MK 24 IPA TR 01 26 Alignment of national legislation and policies with EU Acquis for road infrastructure management together with capacity building

Twinning action for North Macedonia to align road infrastructure legislation and policies with the EU acquis and strengthen institutional capacity, covering road safety, tunnel safety, tolling and asset management. The contract value is €1,300,000 and the implementation period is 24 months within a 27 month execution window. Eligible applicants are public administrations or mandated bodies from EU Member States submitting via their National Contact Point for Twinning. Deadline for submission to the Contracting Authority is 5 November 2026 (local beneficiary time).

What it funds

Scope summary

Twinning action to align North Macedonia's road sector legislation and policies with the EU acquis (road infrastructure safety management, tunnels, tolling, alternative fuels, TEN-T) and to strengthen institutional and operational capacities (training, study visits, drafting laws, crisis framework, service level and asset management plans).

Funding envelope:€1,300,000 total for a Twinning contract; implementation period 24 months with a 27-month contract execution window ¹.

1. 1Primary beneficiaries: Ministry of Transport and Public Enterprise for State Roads (PESR).
2. 2Eligible applicants: Public administrations and mandated bodies from EU Member States applying via their National Contact Point under the Twinning Manual.
3. 3Main activities: legal drafting and impact assessments, capacity building (trainings, workshops, study visits), resident twinning adviser and short-term experts, development of crisis measures framework, SLA and strategic asset management plan.

Selection:one Twinning proposal per Member State through National Contact Points; evaluation emphasises methodology and profiles of Project Leader and Resident Twinning Adviser. Provisional award notification by end December 2026.

Footnotes

1. 1Full Twinning Fiche and Annexes (detailed activities, profiles, indicators and documents) are available in the call documents: Twinning Fiche.

General Information

Opportunity type:Twinning Action Grant (Twinning Fiche published as a call for proposals). Reference: EuropeAid. Topic identifier: 187686PROSPECTSEN. Publication date: 03 September 2026. Deadline for submission to the Contracting Authority: 5 November 2026, 24:00 local time of the beneficiary country. Project execution period: 27 months (implementation period 24 months + 3 months contract closure).

Budget:Total EU funded amount available for the Twinning contract: €1,300,000.

Purpose and Objectives

Overall objective:To enhance regional economic development and social cohesion through a modern, sustainable and well-integrated transport infrastructure in North Macedonia. Specific objective: To improve safety, efficiency, climate resilience, and sustainable connectivity of road transport infrastructure on sections of TEN-T Corridors X, Xd, and VIII.

Project Components and Mandatory Results

The Twinning action is structured in two components designed to achieve legislative alignment and capacity building in the road sector.

1. 1Component 1: Alignment of Road Sector Legislation and Policies with the EU Acquis. Mandatory Result 1.1: Draft national legislation and policies to transpose minimum safety requirements for tunnels (Directive 2004/54/EC), road infrastructure safety management (Directive 2008/96 amended by Directive 2019/1936), road tolling frameworks and related directives/regulations (including Directive 1999/62/EC, Directive EU 2022/362, Directive EU 2019/520, Delegated Regulation EU 2020/203, Implementing Regulation EU 2020/204), and clean vehicles/alternative fuels infrastructure (Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 and Directive EU 2019/1161). Mandatory Result 1.2: Draft crisis measures framework or rulebook for the state road network to manage major disruptions, natural disasters and emergency events affecting traffic flow.

1. 1Component 2: Strengthening institutional and administrative capacities. Mandatory Result 2.1: Targeted capacity building for Ministry of Transport (MT), Public Enterprise for State Roads (PESR) and other relevant institutions including trainings, workshops, study visits, direct know-how transfer, development of Service Level Agreement (SLA) and Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP), methodologies and manuals for Road Safety Impact Assessment (RSIA), Road Safety Inspection (RSI), Road Safety Audit (RSA), climate vulnerability assessment of road assets, and crisis management procedures.

Eligibility and Applicant Requirements

Eligible applicants:Only public administrations and mandated bodies from EU Member States acting as Twinning partners may apply. Applications are submitted by Member State administrations through their National Contact Points for Twinning to the Contracting Authority. Proposals must follow the Twinning Manual templates and rules. Only one Twinning proposal per Member State National Contact Point may be submitted for this call.

Lead Applicants and Team Composition:The Twinning proposal must identify a Member State Project Leader (PL), a Resident Twinning Adviser (RTA) who will be seconded to North Macedonia, Component Leaders (CLs) and a pool of Short Term Experts (STEs). CVs of proposed PL, RTA and CLs must be included in the proposal. The PL must hold a contractual relation with the public administration and have seniority to liaise at political level. The RTA will reside in North Macedonia for the project duration. STEs must have proven contractual relation to public administration or mandated bodies.

Selection, Submission and Timetable

Submission route:Twinning proposals must be submitted by the Member State Lead Administration to its National Contact Point for Twinning who in turn submits to the Contracting Authority. The Contracting Authority email submission is the required channel for final submission. The tentative date for oral presentations/selection meetings is 17 November 2026. Provisional notification date of results: end of December 2026.

Deadline:Deadline for submission to the Contracting Authority: 5 November 2026, 24:00 local time of the beneficiary country.

Key Administrative and Implementation Details

Contracting Authority:Central Financing and Contracting Department (CFCD), Ministry of Finance, Republic of North Macedonia. Beneficiary administration: Ministry of Transport and Public Enterprise for State Roads (PESR). The action is implemented under the Operational Programme on Transport for North Macedonia (OP Transport) and financed under Commission Implementing Decision C(2024) 5323 final (OP Transport 2024-2027).

Legal and Technical Scope

The Twinning action targets alignment of national legislation, policies and administrative practices with a set of EU acquis and standards relevant to road infrastructure management, road safety, tunnel safety, tolling and alternative fuels infrastructure, and TEN-T regulations. The Fiche lists the specific Union acquis and standards to be addressed and transposed into national laws, bylaws and procedures.

1. 1Directive 2004/54/EC and Regulation 596/2009: minimum safety requirements for tunnels.
2. 2Directive 2008/96/EC as amended (Directive 2019/1936): road infrastructure safety management.
3. 3Directives and regulations related to road charging and tolling: Directive 1999/62/EC, Directive EU 2022/362, Directive EU 2019/520, Delegated Regulation EU 2020/203, Implementing Regulation EU 2020/204.
4. 4Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 and Directive EU 2019/1161 on clean vehicles and alternative fuels infrastructure.
5. 5Regulation (EU) 2024/1679 on TEN-T guidelines.

Indicative Activities and Outputs

Planned activities include legislative drafting and impact assessments, stakeholder consultations, development of draft regulations and manuals, targeted trainings and workshops, study visits to EU Member States, deployment of an RTA and short-term expert missions, establishment of a Project Steering Committee, development of Service Level Agreement and Strategic Asset Management Plan, and production of interim and final reports.

Applicant and Team Profiles (Required Expertise)

The Twinning Manual prescribes that applicants present a concise but focused methodology and timetable, details on project management and administrative capacity, and CVs of key staff. Required profiles include the Member State Project Leader (senior public administration official), Resident Twinning Adviser (RTA) with minimum 3 years road sector experience and contractual relation to public administration, Component Leaders with legal, technical or managerial expertise in road infrastructure and acquis alignment, and Short Term Experts with relevant specialized experience.

1. 1Project Leader profile highlights: university degree or equivalent experience, at least 3 years in road infrastructure, project coordination experience, fluency in English.
2. 2RTA profile highlights: contractual relation to public administration, university level education in law, economy, transport or civil engineering or equivalent experience, minimum 3 years professional experience in road sector, fluency in English.
3. 3Component Leaders: minimum 3 years professional experience in road infrastructure or regulatory fields, university level education, fluency in English.
4. 4STEs: university degree or equivalent and at least 3 years relevant experience, proven contractual relation to public administration, fluency in English.

Monitoring, Reporting and Sustainability

A Project Steering Committee (PSC) will oversee implementation, validate progress versus mandatory results, and finalize interim reports and updated work plans. Reporting includes quarterly interim reports and a final report with narrative and financial sections following the Twinning Manual. Sustainability measures include institutionalization of developed procedures, formal adoption of drafted laws and SLA/SAMP, embedding methodologies into MT and PESR practices, and continued staff training and mentoring.

Performance Indicators:Core indicators include the preparation and submission of at least four draft laws/amendments to transpose the listed EU directives/regulations, preparation of a draft crisis measures rulebook, percentage of staff completing trainings (target at least 75% of relevant staff), number of workshops/seminars (target at least four), and organization of at least two study visits for 20 employees in total.

Cross-cutting Issues and Risks

Cross-cutting aspects addressed in the Fiche include gender equality and equal opportunities, minority and vulnerable group inclusion, engagement with civil society and academia, and environmental considerations such as paper reduction. Noted project risks include political instability, insufficient coordination among stakeholders, limited institutional capacity to apply new procedures, and delays in procurement and data availability. Key assumptions include continued political stability and commitment by MT and PESR and timely appointment and availability of counterpart staff.

Linked and Complementary Activities

The Twinning project is designed to complement and not overlap with other EU-funded or donor projects in North Macedonia, including Local Roads Connectivity Project (LRCP), technical assistance for establishing an executive body for road safety, Support for policy reforms, accession and effectiveness (SUPRAE), TAIEX events, and another Twinning project supporting transport inspection services (MK 22 IPA TR 01 24).

How to Apply and Required Documents

Applicants must follow the Twinning Manual and use its templates. Proposals must be submitted through the Member State National Contact Point for Twinning. The submission to the Contracting Authority must include the proposal addressing the Twinning Fiche, CVs for PL, RTA and CLs, detailed methodology and indicative timetable, administrative details of the applying Member State administration, and confirmation of compliance with Twinning Manual requirements.

Categorization and Structured Answers

The following structured extraction summarizes eligibility, funding modality, consortium requirement, geographic scope and other metadata for this opportunity.

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: Public administrations and mandated bodies from EU Member States acting as Twinning partners. The beneficiary institutions are national public bodies in North Macedonia (Ministry of Transport, Public Enterprise for State Roads and related public bodies).
2. 2Funding Type: Grant under the Twinning instrument (Action Grants funded by IPA via the Operational Programme on Transport).
3. 3Consortium Requirement: Single Member State public administration acting as lead Twinning partner is required; the implementing structure includes a Twinning team (PL, RTA, CLs, STEs). Proposals are submitted by single Member State administrations (a Member State may present one proposal).
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The action is targeted to North Macedonia as beneficiary country; applicants must be EU Member State public administrations (so eligible applicants are EU Member State public administrations; beneficiaries are in North Macedonia).
5. 5Target Sector: Transport, specifically road infrastructure management, road safety, tolling, tunnel safety, ITS-related matters, alternative fuels infrastructure, asset management and climate resilience in the road sector.
6. 6Mentioned Countries: North Macedonia (beneficiary). EU Member States are referenced as potential Twinning partners; specific Member States are not named in the call text. Region referenced: Western Balkans, TEN-T extension to the Western Balkans.
7. 7Project Stage: Policy and legislative alignment and institutional capacity building; expected maturity: development/implementation and institutional strengthening (transposition and practical implementation phases).
8. 8Funding Amount: €1,300,000 total EU contribution for the Twinning contract.
9. 9Application Type: Open Call for Twinning proposals issued via the Twinning Manual and submitted through Member State National Contact Points. Single deadline with a tentative oral presentation date for shortlisted applicants.
10. 10Nature of Support: Financial grant funding provided to implement the Twinning contract (covers costs for Member State partner activities, experts, RTA, STEs, study visits and project implementation). Non-financial support includes technical assistance, capacity building, training, knowledge transfer and study visits.
11. 11Application Stages: Multi-step process: submission of written Twinning proposal; evaluation (administrative compliance, eligibility and qualitative assessment); shortlisted applicants invited to oral presentation/selection meeting; final award and contracting. This represents at least 2 main stages (written submission and oral presentation/selection) plus contracting and implementation phases.
12. 12Success Rates: Not specified in the documentation. Twinning calls are competitive and selection is based on qualitative scoring and administrative eligibility; typical success rates vary widely and depend on number of proposals submitted by Member States but are not provided here.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: No national public co-financing by the beneficiary is listed for the Twinning contract budget (the €1,300,000 is 100% IPA community contribution). However, beneficiaries must provide in-kind contributions such as counterpart staff, office space, facilities, and logistical support. National public contribution in financial terms is indicated as not applicable in the budget table.
14. 14Templates: Application forms must follow the Twinning Manual templates including the Twinning proposal template, CV templates for PL/RTA/CLs, and Annexes C6, C7 and C9 references in the Twinning Manual. Proposals should include a concise methodology and indicative timetable, administrative information on the Member State administration submitting the proposal, and CVs of key staff. The call text explicitly requires use of the Twinning Manual templates and the Member State National Contact Points to follow Twinning Manual submission instructions.

The Twinning Manual referenced in the call contains the specific administrative compliance and eligibility grids (Annex C6), award criteria formats (Annex C7) and the standard Twinning publication format (Annex C9). Applicants must adhere strictly to these templates and procedures.

Key Contacts in Beneficiary Administration:Contracting Authority contact: Central Financing and Contracting Department, Ministry of Finance, Head Ms Tatjana Kalinovcic Trajkovska (email tatjana.kalinovcic@finance.gov.mk). Beneficiary contact persons in Ministry of Transport: Ms Dragica Risteska (Head of IPA Department and Head of Managing authority for IPA III, dragica.risteska@mtc.gov.mk), PL counterpart Mr Stefan Volkanovski (State Secretary, stefan.volkanovski@mtc.gov.mk), RTA counterpart Mr Marjan Kopevski (Head of Roads Department, marjan.kopevski@mtc.gov.mk).

Documents and References

Published documents associated with the call include the Twinning Fiche and Annex C9 Standard Twinning. Full Twinning Fiche and annex documents are publicly available through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and via the provided document links in the call metadata. The Twinning Fiche contains detailed annexes including logical framework, organizational charts for MT and PESR, indicative list of legislation and templates to be used during implementation ¹. ¹

Concluding Summary

This opportunity is a Twinning grant financed by the EU under the Operational Programme on Transport for North Macedonia. It is designed to support North Macedonia in aligning its road infrastructure legislation, policies and administrative practices with the EU Acquis related to road safety, tunnel safety, road infrastructure safety management, road tolling, alternative fuels infrastructure and TEN-T requirements, while simultaneously strengthening national institutional capacities through targeted training, study visits and expert support. The action requires an EU Member State public administration to lead and implement the Twinning contract, deploying senior experts including a Resident Twinning Adviser based in North Macedonia. The available EU contribution is €1.3 million, the project duration is 24 months of implementation within a 27-month contract execution period, and applicants must follow the Twinning Manual templates and submit their proposal through their Member State National Contact Point for Twinning. The action places emphasis on producing draft laws and regulatory frameworks, crisis management rules for the state road network, institutional methodologies and manuals, and on embedding these outputs into the operational procedures of the Ministry of Transport and Public Enterprise for State Roads to ensure sustainability and long-term impact.

Footnotes

1. 1Full call and Twinning Fiche available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: MK 24 IPA TR 01 26 topic page Call Details and Twinning Fiche PDF (documents linked in portal metadata).

This is a Standard Twinning action for North Macedonia focused on aligning national legislation and policies with the EU acquis for road infrastructure management, while building institutional capacity for the beneficiary administration.[1] The portal record shows the call as open for submission with a total budget of €1,300,000.[1]

Key Facts

What the funding is about

The action is designed to support approximation of road sector legislation and policy with the EU acquis, with emphasis on road infrastructure management and institutional capacity building. The twinning fiche snippet also points to technical work on road safety, tunnel safety and road tolling, alongside broader administrative strengthening.[1]

Who can apply

As a Standard Twinning call, the practical applicants are public administrations or publicly mandated bodies from EU Member States that can transfer public sector expertise and second experts to work with the beneficiary administration. The call is not a commercial grant and is instead structured as an institutional cooperation instrument.

• Public sector experience in transport or road infrastructure regulation
• Ability to support alignment with EU acquis and related implementing rules
• Capacity to provide expert input and administrative cooperation over the full project period
• Experience working with counterpart authorities in enlargement or pre accession contexts

Funding and implementation

Applicants should plan for a collaborative twinning structure, with the beneficiary side led by the Ministry of Transport and Public Enterprise for State Roads and the project scope anchored in policy and legal alignment rather than infrastructure works.[1]

Official portal record:EU Funding and Tenders Portal ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Official portal topic record for EuropeAid. It lists the opportunity as open for submission and provides the published documents.
2. 2Detailed figures from the Twinning Fiche associated with this call, including the 27 month execution period and the 100 percent IPA Community contribution.