Investment readiness and investor outreach programme (VentureMatch Programme)

The European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) has issued an open call for tenders, referenced as EISMEA/2025/OP/0033, for the VentureMatch Programme, focused on investment readiness and investor outreach. The total estimated value for the procurement contract is 8,400,000 EUR. The purpose of this contract is to provide specialized support for EIC Awardees, particularly startups selected under the EIC pilot and beneficiaries of the STEP action, in their fundraising efforts related to technology development, market deployment, and scale-up projects.

The contractor will be responsible for a variety of tasks including identifying and presenting the investment needs of EIC awardees, supporting the improvement of their investor materials, and maintaining a library of high-quality resources. Additionally, the contractor will manage an expanding network of investors, organizing pitching and networking activities, and implementing a customer relationship management (CRM) system and a matchmaking platform to enhance fundraising efforts.

The tender is open to professional service providers capable of delivering these services and does not explicitly require consortium submissions, although a larger organization or a consortium may be advantageous due to the comprehensive nature of the tasks. The geographic eligibility is primarily focused on EU member states, but entities from EEA countries and other applicable jurisdictions may also participate under EU procurement rules.

The project targets established companies, particularly those in the commercialization and scaling phases, and will run for a maximum duration of 48 months. Evaluation for the contract will be based on a combination of technical quality (70%) and price (30%). The deadline for submissions is November 10, 2025, with electronic submissions required via the designated platform.

No co-funding requirements are stated, and the process follows standard EU procurement protocols. The contractor will play a vital role in enhancing the connection between EIC awardees and potential investors, ensuring visibility of both the EIC Fund and participating startups within the broader investment landscape.

The European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) has published a call for tenders, EISMEA/2025/OP/0033, for an Investment readiness and investor outreach programme (VentureMatch Programme). The TED reference for this call is 186/2025 632958-2025. The estimated total value of the procurement is 8,400,000 EUR.

The procurement aims to support the Agency in running the call for the EIC Investment readiness and investor outreach programme (VentureMatch). The contractor will provide specialized support to EIC Awardees, including blended finance startups selected under the EIC pilot and beneficiaries of the STEP action, in fundraising for technology development, market deployment, and scale-up.

The tasks foreseen include:

1.  Supporting EIC awardees by:
 *  Identifying, collecting, and presenting their investment-related needs in a structured form.
 *  Supporting them in improving their investor materials.
 *  Suggesting suitable investors.
 *  Proposing and maintaining a dynamic library of high-quality learning materials, guides, and templates.
 *  Providing support to KAMs from Community tender in organizing investor-related activities for companies.

2.  Sourcing, supporting, and managing investors:
 *  Developing the existing network of investors, including venture capital funds, impact investment funds, family offices, venture debt funds, NPBIs (National Promotional Banks and Institutions), corporate venture arms, project investors, and other relevant investor types.
 *  Identifying relevant investors.
 *  Validating investors (limited checks of their website, staff, etc.) to ensure legitimacy.
 *  Onboarding investors on the platform and including them in the activities.

3.  EIC events and investor networking:
 *  Organizing pitching activities (1 large, 3 medium, 9 epithes).
 *  Organizing investor networking activities (10-15).
 *  Providing support to TIN events.

4.  CRM, matchmaking, data analytics, and communication:
 *  Proposing and implementing a robust customer relationship management (CRM) system to centralize and manage all relevant data regarding the fundraising-related activities of the companies.
 *  Proposing a leading matchmaking platform with a robust investor base, proven track record, and user-friendly features, ensuring it supports active engagement and data-driven insights.
 *  Analyzing information and data from internal (EIC IT tools, CRM, matchmaking platform) and external sources (platforms like Pitchbook or Dealroom) to identify trends, measure conversion rates, and recommend adjustments to maximize the impact of the activities, fundraising success, and exit readiness.
 *  Reinforcing the connection between eligible awardees and clusters of companies via a dedicated communication channel on platforms such as Slack.
 *  Raising visibility of the participating EIC awardees, investor activities, and the EIC Fund as a key strategic actor within the investment landscape via success stories, newsletters, and updating data on data aggregator platforms.

The procedure type is an open procedure. The nature of the contract is for services, and the maximum contract duration is 48 months. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio. This is not a framework agreement.

Key milestones include:

*  TED publication date: 29/09/2025
*  Date and time of public opening: 10/11/2025 15:00 Europe/Brussels
*  Deadline for receipt of tenders: 10/11/2025 10:00 Europe/Brussels
*  Deadline for submitting questions: 31/10/2025 07:00 Europe/Brussels (The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after this date.)

The main classification (CPV) code is 79400000 - Business and management consultancy and related services.

The following documents are available for download:

*  ENEN-Invitation to tender EISMEA2025OP0033 VentureMatch ProgrammeInvitation letter (Published on 29/09/2025, Version 1, No translations available)
*  ENTender Specifications Investment support-EISMEA-2025-OP-0033Tender specifications (Published on 29/09/2025, Version 1, No translations available)
*  ENEN Direct Service Contract EISMEA2025OP0033 1Draft contract (Published on 29/09/2025, Version 1, No translations available)
*  ENAnnex III of the draft service contract 2025 OP 0025Draft contract annex (Published on 29/09/2025, Version 1, No translations available)
*  ENAnnex IV of the draft service contract 2025-OP-0025Draft contract annex (Published on 29/09/2025, Version 1, No translations available)
*  ENAppendix 2 Security requirementsDraft contract annex (Published on 29/09/2025, Version 1, No translations available)
*  ENAppendix 3 Security baseline enDraft contract annex (Published on 29/09/2025, Version 1, No translations available)
*  ENAnnex 1 - list of documents to be submitted with the tender or during the procedureOther invitation to tender document (Published on 29/09/2025, Version 1, No translations available)
*  ENAnnex 2 - Declaration-of-honour-tenders VentureMatch Programme EISMEA2025OP0033Other invitation to tender document (Published on 29/09/2025, Version 1, No translations available)
*  ENAnnex 2.1 - statement turnoverOther invitation to tender document (Published on 29/09/2025, Version 1, No translations available)

Submissions must be sent exclusively via electronic submission.

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In summary, this tender opportunity, EISMEA/2025/OP/0033, seeks a contractor to manage and execute the EIC VentureMatch Programme. This program aims to provide specialized support to European Innovation Council (EIC) awardees in their fundraising efforts. The selected contractor will be responsible for tasks such as assessing the investment needs of EIC awardees, developing investor materials, identifying and managing a network of relevant investors, organizing pitching and networking events, and implementing a CRM and matchmaking platform. The contractor will also be expected to analyze data to improve the program's effectiveness and communicate the successes of the program to a wider audience. The tender is open to all eligible organizations, and the award will be based on the best price-quality ratio. The deadline for submitting tenders is November 10, 2025.

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, consulting firms, and other organizations with expertise in investment readiness, investor outreach, CRM, matchmaking, data analytics, and communication. The tender is open, so any legal entity that can fulfill the requirements can apply.

Funding Type: This is a procurement opportunity, specifically a service contract.

Consortium Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required or if a single applicant is sufficient. However, given the scope of the tasks, a consortium might be beneficial but is not necessarily mandatory. The tender is open to both single applicants and consortia.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated, but since it is an EU tender, it is likely open to entities from the EU and possibly EEA countries.

Target Sector: The target sector is investment support, specifically focusing on supporting EIC Awardees in fundraising for technology development, market deployment, and scale-up. This includes activities related to venture capital, impact investment, and investor networking. The tender also targets the ICT sector, specifically through the implementation of a CRM and matchmaking platform.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the opportunity is within the context of the European Innovation Council (EIC) and involves National Promotional Banks and Institutions (NPBIs), implying a focus on EU member states.

Project Stage: The project stage targets companies that are in the development, market deployment, and scale-up phases, specifically EIC Awardees. The support aims to improve their investment readiness and facilitate fundraising.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the tender is 8,400,000 EUR.

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

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries of this tender (the EIC Awardees) will receive non-monetary services, such as investment readiness support, investor outreach, and access to a matchmaking platform. The selected contractor will receive money for providing these services.

Application Stages: The number of stages is not explicitly mentioned, but it is likely a multi-stage process involving submission of the tender, evaluation, and selection.

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

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement for the applicant.

Summary:

This is an open call for tenders (EISMEA/2025/OP/0033) by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) for the "Investment readiness and investor outreach programme (VentureMatch Programme)". The aim is to procure a service provider that will support EIC Awardees (startups and beneficiaries of the STEP action) in their fundraising efforts for technology development, market deployment, and scale-up. The selected contractor will be responsible for identifying and supporting EIC awardees, sourcing and managing investors, organizing pitching and networking events, and implementing a CRM and matchmaking platform. The contract has an estimated total value of 8,400,000 EUR and a maximum duration of 48 months. The deadline for receipt of tenders is November 10, 2025. The submission method is electronic. The tenderer will need to provide business and management consultancy and related services. The contractor will need to propose a leading matchmaking platform with a robust investor base, proven track record, and user-friendly features, ensuring it supports active engagement and data-driven insights. The contractor must be able to analyse information and data coming from internal (EIC IT tools, CRM, matchmaking platform) and external sources (platforms like Pitchbook or Dealroom providing company information) in order to identify trends, measure conversion rates, and recommend adjustments to maximize impact of the activities, fundraising success, and exit readiness on the level. The contractor shall reinforce the connection between eligible awardees and clusters of companies via a dedicated communication channel on platforms such Slack. The contractor shall raise visibility of the participating EIC awardees, of the investor activities but also of the EIC Fund to being a key strategic actor within the investment landscape via success stories, newsletter, updating the data on data aggregator platforms etc.