Provision of hosting and co-location services for the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators

The European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) has announced a call for tenders for hosting and co-location services, identified as ACER/2025/OP/0025. This procurement is an open procedure, available to eligible applicants which include both natural and legal persons capable of providing the necessary services. The estimated contract value is €300,000, and it is set for a maximum duration of 36 months.

The tender focuses on Information and Communication Technology services, particularly targeting ICT sectors related to disaster recovery and hosting. The main CPV code associated with the tender is 72251000, which pertains to disaster recovery services. The tender process requires electronic submissions via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal with all proposals due by July 2, 2025.

The evaluation of submissions will consider 60% quality and 40% price, aligning with typical practices in EU procurement. Tenderers must provide detailed technical and financial documentation, including a list of identified subcontractors if applicable. There are no explicit geographic restrictions noted in the tender documents beyond the implication of EU eligibility due to ACER's status.

A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is required for all participants in the tender process, ensuring only registered entities can submit proposals. Important dates in the tender timeline include the public opening of submissions on July 3, 2025, and a deadline for submitting inquiries about the tender by June 23, 2025. The eSubmission system, which supports all 24 official EU languages, uses encryption to maintain confidentiality and integrity of the submissions.

The contract awarded will be based on a framework agreement which will not involve reopening of competition, promoting efficiency in the process. Interested parties are encouraged to carefully review the tender documents for further details and criteria before submitting their proposals.

The European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) has issued a call for tenders, identified as ACER/2025/OP/0025, for the provision of hosting and co-location services. The TED reference for this tender is 102/2025 344405-2025. This is an open procedure, and submissions must be made electronically. The estimated total value of the contract is 300,000 EUR. The TED publication date is 28/05/2025. The lead contracting authority is the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators. The main classification (CPV) code is 72251000, which refers to disaster recovery services. The nature of the contract is for services, with a maximum contract duration of 36 months. The award method will be based on the best price-quality ratio, and the framework agreement will not involve reopening of competition. The deadline for receipt of tenders is 02/07/2025 at 16:00 Europe/Ljubljana. The date and time of the public opening is 03/07/2025 at 11:00 Europe/Ljubljana. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after 23/06/2025 05:00 Europe/Ljubljana.

The following documents are available for download:

1. Invitation to tender ACER-2025-OP-0025 eSubInvitation letter, published on 28/05/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
2. Annex I Tender specifications, published on 28/05/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
3. Annex I A Checklist for tenderers eSubInformation for candidates and tenderers, published on 28/05/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
4. Annex I B Identification of the tenderer, published on 28/05/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
5. Annex I C Declaration on honour, published on 28/05/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
6. Annex I D a Identification Form natural person, published on 28/05/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
7. Annex I D b Identification Form private law body, published on 28/05/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
8. Annex I D c Identification Form public law body, published on 28/05/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
9. Annex I E Power of attorney, published on 28/05/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
10. Annex I F List of identified subcontractors, published on 28/05/2025, Version 1, no translations available.

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

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Several questions and answers related to the eSubmission system are provided:

1. How to proceed if the system is slow or doesn’t work while uploading/downloading documents?
 Ensure the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are used. If issues persist, clear the cache and cookies.

2. Which Internet browsers does eSubmission support?
 The latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are recommended. Refer to the System Requirements link for up-to-date technical recommendations.

3. Is it possible to view the details of the submission after the deadline?
 No, the content of the submission is not accessible after the deadline due to system encryption.

4. Where can I find my submissions in Manage My Area, in the Funding & Tenders portal?
 Submissions can be found in ‘My Submission(s)’ for open calls for tenders and requests to participate.

5. Which size should attachments have?
 Attachments must be less than 50 MB in size.

6. How should I name attachments in eSubmission?
 Attachment names must follow the System Requirements.

7. Can I submit a video in eSubmission? Which formats are supported?
 Refer to the System Requirements for details.

8. I received an invitation from the F&T Portal but cannot view the procurement documents.
 Select an organisation in the F&T Portal under “My Invitations”.

9. Do I need to validate my PIC in order to submit a tender in eSubmission?
 A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation as a sole candidate/tenderer or as part of a consortium.

10. I have an issue uploading a file in eSubmission and it’s giving me an error. What do I do?
 Ensure the file follows the technical requirements of the system.

11. How many attachments can I upload per submission?
 The system allows a maximum of 200 files per tender.

12. Why do tenderers need a PIC?
 A PIC is mandatory for submitting a tender or a request to participate.

13. How do I register my organisation and get a Participant Identification Code (PIC)?
 Check if the organisation is already registered using the Search PIC tool under 'How to Participate' > Participant Register.

14. What is the validity period of a PIC?
 A PIC is unique and its validity is not limited in time.

15. How many languages does the system support?
 The system supports all 24 official EU languages.

16. Which is the character set encoding in the system?
 The character set encoding is UTF-8.

17. 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.

18. Which file types does the system support?
 The supported file types depend on the type of submission and are specified within the system requirements.

19. Can I view and edit my draft submission?
 Yes, until the submission deadline.

20. 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 and not blocking for submission.

21. 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.

In summary, this is a call for tenders by the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) seeking a provider for hosting and co-location services. The tender is an open procedure with electronic submissions only. The estimated value is 300,000 EUR, and the contract duration is 36 months. The award will be based on the best price-quality ratio. Interested parties must submit their tenders by 02/07/2025, following the guidelines and requirements detailed in the provided documents. A PIC is mandatory for participation. The eSubmission system supports various browsers and file types, with specific requirements for attachment sizes and naming conventions. The system encrypts all uploaded documents to ensure confidentiality.

Eligible Applicant Types: The tender documents include identification forms for natural persons, private law bodies, and public law bodies, suggesting that these are all eligible applicant types. The inclusion of a "List of identified subcontractors" also indicates that subcontractors are permissible, though the primary applicant must fall into one of the aforementioned categories.

Funding Type: Procurement. This is explicitly stated as a "Call for tenders" and involves a contract for services.

Consortium Requirement: The inclusion of "List of identified subcontractors" suggests that while a single applicant is possible, consortia or at least the use of subcontractors is also permissible. The PIC (Personal Identification Code) is mandatory to participate in a call for tenders as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium).

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The lead contracting authority is the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators, suggesting that the geographic eligibility is likely focused on EU member states, but this is not explicitly stated in the provided text.

Target Sector: The primary target sector is related to ICT and energy, specifically focusing on hosting and co-location services and disaster recovery services for the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators. The main classification (CPV) is 72251000 - Disaster recovery services.

Mentioned Countries: Ljubljana (Slovenia) is mentioned as the timezone for the date and time of the public opening and the deadline for receipt of tenders.

Project Stage: This is for the provision of services, so it is at the implementation stage.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value is 300,000 EUR.

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

Nature of Support: Money. The selected tenderer will receive a service contract with a maximum duration of 36 months, with payment for services rendered.

Application Stages: The information provided does not explicitly detail the number of stages. However, the presence of selection criteria suggests at least two stages: eligibility/exclusion criteria and award criteria.

Success Rates: The provided text does not contain information about success rates.

Co-funding Requirement: The provided text does not indicate whether co-funding is required.

Summary:

This is a call for tenders (ACER/2025/OP/0025) by the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) for the provision of hosting and co-location services, including disaster recovery, with an estimated total value of 300,000 EUR. The contract duration is a maximum of 36 months. The procedure is an open call, meaning any eligible entity (natural person, private law body, or public law body) can apply. Submissions must be electronic. The deadline for receipt of tenders is 02/07/2025 at 16:00 Europe/Ljubljana. The award method will be based on the best price-quality ratio, and the contract will be a framework agreement without reopening of competition. Tenderers must register for a PIC (Personal Identification Code) to participate. The system supports all 24 official EU languages and uses encryption to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of information. The maximum attachment size for submissions is 50 MB, and the maximum number of attachments is 200.