Preparation of audits, detailed design, tender documents, supervision of civil works for the implementation of energy efficiency measures in local pub...

The Ministry of Finance (CFCU) of Albania is procuring fee-based services to deliver energy audits, detailed technical designs, building permit documentation, bills of quantities, PRAG-compliant tender dossiers and construction supervision for energy-efficiency measures in 50 pre-selected local public buildings across Berat, Shkodër, Korçë and Përmet. The contract is financed under IPA III (Multiannual Operational Programme on Energy 2024–2027) with an estimated value of €2.1 million and a maximum duration of 72 months structured in two phases (Phase 1: 24 months, 12-month interim, Phase 2: 36 months). The procurement uses a restricted procedure (shortlisting 4–8 candidates) with award by best price-quality ratio and key selection thresholds including an average annual turnover of at least €650,000 and at least two prior contracts of €550,000 each. Requests to participate must be submitted in English as sealed paper copies to the CFCU in Tirana by 22 December 2026 at 16:30 Europe/Tirane.

What it funds

Scope

Preparation of investment-ready documentation for 50 pre-selected public buildings (offices, kindergartens, libraries, social and cultural centres) in the municipalities of Berat, Shkodër, Korçë and Përmet, including energy audits, detailed technical designs, building permit documentation, Bills of Quantities, Environmental and Social Management Plans, PRAG-compliant tender dossiers, and supervision of subsequent civil works.

Footnotes

1. 1Contract notice and additional information available from the F&T Portal and contract document a5f_additional_information_contract_notice_en_V1.pdf Contract documents.

Opportunity summary

Project structure, timing and milestones

Total planned implementation period for the contract is 72 months. The Service Contract is split into two operative phases separated by a 12-month interim period during which procurement of the Works Contract is expected to take place.

Eligibility, participation and consortium rules

Participation is open to natural persons and legal persons (individually or in consortia) effectively established in Member States of the European Union or in countries/territories eligible under Article 11 of Regulation (EU) No 2021/1529 (IPA III). Participation is also open to international and regional organisations. All consortium members are jointly and severally liable. Sub-contracting is allowed. Ineligible natural or legal persons included in a consortium will cause exclusion of the entire consortium.

Selection and award criteria (detailed)

Submission, documents and templates

This is a restricted (two-stage) tender. Candidates must submit a Request to Participate using the official request to participate form (Annex b3) and a Declaration on Honour on exclusion and selection criteria (template available as annexes). The contracting authority explicitly states that additional unsolicited documentation (brochures, letters) will not be considered. Candidates may rely on capacity-providing entities but must provide commitments and declarations from those entities.

Requests to participate submitted by any other means will not be considered. Candidates are not required to have a PIC (Participant Identification Code) for the Request to Participate form for this procedure. Clarification requests must be submitted through the Funding & Tenders Portal; candidates are asked to copy clarifications to tender_CFCU@financa.gov.al. Clarifications will be published on the F&T Portal not later than 8 days before the submission deadline. For template forms candidates should consult the Annexes link in the procurement documents.

Key requirements and administrative rules

Administrative and procedural specifics

Selection and tender documentation references

Requests to participate must use the request to participate form (Annex b3) and the Declaration on Honour template available from the procurement annexes. Candidates relying on other entities must provide separate documentary proof and signed commitments from those entities. The contracting authority requires documentary evidence for prior projects (approval of reports, proofs of payment, certificates from contracting entities) and clear demonstration of the candidate's share of work if projects were performed in consortiums.

Awarding and evaluation

Practical submission notes and clarifications

PRAG rules apply to the procurement procedure and tender documentation. Candidates should consult the PRAG and Annexes referenced in the procurement documents when preparing submissions. The contracting authority will publish the Invitation to submit a request to participate and the 'a5f additional information contract notice en' document on the F&T Portal. See the procurement documents for the exact tender dossier and Annex templates Contract notice and documents Additional information PDF 1

Geographic and sectoral scope

Application stages, success rates and co-funding

Templates and documents applicants must use

What this opportunity is about — summary explanation

This restricted services tender seeks an experienced contractor or consortium to prepare complete, investment-ready documentation and then supervise works for an energy-efficiency rehabilitation programme covering 50 pre-selected local public buildings in four Albanian municipalities. The procurement is financed by the EU through IPA III under the Multiannual Operational Programme on Energy for Albania 2024-2027. The successful contractor will produce energy audits, detailed designs, permits, bills of quantities, environmental and social management plans and PRAG-compliant tender dossiers for the subsequent Works Contract, and will supervise the civil works in the buildings selected for implementation. The contract is fee-based with an estimated overall value of €2,100,000, operates over 72 months in two phases with a 12-month interim, and uses a restricted (two-stage) procurement with shortlisting of between 4 and 8 candidates. Selection and technical thresholds are explicit (turnover, current ratio, minimum staff, completed contracts and values). Submissions for the request to participate must be in English and sent as sealed paper copies to the CFCU office in Tirana by the stated deadline; shortlisted bidders will be invited to tender according to the timetable in the procurement documents. Candidates must follow PRAG templates and instructions and provide the required financial, professional and technical evidence.

Footnotes

1. 1See the procurement Additional information contract notice (a5f_additional_information_contract_notice_en_V1.pdf) and the full tender dossier on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for complete terms, forms and templates: ec.europa.eu

Preparation of audits, detailed design, tender documents, supervision of civil works for the implementation of energy efficiency measures in local public buildings across all four municipalities

This is a fee-based EU-funded service procurement procedure in Albania, not a grant scheme. The selected contractor will provide technical, engineering, design, procurement preparation and construction supervision services for energy-efficiency investments in local public buildings in Berat, Shkodër, Korçë and Përmet.

The opportunity is financed under IPA III through the Multiannual Operational Programme on Energy in favour of the Republic of Albania for 2024 to 2027, under budget line 15 02 02 01. The legal basis is Regulation (EU) No 2021/1529 establishing the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance. Official Funding and Tenders Portal Notice Additional Information to the Contract Notice 1

Opportunity Identification

Funding and Contract Value

Scope of Work

The assignment concerns 50 pre-selected local public buildings, including offices, kindergartens, libraries, and social and cultural centres. The contractor must assess all 50 buildings and support their prioritisation in accordance with Albanian Council of Ministers Decision No 468/2024.

Following the assessment and prioritisation, buildings with a combined gross floor area of at least 22,000 square metres will be selected for energy-efficiency works under a separate subsequent Works Contract.

The principal deliverables are expected to include:

Implementation Period and Phasing

The contract has a maximum implementation period of 72 months. The service description refers to 60 months of active service provision plus a 12-month interim period during which no services are expected.

Key timetable

The contracting authority may update the timetable, and candidates are responsible for checking the portal for amendments, clarifications and revised documents.

Who Can Apply

Eligible applicants include the following:

Natural persons who are nationals of an EU Member State or an eligible country or territory under Article 11 of Regulation (EU) No 2021/1529.

Legal persons effectively established in an EU Member State or an eligible country or territory under Article 11 of Regulation (EU) No 2021/1529.

Consortia of eligible natural or legal persons, whether permanently established or formed informally for this procurement.

International and regional organisations.

Albanian entities may participate where they satisfy the applicable nationality and eligibility rules under IPA III and the procurement documents.

Selection Requirements

Applicants should prepare documentary evidence against each of the following minimum requirements:

Capacity Providing Entities

An applicant may rely on the capacity of another entity regardless of the legal relationship between them, provided that it demonstrates access to the necessary resources through a formal commitment from the capacity-providing entity.

Capacity-providing entities must satisfy the relevant nationality and eligibility rules and must meet the selection criteria for which their capacity is being relied upon.

For technical and professional capacity, the capacity-providing entity must perform the tasks for which its capacity is required. For economic and financial capacity, the capacity-providing entity becomes jointly and severally liable for contract performance.

Shortlisting and Award

The restricted procedure is expected to shortlist between 4 and 8 candidates. If fewer than 4 eligible candidates meet the criteria, the contracting authority may invite the candidates that satisfy the requirements. If more than 8 candidates meet the requirements, the authority will apply comparative criteria.

Exclusion Requirements

Each candidate must submit the required signed declaration on honour confirming that it is not in any of the exclusion situations listed in Section 2.4.2.1 of the Practical Guide.

The same declaration is required from relevant capacity-providing entities and subcontractors where applicable. Entities included on EU restrictive-measures lists at the time of the award decision cannot be awarded the contract.

Application and Submission Requirements

The request to participate must use the prescribed request to participate form and must be accompanied by the prescribed declaration on honour concerning exclusion and selection criteria.

The request must be submitted in English. All written communications for the procurement procedure and contract must be in English.

Submission is by sealed envelope, either by post or courier or by hand delivery to the CFCU at the Ministry of Finance in Tirana. The submission address is Veronika Korkaj, General Director CFCU, General Directorate for Financing and Contracting of EU, World Bank and Other Donor Funds, Ministry of Finance, Third Floor, CFCU protocol office, Bulevardi Deshmoret e Kombit, No. 3, 1001 Tirana, Albania.

Postal or courier submissions must be supported by the postmark or deposit slip. Hand-delivered submissions must be supported by a signed and dated receipt from the contracting authority.

The envelope must clearly state the contract title and publication reference. It must also carry the wording Not to be opened before the opening session and the corresponding Albanian wording specified in the procurement document.

A Participant Identification Code is not required for the request to participate because the contract notice states that economic operators do not need to register in the European Commission Participant Register for this procedure.

Additional documents not requested by the prescribed form, such as brochures or general letters, may not be taken into consideration. Applicants should therefore follow the format and document limits strictly.

Applicant Preparation Checklist

Confirm that the organisation or every consortium member satisfies the IPA III nationality and eligibility requirements.

Decide whether to apply individually, form a consortium or use capacity-providing entities.

Check the €650,000 average annual turnover requirement for the last three closed financial years.

Check the current ratio requirement of at least 1 for the last closed financial year, including separately for each consortium member.

Document an average of at least 5 relevant personnel during the current year and the preceding two years.

Identify at least 2 qualifying energy-efficiency building service contracts, each with at least €550,000 of completed services within the relevant reference period.

Collect client certificates, approved deliverables, payment evidence and consortium documents proving the applicant's own share of each reference contract.

Complete the prescribed request to participate form without changing its structure.

Complete the declaration on honour for the applicant and relevant capacity-providing entities or subcontractors.

Prepare the sealed envelope and select a delivery method that provides reliable evidence of timely submission.

Allow sufficient time for international delivery to Tirana and consider using registered mail or a courier service with a traceable deposit record.

Monitor the Funding and Tenders Portal for amendments and clarification responses before submission.

Key Risks and Commercial Considerations

The opportunity is technically demanding because it combines energy auditing, architectural and engineering design, permitting, environmental and social safeguards, EU external-action procurement documentation and long-term works supervision.

The contract has a substantial mobilisation and coordination requirement across 50 buildings and four municipalities. Applicants should demonstrate capacity to manage geographically distributed surveys, stakeholder coordination and consistent technical standards.

The 12-month interim period creates a timing dependency between the Phase 1 design and procurement outputs and the later Phase 2 supervision services. Applicants should plan staffing and cash flow for a period in which the contract remains in force but no services are expected.

The final scope and workload for supervision depend on the buildings ultimately prioritised and the timing and content of the subsequent Works Contract. Applicants should review the full procurement dossier for payment provisions, deliverable acceptance, liability, insurance, performance security, tax treatment and any limits on reimbursable costs.

Because the award is based predominantly on quality, a strong tender will need more than low pricing. The technical approach should address audit methodology, prioritisation, design quality, constructability, environmental and social compliance, procurement readiness, quality assurance, risk management and supervision of multiple sites.

Overall Assessment

This is a suitable opportunity for established engineering, architectural, energy-efficiency and construction-supervision firms with demonstrated EU or international procurement experience and a strong portfolio of energy-efficiency building projects.

The minimum financial threshold is moderate relative to the €2.1 million estimated contract value, but the requirement for two qualifying contracts of at least €550,000 each is likely to be the principal market-entry barrier. Firms that do not independently meet the experience requirement may consider a consortium or a compliant capacity-sharing structure.

The strongest applicants will combine energy-audit and building-design expertise with proven experience in preparing donor-funded tender documents and supervising works. A carefully structured consortium may be advantageous where one partner provides energy and design expertise and another provides construction supervision, local permitting knowledge or experience with IPA and PRAG procedures.

The immediate action is to submit a compliant request to participate by 22 December 2026 at 16:30 Europe/Tirane. Only shortlisted candidates will proceed to the detailed tender stage.

Sources

The primary source is the European Commission Funding and Tenders Portal opportunity page and its official additional information document. The search results available for this assessment did not provide a more complete independent source than the official procurement materials supplied for the opportunity.

FN:1

Official opportunity page: Funding and Tenders Portal Opportunity. Official additional information document: Additional Information to the Contract Notice.

Footnotes

1. 1The report reflects the procurement notice and additional information document available for the opportunity. Applicants should rely on the latest official version published by the contracting authority and the Funding and Tenders Portal, particularly for amendments, clarification responses and the final tender dossier.