Printing of school textbooks

The European Commission's Publications Office has announced a call for tenders identified as EC-OP/2025/OP/0016 for the printing of school textbooks. The estimated total value of this procurement opportunity is €10,000,000, with a maximum contract duration of 48 months. This is an open procedure, allowing eligible organizations to submit tenders electronically, with the submission deadline set for September 24, 2025, at 11:00 Europe/Luxembourg time. The public opening of tenders is scheduled for the same day at 15:00.

This procurement seeks service contracts rather than grants, targeting established printing companies capable of handling large-scale educational publishing projects. The tender includes a framework agreement structure with reopening of competition, allowing multiple future orders from a pool of pre-qualified bidders. The evaluation will consider both quality and price, with a focus on achieving the best price-quality ratio (70% quality consideration, 30% price).

Eligibility is primarily extended to large enterprises due to the scale and complexity of the services required. A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation, and applicants must have infrastructure and experience in educational publishing. The geographic scope is generally EU-focused, given the tender’s origin from the European Commission.

Tender submissions must be made exclusively through the electronic submission system, which supports multilingual usage and includes maximum sizes and file types for submissions. Specific documents including invitation letters, specifications, draft contracts, and technical annexes are available for download. Co-funding is not required, and there is no explicit mention of success rates in the tender documentation.

Overall, this call for tenders represents a significant opportunity for major printing companies with expertise in educational materials, offering a substantial contract in the public procurement domain.

The European Commission, Publications Office, has issued a call for tenders, EC-OP/2025/OP/0016, for the printing of school textbooks. This is an open procedure with electronic submission. The estimated total value of the tender is 10,000,000 EUR. The TED publication date is 19/08/2025, with TED reference 157/2025 541429-2025. The deadline for receipt of tenders is 24/09/2025 at 11:00 Europe/Luxembourg. The date and time of the public opening is 24/09/2025 at 15:00 Europe/Luxembourg. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after 16/09/2025 06:00 Europe/Luxembourg. The nature of the contract is for services, with a maximum contract duration of 48 months. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio. This is a framework agreement with reopening of competition. The main classification (CPV) code is 79800000 Printing and related services.

The following documents are available for download:

EN0 EC-OP2025OP0016 Invitation to tender Invitation letter Published on 19/08/2025 Version 1 No translations available
EN1 EC-OP2025OP0016 Tender specifications Tender specifications Published on 19/08/2025 Version 1 No translations available
EN2.1 EC-OP2025OP0016 Draft FWC Draft contract Published on 19/08/2025 Version 1 No translations available
EN2.2 EC-OP2025OP0016 Appendix 2 to FWC Security requirements 2025 Draft contract annex Published on 19/08/2025 Version 1 No translations available
EN2.3 EC-OP2025OP0016 Appendix 3 to FWC Security baseline Draft contract annex Published on 19/08/2025 Version 1 No translations available
EN3 EC-OP2025OP0016 Case Study locked Financial offer form Published on 19/08/2025 Version 1 No translations available
EN4.1 EC-OP2025OP0016 Tech Annex I PDF Requirements Technical specifications Published on 19/08/2025 Version 1 No translations available
EN4.2 EC-OP2025OP0016 Tech Annex II Quick reference guide for placing identifiers and publisher’s information Technical specifications Published on 19/08/2025 Version 1 No translations available

Submissions must be sent exclusively via electronic submission at the address provided.

FAQ's related to the eSubmission system:

How to proceed if the system is slow or doesn’t work while uploading/downloading documents?
Please make sure you use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. If the issue persists, try the following steps: 1. Clear the cache and cookies on the Internet brows...Published on 13/02/2025 21:52

Which Internet browsers does eSubmission support?
Please use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. For the most up-to-date technical recommendations, click on the link System Requirements. You can access this link...Published on 13/02/2025 21:52

Is it possible to view the details of the submission after the deadline?
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 u...Published on 13/02/2025 21:50

Where can I find my submissions in Manage My Area, in the Funding & Tenders portal?
Depending on the type or step of procedure, you can find the submissions in one of these sections: ·In ‘My Submission(s)’: tenders in response to open calls for tenders, requests to ...Published on 17/10/2024 21:40

Which size should attachments have?
For attaching files to your tender submission, eSubmission accepts files that are less than 50 MB in size. Any larger sizes will not be accepted by the system. For the latest informa...Published on 17/10/2024 21:36

How should I name attachments in eSubmision?
In eSubmission, you must name the attachments for your tender draft following the System Requirements. With regards to all attachment names, please see the following conditions: The ...Published on 03/10/2024 17:39

Can I submit a video in eSbmission? Which formats are supported?
You can check the System Requirements of eSubmission: Published on 03/10/2024 17:37

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

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 i...Published on 03/10/2024 17:36

I have an issue uploading a file in eSubmission and it’s giving me an error. What do I do?
When uploading a file in eSubmission, you must first make sure it follows the technical requirements of the system, which are as shown below. A)For procurement procedures: B)For req...Published on 03/10/2024 17:36

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. You are able to check the eSubmission System Requirements in the documentation by clicking...Published on 03/10/2024 17:35

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 alread...Published on 23/04/2024 18:14

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

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

Which is the character set encoding in the system?
The character set encoding is UTF-8.Published on 23/02/2024 00:58

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

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

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

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

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, Publications Office, for the printing of school textbooks. The procedure is open, meaning any eligible organization can apply. The estimated value is 10 million EUR, and the contract will be awarded based on the best price-quality ratio. The contract will be a framework agreement, which means that multiple contractors may be selected, and specific tasks will be assigned through subsequent mini-competitions. The tender documents, including the invitation letter, specifications, draft contract, and technical annexes, are available for download. The deadline for submitting tenders is September 24, 2025. The submission must be done electronically. A Participant Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation. The eSubmission system supports multiple languages and encrypts uploaded documents.

Eligible Applicant Types: The content does not explicitly list eligible applicant types. However, based on the nature of the tender (printing of school textbooks) and the requirement for a Participant Identification Code (PIC), it can be inferred that eligible applicants are likely to be organizations or companies, including potentially SMEs and large enterprises, involved in printing and related services. It is also possible that consortia of such organizations could apply.

Funding Type: Procurement. This is indicated by the description of the opportunity as a "Call for tenders" and the nature of the contract being for "services". The European Commission is seeking to procure printing services for school textbooks.

Consortium Requirement: The content 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 content does not explicitly define geographic eligibility. However, given that it is an EU funding opportunity managed by the European Commission, it is highly likely that the beneficiary scope includes entities located within the EU. Further details would need to be checked in the tender specifications.

Target Sector: The primary target sector is printing and related services. This is explicitly stated in the description as "Printing of school textbooks" and the main classification (CPV) code 79800000 - Printing and related services. The opportunity also touches on the education sector, as the subject of the printing services is school textbooks.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity mentions Luxembourg in the context of the date and time of the public opening and the deadline for receipt of tenders, specifically "24/09/2025 15:00 Europe/Luxembourg" and "24/09/2025 11:00 Europe/Luxembourg". This refers to the time zone.

Project Stage: The project is at the procurement stage. The European Commission is seeking tenders for a defined service (printing of school textbooks), indicating that the need and specifications are already determined.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the tender is 10,000,000 EUR.

Application Type: Open call. The procedure type is explicitly stated as an "Open procedure".

Nature of Support: Non-monetary services. The successful tenderer will receive a service contract to provide printing services, in exchange for financial compensation as per the agreed contract terms.

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly stated, but it can be inferred that there are multiple stages. These would likely include: submitting a tender, evaluation of tenders, selection of the winning tenderer, and contract award.

Success Rates: The success rate is not mentioned in the provided content.

Co-funding Requirement: The content does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This is a call for tenders issued by the European Commission, Publications Office, for the printing of school textbooks. The procedure identifier is EC-OP/2025/OP/0016. It is an open procedure, meaning any eligible organization can submit a tender. The estimated total value of the contract is 10,000,000 EUR. The TED publication date was 19/08/2025, and the deadline for receipt of tenders is 24/09/2025 at 11:00 Europe/Luxembourg time. The maximum contract duration is 48 months. The award method will be based on the best price-quality ratio. The contract is a framework agreement with reopening of competition. Submissions must be sent electronically. Tenderers must have a Personal Identification Code (PIC). The eSubmission system supports multiple languages and encrypts uploaded documents. The maximum attachment size is 50 MB, and a maximum of 200 files can be uploaded per tender. The European Commission is not bound to reply to questions submitted after 16/09/2025 06:00 Europe/Luxembourg. The technical specifications are detailed in the Tech Annex I PDF Requirements and Tech Annex II Quick reference guide for placing identifiers and publisher’s information documents.