one of these contracts must have taken place in the Caribbean region. Documentary evidence (report approvals, proof of payment, certificates from contracting entity) required and must clarify the candidate’s share if implemented in consortium.
4. 4Additional comparative selection criteria for ranking when >8 eligible candidates: 1) highest number of qualifying contracts meeting technical capacity criterion; 2) highest cumulated value of those completed services (used only to break ties).

Award criterion:best price-quality ratio. Exact weighting percentages are in the procurement documents and will be provided in the invitation to tender and procurement documents.

Financial and contractual details

Estimated contract value:€2 300 000 (excluding VAT). Nature: fee-based service contract financed under NDICI (financing reference E.14.020141) and specifically by the America and the Caribbean programme. Contract form: framework agreement; maximum duration 36 months; provisional start 31 October 2026. Fees and financial data in submissions must be expressed in EUR. Currency conversions should use InforEuro exchange rate of April 2026 as indicated in the procurement documents. The call may include options to repeat similar services up to 50% of initial contract value via negotiated procedure with the initial contractor.

Funding Type:Procurement / service contract (tender) funded by EU external action instruments (NDICI). This is not a grant, loan or equity instrument; it is a fee-based public procurement contract.

Consortium requirement:Consortium is allowed but not mandatory. The procedure is restricted and invites shortlisted candidates; consortiums may be permanent or formed ad hoc for this procurement. If part of a consortium, all members are jointly and severally liable. Short-listed candidates must submit tenders with the same composition as in the request to participate unless prior written authorisation is obtained from the contracting authority.

Submission process and technical requirements

Requests to participate must be submitted exclusively via the Funding & Tenders Portal (F&T Portal) eSubmission system. Participants must register in the Participant Register and obtain a PIC (Participant Identification Code). The request to participate form and the Declaration on Honour templates must be used and uploaded into the specified attachment sections (Other documents, Declaration on Honour). Electronic submission requires an EU Login account; from mid/late 2026 two-factor authentication will be mandatory for EU Login access — candidates should ensure EU Login is configured and validated. eSubmission system technical requirements (file types, maximum attachments, maximum file size per file typically 50 MB, number of files up to 200) must be respected. The submission timestamp in eSubmission is proof of on-time receipt. Questions for clarifications must be raised through the F&T Portal Questions & Answers tab, no later than 21 days before the submission deadline; clarifications will be published at least 8 days before the deadline.

Application Type and stages:Two-stage restricted procedure. Stage 1: submission of request to participate (shortlisting). Stage 2: invited shortlisted candidates submit detailed tenders. Expected number of stages: 2.

Templates, forms and documents applicants must use

Mandatory forms and templates referenced in the procurement documents include:request to participate form (specific format available from the Procurement Annexes page), Declaration on Honour for exclusion and selection criteria (template available in Annexes), supporting financial statements for last three closed financial years, proof of technical references (contracts, completion certificates, proof of payment, reports), PIC registration evidence, and any capacity provider commitments if third-party capacities are relied upon. All additional attachments must be uploaded in the correct eSubmission attachment tabs as specified in the submission instructions.

1. 1Request to participate form: must be fully completed and uploaded under 'Other documents' tab.
2. 2Declaration on Honour on Exclusion and Selection Criteria: template to be used and uploaded under 'Declaration on Honour' tab.
3. 3Financial information: annual accounts or equivalent for the last three closed financial years; expressed in EUR; include evidence for average turnover and current ratio.
4. 4Professional capacity evidence: staffing lists and contracts demonstrating average 10 personnel over reference period and at least 4 permanently employed in relevant fields.
5. 5Technical references: documentation proving at least 2 contracts each ≥ €500,000 completed/implemented in the last 4 years, with at least one contract executed in the Caribbean; include certificates, approvals, proof of payment and clear statements on the candidate’s share where consortiums were in place.
6. 6Commitment letters: if relying on capacity-providing entities, formal commitments must be provided by those entities and attached separately.
7. 7PIC evidence: ensure all consortium members have a PIC and are registered in the Participant Register; group submission requires PIC for each member.

Scoring, success rates and co-funding

Award criterion:best price-quality ratio — qualitative and price components will be weighted (exact weights are in procurement documents provided to shortlisted candidates). Success rate: not published; shortlisting will select between 4 and 8 candidates — success probability at shortlisting step depends on number of eligible applicants; final award probability equals 1 divided by number of shortlisted bidders that submit compliant tenders and score highest on price-quality ratio. Co-funding requirement: not applicable in the procurement context — the contract is fee-based; bidders must cover proposal preparation costs themselves and no additional co-financing from candidate is required unless specified in tender documents for specific budgetary or subcontracting arrangements.

Assessment of project stage and target sector

Target sector / thematic areas:strategic communications, public diplomacy, awareness raising, media, advertising, marketing, content development, multimedia campaigns (360° campaigns). Project stage: implementation/execution of communication campaigns and multiannual planning — calls expect proven operational capacity to deliver communications services, campaign design and execution, monitoring and evaluation; maturity expected is operational/delivery (demonstration and implementation).

Procurement contact and additional resources

Contracting authority contact:delegation-barbados-stratcomm@eeas.europa.eu. Procurement documents, full contract notice, the Additional Information to the Contract Notice (A5f) and templates are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page and must be consulted in full: Funding & Tenders Portal - Opportunity page A5f Additional Information (PDF) eSubmission address.

Ensure PIC registration and EU Login account readiness well ahead of the 26 May 2026 deadline. Review PRAG and NDICI provisions referenced in the tender documents for exclusion grounds, national eligibility, restrictive measures lists, and evidence requirements. Clarification requests must be submitted via the F&T Portal Questions & Answers tab no later than 21 days before the requests-to-participate deadline; clarifications will be published at least 8 days before the deadline.

Checklist for applicants (practical steps)

1. 1Register organisation in Participant Register and obtain PIC for legal entity and for each consortium member.
2. 2Create/configure EU Login account and enable two-factor authentication as required; validate access to eSubmission.
3. 3Download and complete the request to participate form and Declaration on Honour templates from the Annexes page.
4. 4Collect and convert financial statements to EUR using InforEuro April 2026 rates if needed; prepare evidence for turnover and current ratio requirements.
5. 5Compile professional capacity evidence (staff lists/contracts) demonstrating required staff levels and roles.
6. 6Assemble technical references: at least 2 contracts each worth ≥ €500,000 in the last four years; at least one contract executed in the Caribbean; collect certificates and proof of payment.
7. 7If relying on other entities, obtain written commitments from capacity providers and ensure they meet eligibility rules.
8. 8Upload all documents in the correct eSubmission attachment sections and submit the request to participate before the timestamp deadline (26/05/2026 16:00 America/Barbados).
9. 9Monitor F&T Portal for clarifications, Q&A and subsequent invitation to tender notifications if shortlisted.

Key risks and recommendations:verify eligibility against NDICI and PRAG rules; ensure no entity included in EU restrictive measures lists is involved; avoid submitting multiple requests to participate; ensure documentary evidence clearly shows contractual values and the candidate’s share where consortiums were used; confirm staff and financial ratios for each consortium member when applicable; plan for extra time to manage eSubmission technical constraints and the mandatory EU Login two-factor authentication rollout.

Final summary

The EU-Caribbean Strategic Communication Facility is an EU-funded procurement (fee-based service contract) managed by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships. The facility will design and implement multiannual strategic communications and campaign activities across a comprehensive list of Caribbean countries to raise awareness of EU policies and partnerships and to shape positive perceptions of the EU. The tender uses a restricted two-stage procedure: organisations submit a request to participate (shortlisting) by 26 May 2026; between 4 and 8 shortlisted candidates will be invited to submit detailed tenders. Selection criteria emphasise proven financial capacity (minimum average annual turnover €1,000,000 and current ratio ≥1), professional capacity (staffing thresholds with key permanent communication specialists), and technical capacity (at least two prior contracts ≥ €500,000 each in relevant communication domains, with at least one in the Caribbean). The estimated contract value is €2.3 million, contract duration up to 36 months, and award is on the best price-quality ratio. Submissions are electronic only via the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission system; applicants must be registered in the Participant Register (PIC) and use the required request to participate and declaration templates. Consult the procurement documents and the A5f additional information document for full legal, financial and procedural details and follow the F&T Portal Q&A timeline for clarifications. A5f Additional Information F&T Portal opportunity page eSubmission ¹

Footnotes

1. 1The Additional information to the Contract Notice (document A5f) contains the full selection criteria, technical requirements, templates and administrative instructions referenced throughout this summary and must be consulted when preparing submissions: see the document A5f at the Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page.

Funding Opportunity Overview

The EU-Caribbean Strategic Communication Facility is a restricted tender procedure launched by the European Commission's Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA). This procurement supports the planning and execution of multiannual strategic communication campaigns across the Caribbean region on a regional scale. The facility aims to enhance the impact of communication on EU international partnerships objectives and external policy priorities, while raising awareness and shaping positive perception of the EU and its role in the Caribbean.

Procedure Reference:EC-INTPA/BGI/2026/EA-RP/0058

TED Publication Reference:78/2026 274097-2026

Key Financial Information

Total Estimated Budget:€2,300,000

Contract Duration:36 months from contract signature

Provisional Contract Start Date:31 October 2026

Funding Source:Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) Global Europe, under the America and the Caribbean programme

Geographic Scope

The facility covers 16 Caribbean countries and territories where services will be delivered:

• Antigua and Barbuda
• The Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belize
• Cuba
• Dominica
• Dominican Republic
• Grenada
• Guyana
• Haiti
• Jamaica
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Suriname
• Trinidad and Tobago

Eligibility and Who Can Apply

All eligible natural and legal persons, as well as groupings of such persons (consortia), may participate. International organisations are also eligible. Consortia may be permanent, legally established groupings or informal groupings constituted specifically for this procurement. All consortium members are jointly and severally liable to the contracting authority. Participation is open to entities from any country, subject to compliance with EU eligibility rules and absence of grounds for exclusion.

Submission Method:Electronic submission exclusively via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. All communications must be in English.

Selection Criteria

Candidates must meet three categories of selection criteria to be eligible for the tender stage:

Economic and Financial Capacity

• Average annual turnover of at least €1,000,000 over the last three financial years for which accounts have been closed
• Current ratio (current assets divided by current liabilities) of at least 1.0 in the last year for which accounts have been closed. For consortia, each member must individually meet this criterion.

Professional Capacity

• Minimum of 10 personnel directly employed or otherwise legally contracted on a permanent or non-permanent basis in areas of specialist knowledge related to the contract, averaged over the current year and previous two years
• Of these 10 staff, at least 4 must be permanently employed in fields related to communication, advertising, marketing, content marketing, or 360-degree campaigns
• No professional conflicting interests that may negatively affect contract performance

Technical Capacity

• Completion of services under at least 2 contracts implemented at any moment during the last four years before the submission deadline
• Each contract value must be at least €500,000
• Completed services must be in the domain of communication, advertising, marketing, content marketing, or 360-degree campaigns
• At least one of these contracts must have taken place in the Caribbean region

Candidates may rely on the capacities of other entities (capacity-providing entities) to meet selection criteria, provided those entities respect the same eligibility rules and fulfil the relevant criteria. For economic and financial criteria, capacity-providing entities become jointly and severally liable for contract performance.

Procedure Type and Selection Process

This is a restricted two-stage procedure. In the first stage, candidates submit requests to participate. Based on evaluation of these requests, between 4 and 8 candidates will be invited to submit detailed tenders in the second stage. If more than 8 eligible candidates meet the selection criteria, they will be ranked using additional comparative criteria: first by the highest number of completed contracts meeting the technical capacity criterion, and second by the highest cumulated value of completed services meeting the technical capacity criterion.

Award Criteria:Best price-quality ratio

Important Deadlines

Requests to participate received after the deadline will be rejected. The submission receipt provided by eSubmission with the official date and time of receipt constitutes proof of compliance with the deadline. Clarifications on the contract notice may be requested through the F&T Portal at the latest 21 days before the deadline for submission of requests to participate. Clarifications will be published at the latest 8 days before the submission deadline.

Submission Requirements

Candidates must submit requests to participate using the official request to participate form available on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. The following documents must be uploaded:

• Request to participate form (under Other documents tab)
• Declaration on exclusion grounds as per item 7 of the request to participate form (under Other documents tab)
• Declaration on Honour on Exclusion and Selection Criteria (under Declaration on Honour tab)

All financial data must be expressed in EUR. Where amounts are originally in a different currency, conversion to EUR shall be made using the InforEuro exchange rate of April 2026. File attachments must be less than 50 MB in size. The maximum number of documents per submission is 200 files. Only one request to participate or tender can be submitted by any natural or legal person, regardless of participation form. If multiple submissions are made, all will be excluded.

Grounds for Exclusion

Candidates must declare that they are not in any of the situations listed in Section 2.4.2.1 of the Practical Guide (PRAG). Where candidates rely on capacity-providing entities or subcontractors, those entities must provide the same signed declaration. Candidates included in EU restrictive measures lists at the moment of the award decision cannot be awarded the contract. If an ineligible person belongs to a consortium, the entire consortium will be excluded.

Sub-contracting and Consortium Rules

Sub-contracting is allowed. However, short-listed candidates may not form alliances or subcontract to each other for this contract. Any tenders received from tenderers with different composition than those mentioned in the short-listed request to participate forms will be excluded, unless prior authorisation from the contracting authority is obtained.

Registration and Account Requirements

Economic operators must register in the European Commission's Participant Register to obtain a Participant Identification Code (PIC), a 9-digit unique identifier. For consortia, each member must register separately. An EU Login account is required to subscribe to calls, submit questions, and make electronic submissions. As of 30 June 2026, two-factor authentication will be mandatory for EU Login accounts. Candidates should activate this security feature in advance through their account security settings.

Contract Nature and Scope

Nature of Contract:Fee-based services contract

Main Classification (CPV):98300000 - Miscellaneous services

Programme Title:Cooperation Facility for the Caribbean - Strategic Communication

Financing Code:E.14.020141

The contract will support multiannual strategic communication campaigns designed to enhance the visibility and positive perception of EU international partnerships and external policy priorities across the Caribbean region. The facility should ensure more impactful communication on a Caribbean-wide, regional scale.

Legal Framework

This procurement is governed by Regulation (EU) No 2021/947 establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) - Global Europe. The procurement is not covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). The legal basis and detailed eligibility rules are set out in Annex a2a1 of the Practical Guide (PRAG).

Contact Information

Contracting Authority:European Commission, INTPA - International Partnerships, Department INTPA.B - Latin America and The Caribbean; Relations with all Overseas Countries and Territories

Email:delegation-barbados-stratcomm@eeas.europa.eu

Portal Address:EU Funding and Tenders Portal

Electronic Submission Address:eSubmission Portal

Additional Information

The contracting authority reserves the right to extend the submission deadline if there are unavailability or disruptions in the functioning of electronic means of communication in the last 5 calendar days before the deadline. Any extension will be published on the F&T Portal without prior publication of a corrigendum. Economic operators interested in this procurement are encouraged to subscribe to the call for tenders to receive notifications when new information or documents are published. Candidates will be notified of evaluation outcomes by email to the address provided in their eSubmission application. It is the candidate's responsibility to provide a valid email address and check it regularly. After submission but before the deadline, candidates may withdraw or replace their request to participate. A withdrawal receipt will be provided by eSubmission as proof.

Footnotes

1. 1For detailed instructions on submission procedures, system requirements, and technical support, consult the eSubmission Quick Guide available on the F&T Portal wiki. The Practical Guide (PRAG) contains comprehensive information on eligibility rules, selection criteria, and procurement procedures for EU external actions.