Financial and compliance audit of European political parties and political foundations 2025-2029

The European Parliament has issued a call for tenders, designated as EP-FINS/2025/OP/0002, for a service framework contract focusing on auditing the annual financial statements of European political parties and foundations. This procurement aims to ensure the financial compliance of these entities with applicable regulations and standards. The tender allows for electronic submission, with an estimated total value of 3.3 million EUR over a maximum duration of 60 months. The contract is categorized under auditing services, specifically identified with the CPV code 79212000.

Eligible applicants for this tender primarily include audit firms and consultancies with proven expertise in financial compliance and auditing. While the specific documents do not explicitly confirm the possibility of single or consortium applications, they typically allow for collaboration. The beneficiary scope largely pertains to entities operating within the EU jurisdiction, as the audits are closely tied to European political bodies.

Key milestones of the tender include a publication date on May 8, 2025, with a deadline for tender submissions set for June 16, 2025. Interested parties must ensure submissions are made before noon on the deadline date. Important conditions related to the selection criteria focus on the applicants' suitability to perform the required professional activities, their economic and financial standing, along with their technical and professional capabilities.

The contract demands that successful bidders provide comprehensive annual audit reports prepared in accordance with both local Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Additionally, an assurance report verifying the legality and regularity of financial declarations made to the European Parliament is required each year from the contracted firms.

Overall, this tender aims to establish a structured framework for audit services dedicated to enhancing the financial accountability and transparency of political entities across Europe. The process is governed by the best price-quality ratio for award decisions, emphasizing both the quality of service and cost efficiency. Interested parties are encouraged to consult associated documentation thoroughly to ensure compliance with the defined selection criteria and requirements for submission.

The European Parliament has issued a call for tenders, EP-FINS/2025/OP/0002, for a service framework contract regarding audit reports of the annual financial statements of European political parties and European political foundations. This is an open procedure with electronic submission. The estimated total value of the contract is 3,300,000 EUR. The TED reference is 89/2025 294872-2025. The TED publication date is 08/05/2025. The lead contracting authority is the European Parliament, Directorate-General for Finance (FINS). The main classification (CPV) code is 79212000 Auditing services. The nature of the contract is for services. The maximum contract duration is 60 months. The award method is best price-quality ratio, and it is a framework agreement without reopening of competition.

The selection criteria include: Suitability to pursue the professional activity, Economic and financial standing, and Technical and professional ability. Detailed information on these criteria can be found in the procurement documents.

Key milestones include: TED publication date: 08/05/2025, Date and time of public opening: 16/06/2025 15:00 Europe/Brussels, Deadline for receipt of tenders: 16/06/2025 12:00 Europe/Brussels, Deadline for submitting questions: 06/06/2025 05:00 Europe/Brussels. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after this date.

The following documents are available for download: Invitation letter (Published 08/05/2025, Version 1, in English), Tender specifications (Published 08/05/2025, Version 1, in English), Annex 1 Technical specifications with annexes (Published 08/05/2025, Version 1, in English), Annex 2 The European Parliament environmental policy (Published 08/05/2025, Version 1, in English), Annex 3 Declaration on honour (tender) (Published 08/05/2025, Version 1, in English), Annex 4 Financial Identification Form (Published 08/05/2025, Version 1, in English), Annex 5 Information consortium (Published 08/05/2025, Version 1, in English), Annex 6 Declaration subcontractors (Published 08/05/2025, Version 1, in English), Annex 7 Financial data sheet (Published 08/05/2025, Version 1, in English), and Annex 8 Administrative data form (Published 08/05/2025, Version 1, in English).

Submissions must be sent exclusively via electronic submission at the address provided.

Under the current legal framework, specifically Article 23(1) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 1141/2014, the following reports are required yearly for each European political party and European political foundation:

1. An audit report of the annual financial statements prepared in accordance with the accounting law applicable in the Member State where the party/foundation has its seat (local GAAP).
2. An audit report of the annual financial statements prepared on the basis of the international accounting standards defined in Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 1606/2002 (IFRS).
3. An assurance report on the legality and regularity of the revenue and expenditure declared to the European Parliament by the party/foundation.

Any changes in the legal framework impacting the number or scope of required audit reports will be reflected in the specific contract.

A clarification was requested regarding whether both audit reports (one on the audit of the annual accounts and one opinion on the compliance) will be required each year for each party and foundation. The European Parliament confirmed that under the current legal framework, the three reports listed above are required yearly for each/all European political party and European political foundation. The total number of parties and foundations for a given year will be known before the signature of each specific contract.

In summary, this call for tenders invites qualified firms to bid on a framework contract to provide audit services to European political parties and foundations. These services include auditing financial statements under both local GAAP and IFRS, as well as providing assurance on the legality and regularity of financial declarations to the European Parliament. The contract has a potential duration of 5 years and a total estimated value of 3.3 million EUR. Interested parties must submit their tenders electronically by June 16, 2025, and should consult the provided documentation for detailed requirements and selection criteria. The European Parliament seeks to establish a reliable framework for ensuring the financial accountability and transparency of European political entities.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, based on the nature of the tender, it is highly likely that eligible applicants would include audit firms, accounting firms, and other organizations with the professional and technical ability to perform financial and compliance audits. The selection criteria mention "Suitability to pursue the professional activity," which suggests that applicants must be organizations with a proven track record in auditing.

Funding Type: The funding type is a procurement, specifically a service framework contract. The European Parliament is procuring auditing services.

Consortium Requirement: Annex 5, titled "Information consortium," suggests that a consortium of multiple applicants is permissible, but it is not explicitly stated whether a single applicant is also allowed. The tender documents should be consulted for definitive information.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated, but given that the audit concerns European political parties and foundations, it can be inferred that the eligible applicants must be based in the EU or have the ability to operate within the EU legal and regulatory framework. The tender concerns European political parties and European political foundations, so it is likely that the auditors must be based in the EU or be able to operate within the EU.

Target Sector: The target sector is financial auditing services, specifically related to the audit of European political parties and political foundations.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned. The relevant region is the EU, as the audit concerns European political parties and foundations.

Project Stage: The project stage is not applicable, as this is a service contract for ongoing auditing services. The service is recurring, with yearly reports required.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the contract is 3,300,000 EUR.

Application Type: The application type is an open call for tenders.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries (audit firms) will receive money in exchange for providing auditing services.

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly stated, but it can be inferred that there will be at least two stages: submission of the tender and evaluation of the tender. The selection criteria include suitability to pursue the professional activity, economic and financial standing, and technical and professional ability, suggesting a multi-stage evaluation process.

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

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

Summary:

This is a call for tenders issued by the European Parliament for a service framework contract for the financial and compliance audit of European political parties and political foundations for the period 2025-2029. The European Parliament requires audit reports of the annual financial statements of these parties and foundations, prepared in accordance with both local GAAP and IFRS, as well as an assurance report on the legality and regularity of their revenue and expenditure. The estimated total value of the contract is 3,300,000 EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 60 months. The procedure type is an open procedure, and submissions must be sent electronically. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio. The deadline for receipt of tenders is June 16, 2025. The tender documents include an invitation letter, tender specifications, technical specifications, and various annexes related to administrative data, declarations, and financial identification. The contracting authority is the European Parliament, Directorate-General for Finance (FINS). The call is open to qualified audit firms and accounting organizations capable of providing the required auditing services within the EU regulatory framework.