EURES Training Programme

The European Labour Authority has launched an open procurement (ELA/2026/OP/0004) for a services framework contract to design, develop and deliver a common annual EURES training programme covering onboarding, classroom and online learning, events, LMS administration and evaluation. The estimated total value is €9,800,000 and the framework may run for up to 48 months with specific contracts awarded in a cascade to up to three contractors. Tenders must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by 28 September 2026 16:00 (Europe/Bratislava) and will be evaluated on a best price-quality ratio (quality 70%, price 30%). Interested economic operators may apply as sole tenderers or joint tenders subject to the exclusion, selection and administrative rules in the tender documents.

What the contract funds

Provision of a pan-European common training programme for EURES staff (EURES Academy and Consolidation Phase). Services include design, development, delivery and continuous improvement of onsite and online courses, webinars, eLearning, mutual-learning events, an expert pool, LMS administration and quality assurance. The contract is structured as a multiple framework agreement (cascade) for repeated orders over the contract period.

Estimated budget and duration:Estimated total procedure value approx. €9,800,000; maximum contract duration 48 months. Award method best price-quality ratio ¹.

Who can apply

Open procedure for economic operators (sole candidates or consortia). Tenderers must register in the EU Participant Register (PIC) and submit electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. The FWC may be concluded with up to three contractors in a ranked cascade.

Key dates and practical rules

Deadline for receipt of tenders:28 September 2026 16:00 Europe/Bratislava (final submission via eSubmission). Contracting authority: European Labour Authority (ELA). Public opening: 29 September 2026. Questions cut-off for replies from contracting authority: 18 September 2026. Tender documents (invitation, technical and administrative specifications, draft FWC, financial tender form, annexes) are published on the F&T Portal F&T Portal - EURES Training Programme ¹.

1. 1Procedure type: Open procedure (electronic submission required).
2. 2Contract form: Framework service contract, multiple contractors in cascade; specific contracts/orders issued under the FWC.
3. 3Award criteria: Quality (70%) and Price (30%).

Essential bidder tasks:submit Technical Tender (methodology, team, governance, innovation), Financial Tender using the provided model, evidence on exclusion/selection criteria and any required declarations. Pay attention to administrative templates (Declaration on honour, Annex 7 technical form, Annex 6 financial form, draft FWC).

Footnotes

1. 1Full procurement documents, clarifications and submission are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal: EURES Training Programme tender details page.

Opportunity:Provision of a Europe-level common training programme and related services to support and operate the EURES network. Procurement type: open call for tenders (procurement of services) managed by the European Labour Authority (ELA) acting as the European Coordination Office for EURES. The contract is structured as a multiple framework contract (cascade) with up to 3 contractors. The procurement documents and annexes were published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and on TED. The estimated total value of the procedure is €9,800,000 for the total duration; maximum framework duration 48 months. Tenders must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission tool. Key submission deadline: 28 September 2026 16:00 Europe/Bratislava. The public opening is scheduled 29 September 2026 10:00 Europe/Bratislava. Full documentation and templates were published with the call. The contracting authority is the European Labour Authority (ELA) based in Bratislava, Slovakia. For the official source see the EU Portal listing and contract documents F&T tender listing ¹.

Deadlines and milestones:TED publication date: 04/08/2026. Deadline for receipt of tenders: 28/09/2026 16:00 Europe/Bratislava. Date and time of public opening: 29/09/2026 10:00 Europe/Bratislava. Contract maximum duration: 48 months. Change notice extended submission to 28/09/2026 16:00 (published 19/08/2026).

Estimated value and contract model:Estimated total value for the procedure: €9,800,000. The procurement will result in a multiple framework contract in cascade with up to three contractors. Specific contracts (orders) will be called from the ranked list.

Categorisation and eligibility

Eligible Applicant Types

Eligible applicants:legal persons and natural persons able to perform public procurement contracts under EU rules. Typical applicant types that the contract is structured to accept: training and learning providers, specialist training companies, consortia including SMEs and large organisations, higher education institutions and research institutes with relevant learning design capacity, NGOs and nonprofit training organisations, public employment services and national training organisations acting as lead contractors or as members of a joint tender, subcontractors providing technical support (LMS, AV, interpretation). The procurement documents allow joint tenders (groups of economic operators) and subcontracting subject to the rules in the tender specs and Annex 4/5 commitment letters.

Funding Type

Primary financial mechanism:procurement of services. The contracting authority will sign a framework service contract (services contract) and place specific contracts/ orders against the framework.

Consortium Requirement

Procedure allows both single tenders and joint tenders (consortiums). The framework is a multiple framework contract in cascade to be concluded with up to three contractors. Tenderers may form groups of economic operators (joint tenders) and may rely on subcontractors or other entities for selection criteria, subject to the requirements and commitment letters in the tender documentation.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility)

Geographic eligibility:organisations from EU Member States, EEA countries (Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein) and Switzerland. Participation requires registration in the Participant Register and a PIC for submission. The services will support EURES activities across the EU/EEA and Switzerland.

Thematic / Technical scope

Target Sector

Primary sectors targeted:education and training (learning & development), public employment services and employment support, labour mobility and labour market services, ICT (LMS and digital training delivery), communications and stakeholder engagement. The opportunity is sector-agnostic in terms of industry beneficiaries (jobseekers and employers across all sectors) but focuses on training, capacity building and skills for EURES staff and network partners.

Project Stage

Expected project stage:operational delivery, development and continuous improvement of training products and services. Activities cover design, development, delivery, evaluation and scale-up of training and digital learning (onboarding, eLearning, webinars, onsite classroom, networking events, mutual learning exchanges).

Financial and application details

Funding Amount / Ceiling:Estimated total value of the procurement: €9,800,000 (this is the maximum overall amount indicated in the contract notice). The framework contract ceiling must not be exceeded; specific contracts will be issued against the framework and the total of orders must remain within the overall ceiling.

Application Type and Submission Method:Open procedure. Electronic submission only via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission application. An EU Login account and registration in the Participant Register (PIC) are mandatory prior to submission.

Nature of Support:Primarily services and non-monetary support (training delivery, learning design, LMS administration, digital and AV production, evaluation, expert pools). The contract pays the contractor for services delivered; it is not a grant programme.

Application stages:Single-stage submission process for the open procedure: technical tender + financial tender submitted via eSubmission. Evaluation includes exclusion checks, selection criteria (economic/financial and technical/professional capacity) and award based on best price-quality ratio. The tender documents indicate that tenders are ranked and up to three will be retained for the multiple framework in cascade.

1. 1Stage 1: Electronic submission of full tender (technical & financial) by the deadline.
2. 2Stage 2: Administrative checks, exclusion & selection verification (may include requests for supporting documents).
3. 3Stage 3: Technical evaluation against award criteria (quality) and financial evaluation; best price-quality ratio ranking.
4. 4Stage 4: Invitation to conclude framework contract(s) and signature of specific contracts/orders under the framework.

Success rates:Success rates are not published. This is a competitive open procurement with evaluation against mandatory exclusion and selection criteria and weighted award criteria (quality 70% / price 30%). Up to three contractors will be appointed; the number of bidders retained depends on evaluation results and compliance. No historic success rate is provided in the tender.

Co-funding Requirement:No co-funding from the beneficiary is required as a condition of award in this procurement. This is a purchase of services; the contractor charges prices in the financial offer. Any reimbursement rules for expenses (e.g. interpretation costs for certain events) are defined in the tender specifications and financial form.

Who should apply and what capabilities are required

Ideal applicants:organisations or consortia with proven capacity to design and deliver large-scale pan-European training programmes, combined expertise in instructional design, eLearning development (Moodle/SCORM), delivery of interactive classroom and online instructor-led courses, webinar moderation and audiovisual production, evaluation and impact assessment, and programme management. Demonstrated experience in multi-country programmes, experience working with public authorities and EU Agencies, and availability of a qualified team (Programme Manager, Learning Designer, L&D Consultant, Trainers, Learning Analyst, LMS Administrator) as specified in the tender are mandatory. Applicants must meet the financial turnover threshold and technical references set out in the selection criteria.

Selection criteria highlights

Key selection requirements include:minimum average annual turnover (criterion F1) above €2,000,000 over the last two financial years; consolidated relevant technical references demonstrating experience across four service areas (content design and development; development and innovation; digital and technical support; programme management and administration) with projects in the last 6 years and minimum project values; CVs in Europass format for core staff meeting education and experience thresholds (Programme Manager C1 English, 7+ years experience including 2 years in international projects; team members bachelor + 5 years experience and B2 English). Evidence required as per Annexes and the Participant Register validation rules.

The tender specifications state the selection criteria in detail and require submission of supporting evidence or readiness to provide it on request. The Declaration on Honour (Annex 2) and evidence of non-exclusion apply to involved entities and may be requested during evaluation.

Evaluation and award

Award method:best price-quality ratio. Award weighting: quality 70% (three qualitative criteria Q1 methodology and approach 40 points; Q2 organisation, key staff and governance 35 points; Q3 innovation and continuous improvement 25 points) and price 30%. Tenders must meet all mandatory minimum requirements and pass exclusion and selection checks to be considered for award. Quality threshold: minimum 50% of maximum points for each quality criterion Q1–Q3, otherwise tender is rejected. Formula and tie-break rules are defined in the tender specifications.

Deliverables, Tasks and Technical Requirements

The tender terms include a detailed Part 2 Technical Specifications listing Tasks 1–7 and associated deliverables and templates. The framework defines annual delivery cycles including consolidation/onboarding, classroom training, eLearning, webinars, networking events (EURES in Action), on-demand training, mutual learning events and peer learning exchanges, plus quality assurance, LMS administration and communication outputs. Specific tasks include an expert pool, monthly coordination meetings, TCWG support, training calendars, catalogues, eLearning packages (SCORM), webinar recordings and edited audiovisual outputs, evaluation reports, and a framework of operational templates for task/deliverable acceptance.

1. 1Task 1: Consolidation Phase (EU-level onboarding) — three-module sequence (Modules 1–3) combining LMS-based online and a possible onsite component; completion = pass/fail.
2. 2Task 2: EURES Academy onsite classroom training — standard 2.5-day courses; typical group sizes 25–30; baseline 22 onsite courses per year.
3. 3Task 3: EURES Academy eLearning — enhanced and condensed modules, LMS setup and SCORM packages, final webinar for enhanced courses.
4. 4Task 4: EURES Academy webinars and live online sessions — moderated online classroom sessions and webinars with professional production and editing for publication.
5. 5Task 5: EURES Academy networking event (EURES in Action) — annual hybrid 2-day networking event with up to 200 participants onsite and online streaming support.
6. 6Task 6: On-demand training — custom-requested training and national requests channelled via NCOs.
7. 7Task 7: Mutual learning events and peer learning exchanges — workshops, peer exchanges, interpretation support and moderators; estimated interpretation reimbursables included.

Templates, documents and application forms

A full set of procurement documents is published as annexes. Key templated forms requested in the tender are listed and must be used without modification where provided.

Submission must follow eSubmission technical requirements:accepted browsers, file types, encryption of uploads, maximum file size per attachment (50 MB), maximum attachments per submission (200). The tender Q&A is managed via the Portal; Contracting Authority will not respond to questions submitted after the published cut-off date.

Contracting, legal and IP specifics

Contract form:framework service contract (FWC) concluded with up to three contractors. The framework is non-exclusive and can be used to award specific contracts in cascade. Contract duration: initial up to 24 months with automatic renewal option up to maximum 48 months as per special conditions. The FWC contains standard EU contractual clauses on ownership of results, transfer of rights and licensing of pre-existing rights. The Union acquires intellectual property rights in results produced for the Union and requires a broad licence or transfer of pre-existing rights incorporated in results. Data protection rules under Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 and GDPR apply; data processing must be carried out within EU/EEA locations unless otherwise authorised.

Risk areas and compliance

Main compliance and risk considerations for bidders:mandatory declaration on exclusion criteria, documentary evidence of legal and financial capacity upon request, provision of commitment letters for identified subcontractors and entities whose capacity is relied upon, conflict of interest checks, adherence to the Contracting Authority’s security and data protection requirements, compliance with EU rules on environmental and social obligations and non-propaganda/advertising restrictions in training materials. Bidders must ensure continuity and transparency of pre-existing rights and provide evidence and licence terms for incorporation of third-party IP. Failure to meet the maximum framework ceiling or price calculation rules will render tenders unacceptable.

Practical recommendations for applicants

1. 1Register early in the Participant Register and obtain the PIC; create EU Login account and verify system requirements for eSubmission well ahead of the deadline.
2. 2Use the mandatory templates: technical tender (Annex 7) and financial tender form (Annex 6). Do not alter template structure unless explicitly permitted.
3. 3Ensure the technical tender answers the three quality award criteria in the form and that each answer is placed in the correct response field of Annex 7. Provide project references that clearly map to the four core service areas required under the Technical Specifications.
4. 4Provide CVs in Europass format for key personnel and ensure language proficiency levels (Programme Manager C1, team B2) are evidenced.
5. 5List identified subcontractors in Annex 4 and attach signed commitment letters (Annex 5.1) where applicable. Provide commitment letters for any entity whose capacity you rely on (Annex 5.2).
6. 6Prepare evidence for economic and financial capacity (F1) and technical references (T1) in advance; these may be requested during evaluation.
7. 7Follow IP and pre-existing rights rules: compile lists of pre-existing materials and licences; be prepared to transfer or licence rights as required by the FWC.
8. 8Budget in line with the financial model and ensure the total price for 48 months does not exceed the maximum framework ceiling indicated in the administrative specifications.

Where to get the documents and help

All procurement documents (Invitation to tender, Annexes I–II and supporting annexes 2–9, technical and financial templates, draft FWC and Q&A) are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal procurement page for this call and on the TED notice linked above. The Portal contains technical eSubmission guidance, helpdesk contacts and system requirements. For contractual and procurement content, use the procurement mailbox ela-procurement@ela.europa.eu. For finance questions ela-finance@ela.europa.eu.

Key contacts and portal links:EU Funding & Tenders Portal entry for the tender: ec.europa.eu. The tender documents available on the portal include the corrected Annex 7 Technical Tender form (version 2) and Annex 6 Financial tender form. eSubmission technical support is available via the Portal helpdesk. All tender questions must be submitted through the Portal Q&A workflow within the published timeframe.

Final summary

This procurement seeks an experienced service supplier or consortium to build, run and continuously improve a consolidated European training programme for the EURES network. It is a procurement of services (framework contract) valued at circa €9.8 million and delivered over up to 48 months. The contractor(s) will manage a comprehensive annual programme of onboarding, classroom training, eLearning, webinars, large networking events and mutual learning activities, while operating the LMS, managing expert pools, providing content design, quality assurance and programme evaluation. Applicants must use mandatory templates, meet selection criteria and submit eTender responses via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by 28 September 2026 16:00 (Europe/Bratislava). This is a competitive open procedure against stated award criteria; the contracting authority will retain up to three ranked contractors under a multiple framework contract in cascade to supply the services defined in the Technical Specifications. For full legal, contractual and procedural detail consult the published procurement documents on the Portal F&T tender listing ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Official procurement documentation, annexes and Q&A are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for the call ELA/2026/OP/0004 EURES Training Programme. Access the procurement dossier and eSubmission portal via: ec.europa.eu

This is an open procurement launched by the European Labour Authority for a services framework contract to design and deliver a common annual training programme for those delivering and supporting the EURES service. The programme is intended to strengthen the skills of EURES staff, support the EURES Regulation, improve service quality for jobseekers and employers, and promote mutual learning and continuous professional development across the EURES network.[1]

Opportunity at a glance

What the contract is for

The contract covers a common training programme for the EURES network, with an annual schedule and a broad learning offer spanning onboarding, classroom and online training, eLearning, webinars, live online sessions, networking events, on-demand learning, mutual learning exchanges, support services, surveys, course updates, and learning assessment. The objective is to equip EURES staff to operate in a multicultural and increasingly digital labour market, to increase communication and use of EURES, and to promote consistency of practice across Members and Partners.[1]

The services are expected to be delivered mainly remotely using digital tools and platforms, but onsite activities may also be required at ELA premises in Bratislava and at other locations in the European Union. The tender documents indicate an estimated delivery split of 45 percent in Bratislava, 30 percent in Vienna, 15 percent in Brussels, and 10 percent in other EU countries.[1]

Who can apply

Any interested economic operator may participate, either as a sole tenderer or as a joint tender with subcontracting allowed. Tenderers must be able to submit in complete independence, must not be subject to EU restrictive measures, and must comply with the procurement rules on access, exclusion, and selection criteria set out in the tender specifications.[1]

• Participants must register in the Participant Register and obtain a PIC before submitting a tender.
• EU Login is required for eSubmission and for access to portal functions such as subscriptions and questions.
• A natural or legal person cannot participate simultaneously as a sole tenderer and as a member of another group in the same procedure.
• Cross subcontracting between competing tenderers is forbidden.
• Tenders must be prepared independently, and only one tender per tenderer can be considered.

Eligibility, exclusions and compliance conditions

• The tenderer, all involved entities, and subcontractors must not be subject to EU restrictive measures.
• Tenderers must complete the declaration on honour covering exclusion grounds, selection criteria, restrictive measures, and debt to the Union.
• The contracting authority may verify legal existence, financial capacity, and supporting documents during the procedure.
• If a tenderer has overdue debts to the Union or an executive agency, those debts may be offset against payments under the contract.
• Tenderers must state whether large language models or other artificial intelligence tools were used in preparing the tender.
• If AI is used in service delivery, it must be disclosed in the technical offer and remain subject to human oversight, data protection requirements, and compliance with the AI Act.

Pricing, duration and award rules applicants should know

Practical submission points

• Submission is electronic only; paper or email submissions are not accepted.
• The corrected Technical tender form must be used, as the contracting authority confirmed that no page limit applies to the technical tender form.
• The portal Q and A indicates that the tender deadline was extended to 28 September 2026 16:00.
• The public opening is scheduled for 29 September 2026 at 10:00 Bratislava time.
• Procurement documents include the invitation letter, administrative specifications, technical specifications, draft framework contract, declaration on honour, financial tender form, EURES Training Catalogue 2026 I quarter, EURES Style Guide 2023, and contract annexes.

Overall, this is a sizeable EU training services tender aimed at a specialist provider or consortium with strong instructional design, digital learning, multilingual facilitation, event delivery, and EU programme management capacity. The most important commercial points for bidders are the €9.8 millioneuro estimated value, the cascade framework structure with up to three contractors, the 48 month maximum term, and the requirement to price the annual service model carefully across the detailed unit price schedule.[1]

Footnotes

1. 1Official procurement page and portal materials for EURES Training Programme ELA/2026/OP/0004.