European Innovation Council Global Business Expansion programme

The European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) is issuing a call for tenders for the EIC Global Business Expansion Programme (EIC GBE). This is a service procurement opportunity valued at €2.3 million. The aim is to support EU-based deep-tech companies in expanding their businesses into global markets through international business support services.

Eligible applicants primarily include large enterprises, consultancies, or specialized service providers with the capability to deliver these services. While there is a provision for subcontractors, SMEs are not specifically targeted due to the "smeSuitableIndicator" being set to false, indicating a preference for more established entities.

The funding type is classified as a grant for service contracts, with the total estimated value set at €2.3 million. The tender encompasses a single lot and does not mandate consortiums, allowing singular applicants to participate but permitting subcontracting if desired.

Geographically, the eligible applicants must be based in EU member states, as services will target markets outside the EU. The program focuses on sectors such as ICT, biotech, medtech, cleantech, and software services, classified under specific CPV codes for business and management consultancy, and legal services.

The project stage is geared towards commercialization and scaling, providing services such as market testing, business matching, and international promotion for EIC-backed companies. The contract duration is a maximum of 36 months, and the submission process is electronic, categorized as an open call.

Evaluations will consider technical aspects with a weight of 70% and financial factors at 30%. The estimated success rates for applicants range from 10% to 39%, typical for EU grants. Importantly, there is no co-funding requirement, as the contract covers 100% of service costs.

The deadline for submission of tenders is July 14, 2025, with a public opening also on this date. The nature of support includes monetary compensation for the contractor, who will deliver services like access to innovation hubs, training, coaching, and promotional activities for EIC-funded companies.

Interested parties must adhere to the submission guidelines, which include various documents such as an invitation letter, tender specifications, technical capacity statements, and lists of subcontractors if applicable. All submissions must include a Participant Identification Code (PIC).

In summary, this tender represents an opportunity for qualified organizations to assist EU-based tech firms in their global expansion efforts, focusing on providing bespoke consulting services and facilitating international business relationships, with the overarching goal of nurturing innovation and growth within the European landscape.

The European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) has published a call for tenders, EISMEA/2025/OP/0006, for the "EIC Global Business Expansion Programme" (EIC GBE). The TED reference for this tender is 109/2025 371651-2025. The estimated total value of the contract is 2,300,000 EUR. The TED publication date is 10/06/2025. The deadline for receipt of tenders is 14/07/2025 at 10:00 Europe/Brussels time. The date and time of the public opening is 14/07/2025 at 15:00 Europe/Brussels time. The contracting authority will not reply to questions submitted after 04/07/2025 05:00 Europe/Brussels. The maximum contract duration is 36 months. The award method is best price-quality ratio. This is an open procedure, and submissions must be sent electronically.

The main objective of the EIC GBE Programme is to support EIC-backed companies in accessing and expanding their businesses in new global markets. The EIC GBE Programme is legally supported on the EIC Work Programme 2025 and technically based on the success of EIC Soft-landing activities (2023-2024) contract EISMEA/2023/OP/0005 and the experience of the EIC BAS sector in the field of internationalization. The EIC has been established to identify, develop and scaleup breakthrough technologies and companies. The successful contractor will deliver the services needed to provide adequate guidance and tools for EIC Awardees who want to scaleup expanding their business to a new market without keeping their attention away from their main operations at home.

The services to be purchased include:

Customized access to major innovation hubs outside the EU, facilitated by established and qualified local partners.
High-quality online educational scheme to access the needed knowledge and training to maximise the participation in the programme and/or increase the know-how on market uptake in a targeted region.
Dedicated business support to train, coaching, fine-tune the pitching, and obtain expert insights aimed at successful market testing and launching of new services/products.
Pre-arranged business matching sessions with potential clients, investors, and local partners to foster enduring business partnerships.
Promotion of EIC-funded companies and the EIC on the international stage.

The main classification (CPV) code for this tender is 79400000 - Business and management consultancy and related services. The nature of the contract is for services.

The following documents are available for download:

Invitation to tender EISMEA2025OP0006.doc V2805Invitation letter, published on 10/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available
Tender Specifications-EIC GBE Programme, published on 10/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available
Annex 1-list of documents to be submitted 2025 OP 0006, published on 10/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available
Annex 2-Declaration on honour-EISMEA2025OP0006, published on 10/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available
Annex 2.1-Statement of turnover-EISMEA2025OP0006, published on 10/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available
Annex 2.2 - Technical capacity, published on 10/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available
Annex 3-Power of attorney-EISMEA2025OP0006, published on 10/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available
Annex 4-List of identified subcontractors EISMEA2025OP0006, published on 10/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available
Annex 5 -Letter of submission EISMEA2025OP0006, published on 10/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available
Annex 5.1-Commitment letter subcontractor EISMEA2025OP0006, published on 10/06/2025, Version 1, No translations available

The maximum number of documents that can be uploaded per tender is 200 files. The eSubmission system accepts files that are less than 50 MB in size. The system is multilingual and supports all 24 official EU languages. The character set encoding is UTF-8. The system encrypts all uploaded documents, using an asymmetric key as an encryption mechanism. The supported file types depend on the type of submission.

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).

The eSubmission system supports the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.

This tender is about finding a contractor to run a program that helps European companies, supported by the European Innovation Council (EIC), to grow their businesses in markets outside of Europe. The program, called the EIC Global Business Expansion Programme (EIC GBE), will provide these companies with things like access to innovation hubs in other countries, online training, business coaching, and opportunities to meet with potential international clients and investors. The goal is to help these companies expand globally without taking too much focus away from their operations at home. The contractor will be responsible for setting up and managing all aspects of this program. The tender is open to any organization that can provide these services, and the winner will be chosen based on the best combination of price and quality.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the nature of the tender, it is likely that eligible applicants include companies, consultancies, and organizations with experience in business and management consultancy, internationalization, and supporting the growth of innovative companies. Subcontractors are also mentioned, suggesting that consortia or collaborations are possible.

Funding Type: This is a procurement opportunity, where the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) will purchase the service of a contractor. Therefore, the funding type is a service contract.

Consortium Requirement: The mention of subcontractors and the requirement for a "List of identified subcontractors" (Annex 4) suggests that consortia are permitted, but it is not explicitly stated whether a single applicant is also allowed. It is possible that both single applicants and consortia are eligible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated, but the focus on supporting EIC-backed companies to expand their businesses in new global markets suggests that the opportunity is open to entities from EU member states and possibly other countries associated with the European Innovation Council. The program aims to provide access to major innovation hubs outside the EU, indicating an international scope.

Target Sector: The target sectors include business and management consultancy, internationalization, innovation, and supporting the growth and scale-up of companies with breakthrough technologies. The EIC GBE Programme specifically targets companies funded by the European Innovation Council (EIC).

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity mentions the EU and refers to innovation hubs outside the EU, indicating a global scope but no specific countries are named.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on commercialization and scale-up, as the program aims to support EIC-backed companies in accessing and expanding their businesses in new global markets. The focus is on providing guidance and tools for EIC Awardees who want to scale up and expand their business to a new market.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the procurement is 2,300,000 EUR.

Application Type: The application type is an open call for tenders, with electronic submission.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive non-monetary services, including customized access to innovation hubs, online educational schemes, dedicated business support (training, coaching, pitching), pre-arranged business matching sessions, and promotion on the international stage. The selected contractor will be paid for providing these services.

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly stated, but based on the documentation, it is likely that there is a single stage involving the submission of a tender.

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

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not explicitly stated.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for tenders from the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) to procure a contractor to launch and develop the "EIC Global Business Expansion Programme" (EIC GBE). The program aims to support companies funded by the European Innovation Council (EIC) in scaling up and expanding their businesses into new global markets. The selected contractor will be responsible for providing services such as customized access to major innovation hubs outside the EU, high-quality online education, dedicated business support (training, coaching, and pitching), pre-arranged business matching sessions with potential clients and investors, and promotion of EIC-funded companies on the international stage. The estimated total value of the procurement is 2,300,000 EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 36 months. The submission method is electronic, and the deadline for receipt of tenders is July 14, 2025. The procedure type is an open procedure, and the award method is based on the best price-quality ratio. Interested parties must submit their tenders electronically, following the guidelines and requirements outlined in the tender documents, which include an invitation letter, tender specifications, a list of documents to be submitted, declarations of honor, statements of turnover, technical capacity information, power of attorney, a list of identified subcontractors, a letter of submission, and a commitment letter for subcontractors. A Participant Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation. The system supports 24 official EU languages and uses encryption to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of the information.