Provision of catering services for high-level events at the EEAS Headquarters

The European External Action Service (EEAS) has published an open tender (EEAS/2026/OP/0046) for a single-winner framework contract to provide catering services for HR/VP, high-level and Protocol events at EEAS Headquarters. The estimated total contract value is €650,000 (excl. VAT) for a 48-month duration and the procedure requires electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Key dates include publication on 12 May 2026, a deadline for requests for additional information of 11 June 2026, and a tender submission deadline of 19 June 2026 at 15:00:59 Brussels time. Award is based on MEAT with quality weighted 60% and price weighted 40%, and full procurement documents are available on the portal.

Opportunity type

Tender for a framework contract

What it funds:provision of catering services for high-level, HR/VP and Protocol events at the European External Action Service (EEAS) Headquarters in Brussels.

Who can apply:Professional catering service providers and consortia that meet the procurement selection and technical specification requirements; submission is by eSubmission through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. ¹

1. 1Estimated contract value: €650,000 (total estimated overall contract amount).
2. 2Contract type: framework agreement for up to 48 months.
3. 3Submission method: required eSubmission via the Portal.
4. 4Key deadlines: deadline for submission 19 June 2026 at 15:00:59 (Brussels time); open tender event 24 June 2026 (information session).
5. 5Documents available: Invitation to Tender, Tender specifications, Technical specifications, Draft FWC, Financial annexes, Request to participate form, Declaration on honour.

Lead contracting authority:European External Action Service (EEAS). Main CPV: 55520000 (catering services). Call identifier: EEAS/2026/OP/0046. Submission portal: Tender details.

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement documents (Invitation to Tender, specifications and annexes) available on the opportunity page linked above and in the Portal documents section.

Opportunity summary

Nature of the opportunity

The European External Action Service (EEAS) publishes a call for tenders to conclude a framework contract (FWC) for the provision of catering services for high-level events held at the EEAS Headquarters, covering HR/VP events, high-level meetings and Protocol activities. The tender is published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal under call identifier EEAS/2026/OP/0046. The estimated total value of the procedure is €650 000 and the planned duration of the contract is 48 months.

Key dates:Invitation to Tender publication date: 12 May 2026. Request for additional information end date: 11 June 2026. Tender submission deadline / Closing date: 19 June 2026 at 15:00:59 (Europe/Brussels). Open tender event (if applicable / recorded): 24 June 2026 at 10:30. Consider-changed-until date for associated documents: 26 May 2026. The procedure update was recorded on 24 June 2026.

1. 1Call identifier: EEAS/2026/OP/0046
2. 2Publication date: 12 May 2026
3. 3Submission deadline: 19 June 2026, 15:00:59 (Brussels time)
4. 4Open tender event: 24 June 2026, 10:30 (Brussels time)
5. 5Estimated total procedure value: €650 000
6. 6Estimated contract duration: 48 months

Eligibility and participation

Eligible Applicant Types:The procurement targets economic operators capable of providing catering services. Typical eligible applicant types include SMEs, large enterprises, catering companies, hospitality providers, and event-catering specialists. Public bodies are not the intended contractors. The procurement documentation includes a Request to Participate form and selection criteria; applicants must satisfy the tenderer qualification and selection requirements described in the tender specifications and Request to participate form.

Funding Type:This is a procurement (tender) procedure to award a framework contract for services. The financial mechanism is a public contract (services) procured by the EEAS, not a grant, loan, equity or subsidy.

Consortium Requirement:The procurement documents allow participation of economic operators. The tendering documents (Request to participate form and Tender specifications) will specify whether joint bids (consortia or lead contractor with subcontractors) are permitted or required. Applicants should consult the Request to participate form and Tender specifications for details on consortium submission, required declarations and whether bidders must nominate a lead partner or provide joint liability arrangements.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The contracting authority is the European External Action Service (EEAS) based in the EU. The procurement is EU-funded and published on the EU portal; eligible bidders are expected to be economic operators established in countries authorised under EU procurement rules. The portal listing does not explicitly limit participation to specific Member States in the summary; bidders should refer to the Tender specifications and Request to participate form for precise country eligibility and required proof of establishment.

Target Sector:Sector: Catering / Hospitality / Event Services. The CPV main code for the contract is 55520000 (Catering services). The contract is strictly service-provision oriented toward high-level diplomatic events and protocol functions.

Mentioned Countries:The authority is the European External Action Service (EEAS) of the European Union. No specific participating country list is shown in the summary. The opportunity is published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and therefore applies under EU procurement rules; referenced region: European Union.

Project Stage:Project maturity expected: operational delivery/commercial implementation. The contract covers ongoing service delivery (planning, preparation, on-site catering, service for high-level events) rather than research or development stages.

Funding Amount:Estimated total procedure value / estimated overall contract amount: €650 000 (currency: EUR). The procurement summary lists 'Cft Estimated Total Procedure Value: €650000' and 'Cft Estimated Overall Contract Amount: 650000'. The award will be via a framework contract; individual call-offs will be against that FWC.

Application Type:Submission method: electronic submission through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (ESUBMISSION). The procedure is an open tender published on the portal; applicants must submit their Request to participate and the tender electronically by the stated deadline.

Nature of Support:Beneficiaries will receive payment for services under a public procurement contract. This is monetary remuneration for delivered services under the framework contract. Non-monetary support (e.g., access to premises for events) is possible only in the course of contract performance but not described as a separate benefit in the summary.

Application Stages:The procurement process includes at minimum: 1) submission of Request to participate and tender documents; 2) administrative and selection evaluation; 3) technical and financial evaluation against award criteria (quality 60 weight, price 40 weight as indicated); 4) award and contract signature. Therefore applicants should expect a multi-stage evaluation (at least 3 to 4 logical stages).

Success Rates:The portal does not publish explicit historic success rates for this specific tender. As a single-award framework contract with competitive procurement and an estimated value of €650 000, the success rate depends on the number of valid bids received; bidders should assume competitive selection and prepare compliant, high-quality submissions. Exact success probability not provided.

Co-funding Requirement:No co-funding from applicants is required in the sense of grants. This is a paid procurement contract: the awarded contractor will be remunerated by the contracting authority for the provision of services according to contract terms and call-offs. Financial guarantees, performance securities or bank guarantees may be required as defined in the draft FWC and tender specifications.

Evaluation and award

Awarding criteria:The tendering information shows a weighted award structure with Quality weighted at 60 and Price weighted at 40. The specific subcriteria and scoring methodology are detailed in the Tender specifications and Technical specifications included in the procurement documents. Applicants must follow the Tender specifications Part I and Technical specifications Part II to address mandatory requirements, technical capacity, staff experience, menus, sample service plans, logistics, hygiene and safety compliance, and any sustainability or EU protocol-specific requirements.

Required documentation and templates

The procurement package includes the following documents published on 12 May 2026. Bidders must consult and use these documents as the basis for their submissions:

1. 11. Invitation to Tender (document: 1. Invitation to Tender_V1.pdf)
2. 22. Tender specifications Part I (document: 2. Tender specifications Part I_V1.pdf)
3. 33. Technical specifications Part II (document: 3. Technical specifications Part II_V1.pdf)
4. 44. Draft framework contract (4. Draft FWC_V1.pdf)
5. 55. Request to participate form (5. Request to participate form_V1.doc)
6. 66. Declaration on honour (tender) (6. Declaration on honour_V1.docx)
7. 77. Financial annexes A and B / Financial offer form (7. Financial Annexes A and B_V1.xlsx)

Templates and forms:The pack explicitly contains a Request to participate form, a Declaration on honour (tender) and Financial Annex templates (Annexes A and B in native spreadsheet format). These are mandatory to complete and return electronically with the tender. The Draft FWC sets out contractual terms, conditions, invoicing, payment modalities, performance obligations and potential performance securities. The Tender specifications and Technical specifications define qualification, minimum capacity, hygiene and safety standards, required certifications and logistical provisions for serving high-level diplomatic events.

Procurement logistics and practicalities

Submission method:Electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal is mandatory. The submission period ends on 19 June 2026 at 15:00:59 (Brussels time). Bidders should allow sufficient time to complete the portal submission process. Questions and requests for additional information can be submitted before the Additional information request period end date (11 June 2026). The procurement is SME suitable indicator false, meaning it was not marked specifically as adapted to SMEs.

Awarded contract and subsequent call-offs:The contract awarded will be a framework agreement for the provision of catering services; the FWC will govern the relationship and specific events will be delivered via call-offs (orders) placed under the FWC. The estimated overall contract amount is €650 000 for the 48-month planned period.

Procurement classification and codes

Main CPV code:55520000 (Catering services). Procurement type: services. Contracting authority: European External Action Service (EEAS) (lead authority). Procedure type and nature are indicated in the portal record; submission method code: ESUBMISSION.

How to prepare an application

Read all procurement documents carefully. Use the provided Request to participate form and Financial Annex templates. Ensure compliance with the Draft FWC terms and prepare evidence for selection criteria (financial capacity, professional and technical ability, relevant experience in high-level event catering, staff qualifications, food safety certificates, insurance, and any security or access requirements for the EEAS premises). Address the technical quality criteria comprehensively: menu proposals, service concept, staffing plans, contingency planning, sustainability measures, waste management, and ability to deliver under diplomatic/protocol requirements. Price your offer using the Financial Annex templates and check the price-quality weighting (quality 60 / price 40). Submit the complete electronic package before the deadline.

Contact and portal access:Access the full tender dossier and submit electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal at the opportunity page. The contract notice and all documents were published on 12 May 2026 and are available for download on the portal EEAS tender details. ¹

Summary and final remarks

This procurement is a public tender to award a framework contract to one or more economic operators for catering services at the EEAS Headquarters for high-level events, including HR/VP engagements and Protocol activities. The opportunity is time-limited: consult the tender documents immediately, prepare the Request to participate, complete the Financial Annexes and required declarations, and submit electronically before 19 June 2026, 15:00:59 (Brussels time). The award will be based on quality (60) and price (40) as described in the Tender specifications. The estimated total contract value is €650 000 over a planned 48-month contract period, and full details, templates and contractual conditions are available in the published procurement documents on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Full procurement dossier (Invitation to Tender, Tender specifications, Technical specifications, Draft FWC, Request to participate form, Declaration on honour, Financial Annexes) available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page: ec.europa.eu

Opportunity Overview

This is an open call for tenders (Reference:EEAS/2026/OP/0046) launched by the European External Action Service (EEAS) for a framework contract to provide catering services for high-level events at EEAS Headquarters. The services cover HR/VP, high-level, and Protocol activities. The estimated overall contract value is €650,000. CPV code: 55520000 (Catering services). The procedure is open and uses electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Contracting Authority

European External Action Service (EEAS), the diplomatic service of the European Union. Official website: EEAS.

Key Dates

Publication Date:12 May 2026.

Deadline for Requests for Additional Information:11 June 2026.

Tender Submission Deadline:19 June 2026 at 15:00:59 (Brussels time).¹

Public Opening:24 June 2026 at 10:30 (Brussels time).

Tender Validity Period:9 months.

Contract Details

Type:Framework agreement (FA) with one winner, without reopening of competition.

Duration:48 months.

Estimated Value:€650,000 (excluding VAT).²

Lots:Single lot (LOT-0001): Provision of catering services for high-level events.

Eligibility and Participation

Open to economic operators meeting EU procurement rules. Participation is not reserved for specific categories. Detailed eligibility criteria, selection requirements, and grounds for exclusion are specified in the procurement documents. Tenderer qualification requests apply. Multiple tenders per lot not allowed. Documents available in English.

Evaluation Criteria

• Quality: 60%
• Price: 40%

Full details in the procurement documents. Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) approach.

Submission and Procurement Documents

Electronic submission required via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Key documents include:

• 1. Invitation to Tender (PDF)
• 2. Tender specifications Part I (PDF)
• 3. Technical specifications Part II (PDF)
• 4. Draft Framework Contract (PDF)
• 5. Request to participate form (DOC)
• 6. Declaration on honour (DOCX)
• 7. Financial Annexes A and B (XLSX)

All documents published on 12 May 2026. Access the full tender details and download documents at the official portal: EU Funding & Tenders Portal.¹

Additional Information

Electronic orders and payments will be used post-award. Contract financed by EU funds. No SME suitability indicator specified. For queries, use the portal's additional information request function before the deadline. Review tender specifications for service requirements, such as menu options, staffing, and high-level event standards.

Footnotes

1. 1All dates in Brussels time (Europe/Brussels timezone).
2. 2Estimated value; actual awards may vary based on needs.