Prestation de services d’assurance incendie et risques connexes

The European Court of Auditors is tendering fire and related perils insurance for its Luxembourg complex under procedure ECA/2026/CPN/0003 using a two stage competitive procedure with negotiation. Requests to participate must be submitted electronically via the Funding and Tenders Portal eSubmission by 22 April 2026 and a site visit is scheduled for 31 March 2026. Eligible bidders are authorised non life insurers able to bear risk in compliance with Solvency II with a minimum solvency ratio attestation of 120 percent and technical references, and the contract duration is an initial 12 months renewable up to a maximum of 60 months. Award will be by best price quality ratio with quality weighted at 60 percent and price at 40 percent, and insured values cited in the dossier include approximately €193 million for buildings and €17.5 million for contents.

Résumé de l’opportunité

Appel d’offres de la Cour des comptes européenne (procédure compétitive avec négociation) pour un contrat d’assurance tous risques sauf couvrant l’ensemble du complexe immobilier de la Cour (bâtiments, contenu, centre de données externe) contre incendie et risques connexes.

Ce que finance:Assurance dommages « tous risques sauf » pour bâtiments et contenu, garanties minimales définies (valeur bâtiments €100 M, contenu €9 M, options additionnelles possibles) ; inclut frais de sauvetage, garanties accessoires, prise en charge en terrorisme et catastrophes naturelles selon cahier des charges.

Qui peut soumissionner:Assureurs habilités à exercer l’activité d’assurance non‑vie (Solvabilité II applicable) et autres opérateurs économiques autorisés à exercer, y compris entités hors UE sous conditions d’accès. Intermédiaires acceptés uniquement en sous‑traitance. Voir conditions d’éligibilité technique et financier dans le dossier d’appel d’offres ¹.

Montant et durée

Limites minimales de garantie renseignées dans le cahier des charges (par ex. €100 M bâtiments, €9 M contenu, €6 M terrorisme par sinistre, options jusqu’à 100% valeur à neuf). Durée initiale 12 mois, reconductible jusqu’à 4 fois (durée maximale 60 mois).

1. 1Type de procédure: Competitive procedure with negotiation
2. 2Critères d’attribution: meilleur rapport qualité/prix (qualité 60 %, prix 40 %)
3. 3Principaux critères de sélection: capacité juridique et réglementaire, ratio Solvabilité II >= 120 %, expérience sur assurances incendie de bâtiments de bureaux significatifs (>=€5 000 M² ou 500 personnes)

Soumission électronique via eSubmission / Funding & Tenders Portal; les documents techniques et formulaires (annexes 1–8, projet de contrat et spécifications techniques) sont publiés sur le portail officiel F&T Portal ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Dossier complet et conditions détaillées publiés sur le portail Funding & Tenders (documents: Invitation, Partie 1 et 2 des spécifications, Annexe 7 liste des options, Annexe 8 bordereau de prix, projet de contrat). Accès et soumission via eSubmission requis.

Overview and purpose

The European Court of Auditors (ECA) is launching a competitive procedure with negotiation (two-stage) to award a direct contract for fire and related perils insurance covering the ECA real estate complex and its contents located at 12 rue Alcide De Gasperi, L-1615 Luxembourg (Kirchberg). The contract foresees an insurance solution of type "all risks except" (tous risques sauf). The procurement replaces the interinstitutional framework insurance previously in place and follows CALux conclusions to run institution-specific calls. Confidential technical annexes describing the buildings and risk mitigation measures will be provided only to selected candidates invited to submit offers in stage 2.

Key procurement facts

Procedure identifier:ECA/2026/CPN/0003. Procedure type: Competitive procedure with negotiation (two-stage). Submission method: electronic only via eSubmission (EU Login required). Award method: best price-quality ratio. Nature of contract: services (damage or loss insurance services CPV 66515000, additional CPV 66515100). Maximum contract duration: 60 months (initial duration 12 months with up to 4 annual tacit renewals).

Location / Contracting authority:European Court of Auditors, 12 rue Alcide De Gasperi, L-1615 Luxembourg (Kirchberg).

Submission method:Electronic submission only via the Commission’s eSubmission application on the Funding & Tenders Portal. EU Login account and PIC registration required. See portal link for the eSubmission entry point and document downloads Funding & Tenders Portal. ¹

Important dates and procedural structure

Scope of insurance required

The contract covers the ECA real estate complex and its contents, including an external data center and vehicles as specified. Policy required is "all risks except" with defined mandatory inclusions and a set of optional coverages bidders may offer. The tender documents include administrative specifications (Part 1), technical specifications (Part 2), financial offer template (Annexe 8), options list (Annexe 7) and templates for exclusion/selection declarations, subcontractor engagement letters, draft contract and more. Confidential annexes (Annexes 2.1 and 2.2 – building descriptions and mitigation measures) will be supplied only to candidates invited to stage 2.

1. 1Insurance type: All risks except (tous risques sauf).
2. 2Insured objects: Buildings K1, K2, K3 (ECA complex), external data center, contents, specified vehicles and common areas. Values and breakdowns are provided in the technical annex (Part 2, Table of values).
3. 3Mandatory inclusions: accessory guarantees, salvage costs, ancillary costs and losses, cover for events occurring outside the insured premises as described in Part 2.
4. 4Mandatory contract elements (non-negotiable): specified minimum deductibles/franchises, abandonment of the proportional rule, subrogation/waiver of recourse provisions (with limited exceptions), policy wording consistency, renewal and indexation rules, reporting and attestations.
5. 5Optional covers (bidders may offer): up to 100% replacement-value cover for buildings and contents, increased accessory guarantee limits (up to 50%), catastrophe natural events coverage limits, coverage for damage caused by terrorism (special rules), damage due to works, cyberattack-triggered water damage, fire without flame, and full new-for-old (value à neuf) options per the options list (Annexe 7).

Eligibility and who can bid

Who can apply:entities legally authorised to carry out non-life insurance activities and directly able to bear the insurance risk (insurers). Intermediaries may participate only as subcontractors to an insurer that will be the risk carrier. Bidders may be single economic operators or joint ventures (groupements). Entities established in third countries may apply if a specific international agreement applies; otherwise participation is limited to EU/EEA and countries with relevant agreements and to entities authorised to underwrite the relevant insurance business.

1. 1Eligible applicant types: Insurance undertakings (primary risk carrier) — insurers authorised in accordance with Solvency II (Directive 2009/138/EC). Intermediaries only as subcontractors. Joint bids by consortia/groupements are allowed; a lead representative (chef de file) must be appointed.
2. 2Mandatory registrations/documents: PIC registration in the Participant Register; EU Login (EU Login) for eSubmission.
3. 3Exclusion & selection: candidates must submit a signed Declaration on Honour (Annexe 2) and provide evidence of non-exclusion, solvency/financial capacity and relevant technical experience (Annexe 6).

Selection and award criteria

Stage 1 (requests to participate) evaluates exclusion criteria (Article 138 of the Financial Regulation), selection criteria including legal/regulatory ability to underwrite non-life insurance (proof of registration and valid authorisation), economic and financial capacity (Solvency II coverage ratio minimum 120%), and technical/professional capacity (T1: at least one similar insurance contract in the last five years covering office buildings of significant size — minimum €5 000 M² or hosting 500 persons). Stage 2 (invited shortlisted bidders) evaluates offers using a best price-quality ratio with weighting 60% quality / 40% price according to the Tender Specifications (details in Annex 7 and Annex 8 templates).

1. 1Stage 1 selection criteria highlights: Solvency II coverage ratio >= 120%; proven insurance underwriting authorisation; technical experience: at least one reference in last 5 years insuring large office buildings (>= €5 000 M² or >= 500 employees).
2. 2Stage 2 award criteria: Quality (60%) — based on optional coverages and limits offered in Annex 7; Price (40%) — based on financial offer template Annex 8. Scoring formula is specified (price and quality weighted).
3. 3Evaluation method: the buyer may negotiate offers; minimum mandatory requirements are non-negotiable and offers failing them will be rejected.

Submission, forms and templates

All requests to participate (stage 1) must be submitted electronically via eSubmission. Mandatory tender documents and templates (published 23/03/2026) include: Invitation to submit request to participate, Part 1 administrative specifications, Part 2 technical specifications, Annexe 8 financial offer form (Excel, protected spreadsheet with blue cells for bidder input), Annexe 7 options list (Excel), Annexe 6 list of similar services template, Annexe 2 Declaration on Honour, model draft direct service contract and other administrative attachments. Confidential technical annexes (building descriptions, risk mitigation measures) are available only to candidates selected and invited to stage 2. The price schedule must be filled in per Annexe 8, using four-decimal euro entries for specified unit price cells; the file auto-calculates the first-year total price.

Templates and application structure:Key templates: Annexe 2 Declaration on Honour (exclusion & selection); Annexe 4 list of designated subcontractors; Annexe 5.1/5.2 letters of engagement for subcontractors or third-party capacity providers; Annexe 6 references template (similar contracts); Annexe 7 quality form/options list (to specify optional coverages and percentages); Annexe 8 financial offer (price schedule, protected Excel). The administrative package (Part 1) details what documents to upload in eSubmission per entity role (applicant, leader, member, subcontractor, capacity-provider).

Eligibility geography, permitted roles and subcontracting

Participation is open to entities authorised to perform non‑life insurance activities under the applicable Member State and EU rules. Intermediaries may participate only as subcontractors to an insurer that carries the risk. Third‑country undertakings may participate only if an international agreement allows access. Subcontracting is permitted for most services, however the insurance provision itself (carrying the insurance risk) cannot be subcontracted and must be performed by the insurer (bidder) or a member of the bidding group acting as the insurer. Designated subcontractors above thresholds must be listed and provide engagement letters (Annexes 4 and 5.1).

1. 1Beneficiary scope: primarily EU institutions and entities; applicants must be authorised insurers eligible under EU and national law; third country participation only under applicable agreements.
2. 2Subcontracting: allowed for non-insurance tasks; insurance risk carriage must be performed by the insurer submitting the offer or by the insurer member of the group.

Financials, limits and contract value information

The tender documents provide the inventory, building values and content valuations to be insured. Minimum guarantee limits required by the specification include overall cover minimums and specific sub-limits (example figures in the technical specification): minimum aggregate coverage of €141 000 000 composed of €100 000 000 for buildings, €9 000 000 for contents, accessory guarantees and costs up to 30% of total, vehicle limit €1 000 000, catastrophe natural events limit at 30% of total, specific amounts for machine breakage and glass breakage, and terrorism limits with special rules. Bidders complete Annexe 8 to calculate the first-year premium and provide prices per the protected spreadsheet; Annexe 7 records optional coverage percentages and choices which feed the quality scoring.

Funding / Contract value:Estimated total contract value is not published in the notice. The specification sets minimum insured values (see technical Part 2: minimum insured totals and sublimits totalling approx. €141 million in insured sums). Financial offer must be completed in Annexe 8; the portal shows no single estimated procurement budget figure in the public notice.

Scoring, negotiation, confidentiality and audits

Award will be based on best price-quality ratio (60% quality / 40% price). Quality scoring is detailed in the administrative specifications (Part 1) with a table showing how optional coverage percentages map to quality points (Annexe 7). The buyer may negotiate with shortlisted bidders in stage 2 to improve offers; minimum mandatory requirements and exclusions are non-negotiable. Submitted offers become property of the contracting authority and are handled confidentially; after award certain information may be disclosed to unsuccessful bidders on request but commercially sensitive information may be redacted. The contract and documents are subject to audits, including by OLAF, the ECA and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office where applicable.

Answers to structured extraction questions

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: insurance undertakings (primary requirement — must be authorised to carry non‑life insurance under Solvency II), joint ventures / groupements including insurers, intermediaries only as subcontractors, reinsurance undertakings where applicable (as co-insurers), large enterprises in the insurance sector, and consortiums whose members include a fully authorised insurer. Universities, research institutes, NGOs, individuals and general SMEs are not the intended principal bidders unless they are authorised insurers. Public bodies may act if legally authorised to perform insurance operations but the core bidder must be an insurer.
2. 2Funding Type: procurement / service contract (insurance services). This is not a grant, loan or equity instrument; it is a public procurement for an insurance contract (services).
3. 3Consortium Requirement: either single insurer or a consortium (groupement) is allowed. For joint submissions a chief/leader (chef de file) must be designated and sign the group power of attorney (Annexe 3). The insurer carrying the risk must be explicitly identified; insurance carriage cannot be subcontracted away from the insurer.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): primarily EU (ECA is an EU institution based in Luxembourg). Entities established in EEA or in third countries may participate only where international agreements permit access; intermediaries from third countries may take part only as subcontractors. Procedures call for compliance with EU legal frameworks (Solvency II, Financial Regulation).
5. 5Target Sector: insurance, financial services (non‑life, property insurance) specifically covering fire and related perils for buildings, building systems, contents, vehicles and electronic equipment. Related sectors: risk management, reinsurance, insurance brokerage (as subcontractor).
6. 6Mentioned Countries: Luxembourg (contract location and reporting timezone). The procedure is by an EU institution and applies EU rules; other countries are not specifically named as eligible beyond the general EU/EEA/third-country provisions referred to in the administrative specifications.
7. 7Project Stage: operational / service delivery. This is a contract for an operational insurance service covering existing facilities; maturity is production/operational (not R&D).
8. 8Funding Amount: the notice does not publish an estimated total procurement budget. The technical specifications list minimum insured sums (approx. €141 000 000 of insured value across buildings and contents and sublimits). The actual premium amount to be paid is to be proposed by bidders using Annexe 8; no single estimated contract value is stated in the public notice.
9. 9Application Type: two‑stage open call for tenders (competitive procedure with negotiation). Stage 1: open request to participate via eSubmission; Stage 2: only selected candidates are invited to submit final offers. Submission method: electronic only via eSubmission (EU Login required).
10. 10Nature of Support: the award is a fee-for-service contract (monetary payments by ECA to the successful insurer based on the insurance premium); beneficiaries (the ECA as purchaser) receive insured cover; the provider receives monetary compensation. So: money (service contract).
11. 11Application Stages: 2 (stage 1 request to participate — exclusion & selection; stage 2 invited offers — technical and financial evaluation, negotiation).
12. 12Success Rates: not specified in the documents. No public success rate is provided; stage 1 will shortlist a limited number of candidates (the specification allows selection and only invited bidders may tender). Therefore success rate cannot be quantified from available materials.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: not applicable. The tender is a procurement of services funded by the Court; no co‑funding from applicants is required or expected.
14. 14Templates: available in the tender document package — key templates and their usage are: Annexe 2 Declaration on Honour (exclusion & selection) — signed; Annexe 4 list of designated subcontractors (if any); Annexe 5.1/5.2 engagement letters for named subcontractors / capacity providers; Annexe 6 list of similar services (references — must show at least one qualifying contract in last five years for technical criterion T1); Annexe 7 Quality / Options form — bidders specify optional guarantees and coverage percentages (these feed quality scoring: table in Part 1 scoring matrix); Annexe 8 Financial Offer (protected Excel) — bidders fill blue cells; price auto-calculates for first-year premium (cell E7). The draft Direct Service Contract is provided and bidders should propose no variants to core mandatory clauses; any deviations may be rejected. The administrative specifications list exactly which documents to upload in eSubmission per entity role (see Annex 1A and €1Bin Part 1).

Other practical requirements and notes

Registration and technical requirements:bidders must register in the EU Participant Register (PIC) and use the same PIC for tender submission. eSubmission supports major browsers and has strict attachment size and filename rules (50 MB per file, max 200 attachments per submission). The eSubmission timestamp is the only proof of timely receipt. Bidders should sign templates using a qualified electronic signature where possible but paper signed originals can be retained and provided on request. Detailed administrative, technical and contractual obligations, reporting and audit provisions (including OLAF, ECA, EPPO rights) are set out in the tender dossier and draft contract. Confidential annexes (building descriptions and risk mitigation measures) will be shared only with selected candidates invited to stage 2.

Risk management and required guarantees

Mandatory risk management and contract conditions include:non-negotiable minimum franchises/deductibles (e.g. €100 000 per building/content claim, €10 000 per electronic equipment claim, vehicle deductibles), non-cumulative franchises, indexation rules for premiums and limits, waiver of proportional rule, waiver of recourse/subrogation against certain parties (with exceptions for intentional faults), reporting of claims and annual claims report, obligations on the insurer to produce attestation of insurance and claims reporting and to cooperate with audits and controls. The insurer must provide claims handling, expertise arrangements (joint expert rules are in the technical specification), and timeliness of indemnity payments (e.g. indemnity paid within 30 calendar days of acceptance of expert assessment).

How to obtain documents and ask questions

All procurement documents are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page and on TED. Questions during stage 1 must be submitted via the Portal Q&A (eSubmission Q&A tab). Only selected candidates will be able to access confidential annexes and submit questions at stage 2. Subscribe via the opportunity page to receive updates. The Court’s procurement contact for administrative queries is eca-procurement.service@eca.europa.eu.

Summary: what is this opportunity about and how to explain it

This is a public procurement by the European Court of Auditors for a dedicated fire and related perils insurance policy (all risks except) covering its property complex in Luxembourg and associated contents, vehicles and an external data centre. The procedure is a two-stage competitive procedure with negotiation: stage 1 is an open call for requests to participate where exclusion, selection and capacity criteria (legal authorisation, Solvency II ratio, technical references) are assessed; stage 2 will invite only shortlisted candidates to submit detailed technical and financial offers using the provided templates. Bidders must be authorised insurers able to carry risk. The award balances quality (60%) — in practice the extent of optional coverages proposed — and price (40%). Bidders must submit electronically via eSubmission. Confidential technical annexes will be shared only with invited bidders. The insurance itself cannot be subcontracted and must be provided by an insurer; intermediaries can act as subcontractors only. The buyer reserves the right to negotiate and to award on initial bids if it chooses. Contract duration is up to 60 months (initial 12 months plus up to four annual renewals). Bidders should carefully follow the administrative and technical templates (Annexes 2, 6, 7, 8) and evidence requirements to pass stage 1 and be invited to tender at stage 2.

Footnotes

1. 1Portal entry point for the procurement: Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page (documents, eSubmission link and Q&A): ec.europa.eu

This is a competitive negotiated procedure launched by the European Court of Auditors (Cour des comptes européenne) for fire and related risks insurance services covering its Luxembourg real estate complex (buildings K1, K2, K3 and external data center) and contents. The tender replaces an expiring interinstitutional framework contract and follows a decision by the CALux working group on 26 June 2024 to pursue institution-specific tenders.

Key Dates and Procedure

TED publication:23 March 2026. Deadline for requests to participate: 22 April 2026 at 16:00 Luxembourg time. Two-stage process: Stage 1 evaluates exclusion and selection criteria; selected candidates proceed to Stage 2 for full tenders. Site visit: 31 March 2026 at 10:00 (optional but recommended; register 2 working days in advance via eca-procurement.service@eca.europa.eu).

Contract Details

Duration:Maximum 60 months (initial 12 months, tacitly renewable 4 times for 12 months each; 9-month notice required). Possible monthly extensions up to 9 months post-5 years if new tender delayed.

Estimated Value:Not specified in notice; volume based on insured values (buildings: €193M at new replacement value; contents: €17.5M). CPV: 66515000 (Damage or loss insurance services).

Award Criteria:Best price-quality ratio (Quality: 60%; Price: 40%). Quality scored on coverage limits and optional guarantees via Annex 7.

Eligibility and Who Can Apply

Open to legal persons authorized to conduct non-life insurance (Solvency II Directive 2009/138/EC) and bear the risk directly. Insurance intermediaries only as subcontractors. EU/EEA entities or third-country entities with specific EU agreements. No GPA applicability.

Exclusion Criteria

• Bankruptcy, insolvency, tax/social security non-compliance.
• Grave professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, criminal organization involvement, money laundering, terrorism.
• Serious breaches in prior EU-funded contracts.
• Irregularities (Reg. 2988/95), tax evasion entities.
• Obstruction of audits/investigations.
• Conflicts of interest, restrictive measures.

Declaration on honour (Annex 2) required; supporting documents on request. Self-certification valid if unchanged within 1 year.

Selection Criteria (Stage 1)

• Legal/Regulatory: Proof of registration and Solvency II authorisation.
• Financial: Solvency II coverage ratio >=120% (attestation).
• Technical/Professional: At least 1 similar service in last 5 years (office buildings >=€5,000 M² or 500 occupants; Annex 6).

Joint tenders allowed (solidary responsibility); no core task subcontracting (insurance provision essential). Reliance on third-party capacities permitted with commitments.

Scope and Technical Requirements

All-risks-except policy (tous risques sauf) for fire/related risks on ECA complex (€81,490 M², ~950 staff). Insured values: Buildings €193M (new replacement); Contents €17.5M (incl. €7M electronics). Minimum limits: €141M total (details in specs Pt. 2, 2.5.1). Franchises: €100K buildings/contents, €10K electronics, €1K/vehicle (max €30K). No proportional rule; waiver of recourse.

Mandatory Coverages:Accessories (30% total), salvage, ancillary costs, off-site events. Terrorism: €6M (excl. fire). Natural catastrophes: 30% total. Vehicles: €1M. Glass breakage: €2M. Machinery: €1M. Pollution: 30% total.

Optional (Scored in Quality):Up to 100% real value buildings/contents; accessories up to 50%; natural cat. up to 50%; aviation damage, terrorism fire (no €6M cap), works-related damage, cyber, flameless fire (Annex 7).

Submission Requirements (Stage 1)

1. 1EU Login account and PIC registration.
2. 2Electronic via eSubmission (Funding & Tenders Portal).
3. 3Declaration on honour (Annex 2).
4. 4Proof legal/regulatory capacity.
5. 5Solvency attestation.
6. 6Annex 6 (similar services).
7. 7Power of attorney (joints), subcontractor lists/commitments if applicable.

Full docs:Invitation, Admin Specs (Pt.1), Tech Specs (Pt.2), Draft Contract, Annexes 2,6,7,8. French primary; EU languages accepted. No variants beyond options.

Evaluation and Award (Stage 2)

Minimum requirements mandatory. Negotiations possible on non-minimums. Quality:Coverage scoring (42 pts limits +18 pts options). Price: Total annual premium (Annex 8). Formula: (Lowest price *40 / Tender price) + Quality score.

Other Key Info

• Electronic invoicing via PEPPOL/e-PRIOR.
• Indexation: Construction index (buildings); HICP (contents/franchises/limits).
• Claims: Notification within 15 days; indemnity within 30 days post-expertise.
• No sinistrality since 2020/2021.
• Confidential annexes (buildings description, risk mitigation) at Stage 2.

Primary source:EU Funding & Tenders Portal. TED: 57/2026 196991-2026. Contact: eca-procurement.service@eca.europa.eu (site visits only).

Applicants should review full specs for detailed insured values, exclusions, and forms. Luxembourg insurance market strong; Solvency II compliance essential.