Harmonising the implementation of EU legal requirements in the fields of Plant Health and Plant Protection Products through the 'Better Training for S...

The Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) invites tenders (Call ID HADEA/2026/OP/0038) for a direct service contract to organise and implement training on EU plant health law and plant protection products under the Better Training for Safer Food (BTSF) initiative. The estimated contract value is €3,900,000 for an initial 30-month period renewable once, and evaluation will be based on quality (80%) and price (20%). Tenders must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by 19 October 2026, 14:00:59 CEST, following the Invitation to Tender and Tender Specifications published on the portal.

Call type and scope

What is funded

A framework service contract to organise and deliver training activities under the Better Training for Safer Food initiative, focused on EU legal requirements in plant health and plant protection products.

Who can tender:Service providers/contractors capable of delivering training and capacity-building activities (tender procedure; see procurement documents).

1. 1Lead contracting authority: Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA).
2. 2Procedure: Call for tenders, eSubmission required.
3. 3Lot structure: single lot (LOT-0001).
4. 4Contract form: direct service/framework, initial 30 months, renewable once; planned duration up to 60 months.

Applications are submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal; selection and award criteria include quality (80) and price (20). ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement documents, draft contract and tender specifications are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal (see tender details page) Tender details.

Opportunity summary

Type:Tender (procurement for services). Lead contracting authority: Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). Call identifier: HADEA/2026/OP/0038. Subject: organisation and implementation of training activities in the areas of plant health and plant protection products under the Better Training for Safer Food initiative. Procurement nature: services (CPV 80500000 - combined facilities support services). Estimated total procedure value: €3,900,000. Planned contract duration: initial 30 months, renewable once, total planned procurement period 60 months. Submission method: mandatory electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal (eSubmission). Tender submission deadline (closing date): 19 October 2026, 14:00:59 (Brussels time). Open tender event (information session / opening): 20 October 2026, 14:30 (Brussels time). Additional information request period end: 9 October 2026. Contract type: direct service contract resulting from this tender. The procurement is published on the European Commission Funding & Tenders Portal and HaDEA web pages.

Documents available to applicants

Tender documentation published on 30 June 2026:Invitation to Tender; Tender Specifications; Draft Direct Service Contract; Draft contract Annex: Appendix 1 Security requirements; Declaration on Honour (tender); Financial Offer form (Excel). Applicants must consult these procurement documents for full requirements, scoring rules and contractual clauses ¹.

Where to access the tender documents:Official tender landing page on the Funding & Tenders Portal and HaDEA website. The access URL is provided in the procurement metadata and in the tender documentation bundle ¹.

Detailed categorisation and extraction

Eligible Applicant Types

This is a public procurement open via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Typical eligible tenderers include: private companies (SMEs and large enterprises), consortia of companies, joint ventures or partnerships, non-profit organisations, training organisations, universities and research institutes acting as contractors, and public bodies where national rules permit participation in EU public procurements. The procurement documents specify selection criteria and may require evidence of professional capacity, financial stability and technical expertise. The tender is not limited to SMEs (smeSuitableIndicator is false).

Funding Type

Primary financial mechanism:procurement / service contract (paid contract for the delivery of training services). This is not a grant, loan or equity instrument; selected tenderer(s) will receive payment under a direct service contract for services delivered to the contracting authority.

Consortium Requirement

The procedure is a public tender for one procurement lot (LOT-0001). Tender documents typically allow either a single legal entity to tender or multiple entities to form a consortium (consortium or economic operators working together are generally permitted under EU procurement rules). Exact allowed forms (consortium, subcontracting rules, lead partner responsibilities) and required declarations are set out in the Tender Specifications and Declaration on Honour; applicants must follow those rules precisely.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility)

Geographic scope:EU-wide procurement organised by HaDEA. Eligible economic operators normally include entities established in Member States of the European Union; depending on the tender specifications and the underlying legal basis, bidders from EEA and certain third countries may also be eligible if the procurement rules and international agreements applicable to the contract permit participation. The contracting authority is HaDEA (European Commission executive agency), thus the call targets providers able to deliver across the EU. Applicants should consult the Tender Specifications for exact nationality and establishment requirements.

Target Sector

Primary thematic sectors targeted by this procurement:plant health and plant protection products. Secondary and cross-cutting sectors: agriculture and food safety, environment, regulatory compliance, vocational education and training, capacity building and public sector training services. The activity sits at the interface of regulatory enforcement and professional training (Better Training for Safer Food initiative).

Mentioned Countries

No individual countries are listed in the scraped metadata; the contracting authority is an EU executive agency (HaDEA) and the opportunity is EU-level. Listed region: European Union (HaDEA, EU Funding & Tenders Portal).

Project Stage

Maturity / stage:implementation and delivery. This tender is for organising and delivering training activities (operational implementation of training programmes). It is not a research grant; it is focused on operational delivery, capacity building, training design and implementation, and potentially monitoring and reporting of training outcomes.

Funding Amount

Estimated total procedure value / estimated overall contract amount:€3,900,000. This is the contracting authority's estimated budget for the framework/contract resulting from the tender and covers the full planned period (contract initial 30 months with the possibility to renew once). The Tender Specifications and Financial Offer form contain the pricing and invoicing modalities to be used by bidders.

Application Type

Submission method:open public tender via eSubmission on the Funding & Tenders Portal. The call is not invitation-only; tender documents have been published and interested economic operators submit tenders electronically through the portal before the specified deadline.

Nature of Support

Beneficiaries (the contractor) receive monetary compensation under a service contract for delivering specified training activities. The output delivered to the contracting authority is non-monetary (training services, materials, events, capacity building). The contractual arrangement results in payment for services rendered.

Application Stages

Number of observable procurement stages:one main stage (submission of tender documentation) leading to evaluation and award. The procurement timeline includes: publication and document access, possible clarification questions during the additional information request period (ends 9 October 2026), electronic tender submission (deadline 19 October 2026), opening / award event (20 October 2026), evaluation and award decision, then contract signature and performance. From an applicant perspective, the actionable stages are: prepare and submit full tender dossier; participate in clarifications if needed; await evaluation and award. The tendering process may include eligibility and selection checks followed by technical and financial evaluation (award criteria: quality 80% / price 20% as indicated in metadata).

Success Rates

No explicit historic success rate is provided in the procurement metadata. As with most single-lot public tenders, success rate equals 1 divided by number of compliant bids; applicants should assume competition from multiple qualified entities. The procurement documents do not publish a target number of awards beyond the single lot.

Co-funding Requirement

Co-funding by the contractor is not required in the sense of matching a grant; the contract represents payment for services. Bidders must price their offers fully using the provided Financial Offer form. No applicant co-financing percentage is requested in the metadata. Costs must be covered by the contractor until invoiced and paid under the contract.

Templates and Application Forms

The procurement package includes standard and specific templates that bidders must use or complete: Financial Offer form (Excel), Declaration on Honour (Word), Invitation to Tender, Tender Specifications, Draft Direct Service Contract and Appendix on Security Requirements. Structure required in the submission (as indicated by the documents): 1) Administrative forms and declarations (including Declaration on Honour and evidence of legal status and financial and professional capacity). 2) Technical offer addressing the Tender Specifications, methodologies for training design and delivery, staffing, quality assurance, monitoring and reporting, timeline and proposed workplan. 3) Past performance and references demonstrating relevant experience in EU-level or multi-country training programmes, and competence in plant health and plant protection products. 4) Financial offer completed in the supplied Financial Offer template. 5) Any required annexes (CVs of key staff, detailed budgets, sub-contracting arrangements, security compliance statements). Bidders must consult the Tender Specifications for detailed submission structure, page limits, format (file types), and required supporting evidence.

1. 1Documents published: 1. Invitation to Tender; 2. Draft Direct Service Contract; 2a. Appendix 1 Security requirements; 3. Tender Specifications; 4. Declaration on Honour (tender); 5. Financial Offer form
2. 2Award criteria indicated in metadata: quality weighting 80, price weighting 20. Detailed sub-criteria are in the Tender Specifications — bidders must consult those documents to address scoring
3. 3Contract duration and renewal: initial 30 months, renewable once (see Draft Contract)
4. 4Procurement lot: one lot (LOT-0001)
5. 5Estimated total value: €3,900,000 for the full contract period

Key operational and technical requirements to prepare for (high level)

Although the Tender Specifications contain the definitive and binding requirements, the procurement metadata indicates the contract will require: design and delivery of sector-specific training activities on EU legal requirements for plant health and plant protection products; multilingual delivery across Member States as needed; high-quality course materials and e-learning components where appropriate; monitoring, evaluation and reporting of training outcomes; coordination with EU authorities and stakeholders; adherence to security and confidentiality requirements as per the contract Appendix; and compliance with EU procurement and contractual terms. Applicants should prepare evidence of relevant technical capacity, prior experience delivering EU or multi-country training, a detailed workplan and staffing plan, risk and quality management measures, and a compliant financial proposal in the provided template.

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Summary and practical guidance

This opportunity is a competitive public procurement run by HaDEA to award a service contract to an economic operator (single legal entity or consortium as permitted) to organise and implement training on EU legal requirements in plant health and plant protection products under the Better Training for Safer Food initiative. The contracting authority has an estimated budget of €3.9 million for the contract period (initial 30 months, renewable once). The tender is open via the Funding & Tenders Portal and requires electronic submission by 19 October 2026. Evaluation will be based on quality and price (weighted in metadata as 80/20). Interested bidders must download and carefully follow the Tender Specifications and complete mandatory templates (Financial Offer, Declaration on Honour) and provide required evidence of technical and financial capacity. Clarification requests must be submitted before 9 October 2026. Successful bidders will deliver operational training services, be paid under a direct service contract, and must comply with contract security and reporting requirements. Prospective tenderers should prioritise: reviewing all published procurement documents; verifying eligibility and required supporting evidence; preparing a high-quality technical proposal tailored to the award criteria; completing the Financial Offer form accurately; and ensuring timely eSubmission through the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement documents published on 30 June 2026 on the Funding & Tenders Portal and HaDEA website: Invitation to Tender; Draft Direct Service Contract; Appendix 1 Security requirements; Tender Specifications; Declaration on Honour; Financial Offer form. Access the tender page via the Funding & Tenders Portal or HaDEA opportunity listing for HADEA/2026/OP/0038 to download all documents and register for clarifications and eSubmission.

What This Opportunity Is About

This tender seeks a service provider to organise and implement training activities on EU legal requirements in plant health and plant protection products (PPPs) under the Better Training for Safer Food (BTSF) initiative ¹. The goal is to harmonise the implementation of EU legislation across Member States, candidate countries, and selected non-EU neighbours ².

Key Objectives:Harmonise EU law implementation, train on new/upcoming legislation, protect the Union from plant pests, promote sustainable food systems, support DG SANTE priorities, and enhance global recognition of EU standards ².

Who Should Apply

Economic operators with expertise in training delivery, plant health, and PPP regulation are invited to submit tenders. This includes training organisations, consultancies, and institutions with experience in EU food safety and plant health programmes ³.

1. 1Proven experience in BTSF or similar EU training initiatives
2. 2Expertise in plant health and plant protection product regulation (e.g., Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, Regulation (EU) 2016/2031)
3. 3Capacity to deliver face-to-face, virtual, and eLearning courses
4. 4Ability to train officials from EU Member States, candidate countries, and non-EU neighbours

Eligibility and Contract Highlights

The contract is concluded for an initial period of 30 months, renewable once for an additional 30 months, subject to performance and budget availability ³.

Training Scope and Beneficiaries

Training will cover EU Plant Health Law (Regulation (EU) 2016/2031) and Plant Protection Products Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009), including risk assessment, harmonised risk indicators (HRIs), and emergency authorisations ¹.

Primary Beneficiaries:Officials from Competent Authorities in EU Member States and candidate countries involved in official controls in plant health and PPPs ². Some training will also target non-EU (EU neighbourhood) countries to facilitate market access and reduce rejections at EU borders ¹¹.

How to Apply and Key Documents

Tenders must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. Required documents include the Invitation to Tender, Tender Specifications, Draft Contract, Security Requirements, Declaration on Honour, and Financial Offer Form ³.

1. 11. HADEA/2026/OP/0038_Invitation to Tender_V1.pdf
2. 23. HADEA/2026/OP/0038_Tender Specifications_V1.pdf
3. 32. HADEA/2026/OP/0038_Direct Service Contract_V1.pdf
4. 45. HADEA/2026/OP/0038_Financial Offer_V1.xlsx

All documents are available on the official tender page:EU Funding & Tenders Portal - Tender 32b3703c ³.

Background on BTSF Initiative

Better Training for Safer Food (BTSF) was launched in 2006 by the European Commission to improve knowledge and implementation of EU rules in food safety, plant health, animal health, and One Health ². Over 42,000 officials from 120 countries have attended BTSF courses, promoting harmonised controls and facilitating trade ⁵.

Training is delivered via face-to-face courses, virtual classrooms, and eLearning modules through the BTSF Academy, using a train-the-trainer approach to disseminate knowledge ².

Footnotes

1. 1Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 and Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 form the core legal framework for PPPs and plant health. See EU Plant Health Law and PPP Regulation.
2. 2HaDEA news on BTSF tender: Organising BTSF Training Activities.
3. 3Tender documents and specifications: Tender Specifications PDF (similar structure for 2026 call).