Knowledge management and technical support for the European Ports Alliance Public-Private Partnership

The European Commission DG HOME invites tenders for knowledge management and technical support services to the European Ports Alliance Public-Private Partnership covering handbooks, stakeholder recommendations, meetings, communications and capacity building. Estimated contract value is €1,300,000 for an initial 24 month period with one renewal option. Award criteria weight quality at 65 percent and price at 35 percent and submissions must be made electronically via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal, call EC-HOME/2026/OP/0004. The submission deadline is 21 August 2026 at 16:00:59 Brussels time and bidders must meet the security and selection requirements set out in the tender documents.

Tender summary

What it funds

Provision of comprehensive knowledge management and technical support services to the European Ports Alliance Public-Private Partnership: preparation of handbooks and recommendations, organisation of meetings and events, communications activities, and development and delivery of stakeholder capacity-building.

Who can apply:Single operators or groups of operators (consortia) capable of delivering coordinated service packages to the Contracting Authority; public tender managed by European Commission DG HOME.

1. 1Core tasks: handbook and guidance development, stakeholder consultations and recommendations
2. 2Events and meeting organisation plus communication and outreach
3. 3Capacity building and training for ports stakeholders

Submission is electronic via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Award criteria weight:quality 65 percent, price 35 percent. Procurement reference EC-HOME/2026/OP/0004. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Tender page and procurement documents: Opportunity details.

What is being procured

The European Commission (DG HOME - Migration and Home Affairs) is procuring knowledge management and technical support services to assist the European Ports Alliance Public-Private Partnership. The contract requires one operator or a group of operators to deliver a comprehensive, coordinated set of services covering: preparation of handbooks and guidance, collection and synthesis of recommendations, organisation and facilitation of meetings and events, communication activities, and development and delivery of capacity building for stakeholders. The Alliance is a flagship initiative under the ProtectEU Strategy for internal security and the EU Ports Strategy.

Key administrative facts and timeline

Call identifier:EC-HOME/2026/OP/0004. Publication date: 8 July 2026. Submission method: electronic submission via the Funding and Tenders Portal (eSubmission). Official closing date and time: 21 August 2026, 16:00:59 Brussels time. An open tender event (likely opening) is scheduled for 26 August 2026 at 15:00:00 CET. Additional information request period ends 13 August 2026. The procurement documents include a draft service contract, draft contract annexes, tender specifications, financial offer form, and standard declarations.

Estimated contract value and duration:Estimated overall contract amount: €1,300,000. Planned initial contract duration: 24 months, renewable once; planned total duration indicated in procurement metadata: 36 months.

1. 1Procurement type: Services contract (procurement, not grant).
2. 2Main CPV codes: 73000000 (research and development services and related consultancy) and 80522000 (public relations services).
3. 3Contracting authority: European Commission, DG HOME - Migration and Home Affairs.
4. 4Call identifier: EC-HOME/2026/OP/0004.
5. 5Estimated total value: €1,300,000.
6. 6Planned period: 24 months initial, renewable once (total possible 36 months).
7. 7Submission: E-submission through the Funding and Tenders Portal.

Detailed specification of required services

The needs outlined in the tender specifications require the successful contractor to provide integrated knowledge management and technical support across the following non-exhaustive list of activities. Applicants must consult the tender specifications for full and binding details, but the procurement metadata and summary indicate the following core activities:

1. 1Prepare handbooks, guidance documents and technical material tailored to ports stakeholders and Alliance activities.
2. 2Gather, synthesise and present recommendations from stakeholders, experts and working groups; produce concise deliverables to support policy and operational decisions.
3. 3Organise and facilitate meetings, workshops and events for the Alliance and its stakeholders (planning, logistics, moderation, reporting).
4. 4Design and execute targeted communication activities to increase visibility, understanding and buy-in for Alliance outputs (communication plans, dissemination materials, web content, social media support).
5. 5Develop and implement capacity-building programmes for stakeholders including training modules, online and in-person training delivery, and evaluation of training effectiveness.
6. 6Provide ongoing knowledge management functions: data and document repository management, version control, stakeholder mapping, reporting tools and dashboards.
7. 7Provide security-compliant handling of sensitive materials in line with security baseline requirements and appendices included in the procurement documents.

Eligibility and applicant requirements

The procurement is aimed at organisations able to deliver services at EU level and is organised by DG HOME. The tender documents state the contracting authority expects a single operator or a group of operators to perform the contract; selection and qualification requirements are specified in the procurement package. The procurement metadata indicates the tender is not marked SME-suitable (smeSuitableIndicator: false), and the Contracting Authority requests tenderer qualification information and specific tenderer requirements as set out in the procurement documents.

Eligible Applicant Types:Eligible applicants are organisations (single operator) or consortia/group of operators able to deliver the full set of services. This may include large enterprises, consultancies, communications agencies, research institutes, universities, nonprofits or public-private partnerships provided they meet the selection and exclusion criteria in the tender documents. The procurement is not specifically SME-targeted and therefore both SMEs and large organisations can apply.

Contracting, evaluation and award

Award criteria are provided in the procurement metadata:quality is weighted at 65% and price at 35%. Tender validity period set at 9 months. Applicants should consult the tender specifications and award methodology in the procurement file for details on sub-criteria, scoring, thresholds, and how quality will be evaluated across proposed methodology, team, past experience and deliverables.

1. 1Award criteria: Quality 65%, Price 35%.
2. 2Tender validity: 9 months.
3. 3Submission method: required eSubmission via Funding and Tenders Portal eForms.
4. 4Open tender event: occurrence listed for 26 August 2026.
5. 5Appeals: appeal receiver party is listed in procurement metadata; exact appeal procedure in procurement documents.

Geographic and sector scope

The contracting authority is the European Commission, Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, and the work is designed to support an EU-level Public-Private Partnership. The procurement documentation and metadata do not restrict participation to specific Member States; therefore eligible bidders are organisations that can legally bid under EU public procurement rules and perform at EU level. The subject area covers ports, internal security, and stakeholder capacity building, intersecting the transport/ports/ports security, communications and public policy sectors.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Region: EU-level procurement under the European Commission (DG HOME). No specific list of countries is given in the published metadata; the tender targets organisations able to operate across the EU (Member States).

1. 1Target sector(s): transport and ports, internal security, communications/public relations, capacity building and training, knowledge management and research/consultancy services.
2. 2Mentioned countries: none explicitly listed; region indicated: European Union (EU).

Project maturity, level of support and co-funding

The procurement seeks operational implementation and service delivery. It is designed for mature providers able to deliver immediate activities (preparation of deliverables, organisation of events, communications, training delivery and knowledge management). The contract is a service procurement (payment for deliverables and services) and not a grant or subsidy. There is no requirement for co-funding by bidders indicated in the procurement metadata; the contract is funded by the Commission and the estimated overall contract amount is provided in the documents.

Project Stage:Expected maturity: implementation / operational delivery (existing organisations with capacity to deliver services, communications, training and knowledge management).

Funding Type:Procurement of services (service contract). The mechanism is a public procurement contract (not a grant, loan or equity instrument).

Co-funding Requirement:No co-funding from bidders is indicated in the procurement metadata. The contract is tendered with an estimated budget and bidders submit a financial offer to deliver the required services for the contract price.

Consortium requirement and template documents

The procurement explicitly allows either one operator or a group of operators to submit. The procurement documents include specific annexes for group submissions (for example Annex III Group members share for VAT purposes) and declarations to be completed by each economic operator. Applicants presenting a consortium must complete group and member declarations as set out in the annexes.

1. 1Consortium Requirement: The tender may be submitted by a single operator or by a group of operators / consortium. The tender documents include group-specific annexes and templates.
2. 2Sole tenderer allowed: yes, a single operator may bid if able to perform all contract requirements.
3. 3Consortium-specific templates: Annex III Group members share for VAT purposes, Annex IV Declaration on the list of pre-existing rights and statements, and other annexes covering declarations on honour and eligibility.

Application / submission templates and documents published with the tender include the following items (all were uploaded with publication on 08 July 2026):

1. 1Invitation to tender (HOME2026OP0004 Invitation_to_tender_V1.pdf).
2. 2Tender specifications including Annex 1 (HOME2026OP0004 tender-specifications + Annex 1_V1.pdf).
3. 3Draft service contract (HOME2026OP0004 Draft service contract_V1.pdf).
4. 4Draft contract annexes: Appendix 2 Security requirements, Appendix 3 Security baseline (PDFs).
5. 5Annex 2, 3, 4, 5.1, 5.2, 7.1, 7.2 word templates including declarations on honour and eligibility (HOME2026OP0004 Annex 2, 3, 4, 5.1, 5.2, 7.1, 7.2 word_V1.docx).
6. 6Annex IV Declaration on the list of pre-existing rights and statements (NATIVE docx).
7. 7Annex III Group members share for VAT purposes (NATIVE docx).
8. 8Annex 6 Financial offer form (Excel workbook) to be completed by bidders.

How the application forms look and what to prepare

The eSubmission package uses the Funding and Tenders Portal eForms tool. Key documents bidders must prepare and upload include: the completed financial offer form (Excel), technical proposal following the structure required in the tender specifications (methodology, work plan, deliverables, staffing and CVs), consortium declarations if applicable, declarations on honour and exclusion grounds, security clearance-related information if required, and any supporting evidence of previous experience and capacity. The draft contract and annexes specify performance, reporting, invoicing and security obligations that bidders must accept or propose deviations in accordance with rules in the tender documentation.

1. 1Financial Offer: Annex 6 Excel template; complete all cost lines and provide total price in EUR.
2. 2Technical Proposal: follow the tender specifications structure, include methodology, workplan, risk mitigation and quality assurance measures.
3. 3Team and CVs: provide profiles and resumes for key personnel, demonstrating relevant experience in ports, security, communications and training.
4. 4Consortium documentation: group member declarations, VAT share annex and power of attorney/agreement establishing joint liability where applicable.
5. 5Declarations: Annex templates for declarations on honour, exclusion criteria, pre-existing rights and other mandatory statements.

Evaluation stages, success rates and contract award

The procurement is managed as an electronic open tender. Typical procurement evaluation stages are (1) administrative compliance and eligibility checks, (2) selection and qualification (financial and technical capacity, exclusion criteria), and (3) award evaluation based on quality and price. The procurement metadata shows awarding weights and a tender validity period; the draft contract and tender specifications define thresholds and pass/fail criteria. The portal entry indicates an open submission followed by an evaluation culminating in contract award. Exact number of evaluation stages is determined by the contracting authority and detailed in the tender specifications.

Application Stages:Applicants should expect at least three stages: (1) submission and administrative compliance check, (2) selection / qualification review, and (3) award evaluation of quality and price. The procurement timeline also includes an open tender event and possible clarification rounds prior to award.

Success Rates:No explicit success rate is provided in the procurement metadata. As a competitive EU-level public procurement with a single contract estimated at €1.3 million, award will typically be to the economically most advantageous tender; number of bidders and resulting success rate are not disclosed in the published documents.

Security, compliance and contract management

Procurement documentation includes security-related appendices (Appendix 2 Security requirements and Appendix 3 Security baseline). The draft contract contains clauses on contract execution, data handling, confidentiality, compliance with EU rules and reporting obligations. Bidders must carefully review the draft contract and appendices and demonstrate the ability to meet security requirements, including personnel vetting and secure handling of classified or sensitive materials if applicable.

Where to access the full procurement package

All procurement documents were published on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal on 08 July 2026 and are available at the tender details page. The official procurement web page contains the Invitation to tender, tender specifications, draft contract and all annexes as listed above. See the procurement call reference on the portal for downloads and submission via the Funding and Tenders Portal eForms tool Tender details on Funding & Tenders Portal. ¹

Concise answers to the categorisation questions

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: Single operator or group of operators / consortium. Possible applicant types include large enterprises, consultancies, communication agencies, research institutes, universities, nonprofits and public-private partnerships able to meet selection and security requirements.
2. 2Funding Type: Procurement / service contract (public procurement of services).
3. 3Consortium Requirement: Either single or consortium permitted; consortium must complete group annexes and declarations. The tender allows group submissions and contains specific annexes for group members.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): EU-level procurement (European Commission DG HOME). No specific Member States listed; bidders must be legally eligible under EU procurement rules and capable of performing at EU level.
5. 5Target Sector: Ports and transport security, internal security, communications/public relations, capacity building and training, knowledge management, consultancy services.
6. 6Mentioned Countries: None specifically mentioned in the published metadata. Region: European Union (EU).
7. 7Project Stage: Implementation / operational delivery (service delivery, capacity building, communications and knowledge management).
8. 8Funding Amount: Estimated overall contract amount: €1,300,000 (budget for the entire contract).
9. 9Application Type: Open tender (Call for tenders) with electronic submission via Funding and Tenders Portal eSubmission (eForms).
10. 10Nature of Support: Financial payment under a service contract for the delivery of services (money paid to the contractor against deliverables).
11. 11Application Stages: At least three evaluation stages are expected: administrative compliance, selection/qualification, and award (quality and price evaluation).
12. 12Success Rates: Not specified in the procurement documentation; typical public procurement success rate depends on number of bidders, which is not provided.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: No co-funding required; the Commission provides the contract budget. Bidders submit a price to perform services within the estimated contract amount.
14. 14Templates: The procurement package includes the Invitation to tender, tender specifications and annexes, draft service contract and annexes, security appendix, Annex 6 Financial offer form (Excel) and multiple Word templates for declarations (Annex 2,3,4,5.1,5.2,7.1,7.2, Annex III and IV). The Funding and Tenders Portal eForms interface is used for submission.

What this opportunity is about — summary and recommended next steps

This is an EU public procurement managed by the European Commission DG HOME to secure knowledge management and technical support services for the European Ports Alliance Public-Private Partnership. It is a competitive tender with an estimated budget of €1.3 million to cover a service contract initially for 24 months, renewable once. The winning contractor must provide end-to-end services: produce guidance and handbooks, synthesise recommendations, manage events and stakeholder exchanges, run communication activities, and design and deliver capacity-building programmes for port stakeholders. The procurement includes security and confidentiality requirements and is evaluated on quality (65%) and price (35%).

Recommended next steps for interested bidders:1) download and study the tender specifications, draft contract and all annexes from the Funding and Tenders Portal; 2) confirm ability to meet security baseline and contract clauses; 3) decide whether to bid as single operator or form a consortium and prepare required group declarations; 4) prepare a compliant technical proposal addressing quality criteria and use the Annex 6 financial offer form to prepare the price; and 5) submit via the Funding and Tenders Portal before the closing date of 21 August 2026, 16:00:59 Brussels time. For full legal and technical requirements refer to the official procurement documents and the Funding and Tenders Portal listing Tender details on Funding & Tenders Portal. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement documents and templates referenced in this summary were published with the tender on 08 July 2026 and include: HOME2026OP0004 Invitation_to_tender_V1.pdf; HOME2026OP0004 tender-specifications + Annex 1_V1.pdf; HOME2026OP0004 Draft service contract_V1.pdf; Annex 6 Financial offer form (Excel); Annex 2,3,4,5.1,5.2,7.1,7.2 word templates; Appendix 2 Security requirements; Appendix 3 Security baseline. Access via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal tender details page for EC-HOME/2026/OP/0004.

Opportunity Overview

This tender seeks a service provider to deliver comprehensive knowledge management and technical support for the European Ports Alliance Public-Private Partnership (PPP), a flagship initiative of the ProtectEU Strategy and the EU Ports Strategy focused on internal security ¹. The Contracting Authority is the European Commission, DG HOME (Migration and Home Affairs), and the estimated overall contract amount is €1,300,000 ².

Scope of Services Required

The successful operator must deliver coordinated services including preparing handbooks, gathering recommendations, organizing meetings, executing communication activities, and developing capacity-building programs for stakeholders ³.

1. 1Preparation of handbooks and technical guides
2. 2Collection and synthesis of stakeholder recommendations
3. 3Organization of meetings and workshops
4. 4Implementation of communication strategies
5. 5Design and delivery of capacity-building initiatives

Contract Details and Timeline

Who Should Apply

Applicants must be capable of delivering services comprehensively as a single operator or a coordinated group of operators. While SMEs are not explicitly excluded, the complexity suggests a need for established entities with experience in EU security projects, stakeholder management, and capacity building ⁴.

Key Requirements:Bidders must demonstrate expertise in knowledge management, event organization, and communication within the context of EU internal security and port operations ⁵.

Strategic Context

The European Ports Alliance PPP was launched in January 2024 to strengthen cooperation against organized crime and drug trafficking in ports, with plans to expand to smaller and inland ports ⁶. The initiative aims to protect logistics, information, staff, and processes through public-private cooperation ⁷.

How to Submit

Submissions must be made electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using the eSubmission method. All procurement documents, including the draft contract and tender specifications, are available on the official portal page ⁸.

The official portal link for this tender is Tender Details.

Footnotes

1. 1The European Ports Alliance is a flagship initiative of the ProtectEU Strategy for internal security [[eucrim.eu|eucrim.eu.
2. 2Estimated overall contract amount is €1,300,000 as per the EU Funding & Tenders Portal data.
3. 3Scope includes handbooks, recommendations, meetings, communication, and capacity building per the tender description.
4. 4The contract is not explicitly marked as SME-suitable, indicating a preference for experienced operators.
5. 5Quality criteria (65%) emphasize technical expertise in knowledge management and stakeholder engagement.
6. 6The initiative launched in January 2024 and aims to expand to smaller/inland ports [[eucrim.eu|eucrim.eu.
7. 7Focuses on protection of logistics, information, staff, and processes in ports [[eucrim.eu|eucrim.eu.
8. 8All documents including draft contract and tender specs are available on the official portal page.