EU4Digital Facility - Phase III (supporting digital economies and societies)

The European Commission (ENEST.C - Neighbourhood East and Türkiye) has launched a restricted tender (EC-ENEST/2026/EA-RP/0032) for the EU4Digital Facility Phase III to support digital transformation, EU accession monitoring through completion and operationalisation of an AI accession tool, regulatory convergence and interoperable digital solutions, and pilot actions such as e-customs and digital trade facilitation. The fee-based services contract has an estimated total value of €16,000,000, a maximum duration of 48 months, and will be awarded on a best price-quality ratio basis. Places of performance include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Türkiye and the Western Balkans, and eligible applicants are natural or legal persons and international organisations established in EU Member States or eligible NDICI/IPA III countries, individually or in consortia. Requests to participate must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by 28 April 2026, 16:00 Brussels time, following the required templates and declarations.

What it funds

Service contract to support digital transformation, regulatory and technical alignment with the EU acquis, and gradual integration of Western Balkans, Türkiye and Neighbourhood East into the EU Digital Single Market. Activities include completion and operationalisation of an AI tool for EU accession monitoring, regulatory convergence and capacity building, and piloting cross‑regional digital connectivity actions (for example e-customs and digital trade facilitation).

Who can apply

Open to natural persons and legal entities established in EU Member States or eligible countries under NDICI and IPA III, and to international organisations. Consortia are allowed; shortlisted candidates will be invited to tender (restricted procedure).

Estimated contract value:€16,000,000 (total estimated value) ¹

1. 1Maximum duration: 48 months
2. 2Procedure: Restricted; award by best price-quality ratio
3. 3Submission: electronic via EU Funding & Tenders Portal (EU Login required)

Selection highlights:minimum average annual turnover over last 3 years €6,000,000; at least 15 relevant staff on average over the past 3 years; technical references: at least 3 contracts in the last 4 years, each >= €3,000,000, covering capacity building for EU alignment, AI/technology development, investment facilitation in digital/space connectivity or e-trade facilitation.

Requests to participate must use the standard request to participate form and supporting declarations; submissions exclusively via the F&T Portal. Shortlisting will select between 4 and 8 candidates to submit full tenders.

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement notice and additional information available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: EU4Digital Facility additional information to the contract notice

This restricted service tender procured by the European Commission (ENEST.C - Neighbourhood East & Türkiye) aims to accelerate digital transformation and regulatory/technical alignment with the EU acquis in the Neighbourhood East and IPA regions, and to promote gradual integration into the EU Digital Single Market. The contract will complete, deploy and operationalise an AI tool for EU accession monitoring and reporting; drive regulatory convergence, institutional capacity building and interoperable digital solutions across Western Balkans, Türkiye and Neighbourhood East; and implement the digital strand of the Cross-Regional Connectivity Agenda, including pilots such as e-customs and digital trade facilitation solutions EU Funding & Tenders portal - Tender page.

Key Facts

Objectives and Scope of Work

• Complete, deploy and operationalise an AI tool for EU accession to enhance monitoring, analysis and reporting on acquis alignment and reform progress, coordinated with relevant EC line service initiatives.
• Support gradual integration of Western Balkans, Türkiye and Neighbourhood East into the EU Digital Single Market through regulatory convergence, institutional capacity building and interoperable digital solutions.
• Develop and implement the digital strand of the Cross-Regional Connectivity Agenda, including design and delivery of pilot actions such as e-customs and digital trade facilitation solutions.

Typical technical domains implicated by the scope include digital transformation policy approximation, telecommunications regulation, digital trust frameworks, e-governance, design and development of EU-based AI solutions, investment facilitation in digital and space connectivity, and e-trade facilitation including e-commerce, e-customs, and digital skills development.

Who Can Apply (Eligibility and Rules of Origin)

The legal bases are Regulation (EU) 2021/947 establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument — Global Europe (NDICI-Global Europe) and Regulation (EU) 2021/1529 establishing the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III). Participation is open to all natural persons who are nationals of, and legal persons effectively established in, an EU Member State or in an eligible NDICI Article 28 or IPA III Article 11 country or territory. International organisations may also participate. Eligibility applies to individual applicants and to members of groupings/consortia. Candidates on EU restrictive measures lists at award decision time cannot be awarded a contract. See the official additional information notice for full eligibility and origin rules Additional information to the contract notice (PDF) ¹.

Procurement Structure and Stages

1. 1Request to Participate stage: Economic operators submit a request using the mandatory template via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (eSubmission). Between 4 and 8 candidates that meet selection criteria will be shortlisted.
2. 2Invitation to Tender stage: Shortlisted candidates receive the full tender dossier and are invited to submit detailed tenders. Alliances or changes to the composition compared to the shortlisted request require prior authorisation. Shortlisted candidates may not form alliances or subcontract to each other for this contract.
3. 3Evaluation and award: Best price-quality ratio. Following evaluation, the service contract is awarded and implementation runs up to 48 months.

No more than one request to participate or tender can be submitted by the same natural or legal person, regardless of role. Subcontracting is allowed. Short-listing range is 4 to 8 candidates; if fewer than 4 meet criteria, the contracting authority may invite those who satisfy them; if more than 8, additional comparative criteria will rank the top 8 (most contracts meeting technical capacity, then highest cumulated value of such contracts).

Selection Criteria (Shortlisting Requirements)

Economic and financial capacity

• Average annual turnover for the last 3 closed financial years must be at least €6,000,000. Public bodies should provide equivalent information. Entities relied upon for financial capacity become jointly and severally liable.

Professional capacity

• During the current year and previous two years, on average at least 15 personnel directly employed or otherwise legally contracted (permanent or non-permanent) in specialist areas relevant to the contract.
• Absence of professional conflicting interests that may negatively affect performance (to be attested via Declarations on Honour and, where relevant, supporting statements).

Technical capacity

• Completion of services under at least 3 contracts implemented at any time during the last four years before the submission deadline, each with completed services valued at no less than €3,000,000.
• The completed services must cover at least two or more of: capacity building for approximation with EU standards/regulations in digital transformation, telecommunications, digital trust, e-governance; technology development and innovation including design and development of AI solutions based on EU technologies; investment facilitation in digital and space connectivity; e-trade facilitation including e-commerce, e-customs, and digital skills.
• References may include projects completed within the reference period or parts of ongoing projects completed within the reference period; only the part completed in the period is considered and must be evidenced (e.g. approval of deliverables, proof of payment, client certificates). For consortium references, the candidate’s specific role and completed portion must be clearly evidenced.

Capacity-providing entities may be relied upon. They must be eligible under the same nationality rules, commit their resources, and in technical/professional areas will need to perform the tasks for which capacities are relied upon. Evidence of such commitments and capacities must be provided upon request.

Exclusion grounds and Declarations

Candidates must submit a signed Declaration on Honour on exclusion and selection criteria and ensure that any capacity-providing entities or subcontractors provide the same declaration. Candidates on EU restrictive measures lists at the time of award cannot be awarded the contract.

Submission Instructions

1. 1Register your organisation in the Participant Register to obtain a 9-digit Participant Identification Code (PIC). Each consortium member must have a PIC.
2. 2Prepare and submit the Request to Participate (RtP) form strictly using the official template, and include: the signed Declaration on Honour on exclusion and selection criteria; the declaration referred to in Point 7 (grounds for exclusion) of the RtP form. Upload in the correct eSubmission attachment sections.
3. 3Submit exclusively via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (eSubmission). Email or paper submissions are not accepted. EU Login is required. The character encoding is UTF-8; the portal supports all 24 official EU languages, but this procedure requires English for communications.
4. 4Use the InforEuro March 2026 exchange rate for any currency conversions to EUR.

Important deadlines and timeline:Requests to participate deadline: 28/04/2026 16:00 Europe/Brussels. Clarification questions must be submitted no later than 21 days before the RtP deadline via the portal Q&A; responses will be published at the latest 8 days before the RtP deadline. Provisional invitation to tender: May 2026. Provisional contract commencement: October 2026.

Technical eSubmission parameters (portal guidance):Indicative platform constraints include a maximum of 200 files per submission and per-file size typically less than 50 MB; use latest Chrome or Firefox; documents are encrypted upon upload and cannot be viewed after the deadline. Draft submissions can be edited until the deadline. A PIC is mandatory for tenderers and consortium members. See the eSubmission Quick Guide and system requirements within the portal for definitive parameters.

Geographic Focus and Place of Performance

Services will be delivered across the Neighbourhood East and IPA regions including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Türkiye, and the Western Balkans. The call supports EU accession processes, cross-regional digital connectivity, and integration with the EU Digital Single Market.

Award and Contracting

The award criterion is best price-quality ratio. The service contract will be fee-based with a total estimated value of €16 million and an implementation period of up to 48 months. Financial data in offers must be expressed in EUR. The final number of shortlisted candidates will be between 4 and 8; if ties occur at the 8th position, cumulated value of qualifying technical references will be used as a tie-breaker after counting the number of qualifying contracts.

Categorisation Answers (Structured Extraction)

Eligible Applicant Types:Eligible applicants are economic operators that are natural or legal persons established in eligible countries, including private companies of any size (SME, large enterprise), consulting firms, systems integrators, ICT and AI solution providers, universities and research institutes when acting as economic operators, nonprofits and NGOs when established as legal persons eligible under NDICI/IPA, international organisations, and public bodies. Applications may be single applicants or consortia of such entities. Subcontractors are allowed but must meet eligibility rules; capacity-providing entities are permitted subject to commitments and eligibility.

Funding Type:Procurement of services via a fee-based service contract financed under NDICI-Global Europe and IPA III. This is not a grant; it is a competitive tender resulting in a service contract.

Consortium Requirement:Single applicant or consortium are both allowed. Consortia are common for meeting minimum turnover, staffing and technical reference thresholds. If shortlisted, composition changes require prior authorisation; shortlisted candidates may not form alliances or subcontract to each other for this contract.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Eligibility is open to nationals and legal persons of EU Member States and countries or territories eligible under NDICI Article 28 and IPA III Article 11. International organisations are eligible. The place of performance targets Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Türkiye and the Western Balkans within Neighbourhood East and IPA regions.

Target Sector:Digital transformation policy and implementation; telecommunications regulation; digital trust; e-governance; artificial intelligence (EU-based AI solutions) for accession monitoring; digital single market integration; e-trade facilitation including e-commerce and e-customs; digital and space connectivity; interoperability; digital skills. Cross-cutting domains include public sector modernization, cross-border digital services, and trade facilitation.

Mentioned Countries:Armenia; Azerbaijan; Georgia; Republic of Moldova; Ukraine; Türkiye; Western Balkans region.

Project Stage:Implementation, deployment and operationalisation of solutions; capacity building; regulatory convergence; and pilot demonstration (e.g., e-customs). While some technology development is in scope for AI solution completion and deployment, the emphasis is on operational delivery rather than early-stage research.

Funding Amount:Estimated total value of the service contract is €16,000,000. Duration up to 48 months.

Application Type:Restricted call for tenders with an initial Request to Participate, followed by an invitation to shortlisted candidates to submit a full tender. Submissions are electronic via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (eSubmission).

Nature of Support:Money through a fee-based service contract paid against deliverables and time-based inputs according to the contract’s financial provisions.

Application Stages:2 stages: 1) Request to Participate and shortlisting; 2) Invitation to Tender and award based on best price-quality ratio.

Success Rates:Not published. Shortlisting will select between 4 and 8 candidates that meet the selection criteria; final award is competitive among the shortlisted based on best price-quality ratio.

Co-funding Requirement:No co-funding is required from tenderers. This is a procurement contract fully financed by the contracting authority; contractors are paid for services rendered per the fee-based contract terms.

Templates:Applicants must use the official Request to Participate form and the Declaration on Honour templates available via the Commission’s Annexes page. The expected RtP content structure typically includes: 1) Identification of the candidate or consortium (legal name, address, PIC, contact details, eligible nationality/establishment, consortium composition and roles); 2) Exclusion grounds declaration (Declaration on Honour, including for any capacity providers and subcontractors); 3) Economic and financial capacity (average annual turnover for last 3 closed financial years; where applicable, consolidated or parent support with commitment letters); 4) Professional capacity (staff numbers and profiles over the last 3 years in specialist areas relevant to the contract; organisational structure; absence of conflicts of interest); 5) Technical capacity (project references meeting the minimum number, value, timeframe and domain requirements; clear description of services performed, values attributable to the applicant, client attestations, approvals of deliverables, and evidence for consortia roles); 6) Reliance on capacity of other entities (identification and signed commitments; proof of eligibility and capacity of those entities; allocation of tasks); 7) Subcontracting intentions (scope and share of subcontracted activities, if known); 8) Statements on compliance with language, origin, and applicable regulations; 9) Signed forms and annexes as required. Upload to the correct sections in eSubmission: the RtP form and the declaration under Other documents, and the Declaration on Honour under the Declaration on Honour tab.

Administrative and Portal Details

• EU Login account is required for subscription, Q&A and electronic submission. See EU Login guidance EU Login.
• Participant Register and PIC are mandatory for tenderers and each consortium member. The contracting authority or validation services may request legal and financial validation; communications occur via the Portal.
• Requests to participate must be submitted exclusively via the Portal. The eSubmission timestamp is proof of on-time receipt. Alterations or withdrawals are possible until the deadline; a new version requires a full resubmission.
• Clarifications are requested via the Portal Q&A by the deadline specified (21 days before RtP deadline). Clarifications are published no later than 8 days before the RtP deadline; candidates must monitor updates.
• Financial amounts must be in EUR; currency conversions should use InforEuro March 2026 rates InforEuro.

Compliance and Performance Considerations

• Short-listed candidates may not change composition without prior authorisation; they may not form alliances or subcontract to each other for this contract.
• All members of a consortium are jointly and severally liable to the contracting authority.
• Candidates must avoid conflicts of interest and ensure declarations are accurate and complete.
• References used for technical capacity must not include projects that ended with breach and termination by a contracting authority.
• All communications and submissions are in English for this procedure.

Opportunity Classification Summary

What this opportunity is about

This call for tenders will contract a capable service provider or consortium to advance the EU’s strategic connectivity and enlargement priorities by operationalising a robust, EU-based AI tool that monitors and reports on acquis alignment and reform progress in candidate countries, and by delivering regulatory approximation, capacity building, and interoperable digital solutions that ease integration into the EU Digital Single Market. It also finances the design and piloting of cross-border digital trade and customs solutions, embedded in a broader Cross-Regional Connectivity Agenda. The contractor will need strong multi-country experience across Neighbourhood East and IPA regions, the ability to deliver complex policy and technical assistance programmes, demonstrable track record in EU-aligned AI solution development and deployment, and deep expertise in digital trust, telecoms regulation, e-governance, and e-trade facilitation. The procurement is competitive under a restricted procedure, with rigorous selection thresholds on turnover, staffing and relevant high-value references, and award on best price-quality ratio. Submissions are through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, with strict templates and timelines, and implementation is expected to start in October 2026 for a duration of up to 48 months, with an overall contract value of €16 million.

Footnotes

1. 1All detailed eligibility, selection, and participation rules are set out in the official Additional information to the contract notice PDF available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: EU4Digital Facility_additional information to the contract notice_V1.pdf.

Opportunity Overview

The EU4Digital Facility Phase III is a restricted tender procedure launched by the European Commission to support digital transformation and EU integration in Eastern European and neighbourhood countries. The overall objective is to support the EU accession process and strategic connectivity priorities by accelerating digital transformation, fostering regulatory and technical alignment with EU standards, and promoting gradual integration into the EU Digital Single Market.

Procedure Reference:EC-ENEST/2026/EA-RP/0032 (TED reference 56/2026 194806-2026)

Contracting Authority:European Commission, ENEST.C - Neighbourhood East and Türkiye

Strategic Objectives

The contract aims to achieve three main strategic objectives through digital solutions and institutional capacity building in the target regions.

1. 1Support EU accession process of candidate countries through completion, deployment and operationalisation of an artificial intelligence tool for EU accession, enabling enhanced monitoring, analysis and reporting on acquis alignment and reform progress, including cooperation with relevant EC line services
2. 2Support gradual integration of Western Balkans, Türkiye and Neighbourhood East countries into the EU Digital Single Market through regulatory convergence, institutional capacity-building and interoperable digital solutions
3. 3Support development and implementation of the digital strand of the Cross-Regional Connectivity Agenda, including design and implementation of pilot actions such as e-customs and digital trade facilitation solutions

Funding Details

Estimated Total Value:€16,000,000 for the full contract duration

Contract Nature:Fee-based services contract

Maximum Contract Duration:48 months (4 years)

Award Methodology:Best price-quality ratio evaluation

Financing Sources:Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument Global Europe (NDICI-GE) under financing decision NDICI/GEO-NEAR/ACT-63293 (Budget Address E.14020111 Eastern Neighbourhood) and Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III) under financing decision ACT-63158 (Budget Address E.15020201 Preparation for accession)

Geographic Scope and Performance Locations

The contract covers service delivery and performance in the following regions and countries.

• Armenia
• Azerbaijan
• Georgia
• Moldova (Republic of)
• Ukraine
• Turkey
• Western Balkans region (covered under IPA instrument)

Eligibility and Who Can Apply

The tender uses a restricted procedure, meaning interested organizations must first submit a request to participate for evaluation before being invited to submit detailed tenders. Participation is open to a broad range of eligible entities.

Eligible Applicants:Natural persons and legal entities that are nationals of and effectively established in a Member State of the European Union or in an eligible country or territory as defined under Article 28 of Regulation (EU) 2021/947 (NDICI-GE) or Article 11 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1529 (IPA III). International organisations are also eligible. Eligible entities may participate individually or as members of a consortium.

Consortium Participation:Consortia may be permanent legally established groupings or informal groupings constituted for this specific procedure. All consortium members are jointly and severally liable to the contracting authority. Subcontracting is allowed.

Submission Rules:No more than one request to participate or tender can be submitted by any natural or legal person in any form of participation. Submission of multiple requests will result in exclusion of all requests containing that entity.

Selection Criteria and Requirements

Candidates must demonstrate their capacity across three key areas to be invited to tender. Criteria are assessed for the consortium as a whole when applicable.

1. Economic and Financial Capacity:Average annual turnover must be not less than €6,000,000 over the last three financial years for which accounts have been closed. Public bodies must provide equivalent financial information.

2. Professional Capacity:Candidates must have employed or legally contracted on average at least 15 personnel with specialist knowledge related to this contract during the current year and previous two years. Candidates must also demonstrate they are not subject to professional conflicts of interest that may negatively affect contract performance.

3. Technical Capacity:Candidates must have completed services under at least three contracts implemented at any time during the four years before the submission deadline. Each completed contract must have a minimum value of €3,000,000. The completed services must fall within at least two of the following domains ¹: capacity building for EU standards approximation in digital transformation, telecommunications, digital trust, and e-governance; technology development and innovation including artificial intelligence solutions based on EU technologies; investment facilitation in digital and space connectivity; or e-trade facilitation including e-commerce, e-customs and digital skills.

Candidates may reference contracts completed during the reference period even if started earlier, or partially completed projects where only the portion completed during the reference period is counted. Documentary evidence must be provided, including approval of reports or deliverables, proof of payment, or statements from the awarding entity. For consortium projects, the candidate must clearly document their specific contribution through consortium agreements and bank transfers.

Ranking Criteria (if more than 8 candidates qualify):If more than 8 eligible candidates meet selection criteria, additional comparative ranking is applied: first by highest number of contracts meeting technical criteria, then by highest cumulative value of completed services meeting technical criteria.

Short-listing:Between 4 and 8 candidates will be invited to submit detailed tenders based on evaluation of requests to participate. If fewer than 4 eligible candidates meet criteria, the contracting authority may invite those meeting criteria to tender. If more than 8 candidates qualify, only the 8 best-ranked will be invited. Short-listed candidates may not form alliances or subcontract to each other for this contract unless prior authorization is obtained.

Grounds for Exclusion

Candidates must declare they are not in any exclusion situations listed in Section 2.4.2.1 of the practical guide (PRAG). Where candidates rely on capacity-providing entities or subcontractors, these entities must also provide the same declaration. Candidates included in lists of EU restrictive measures at the moment of award decision cannot be awarded the contract. An ineligible person in a consortium results in exclusion of the entire consortium.

Key Dates and Deadlines

The deadline for submission of requests to participate is firm. Requests received after the deadline will be rejected. The eSubmission system provides an official timestamp receipt which serves as proof of compliance with the deadline.

Application Process and Submission Requirements

Registration:All applicants must register in the European Commission Participant Register to obtain a Participant Identification Code (PIC), a unique 9-digit number. Each organization needs one PIC. Consortium members must each obtain their own PIC. Registration is available at the EC Participant Register.

Submission Platform:Requests to participate must be submitted exclusively through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (F&T Portal) using eSubmission. Requests submitted by email, letter or any other method will be rejected. An EU Login account is required for submission.

Required Documents:Candidates must submit: the request to participate form in strict compliance with specified format and instructions; a declaration on honour on exclusion and selection criteria using the provided template; and a declaration confirming they are not in any exclusion situations. All templates are available at the EC Wiki. Supporting documents demonstrating financial capacity, professional capacity, and technical capacity must be provided with the request to participate.

Language:All written communications, requests to participate, and tender submissions must be in English.

Financial Information:All financial data must be expressed in EUR. Where amounts are originally in different currencies, conversion must be made using the InforEuro exchange rate for March 2026.

File Upload Rules:Maximum file size per attachment is 50 MB. Maximum total attachments per submission is 200 files. Supported file types are specified in system requirements. File names must follow system naming conventions. The eSubmission system encrypts all uploaded documents.

Candidates can edit, view or delete draft submissions until the deadline. After the deadline, submissions cannot be modified. The system supports all 24 official EU languages for interface, but submissions must be in English.

Questions and Clarifications

Any requests for clarifications about the contract notice or additional information must be submitted in writing through the F&T Portal by clicking Create a question in the Questions & Answers tab. The deadline for submitting clarification questions is 21 days before the participation deadline, which is 7 April 2026. Clarifications will be published on the F&T Portal by 8 days before the deadline (20 April 2026). Candidates are responsible for checking for updates and modifications regularly during the submission period.

Evaluation and Notification

Candidates will be notified of evaluation results by email sent to the contact email address provided in the eSubmission application. For consortia, notification goes to the lead organization. The email address can be changed in the F&T Portal after initial submission. Candidates are responsible for providing a valid email address and checking it regularly for communications from the contracting authority.

CPV Classification and Procurement Details

Main CPV Code:79400000 (Business and management consultancy and related services)

Procedure Type:Restricted procedure with two stages: requests to participate evaluation followed by detailed tender submission from shortlisted candidates

Submission Method:Electronic only via F&T Portal eSubmission system

Important Conditions and Restrictions

• Candidates cannot use previous experience that resulted in breach of contract and termination by a contracting authority as reference for selection criteria
• Framework agreement is part of this contract award
• Any tenders with composition different from shortlisted requests will be excluded unless prior authorization is obtained
• Candidates rely on capacity-providing entities at their own responsibility; these entities become jointly and severally liable
• No additional documentation beyond what is specified will be considered with requests to participate
• Withdrawal or replacement of requests to participate is permitted before the deadline
• The contracting authority reserves the right to verify financial and legal information of any candidate

Programme and Legal Framework

This contract is funded under two separate legal frameworks. Part is funded by the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument Global Europe (NDICI-GE) under Regulation (EU) 2021/947, which applies to activities in the Eastern Neighbourhood region. Another part is funded by the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III) under Regulation (EU) 2021/1529, which applies to activities supporting candidate countries. Both frameworks establish eligibility rules and participation conditions detailed in the contract documents.

Programme Title:EU4Digital Facility as part of broader EU efforts to support digital transformation and integration in Eastern Europe and Neighbourhood regions

The EU4Digital Facility represents a significant investment in digital capacity building, regulatory alignment and digital infrastructure development across the target regions. Organizations with strong experience in digital transformation projects, EU regulatory frameworks, and regional development are well-positioned to apply ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Technical capacity domain requirements specifically include capacity building for EU standards approximation in digital transformation and telecommunications, artificial intelligence technology development based on EU standards, digital and space connectivity investment facilitation, and e-trade facilitation including e-customs and digital skills development. At least two of these domains must be covered by the candidate's completed contracts.