Management of the European Citizens’ Initiative online collaborative platform (ECI Forum)

The European Commission, specifically the DG SG Secretariat-General, has issued a call for tenders, reference EC-SG/2025/OP/0005, for managing the European Citizens’ Initiative online collaborative platform, known as the ECI Forum. This public procurement procedure, classified as open, allows for electronic submissions and targets entities involved in providing services related to citizen engagement, legal advisory, and information services.

The main objective of the ECI Forum is to assist organizers of European citizens’ initiatives by providing a shared platform for exchanging information, perspectives, and best practices. The platform aims to enhance the quality and impact of citizens' initiatives by facilitating access to guidance, training, legal advice, and opportunities for discussion among citizens, organizers, and experts.

The financial support for this initiative totals 1,200,000 EUR, with a maximum contract duration of 36 months. The evaluation of tenders will consider criteria such as the applicant's suitability in professional activity, economic and financial standing, and technical and professional ability. The tenders must be submitted electronically by the deadline of June 25, 2025, at 16:00 Europe/Brussels.

The procurement documents emphasize that a Personal Identification Code (PIC) is required for participation, whether as a single applicant or part of a consortium. The submission process includes a multi-stage evaluation and requires compliance with specific guidelines regarding document size and format.

This opportunity is oriented towards entities located in the EU, as the activities are intended to bolster engagement across EU member states. The platform's expected contributions include enabling successful campaign management for citizen initiatives and fostering enhanced collaboration and knowledge-sharing among stakeholders.

Key milestones outlined include the public opening of tenders on June 26, 2025, and a period for inquiries up to June 17, 2025. All submissions must comply with the technical requirements specified in the procurement documents, ensuring that tenders are evaluated based on quality and cost-effectiveness, ultimately supporting the goals of the ECI Forum to foster democratic engagement in the EU.

The European Commission, DG SG Secretariat-General, has published a call for tenders EC-SG/2025/OP/0005 for the Management of the European Citizens’ Initiative online collaborative platform (ECI Forum). The TED reference for this call is 95/2025 321565-2025. This is an open procedure, and submissions must be electronic.

The main goal of the ECI Forum is to assist organizers of European citizens’ initiatives by providing a platform to share information, views, and best practices, as well as offering support for preparing and running these initiatives. The platform aims to improve the quality and impact of citizen initiatives by allowing citizens to share experiences and expand their knowledge.

The ECI Forum provides a space where citizens can:

Get guidance, training, and learning materials from experts and former organizers.
Receive free legal advice on draft initiatives and practical advice for running a successful ECI, including fundraising, campaigning across the EU, and data protection.
Discuss and develop their initiatives.
Interact with other organizers, citizens, and experts.

The platform's objective is to enhance the quality of new citizens’ initiatives submitted to the Commission and to help organizers conduct successful campaigns.

The estimated total value of this contract is 1,200,000 EUR. The TED publication date is 19/05/2025. The main classification (CPV) code is 79140000 Legal advisory and information services. The nature of the contract is for services, with a maximum contract duration of 36 months. The award method will be based on the best price-quality ratio. There is no framework agreement associated with this tender.

Selection criteria include:

Suitability to pursue the professional activity (consult the procurement documents).
Economic and financial standing (consult the procurement documents).
Technical and professional ability (consult the procurement documents).

Key milestones include:

TED publication date: 19/05/2025
Date and time of public opening: 26/06/2025 10:00 Europe/Brussels
Deadline for receipt of tenders: 25/06/2025 16:00 Europe/Brussels
Deadline after which the Contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions: 17/06/2025 05:00 Europe/Brussels

The following documents are available for download:

ENEN-Invitation to tender EC-SG2025OP0005 ECI Forum Management 3rd editionInvitation letter, published on 19/05/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
ENTender specifications ECI Forum Management 15.05.2025Tender specifications, published on 19/05/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
ENEC-SG-2025-OP-0005-contrat-direct-service (15.05)Draft contract, published on 19/05/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
ENAnnex IIIDraft contract annex, published on 19/05/2025, Version 1, No translations available.
ENAnnex IVDraft contract annex, published on 19/05/2025, Version 1, No translations available.

Submissions must be sent exclusively via electronic means to the address provided in the submission terms.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How to proceed if the system is slow or doesn’t work while uploading/downloading documents? Use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. If issues persist, clear the cache and cookies. Published on 13/02/2025 20:52.
Which Internet browsers does eSubmission support? Use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. For technical recommendations, refer to the System Requirements link. Published on 13/02/2025 20:52.
Is it possible to view the details of the submission after the deadline? No, the content is not accessible after the deadline due to system encryption. Published on 13/02/2025 20:50.
Where can I find my submissions in Manage My Area, in the Funding & Tenders portal? Submissions can be found in ‘My Submission(s)’ for open calls for tenders. Published on 17/10/2024 20:40.
Which size should attachments have? Attachments must be less than 50 MB. Published on 17/10/2024 20:36.
How should I name attachments in eSubmission? Follow the System Requirements for attachment names. Published on 03/10/2024 16:39.
Can I submit a video in eSubmission? Which formats are supported? Check the System Requirements. Published on 03/10/2024 16:37.
I received an invitation from the F&T Portal but cannot view the procurement documents. Select an organization in “My Invitations”. Published on 03/10/2024 16:37.
Do I need to validate my PIC in order to submit a tender in eSubmission? A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory. Published on 03/10/2024 16:36.
I have an issue uploading a file in eSubmission and it’s giving me an error. What do I do? Ensure the file follows the technical requirements of the system. Published on 03/10/2024 16:36.
How many attachments can I upload per submission? The system allows a maximum of 200 files per tender. Published on 03/10/2024 16:35.
Why do tenderers need a PIC? A PIC is mandatory to submit a tender or request to participate. Published on 23/04/2024 17:14.
How do I register my organisation and get a Participant Identification Code (PIC)? Check if the organization is already registered using the Search PIC tool. Published on 23/04/2024 16:07.
What is the validity period of a PIC? A PIC is unique and its validity is not limited in time. Published on 22/04/2024 22:55.
How many languages does the system support? The system supports all 24 official EU languages. Published on 01/04/2024 19:56.
Which is the character set encoding in the system? The character set encoding is UTF-8. Published on 22/02/2024 23:58.
Does the system use encryption to ensure the integrity and the confidentiality of the information? Yes, the system encrypts all uploaded documents. Published on 22/02/2024 23:57.
Which file types does the system support? The supported file types depend on the type of submission and are specified within the system requirements. Published on 21/02/2024 23:55.
Can I view and edit my draft submission? Yes, until the submission deadline. Published on 24/03/2023 21:32.
In the submission report, under the name of our entity, "Legal form: UNKNOWN" is displayed while in the system, our legal form was correctly displayed. Is this a problem for the submission? No, it is just a display issue and not blocking. Published on 03/08/2021 22:07.
I sent my submission on time and a few days later, I received an automatic email informing me that the deadline for the reception of submissions had been reached. Does this mean that my submission was not correctly sent? No, this is an auto-generated notification. Published on 03/08/2021 22:05.

In summary, this is a call for tenders by the European Commission for managing the European Citizens’ Initiative online collaborative platform (ECI Forum). The goal is to improve citizen engagement in EU initiatives by providing a platform for sharing information, best practices, and support. The contract is worth 1,200,000 EUR and will run for 36 months. Interested parties must submit their tenders electronically by 25/06/2025, following specific guidelines for submission and attachment requirements. The eSubmission system supports various browsers and file types, with a maximum attachment size of 50 MB and a limit of 200 files per submission. A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation. The award will be based on the best price-quality ratio.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given that this is a call for tenders for service contracts, eligible applicants are likely to be organizations or companies capable of providing the required services. This could include SMEs, large enterprises, consulting firms, legal advisory services, or other entities with the relevant expertise. The selection criteria mention "Suitability to pursue the professional activity," "Economic and financial standing," and "Technical and professional ability," suggesting that the applicant must demonstrate the capacity to fulfill the contract requirements.

Funding Type: This is a procurement opportunity, specifically a call for tenders for a service contract. The funding type is a service contract where the selected tenderer will be contracted to provide services in exchange for payment.

Consortium Requirement: The text mentions that a Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory to participate in a call for tenders as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium). This indicates that both single applicants and consortia are eligible to apply.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated. However, given that this is a European Commission tender, it is highly likely that the eligibility extends to entities within the EU and potentially the EEA. The description mentions "campaigning across the EU," which further suggests a focus on EU-based activities.

Target Sector: The target sector is related to citizen engagement, legal advisory, and information services, specifically in the context of the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI). The main classification (CPV) code provided is 79140000, which corresponds to Legal advisory and information services. The tender focuses on the management of the ECI Forum, an online collaborative platform designed to support organizers of European citizens’ initiatives.

Mentioned Countries: The text refers to "campaigning across the EU," indicating that the activities are focused on the European Union. No specific countries are mentioned, but the scope is clearly the EU.

Project Stage: The project stage is operational. The tender is for the management of an existing online platform (ECI Forum). The focus is on maintaining, improving, and operating the platform to support European citizens' initiatives.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the contract is 1,200,000 EUR.

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

Nature of Support: The selected beneficiary will receive money in exchange for providing services related to the management and operation of the ECI Forum. This includes providing guidance, training, legal advice, and a platform for discussion and development of citizen initiatives.

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly detailed, but it involves at least one stage of submitting a tender. The selection criteria include suitability to pursue the professional activity, economic and financial standing, and technical and professional ability, suggesting a multi-stage evaluation process.

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.

Summary: This is a call for tenders issued by the European Commission, DG SG - Secretariat-General, for the management of the European Citizens’ Initiative online collaborative platform (ECI Forum). The ECI Forum aims to support organizers of European citizens’ initiatives by providing a space for sharing information, views, and best practices, as well as offering guidance, training, legal advice, and a platform for discussion. The procedure type is an open procedure with electronic submission. The estimated total value of the contract is 1,200,000 EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 36 months. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio. The deadline for receipt of tenders is 25/06/2025 at 16:00 Europe/Brussels. The tenderers must demonstrate their suitability to pursue the professional activity, economic and financial standing, and technical and professional ability. The selected tenderer will be responsible for maintaining and operating the ECI Forum to improve the quality and impact of European citizens’ initiatives. The tender documents include an invitation letter, tender specifications, a draft contract, and annexes. Submissions must be sent electronically. A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for all tenderers, whether they are single entities or part of a consortium. The system supports 24 official EU languages, and attachments must be less than 50 MB in size, with a maximum of 200 files per submission.