EU-Kazakhstan trade and economic cooperation

The EU-Kazakhstan trade and economic cooperation tender opportunity seeks to enhance trade relations and economic development through a service contract. The project aims to support the implementation of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) between the EU and Kazakhstan, focusing on improving the business climate, enhancing infrastructure, and promoting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Kazakhstan. The contract has an estimated value of 3 million EUR and is expected to last for 36 months. It is an open call with electronic submissions required, and the deadline for participation requests is September 2, 2025.

Eligible applicants can include large enterprises, SMEs, consultancy firms, research institutes, and nonprofits with expertise in areas such as trade policy and economic development. There is no explicit requirement for a consortium, allowing for single applicants, although subcontracting is permitted. Geographic eligibility appears to be flexible, with no specific restrictions on applicant nationality, so long as they can deliver services aligned with Kazakhstan’s context.

The contract is structured as a procurement opportunity, focusing on service delivery rather than funding via grants or subsidies. The evaluation criteria will prioritize quality (80%) over price (20), emphasizing the need for expertise in trade and economic consultancy. The project is categorized as being in the implementation stage, as it focuses on executing strategies rather than exploratory or research phases.

The call follows EU procurement rules, which provide broad access to candidates from various regions, implying an international dimension. However, the nature of support is clearly defined as monetary, where contractors will receive funding for their services. The application process involves submitting a request to participate, followed by an invitation for the shortlisted candidates to submit proposals in a two-stage evaluation process.

Overall, the opportunity represents a significant initiative to foster sustainable economic growth in Kazakhstan through direct engagement with international expertise and actionable strategies focused on trade and investment.

The opportunity is a call for tenders for EU-Kazakhstan trade and economic cooperation, procedure identifier EC-INTPA/TSE/2025/EA-RP/0036. It is an electronic submission and is currently open for submission. The TED reference is 135/2025 468030-2025.

Kazakhstan is the largest economy in Central Asia and an important trade partner for the EU. The tender aims to support the EU-Kazakhstan trade and economic cooperation by supporting the implementation of the EPCA, enhancing the business and investment climate, improving access to quality infrastructure and promoting SME-oriented and non-resource oriented export strategy.

The procedure type is restricted. The estimated total value is 3,000,000 EUR. The TED publication date is 17/07/2025. The lead contracting authority is the European Commission, INTPA International Partnerships. The main classification (CPV) code is 79400000 Business and management consultancy and related services. The nature of the contract is for services. The maximum contract duration is 36 months. The award method is best price-quality ratio. It is not a framework agreement. The place of delivery or performance is Kazakhstan (20000936). The programme is Asia and the Pacific (44995882).

The deadline for receipt of requests to participate is 02/09/2025 12:00 Asia/Oral.

One document is available for download: ENa5f additional information contract notice en EU-KZ tradeInvitation to submit a request to participate, published on 17/07/2025, Version 1, with no translations available.

Submissions must be sent exclusively at the address for submission given. The submission method is electronic.

There are FAQs available:
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. 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? Attachments should be less than 50 MB in size. 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. See the following conditions: The. Published on 03/10/2024 16:39.
Can I submit a video in eSubmission? Which formats are supported? 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? Make sure it follows the technical requirements of the system. 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. Check the eSubmission System Requirements. 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 opportunity is a call for tenders by the European Commission to support trade and economic cooperation between the EU and Kazakhstan. The project aims to enhance the business climate, improve infrastructure, and promote SME-oriented export strategies in Kazakhstan, aligning with the EU-Kazakhstan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA). The total estimated value of the contract is 3 million EUR, and the project duration is 36 months. The call is a restricted procedure, meaning there's a pre-selection phase. Interested parties must submit their requests to participate electronically by September 2, 2025. The tender focuses on business and management consultancy services. The eSubmission system is used for electronic submissions, and a PIC (Personal Identification Code) is mandatory for participation.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but given the nature of the call for tenders, it is likely that eligible applicants include business and management consultancy firms, potentially SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations with relevant expertise in trade, economics, and EU-Kazakhstan relations. The call requires a Personal Identification Code (PIC) which is mandatory to participate in a call for tenders as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium).

Funding Type: This is a procurement opportunity, specifically a service contract.

Consortium Requirement: The call 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), so either a single applicant or a consortium is acceptable.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The opportunity focuses on EU-Kazakhstan trade and economic cooperation. While the geographic eligibility of the applicants is not explicitly stated, it is implied that applicants should be based in the EU or Kazakhstan, or have a significant presence or relevant experience in these regions.

Target Sector: The target sectors include trade, economics, business and management consultancy, SME development, and quality infrastructure. The call specifically aims to support the EU-Kazakhstan trade and economic cooperation by supporting the implementation of the EPCA, enhancing the business and investment climate, improving access to quality infrastructure and promoting SME-oriented and non-resource oriented export strategy.

Mentioned Countries: Kazakhstan, EU member states.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on implementation and support of existing agreements and strategies, specifically the EU-Kazakhstan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA). This suggests a stage of development and implementation rather than early-stage research or idea generation.

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 electronic submission. It is a restricted procedure.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for services rendered under the service contract.

Application Stages: The procedure type is "Restricted procedure", which implies at least two stages: a request to participate and a full proposal submission for those selected in the first stage.

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

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not mentioned in the provided text.

Summary:

This is a call for tenders by the European Commission, INTPA - International Partnerships, focusing on EU-Kazakhstan trade and economic cooperation. The primary goal is to support the implementation of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) between the EU and Kazakhstan, enhance the business and investment climate in Kazakhstan, improve access to quality infrastructure, and promote SME-oriented and non-resource oriented export strategies. The contract is valued at 3,000,000 EUR and has a maximum duration of 36 months. The procedure type is a restricted procedure, meaning there will be an initial selection of candidates based on their request to participate, followed by a full proposal submission from the shortlisted candidates. Submissions must be electronic. The deadline for receipt of requests to participate is 02/09/2025 at 12:00 Asia/Oral. The call is open to both single applicants and consortia. Applicants need to obtain a Personal Identification Code (PIC) to participate. The contract aims to foster sustainable economic growth and resilience in Kazakhstan by removing trade barriers, diversifying the export basket, and improving technical competences and quality-assuring services. The award method will be based on the best price-quality ratio.