FORM26 - Provision of multilingual desktop publishing, formatting and file processing services

The Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union (CdT) publishes tender CDT/2026/OP/0007 to award up to three framework contracts in cascade for multilingual desktop publishing, formatting and file processing services with a framework ceiling of €500,000 for up to 48 months. Award will be by best price-quality ratio (70% technical / 30% price) and requires submission of a single all-inclusive hourly rate in euros together with detailed technical evidence including seven reference projects and specified IT/CAT/DTP resources. Tenders must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission by 30 November 2026 at 16:00 Europe/Luxembourg; entities established in the United Kingdom are not eligible under the applicable access rules. Contractors must accept cascade work orders, ensure secure confidential file handling at their premises, and comply with the Centre’s software and data protection requirements.

What is funded

Scope in one line

Framework procurement for multilingual desktop publishing (DTP), file pre-processing and post-processing to prepare files for CAT tools, alignments (TMX) and publication-ready formatting across formats such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, PDF, Adobe InDesign and Illustrator.

Who can apply

Open procedure for economic operators established in the EU/EEA and eligible third countries under procurement rules; sole tenderers or consortia (joint tenders) may apply. Subcontracting permitted but not allowed to outsource 100% of tasks; entities on whose capacities a tenderer relies must provide commitments.

Key facts & how to submit

Required deliverables include pre-processing to produce clean SDLXLIFF/compatible files for CAT tools, post-processing/DTP to reproduce source layout in target languages, alignments (TMX) and quality assurance. Contractors must follow the Centre’s toolset and security rules and accept that work is processed at contractor premises.

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement documents, tender specifications, draft framework contract and submission details are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (see call details).

Opportunity snapshot

Tender reference CDT/2026/OP/0007 (TED ref. 210/2026; TED notice 751803-2026). Issuing authority: Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union (CdT). Subject: provision of multilingual desktop publishing (DTP), file formatting, pre-processing for CAT compatibility and post-processing (DTP) and alignment/TMX production for translation purposes across diverse file formats (PDF, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator and others).

Who can apply (eligibility and applicant types)

Funding and contractual model

Geographic and beneficiary scope

Target sectors and tasks

Project stage and expected maturity

Selection, evaluation and award — key technical requirements

Selection criteria and minimum capacities to be fulfilled at tender stage:

Funding amount and invoicing

Application and submission process

Application stages, evaluation process and timelines

Success rates, competition and co-funding

Templates and application guidance (structure and advice)

Contract management, data security and confidentiality

All working documents are confidential and shall not be processed in third-party cloud tools unless authorised by the Centre. Contractors must ensure personnel confidentiality undertakings and implement required IT security, backup and data loss prevention measures. Personal data processing must comply with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725; the tender documents specify that personal data must be processed and stored within the EU/EEA unless expressly authorised and compliant with Chapter V of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725.

How to apply (practical steps)

1) Register organisation in the Participant Register to obtain a PIC. 2) Register in CdT Calls for Tenders Portal and fill the online Linguistic Team form. 3) Download and study the Invitation to Tender, Tender Specifications, Draft Framework Contract and Annexes from the F&T Portal. 4) Prepare Annexes 2–11 and supporting documents. 5) Submit all documents via eSubmission before the deadline (EU Login required). 6) Attend the virtual opening if desired (max 2 representatives per tender).

Risks, common pitfalls and tender compliance checks

Final summary

Footnotes

1. 1Tender documents, Invitation to Tender, Tender Specifications and Draft Framework Contract are published on the Funding & Tenders Portal: ec.europa.eu

FORM26, Provision of multilingual desktop publishing, formatting and file processing services

This is a public procurement opportunity rather than a grant. The Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union is seeking to establish multiple framework contracts for multilingual desktop publishing, formatting and file processing services supporting translation and publication workflows for EU bodies and institutions. The procurement is conducted through an open procedure under reference CDT/2026/OP/0007. 1

Opportunity identification

What the contract covers

The contractor will process multilingual files connected with EU translation projects. The work is divided principally into pre-processing, post-processing and alignment activities.

Pre-processing involves converting or preparing documents so that their text and formatting can be processed correctly through computer assisted translation tools. This may include Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign and PDF files.

Post-processing involves restoring and checking the layout of translated files so that the final documents reproduce the source layout and are ready for publication without further intervention by the Centre.

Alignment work may involve preparing source and target documents, aligning corresponding content in a CAT tool, producing TMX files and, where requested, pre-translating an SDLXLIFF file. Linguistic modification of source or target content is not permitted unless expressly requested by the Centre.

The services can include handling embedded objects, converting non-editable content into editable content, applying functional styles and fields, ensuring suitable segmentation, conducting pseudo-translation checks, managing text expansion in other languages and completing quality assurance checks.

Translation, revision, editing and other activities that change the semantic or textual content are outside the scope of the procurement. Any issue identified in source content must normally be reported to the Centre rather than corrected independently.

The contractor must follow task specific instructions. Instructions may vary by client, language, document type, format and assignment. The contractor must implement feedback from the Centre and provide explanations or screenshots when requested.

Eligible applicants and access conditions

Participation is open to natural and legal persons established in EU Member States, persons and entities covered by the EU Treaties, international organisations and operators established in third countries where participation is permitted by an applicable EU public procurement agreement or the World Trade Organization Agreement on Government Procurement.

The tender documents specifically state that United Kingdom entities and residents are not eligible under this call because the relevant third country access conditions apply following the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union. Applicants established elsewhere must verify that their country has an applicable access basis.

Applicants may submit as a sole tenderer or as a group of economic operators. Joint tender members are jointly and severally liable for performance. A group leader and authorised single point of contact must be appointed, and the prescribed power of attorney must be submitted.

Subcontracting is permitted, but tenderers may not outsource 100 percent of the contractual tasks. Identified subcontractors must be disclosed where their individual share is known and exceeds 10 percent or where the tenderer relies on their capacities to meet selection criteria. The tenderer remains fully liable for the contract.

A tenderer may rely on the capacities of other entities to meet selection criteria, but must provide a specific commitment that the necessary resources will be available. For technical and professional capacity, the supporting entity must perform the services for which its capacity is relied upon.

Every participating organisation must be registered in the European Commission Participant Register and have a valid Participant Identification Code. Each tenderer must also register in the Translation Centre's Calls for Tender Portal and complete, validate, sign and submit the required registration information.

Selection and exclusion requirements

All involved entities must satisfy the applicable exclusion requirements and submit a signed Declaration on Honour using the model in Annex 2. The declaration covers insolvency, unpaid taxes or social security contributions, grave professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, criminal organisations, money laundering, terrorism related offences, trafficking, serious contractual failures, irregularities, circumvention of legal obligations, obstruction of audits and related grounds.

The declaration also covers persons with powers of representation, decision making or control, beneficial owners and persons with unlimited liability where applicable. The tenderer must declare the absence of conflicts of interest, compliance with EU restrictive measures, absence of established debts to the Union and independent preparation of the tender.

The contracting authority may request supporting evidence during the procedure or before award. Applicants should prepare recent judicial records, tax and social security certificates, evidence of legal existence, evidence of legal capacity and other documents required by the tender specifications. Failure to provide requested evidence within the specified deadline can result in rejection.

The selection criteria include legal and regulatory capacity, economic and financial capacity, technical and professional capacity and required information concerning the proposed formatting team and IT resources. The precise minimum financial thresholds and any detailed evidence requirements must be taken from the tender specifications and their annexes.

Technical capability and mandatory resources

The tenderer must demonstrate relevant multilingual desktop publishing, formatting and file processing experience. Annex 7 requires seven reference projects supported by signed client statements. The references must collectively demonstrate experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe PDF.

Each reference certificate should identify the client, describe the services, state the file format, number of physical pages, completion dates and recipients. Experience evidence that does not contain the required elements may not be accepted.

The proposed formatting team must be identified through the required online form and supported by curricula vitae. The technical offer must describe team members' certifications or specialisations, language capabilities and practical experience in linguistic work or the translation industry.

The tenderer must describe team organisation, coordination, continuity of service, operational resilience, quality assurance, automation capabilities, quality certifications and technical solutions. The technical tender also requires an explanation of the technical workflow, tool integration, secure data handling, upgrade capacity and methods for maintaining consistency and quality.

Compulsory IT resources include suitable computers and operating systems, CAT software, DTP software, support for required file formats, backup and data restoration arrangements, and appropriate security controls. The annex identifies compulsory resources with an asterisk. Marking a compulsory resource as unavailable results in the relevant criterion being considered unfulfilled.

The Centre currently identifies Microsoft Office 2021, Adobe InDesign 2026, Trados Studio 2024 and SDLXLIFF as relevant working environments. These may change during the contract, and contractors must make reasonable efforts to remain compatible with the Centre's updated software and file requirements.

Award methodology

The price offer must be submitted as a single hourly rate in euros, with up to two decimal places. The same hourly rate applies to all service types covered by the contract, including pre-processing, post-processing and alignment work.

The hourly rate must include all costs associated with delivery, including management, salaries, social security, office costs, insurance, communications, document handling and delivery. The Centre is exempt from value added tax under the applicable privileges and immunities rules, so VAT must not be included in the quotation and should be shown separately where applicable.

Commercial value and payment expectations

The estimated value is €500,000 over four years, based on an indicative allocation of approximately €125,000 per year. This is a maximum framework ceiling and not a guaranteed order value. The Centre states that it cannot provide an accurate work volume estimate, and actual demand will depend on specific work orders.

Signature of a framework contract does not oblige the Centre to place any specific volume of work. Applicants should therefore assess the opportunity as access to a potential stream of assignments rather than as a guaranteed €500,000 award.

The procurement documents indicate that the Centre intends to implement electronic invoicing in the future and contractors must make reasonable efforts to comply with the applicable electronic exchange arrangements when introduced.

Framework operation and workload obligations

Framework contracts are expected to run for an initial period of 12 months and may be renewed by tacit agreement up to three times, subject to a maximum total duration of four years. Renewal is not guaranteed.

The framework uses a cascade model. Successful tenderers are ranked according to their total award scores. The highest ranked contractor should receive assignments first. If that contractor cannot accept an assignment, the request may be offered to the next ranked contractor.

The tender specifications state that service requests falling within the framework cannot normally be refused. Refusal may lead to contractual consequences, including termination and transfer of future requests to the next ranked contractor.

For each assignment, the Centre will specify the service, volume, deadline and remuneration in a work order. The contractor must normally confirm acceptance within two hours, taking account of the proposed deadline. Delivery deadlines depend on the document volume and priority.

Confidentiality and data protection

All working documents are confidential. Contractors must not disclose them to third parties or process them using third party cloud based tools. The contractor must obtain confidentiality commitments from internal staff, external staff and subcontractors, including obligations that continue after contract completion.

Applicants should be able to demonstrate secure file transfer, access controls, backup, disaster recovery, malware protection, firewall protection and data loss prevention measures. The proposed technical environment must support secure handling of EU institutional and translation related files.

Submission requirements

Tenders must be submitted exclusively through the electronic submission system linked to the Funding and Tenders Portal. Submissions by email, post or other channels will be disregarded.

The submission normally requires the following documents and information:

The tender must be submitted in an official language of the European Union. English is preferred for faster evaluation, although language choice does not determine the evaluation result. Documents issued in other languages must be accompanied by a translation into an official EU language.

Applicants should create and validate their EU Login, Participant Register record, PIC, Translation Centre portal registration and eSubmission profile well before the deadline. The electronic submission receipt is the evidence of the official submission time.

Key dates

The supplied metadata also contains an earlier date of 1 January 2026, but the authoritative tender notice and procurement documents identify 30 November 2026 at 16:00 Europe/Luxembourg as the deadline for receipt of tenders. Applicants should rely on the live portal record and any subsequent official notice or amendment.

Applicant readiness assessment

Main risks and commercial considerations

Overall assessment

This opportunity is most suitable for an established translation technology, desktop publishing or multilingual document production provider with demonstrated experience across office, Adobe and PDF formats. The strongest applicants will combine a broad and well evidenced reference portfolio, a qualified multilingual formatting team, mature CAT and DTP workflows, secure document handling and a quality system capable of meeting short and variable deadlines.

The opportunity is not structured as grant funding and does not provide a fixed award or reimbursement percentage. Revenue will arise only from specific assignments issued under the framework and paid at the successful tenderer's accepted hourly rate, subject to the overall framework ceiling and the applicable contract terms.

The final tender strategy should be based on the complete invitation letter, tender specifications, annexes, draft framework contract and any portal amendments or questions and answers published before the deadline. 1

Footnotes

1. 1Authoritative procurement source: EU Funding and Tenders Portal tender details. The portal record and the published procurement documents should prevail if any secondary metadata is inconsistent.