EU Tax Symposium 2026 - Conference Venue

The opportunity outlined is a procurement contract by the European Commission, specifically within the Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD), for hosting a venue for the EU Tax Symposium 2026. This symposium is planned for March 16-17, 2026, with the focus on providing a suitable venue for the half-day event on March 16, 2026. The contract duration will be 12 months. The primary service sought is related to conference venue provision, associated with the sector of exhibitions, fairs, and congress organization, as denoted by the CPV code 79950000.

The announcement indicates it will follow a planned negotiated procedure for a middle or low value contract, meaning that after expressing interest, a selected number of candidates will be invited to submit full proposals. The call for expressions of interest starts on August 6, 2025, and ends on August 8, 2025, with the formal negotiated procedure launch expected on August 7, 2025.

While no specific geographic restrictions are detailed, participation is likely encouraged from EU member states given the nature of the event. The target applicant profiles would include established commercial service providers that offer conference venue services, such as hotels and event management companies, but it's noted that the opportunity is unlikely to favor small and medium enterprises as indicated by the "smeSuitableIndicator" marked as false.

There is no specified budget presented in the announcement, but as this is a procurement for an institutional event, it is anticipated that the contract amount will reflect the high-profile nature of such gatherings. Co-funding requirements and application stages indicate a straightforward process, centering around an expression of interest followed by a single round of evaluation.

Overall, this serves as a pre-announcement regarding the future procurement of services essential for hosting a significant policy dialogue within the EU concerning taxation, with emphasis on the readiness of service providers to meet the standards expected for such events.

This is a publication announcing the European Commission, DG TAXUD's intention to publish a future negotiated low or middle value procedure, not a call for tenders. The procedure identifier is EC-TAXUD/2025/LVP/0009-EXA.

The description of the planned call for tenders is as follows: The 2026 EU Tax Symposium will be the fourth edition of DG TAXUD’s annual flagship event. This year’s edition will be a 1.5-day high-level ministerial conference on Monday 16 and Tuesday 17 March 2026. On Monday 16 March, the event will stretch over half a day (approximately 14:00-18:30) in an external venue. With this request, the Commission is seeking a venue for this half-day conference on 16 March 2026.

The procedure type is a planned negotiated procedure for middle/low value contract. The lead contracting authority is the European Commission, DG TAXUD - Taxation and Customs Union. The main classification (CPV) code is 79950000 - Exhibition, fair and congress organisation services. The nature of the contract is for services. The maximum contract duration is 12 months. There is no framework agreement.

The milestones are as follows: The start date for expression of interest is 2025-08-06 Europe/Brussels. The deadline for expression of interest is 08/08/2025 05:59 Europe/Brussels. The indicative date of launch of the negotiated procedure is 2025-08-07 Europe/Brussels.

The method of expression of interest is electronic. Submissions must be sent exclusively at the address for submission given. To express interest, use the "Express interest" link.

A frequently asked question is: Where can I find the procurement documents for calls for tenders with ‘ExA' in the reference? The answer is: References that feature an ‘ExA’ are not calls for tenders. They are a publication announcing the contracting authority’s intent to launch in the future a low or middle negotiated procedure. This was published on 03/10/2024 17:32.

In summary, this is a pre-announcement for a future tender related to finding a venue for the half-day conference on 16 March 2026, which is part of the EU Tax Symposium 2026. The European Commission's DG TAXUD is planning to launch a negotiated procedure for a low or middle value contract to secure a suitable venue. Companies interested in providing venue services for exhibitions, fairs, and congresses should express their interest electronically between August 6, 2025, and August 8, 2025. The actual call for tenders is expected to be launched around August 7, 2025. The contract duration will be a maximum of 12 months. It is important to note that references with 'ExA' are not calls for tenders but rather announcements of intent.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but given the nature of the procurement, it is likely that the applicants should be businesses or organizations capable of providing conference venue services. This could include venue operators, hotels, conference centers, or event management companies.

Funding Type: The funding type is a procurement, specifically a planned negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract. This means the contracting authority, the European Commission, is seeking to purchase services.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, given the nature of the service, it is more likely that a single entity capable of providing the venue and related services would be the expected applicant.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated, but since it is an EU Tax Symposium, it is highly likely that the venue should be located within the European Union.

Target Sector: The target sector is services, specifically exhibition, fair, and congress organization services, related to the organization of a conference. The specific thematic area is taxation, as it relates to the EU Tax Symposium.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the context implies the European Union as the relevant region.

Project Stage: The project stage is procurement of a venue for an event that is already planned. The service provider would be responsible for providing a venue that meets the requirements of the EU Tax Symposium.

Funding Amount: The funding amount is described as a "middle/low value contract," but no specific monetary range is provided.

Application Type: The application type is a planned negotiated procedure. This means that after an expression of interest, the contracting authority will likely invite a select number of candidates to submit a full proposal.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for providing conference venue services.

Application Stages: The application stages appear to involve at least two steps: an expression of interest, followed by a negotiated procedure for selected candidates.

Success Rates: Success rates are not mentioned. As this is a negotiated procedure, the success rate will depend on the number of candidates invited to negotiate and the quality of their proposals.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding is not mentioned, and is unlikely to be required in a procurement contract of this nature.

Summary:

This opportunity is a pre-announcement for a planned negotiated procurement procedure by the European Commission, DG TAXUD, for a venue to host the half-day event on Monday 16 March 2026 of the EU Tax Symposium 2026. The EU Tax Symposium is a 1.5-day high-level ministerial conference on Monday 16 and Tuesday 17 March 2026. The contracting authority intends to launch a negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract. The main service required is the provision of a suitable venue for the conference. The procedure identifier is EC-TAXUD/2025/LVP/0009-EXA. The start date for expression of interest is 2025-08-06 and the deadline for expression of interest is 08/08/2025 05:59 Europe/Brussels. The indicative date of launch of the negotiated procedure is 2025-08-07 Europe/Brussels. Interested parties should submit an electronic expression of interest via the provided link. This is not a call for tenders, but an announcement of a future opportunity.