Online communication services Framework Contract - EC Representation Valletta (MALTA)

The European Commission Representation in Malta has opened a procurement opportunity for a Framework Contract to acquire online communication services, following the expiration of the current contract. The estimated total value of the contract is 250,000 EUR, and the maximum duration is set at 48 months. This is an open call for tenders, which means that all eligible organizations can submit applications electronically through the designated eSubmission system.

The application deadline is September 8, 2025, at 16:00 Malta time, with public opening scheduled for September 9, 2025. The award will be determined based on the best price-quality ratio. The contracting authority is under no obligation to respond to any inquiries received after September 2, 2025, at 06:00 Malta time.

Eligible applicants may include a variety of organizations, although the clarity on specific targeting, like SMEs, is limited. The contract is primarily for providing advertising and marketing services, confirmed by the relevant Common Procurement Vocabulary code, 79340000. Geographic eligibility is also somewhat open, as EU procurement practices generally allow participation from entities in all EU member states.

Applicants must secure a Personal Identification Code (PIC) to submit a tender, whether as individuals or as part of a consortium. The eSubmission system is multilingual, supports encryption to protect submitted documents, and has specific requirements for file sizes and types.

Documentation available for download includes the invitation letter, tender specifications, financial and technical offer forms, declaration of honour, draft contract, security requirements, and technical selection template. Interested parties should ensure compliance with all specified requirements to successfully participate in this tendering process.

The European Commission Representation in Malta is launching a new Framework Contract procurement for online communication services, as the existing contract expires on 7/02/2025. The procedure type is open. The estimated total value of the contract is 250,000 EUR. The TED publication date is 04/08/2025. The lead contracting authority is the European Commission, DG COMM Communication. The main classification (CPV) code is 79340000 Advertising and marketing services. The nature of the contract is for services. The maximum contract duration is 48 months. The award method is best price-quality ratio. It is a framework agreement without reopening of competition. The date and time of public opening is 09/09/2025 at 10:00 Europe/Malta time. The deadline for receipt of tenders is 08/09/2025 at 16:00 Europe/Malta time. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after 02/09/2025 at 06:00 Europe/Malta time. Submissions must be sent exclusively via electronic submission.

The TED reference is 147/2025 510383-2025. The procedure identifier is EC-COMM/MLA/2024/OP/0686.

The following documents are available for download:

1. EN Invitation to tender Invitation letter, published on 04/08/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
2. EN TENDER SPECIFICATIONS Tender specifications, published on 04/08/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
3. EN Financial Offer Form Financial offer form, published on 04/08/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
4. EN Annex 8 Technical offer form EN Financial offer form, published on 04/08/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
5. EN declaration-of-honour Declaration on honour (tender), published on 04/08/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
6. EN fwc-service-2024-FR Draft contract, published on 04/08/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
7. EN Appendix 2 Security requirements en 2025 Draft contract annex, published on 04/08/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
8. EN Annex 9 Technical selection template T1 Other invitation to tender document, published on 04/08/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
9. EN Annex 3 to 5 in word Other invitation to tender document, published on 04/08/2025, Version 1, no translations available.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) related to the eSubmission system:

1. 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 the issue persists, clear the cache and cookies on the Internet browser. Published on 13/02/2025 21:52.
2. Which Internet browsers does eSubmission support? Use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. For the most up-to-date technical recommendations, click on the link System Requirements. Published on 13/02/2025 21:52.
3. Is it possible to view the details of the submission after the deadline? No, the content of the submission is not accessible after submitting the tender as the system encrypts all attachments upon upload. Thus, the system will not allow decryption after the upload. Published on 13/02/2025 21:50.
4. Where can I find my submissions in Manage My Area, in the Funding & Tenders portal? Depending on the type or step of procedure, submissions can be found in ‘My Submission(s)’: tenders in response to open calls for tenders, requests to. Published on 17/10/2024 21:40.
5. Which size should attachments have? eSubmission accepts files that are less than 50 MB in size. Any larger sizes will not be accepted by the system. Published on 17/10/2024 21:36.
6. How should I name attachments in eSubmission? Name the attachments for the tender draft following the System Requirements. See the following conditions: The. Published on 03/10/2024 17:39.
7. Can I submit a video in eSubmission? Which formats are supported? Check the System Requirements of eSubmission. Published on 03/10/2024 17:37.
8. I received an invitation from the F&T Portal but cannot view the procurement documents. Invited candidates can only see the procurement documents after having selected an organisation. Go to F&T Portal, “My Invitations”. Click on “Select Organisation” from the “Action”. Published on 03/10/2024 17:37.
9. Do I need to validate my PIC in order to submit a tender in eSubmission? The 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). For subcontractors PIC. Published on 03/10/2024 17:36.
10. I have an issue uploading a file in eSubmission and it’s giving me an error. What do I do? Make sure it follows the technical requirements of the system. A) For procurement procedures: B) For req. Published on 03/10/2024 17:36.
11. How many attachments can I upload per submission? The maximum number of documents the system will allow you to upload per tender is 200 files. Check the eSubmission System Requirements in the documentation. Published on 03/10/2024 17:35.
12. Why do tenderers need a PIC? It is mandatory to register for a PIC if you intend to submit a tender or a request to participate. Only one PIC per organisation must be used. Therefore, if your organisation already. Published on 23/04/2024 18:14.
13. How do I register my organisation and get a Participant Identification Code (PIC)? First, check if the organisation is already registered using the Search PIC tool under 'How to Participate' > Participant Register. If your organisation is a bigger. Published on 23/04/2024 17:07.
14. How many languages does the system support? The system is multilingual and supports all 24 official EU languages. Published on 01/04/2024 20:56.
15. Which is the character set encoding in the system? The character set encoding is UTF-8. Published on 23/02/2024 00:58.
16. Does the system use encryption to ensure the integrity and the confidentiality of the information? Yes, the system encrypts all uploaded documents, using an asymmetric key as an encryption mechanism. Published on 23/02/2024 00:57.
17. Which file types does the system support? The supported file types depend on the type of submission you want to make. The allowed file types are specified within the system requirements linked to the procedure in question. M. Published on 22/02/2024 00:55.
18. Can I view and edit my draft submission? Until the deadline for the submission has been reached, submissions in the draft status can be edited, viewed and deleted. Published on 24/03/2023 22:32.
19. 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. This is not blocking for you: you can submit. Published on 03/08/2021 23:07.
20. 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 sent when the time limit of receipt defined for the call for tenders has been reached. Until then, you had the possibility of withdrawing. Published on 03/08/2021 23:05.

In summary, this is a call for tenders by the European Commission Representation in Malta for a framework contract to purchase online communication services. The contract is valued at 250,000 EUR and will last for 48 months. The deadline for submitting tenders is September 8, 2025. The tender will be awarded based on the best price-quality ratio. All submissions must be made electronically through the eSubmission portal. The documentation includes the invitation letter, tender specifications, financial offer form, technical offer form, declaration of honour, draft contract, security requirements, and technical selection template. The eSubmission system supports multiple languages and encrypts uploaded documents. Tenderers must have a Participant Identification Code (PIC) to participate. The system has specific requirements for file types and sizes, and there is a limit of 200 attachments per submission.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but given that it is a procurement process for a framework contract, it is likely open to companies or organizations that can provide online communication services. This could include SMEs, large enterprises, or other types of service providers with relevant expertise.

Funding Type: This is a procurement opportunity, specifically a call for tenders. The European Commission is seeking to purchase online communication services through a framework contract.

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 suggests that both single applicants and consortia are eligible to apply.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The call for tenders is issued by the European Commission Representation in Malta. While the specific geographic eligibility isn't explicitly defined, it is implied that the opportunity is primarily targeted at entities that can provide services in Malta. However, given that it is an EU procurement, it is likely open to entities from EU member states and potentially other countries that have agreements with the EU.

Target Sector: The target sector is online communication services, advertising and marketing services. The Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV) code provided, 79340000, confirms this.

Mentioned Countries: Malta is explicitly mentioned as the location where the services are to be provided.

Project Stage: This opportunity is for the provision of services, so it is at the service delivery stage. The European Commission is looking for providers to deliver online communication services.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the framework contract is 250,000 EUR.

Application Type: This is an open call for tenders, with electronic submission required.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for providing online communication services. This is a service contract.

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly mentioned, but based on the documentation provided, it involves at least one stage of submitting a tender, which will then be evaluated based on the best price-quality ratio. The technical selection template suggests there are multiple criteria for evaluation.

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

Co-funding Requirement: There is no mention of a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This is a call for tenders issued by the European Commission Representation in Malta for the procurement of online communication services. The European Commission is establishing a new framework contract to replace an existing one that is expiring. The estimated total value of the contract is 250,000 EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 48 months. The procedure type is an open procedure, meaning any interested and qualified organization can submit a tender. The submission method is electronic. The deadline for receipt of tenders is September 8, 2025, at 16:00 Europe/Malta time. The award method will be based on the best price-quality ratio. The contracting authority is the European Commission, DG COMM Communication. The TED reference is 147/2025 510383-2025, and the procedure identifier is EC-COMM/MLA/2024/OP/0686. Interested parties should download the tender specifications and other relevant documents, including the invitation letter, financial offer form, technical offer form, declaration on honor, draft contract, security requirements, and technical selection template. Tenderers need a Personal Identification Code (PIC) to participate, either as a single entity or as part of a consortium. The eSubmission system supports multiple languages and encrypts uploaded documents. The maximum file size for attachments is 50 MB, and there is a limit of 200 files per submission. The system supports the latest versions of Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.