Psychological services for Frontex

EU procurement tender by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) to award framework service contracts for psychological assessment and wellbeing support. Two lots: Lot 1 psychological examination of candidates for EBCG Standing Corps Category 1 (estimated €4,000,000) and Lot 2 psychological services for Frontex staff (estimated €900,000), combined estimated value €4,900,000 and maximum duration 48 months. Open procedure with electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, award by best price-quality ratio weighted 60% technical and 40% price, tender deadline 9 October 2026 16:00 Europe/Warsaw.

What it funds

Scope (high level)

Framework tenders for professional psychological services in two lots:Lot 1 psychological examination for candidates to the EBCG Standing Corps Category 1 (recruitment assessments, online tests, proctoring, one-to-one interviews); Lot 2 general psychological and wellbeing services for all Frontex staff (individual counselling, 24/7 helpline, field support, campaigns, burnout monitoring).

Contract type and duration:Framework service contracts, maximum duration 48 months (initial 12 months with up to 3 renewals) ¹.

1. 1Lot 1: recruitment psychological assessments and proctoring
2. 2Lot 2: counselling, 24/7 helpline, field interventions, prevention and burnout strategy

Who can apply

Open procedure for economic operators established in the EU/eligible third countries. Tenderers may apply as single entities or joint bids; subcontracting and reliance on other entities are permitted but must be declared. All involved entities must meet exclusion and selection criteria (legal capacity, financial and technical capacity).

Key dates & submission

Deadlines and events are published in local time (Europe/Warsaw). Final deadline for receipt of tenders: 09/10/2026 16:00. Public opening: 12/10/2026 10:00.

How to submit:Electronic submission only via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (eSubmission). An EU Login account and Participant Identification Code (PIC) are required. Full procurement documents (Invitation, Terms of Reference, draft contract, templates) are on the Portal F&T Portal ¹.

1. 1Prepare technical proposal addressing mandatory selection and award criteria (see ToR)
2. 2Complete financial proposal using Annex IV templates (prices in EUR, excluding VAT)
3. 3Submit all supporting documents (Declaration on honour, evidence of capacity, CVs/licences for psychologists) via eSubmission before deadline

Eligibility & minimum requirements (summary)

Tenderers must not be in exclusion situations. Minimum financial thresholds:Lot 1 average annual turnover ~€2,000,000; Lot 2 ~€300,000 (last 3 years). Technical requirements include relevant project references, platform and proctoring capabilities for Lot 1, and a pool of psychologists (Lot 2 requires at least 50 licensed psychologists and coverage in specified EU languages; a core team of 3 senior clinicians is required).

Award method & evaluation

Contracts awarded on best price-quality ratio. Weighting:60% technical quality, 40% price. Technical offers scored against published criteria (methodology, delivery, QA, green measures).

Practical notes

• Framework contracts, with estimated ceilings; contracting authority may increase ceiling by up to 50% within first three years if needed
• Draft Data Processing Agreement and privacy/retention rules are included in procurement documents
• Deliverables include secure handling of candidate and staff personal data; proctoring must include human review of alerts (no sole AI decisions)

For full tender documentation, templates and Q&A use the Funding & Tenders Portal link above ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement documents, deadlines and electronic submission are managed through the Funding & Tenders Portal: Psychological services for Frontex FRONTEX/2026/OP/0049 F&T Portal tender page.

Basic procurement facts

Title:Psychological services for Frontex. Procedure identifier: FRONTEX/2026/OP/0049. Procedure type: Open procedure. Submission method: Electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (EU Login account required). TED reference: 168/2026 601257-2026. TED publication date: 01/09/2026. Deadlines: Framework procurement open for submission with deadline for receipt of tenders 09/10/2026 16:00 Europe/Warsaw. Public opening of tenders: 12/10/2026 10:00 Europe/Warsaw.

Lead contracting authority:European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX), Plac Europejski 6, 00-844 Warsaw, Poland.

What the procurement is seeking

Objective:acquire professional psychological services in two separate lots. Lot 1 supports psychological examination in the recruitment process of candidates to the EBCG Standing Corps Category 1 to identify those with appropriate mental and emotional stability for military / law enforcement duties. Lot 2 provides general psychological wellbeing support services for all Frontex staff members.

Key technical scope and deliverables (summary)

1. 1Lot 1 core deliverables: (1) Development and validation of tailor-made psychological tests mapped to the EBCG Standing Corps competency framework (personality, moral reasoning, reasoning and situational judgment, decision making, leadership), psychometric approach, benchmarks and security; (2) Delivery of online testing, candidate account creation, identity verification, proctoring, technical support, result reporting and consolidated statistics; (3) One-to-one online psychological interviews by qualified psychologists with consolidated reports (separate report content for Frontex and for candidate feedback); (4) Remote proctoring services including human review of alerts, incident reporting and data retention per data processing agreement.
2. 2Lot 2 core deliverables: (1) Individual psychological counselling sessions via a confidential platform in a set of specified EU languages (C1 level) — sessions invoiced per hour, Frontex funds up to three sessions per staff member per calendar year unless authorised otherwise; (2) 24/7 support helpline delivered by qualified psychologists with SLA response targets, invoiced per answered call/session; (3) Specific psychological services including managerial advisory, supervision, proactive outreach, psycho-social analyses, mediation, post-traumatic debriefing and return-to-work support — many elements require prior estimate and Frontex approval, invoiced per session or half man-day; (4) Support and intervention services in the field for critical incidents and preventive field support, including mobilisation and on-site delivery, requiring action plan and estimate; (5) Creation and organisation of preventive/promotional mental health campaigns (e.g., articles, interactive webinar); (6) Burnout monitoring and prevention strategy: methodology, assessment, strategy design and implementation in phases, each requiring Frontex approval and estimates.

Eligibility and mandatory requirements

Who may submit:natural and legal persons and international organisations within scope of the Treaties and specified trade/access agreements (EEA, certain association agreements) as set out in the tender specifications. Subcontracting is permitted subject to prior written approval of Frontex for changes after submission. Joint tenders are allowed; all members must meet exclusion/selection criteria and assume joint and several liability.

Mandatory operational / personnel requirements (selected):All personnel to have English at CEFR C1 as a minimum (psychologists using other EU languages must be C1 in that language). Psychologists: university degree in psychology (clinical, counselling, educational and developmental, health, forensic, experimental or business psychology) issued in an EU/Schengen Associated country or recognised equivalent; all required professional licences/registrations in country of practice; minimum six years professional experience post-degree including assessment/recruitment/clinical or organisational practice. For Lot 2: pool of at least 50 licensed psychologists with coverage in specified 15 EU languages at C1 level and a dedicated core team of three senior clinicians for priority response (one senior occupational psychologist and two clinical psychologists with operational field experience).

Evaluation and award

Award method:best price-quality ratio with weighting 60% technical quality and 40% price. Tenders are first checked for eligibility, exclusion and selection criteria. Technical evaluation uses detailed scoring grids with thresholds: minimum 60/100 technical score to proceed; also minimum 50% of maximum points under any of criteria 1, 2 or 3 or tender is rejected. Financial scoring: lowest price = 100 points; other prices scored proportionally. Final score = 0.60 × Technical score + 0.40 × Financial score. Contract awarded to highest final score per lot.

1. 1Technical evaluation thresholds: minimum 60/100 overall and at least 50% of max points under criteria 1, 2 or 3.
2. 2Technical criteria (Lot 1): methodology and psychometrics (25), service delivery organisation (35), quality assurance and risk management (35), green/eco measures (5).
3. 3Technical criteria (Lot 2): methodology for counselling and crisis intervention (35), organisation of service delivery (30), quality assurance (30), green/eco measures (5).

Administrative and legal conditions

Submission:via eSubmission in EU Funding & Tenders Portal (EU Login requirement). Required tender documentation includes: Annex IV technical offer template, Annex IV Financial Proposal for each lot, Annex V Declaration on honour (exclusion/selection criteria), Annex VI Tender Submission Form, Annex VII PoA/Commitment letters for subcontractors or entities relied upon, draft framework contract (Annex III), Terms of Reference (Annex II), Data Processing Agreement template (Appendix 1 to ToR). Tenders must follow mandatory templates and formats; missing required documents may lead to rejection.

Data protection and proctoring constraints:Frontex is data controller under Regulation (EU) 2018/1725. A Data Processing Agreement (draft included in procurement documents) must be signed. Proctoring systems must not use AI for automated decision-making or sole automated assessment or profiling; automated detection tools may be used but must be followed by human review. Personal data processing is limited to EU/EEA locations unless prior authorisation is granted and retention limits (default 24 months for proctoring records) apply as per the draft DPA.

Submission, timelines and contract mechanics

Submission deadline (tenders):09/10/2026 16:00 Europe/Warsaw. Public opening: 12/10/2026 10:00 Europe/Warsaw. Questions via F&T Portal Q&A up to the contracting authority cut-off (01/10/2026 23:59 Europe/Warsaw). Framework contract initial duration 12 months with up to three 12-month renewals (max 48 months). Framework agreement with possible negotiated increase of ceiling within three years up to +50% in specific conditions. Award procedure: one framework contract per lot; contracting method allows framework with no re-opening of competition.

Structured extraction: categorisation and answers

Eligible Applicant Types

Eligible applicants:natural and legal persons, international organisations, single tenderers, joint tenders/consortia. Practical applicant types expected and explicit in documentation: private companies (startups, SMEs, large enterprises), specialist psychological service providers, clinical/occupational psychology practices, NGOs or non-profit organisations providing employee wellbeing services, universities and research institutes (where providing services), subcontractors, and multidisciplinary consortiums. Subcontracting and reliance on other entities is permitted but requires declarations, commitment letters and evidence. Individuals may participate when legally allowed but must meet professional/licensing requirements.

Funding Type

Primary financial mechanism:procurement via framework service contract(s) (no grant/loan/equity). This is a tender (public procurement) for services; contracting authority will pay contractors under the framework contract based on ordered deliverables (unit prices, fixed fees where specified).

Consortium Requirement

Consortium allowed but not mandatory. Tenderers can be single entities or joint tenders (consortia). Where joint tenders are used, members must appoint a group leader, take joint and several liability, meet exclusion/selection criteria individually, and submit required PoA and joint declarations.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility)

Geographic eligibility:open to entities within the scope of EU Treaties and to economic operators from EU Member States, EEA (Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein) and to specified third countries under association/stabilisation agreements (listed in tender specifications). Services must be delivered principally within EU/EEA. Personal data processing is required to remain within EU/EEA unless prior authorisation is provided.

Target Sector

Sector targeted:health / mental health / occupational health and wellbeing, public security / law enforcement support, human resources and organisational wellbeing services. Services are specialized within psychology, clinical/occupational and operational psychology for uniformed/law-enforcement contexts.

Mentioned Countries

Explicit countries and regions referenced in the documents:Poland (Frontex HQ location Warsaw), all EU Member States and EEA states referenced for eligibility; specific third countries named in eligibility rules include North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, and EEA states Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. The contracting authority is Frontex (EU agency in Poland).

Project Stage

Expected maturity:operational service delivery. Lot 1 requires validated psychometric test development and operational online testing and interviews (development, validation, delivery, reporting). Lot 2 requires operational counselling, helpline, field interventions, campaigns and monitoring (service, implementation, continuous delivery). Not research grants: emphasis on validated tools, production, service delivery and operational readiness.

Funding Amount

Estimated total procedure value:€4,900,000 (excluding VAT). Lot 1 estimated value €4,000,000. Lot 2 estimated value €900,000. These are ceilings/estimates for the framework duration (up to 48 months if renewed).

Application Type

Application method:open call for tenders via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission. Tenderers must register in Participant Register and use EU Login. Electronic submission only; no paper or email submissions accepted.

Nature of Support

Support provided is monetary procurement payments under a framework service contract. Beneficiaries receive financial remuneration for delivered services (unit prices, fixed fees) and also access to non-monetary contractual cooperation, such as data access (subject to DPA), Frontex operational support and ordering processes. Primary outcome is service contracts, not grants or awards.

Application Stages

Number of application stages:1 main stage (submission of full tender via eSubmission). Evaluation stages: administrative compliance and exclusion checks, selection criteria verification, technical evaluation, then financial evaluation for tenders passing technical thresholds, then final ranking and award. Tenderers may be asked to supply documentary evidence post-evaluation (additional stage for evidence provision).

Success Rates

Success rates are not published in the dossier. As with public tenders, success probability depends on number and quality of bidders and the tender meeting mandatory thresholds. Note that minimum technical thresholds are strict (technical score >=60) and specific selection and capacity criteria apply, reducing large applicant pools to qualified bidders.

Co-funding Requirement

No applicant co-funding requirement is stated. Pricing should be all-inclusive and net of VAT. Travel and subsistence for in-person deployments are reimbursable under specified reimbursement rules (Appendix 2 to ToR) and must be included in financial offers as applicable; contractors must follow the reimbursement rules for claim and supporting documentation.

Application templates and submission structure

Mandatory templates and forms are provided in the procurement documents. Tenderers must use the Annex IV technical and financial templates and Annex IV a technical offer template (Lot 2 example), Annex VI Tender Submission Form, Annex V Declaration on Honour, Annex VII Power of Attorney / Commitment letter model for subcontractors and entities relied upon. The draft framework contract (Annex III), Terms of Reference (Annex II) and draft Data Processing Agreement (Appendix 1 to ToR) must be examined and accepted if tendering. Financial templates include quantitative units (e.g., number of online tests, interviews, hours or half man-days) and must be completed in EUR (net).

1. 1Annex IV Lot-specific Financial Proposal template: fill per lot with unit prices and totals.
2. 2Annex IV a Technical Offer template: use to structure technical responses to award criteria.
3. 3Annex V Declaration on Honour: sign and submit for exclusion/selection evidence.
4. 4Annex VI Tender Submission Form: identity and tenderer role information.
5. 5Annex VII PoA and commitment letters: for joint tenders, subcontractors and entities relied upon.

Full summary: what is this opportunity about and how to explain it

This is a public procurement by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) to award framework service contracts for specialised psychological services. It comprises two separate lots: (1) design, validation and delivery of psychological selection and assessment services for candidates to the EBCG Standing Corps Category 1, including online tests, remote proctoring and one-to-one clinical interviews; and (2) employee mental health and wellbeing services for Frontex staff, including individual counselling, a 24/7 helpline, specialised interventions, field support for critical incidents, preventive campaigns and burnout monitoring and prevention work. The procurement is managed as open procedures with electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Contracts will be framework agreements with initial 12-month durations renewable up to three times (maximum 48 months). Award is on the best price-quality ratio with technical quality weighted at 60% and price at 40%.

Interested bidders should be able to show strong psychometric and operational capabilities for Lot 1 (test development, validation, secure online delivery, human-reviewed proctoring and qualified psychologists to perform assessments) and extensive clinical/occupational psychology capacity for Lot 2 (large multilingual pool of licensed psychologists, 24/7 helpline operations, ability to mobilise field interventions and to produce prevention campaigns and burnout strategy). Proposals must follow the provided technical and financial templates, meet strict selection thresholds (including turnover and experience minima), accept the draft framework contract and draft Data Processing Agreement, and be submitted electronically by the deadline. The contracting authority places particular emphasis on data protection and confidentiality, on human review of any automated detection used in proctoring, and on quality assurance and continuity arrangements.

Practical next steps for bidders:register in the Participant Register and EU Login, download the full procurement documents (Invitation to Tender, Annex I Tender Specifications, Annex II Terms of Reference, Annex III Draft FWC, Annex IV templates, Annex V Declaration on Honour, Annex VI Tender Submission Form, Annex VII PoA/Commitment templates, Draft Data Processing Agreement and Reimbursement rules), prepare the technical and financial offers strictly following the templates, prepare declarations and evidence for exclusion/selection criteria, and submit via eSubmission before 09/10/2026 16:00 Europe/Warsaw.

This is an EU procurement tender, not a grant call. Frontex is looking for a service provider to deliver psychological assessment and wellbeing support under a framework service contract for candidates and staff.

What the opportunity is about

The contract is intended to support two related needs. First, psychological examination of candidates in the recruitment process for EBCG SC Category 1, to help assess whether candidates have the mental and emotional stability required for military service. Second, general psychological wellbeing support services for all Frontex staff members.

The lead contracting authority is the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex. The main CPV code is 85121270 for psychiatrist or psychologist services, with additional references to guidance and counselling services for the lots.

Key procurement and commercial terms

This is a service contract opportunity with contract value estimated by the contracting authority. There is no grant funding rate, co financing percentage, or reimbursement rate applicable in the usual funding sense. Payment terms, invoicing and post award process are governed by the draft service contract and the procurement documents.

Who can apply

The public notice shown in the portal extract does not publish a detailed eligibility matrix in the metadata provided. As an open procedure, it is intended for economic operators able to meet the tender specifications, selection criteria, and contractual requirements set out in the procurement documents.

Applicants should expect to provide the declarations, technical offer, financial offer, and any commitment or data processing documents required by the invitation and annexes. The portal also indicates that a PIC is needed for participation and that submission is limited to electronic filing through the Funding and Tenders Portal.

Important dates and submission information

The metadata supplied with the opportunity also contains an earlier 1 January 2026 timestamp, but the operative deadline in the live tender notice is 9 October 2026. Applicants should rely on the portal deadline and the submission terms in the procurement documents.

Practical points from the published questions and answers

• Candidate lists and reports can be exchanged by secure file transfer or via portal access, and multi factor authentication is recommended.
• The use of artificial intelligence for automated monitoring, profiling, or assessment is not prohibited outright, but any automated detection must be followed by human review.
• For online testing, candidates are responsible for their own stable internet connection, while technical failure on the contractor side can trigger rescheduling.
• Interviews are expected to be conducted online, and the psychologists are assumed to use the contractor's premises rather than Frontex premises.
• The Q and A indicates that lot 1 services were previously delivered to Frontex, while part of lot 2 is already being provided by the current contractor.

Documents and tender package

The portal lists the invitation letter, tender specifications, terms of reference, financial proposal forms for both lots, declaration on honour, draft framework service contract, privacy notice, data processing agreement template, and additional annexes. The notices indicate that the documents are published in English.

The official notice is available on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal at Official tender notice.