Harmonising the implementation of EU legal requirements in the fields of the Official Controls Regulation, Border Controls, and the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) through the 'Better Training for Safer Food' Initiative

The Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) of the European Commission is planning a call for tenders, identified by the procedure identifier HADEA/2025/OP/0036-PIN. This procurement focuses on harmonizing the implementation of EU legal requirements related to the Official Controls Regulation, Border Controls, and the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) through the 'Better Training for Safer Food' Initiative. The primary aim is to organize and implement training activities over a total contract period of 60 months, structured into two phases of 30 months each.

The key objectives include ensuring consistent application of EU legislation, providing training on new regulations, protecting against animal diseases, promoting sustainable food systems, and supporting the priorities of DG SANTE, thus enhancing the global recognition of EU standards. The initiative is geared towards training officials in EU Member States, Candidate Countries, and select non-EU Neighbourhood countries based on the strategic objectives of the European Commission.

The estimated overall contract value is 3.9 million EUR. The call for tenders is categorized under the Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV) code 80500000, which aligns with training services. It is important to note that this is a planned tender, with the publication date set for July 14, 2025, and the estimated publication of the contract notice anticipated for July 28, 2025.

Eligible applicants for this procurement are economic operators capable of delivering specialized training services, including training providers, consulting firms, universities, and private companies without specific organizational type restrictions indicated in the tender. The funding mechanism is a procurement contract for services, not a grant, wherein the successful contractor will receive payment directly for the services rendered, thus there is no co-funding requirement.

The application process will likely involve a single-stage submission through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, with electronic submission mandated. The success rates and specific details about the evaluation stages are not included in the available information. Overall, this tender presents a significant opportunity for organizations specializing in training related to EU food safety and regulatory compliance.

The European Commission, specifically the Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA), is planning a call for tenders, identified by procedure identifier HADEA/2025/OP/0036-PIN. This call focuses on harmonizing the implementation of EU legal requirements within the fields of the Official Controls Regulation, Border Controls, and the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) through the 'Better Training for Safer Food' Initiative. The TED reference for this planned call is 132/2025 455823-2025.

The primary objective of this call for tenders is the organization and implementation of training activities related to the aforementioned areas. The execution of these tasks will be structured into two distinct phases, each lasting 30 months. The main objectives include: harmonizing the implementation of Union legislation, providing training on new and upcoming legislation, protecting the Union from animal diseases, promoting sustainable food systems, supporting DG SANTE priorities, and enhancing global recognition of EU standards.

The intended beneficiaries of this training are primarily EU Member States and Candidate Countries. The program may also extend to some non-EU countries, specifically EU Neighbourhood countries, based on the European Commission's strategic objectives.

This is a planned call for tenders with an Official Journal of the European Union Supplement (OJ S) publication. The estimated total value of the call is 3,900,000 EUR. The TED publication date is set for 14/07/2025, and the estimated date for the publication of the contract notice is 28/07/2025. The lead contracting authority is the Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). The main classification according to the Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV) is 80500000, which corresponds to training services. The nature of the contract is for services, with a maximum contract duration of 60 months. No framework agreement is mentioned.

A question was raised regarding where to find the procurement documents for this call for tenders. The response clarifies that the current announcement is merely an intention to publish a future call for tenders, and therefore, no other information or documents are available beyond what has already been published.

In summary, this is a pre-announcement of a significant EU tender opportunity focused on improving food safety and border controls through training. The Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) plans to launch a call for tenders to find an organization capable of designing and delivering training programs across the EU and potentially in neighboring countries. The training will cover the Official Controls Regulation, Border Controls, and the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES). The goal is to ensure consistent application of EU laws, prepare for new regulations, protect against animal diseases, and promote sustainable food practices. The total budget is estimated at 3.9 million EUR, and the contract will be for 60 months, divided into two 30-month phases. The actual call for tenders with all the details and application documents is expected to be published around July 28, 2025.

Eligible Applicant Types: The information provided does not explicitly list eligible applicant types. However, given the nature of the call for tenders, it is likely that eligible applicants could include organizations with expertise in training, food safety, border controls, and related areas. This might include training providers, consulting firms, research institutions, and potentially government agencies or public bodies.

Funding Type: Procurement. This is a call for tenders, indicating a procurement process where the contracting authority (Health and Digital Executive Agency - HaDEA) is seeking services from external providers.

Consortium Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. It is possible that both single applicants and consortia could be eligible, but this would need to be confirmed in the official call documents when they are released.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The main beneficiaries will be EU Member States and Candidate Countries, with some non-EU countries (EU Neighbourhood countries) also covered based on European Commission strategic objectives.

Target Sector: This program targets the following sectors: food safety, border controls, animal health, and training services. It is specifically focused on harmonizing the implementation of EU legal requirements in these fields.

Mentioned Countries: EU Member States, EU Candidate Countries, and EU Neighbourhood countries are mentioned.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on the implementation of training activities. This suggests a stage beyond research and development, focusing on the delivery of training services related to existing regulations and systems.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the call for tenders is 3,900,000 EUR.

Application Type: Planned call for tenders with OJ S publication. This indicates that the call will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union, Supplement (OJ S).

Nature of Support: Non-monetary services. The selected tenderer will be providing training services, which constitutes a non-monetary form of support to the beneficiaries (EU Member States, Candidate Countries, and EU Neighbourhood countries).

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly mentioned, but it can be assumed that there will be at least two stages: the submission of a tender and the evaluation of the tender. There may be additional stages such as eligibility checks and contract negotiation.

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

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required.

Summary:

This is a planned call for tenders by the Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) with the procedure identifier HADEA/2025/OP/0036-PIN. The call aims to harmonize the implementation of EU legal requirements in the fields of Official Controls Regulation, Border Controls, and the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) through the 'Better Training for Safer Food' Initiative. The selected contractor will be responsible for organizing and implementing training activities for EU Member States, Candidate Countries, and some EU Neighbourhood countries. The total estimated value of the contract is 3,900,000 EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 60 months, divided into two phases of 30 months each. The TED publication date was 14/07/2025, and the estimated date of publication of a contract notice is 28/07/2025. This call for tenders falls under the category of services, specifically training services, as indicated by the CPV code 80500000. The main objectives include harmonizing Union legislation, providing training on new legislation, protecting the Union from animal diseases, promoting sustainable food systems, supporting DG SANTE priorities, and enhancing global recognition of EU standards. The call will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union, Supplement (OJ S).