Purchase, assembly and installation of office furniture and related accessories for the Delegations of the European Union in Africa

The European External Action Service (EEAS) invites tenders for a supplies framework contract to supply, deliver, assemble and install office furniture and accessories for all EU Delegations in Africa, with an estimated ceiling of €7,940,000 and a maximum duration of 48 months. Tenders must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission system by 28 May 2026 and physical samples (workstation tops and fabric samples) must be delivered by the same deadline. Eligibility and selection require legal authorisation, an average annual turnover of at least €2,000,000 over the last three closed financial years, at least two relevant supply contracts in the last three years totalling at least €600,000, and a minimum of eight staff related to office furniture supply. The award will follow a best price-quality ratio with a 60 percent quality weighting and 40 percent price weighting and includes strict technical, warranty and sustainability requirements and DDP delivery to Delegation premises.

What it funds

Scope

Framework contract for supply, delivery, assembly and installation of office furniture and related accessories for European Union Delegations in Africa (includes primary items, accessories, installation, warranty and post-delivery service).

Estimated value:Indicative total value €7,940,000 (FWC ceiling). Maximum contract duration 48 months. ¹

Who can apply

Open to economic operators registered in EU Member States, countries with public procurement agreements with the EU (GPA) and eligible third parties; international organisations may participate. Joint tenders and subcontracting allowed subject to tender specifications and exclusion/selection checks.

Key administrative facts

1. 1Procedure: Open procedure; award by best price-quality ratio (60% quality / 40% price).
2. 2Submission: Electronic only via eSubmission / EU Login (hybrid: samples must be posted to EEAS address).
3. 3Deadlines: Tender submission 28/05/2026 17:00 Europe/Brussels; public opening 11/06/2026 10:00 Europe/Brussels.
4. 4Languages: Any official EU language; procurement documents published in English.
5. 5Tender documents: Invitation to tender, technical specifications (detailed item lists, standards and sample requirements), Annexes A (unit prices) and B (price scenario).

Eligibility and selection highlights

Mandatory documents and checks include Declaration on honour (exclusion/selection), legal registration evidence, financial statements (average turnover minimum €2,000,000 over last 3 years), technical references (at least two relevant contracts) and manpower information. Specific technical evidence, standards compliance and samples are required per the technical specifications.

What evaluators look for

1. 1Technical quality (35 points) covering durability, tabletops, design, functionality and customisation.
2. 2Performance methodology and contract management (15 points).
3. 3Warranty extension (up to 15 points).
4. 4Social considerations (5 points) and organisation of assignment/case study (30 points).

Only tenders meeting minimum technical thresholds (specified in the tender specifications) and scoring at least 60% overall technical points are evaluated financially.

Footnotes

1. 1All procurement documents and the eSubmission link are on the F&T Portal Tender page.

Administrative summary and procedure identifiers

Call type:Tender. Reference / procedure identifier: EEAS/2025/OP/0158. TED reference: 265289-2026 (75/2026). Contracting authority: European External Action Service (EEAS). Procedure type: Open procedure for award of a supplies framework contract. Nature of contract: supplies - office furniture. CPV main classification: 39130000 - Office furniture. Estimated total value: €7,940,000 (estimated ceiling for the framework contract). Maximum duration of the framework contract: 48 months. Framework agreement: without reopening of competition. Award method: best price-quality ratio.

Publication and key dates:TED publication date: 17/04/2026. Deadline for receipt of tenders: 28/05/2026 17:00 Europe/Brussels. Date and time of public opening: 11/06/2026 10:00 Europe/Brussels. Cut-off for questions: 12/05/2026 23:59 Europe/Brussels. Submissions are electronic via eSubmission; samples are delivered physically by post or courier to the EEAS address specified in the Invitation to Tender ¹.

What the opportunity is

This is a multi-year supplies framework contract to purchase, deliver, assemble and install office furniture and related accessories for all EU Delegations in Africa. The contracting authority intends to place specific contracts and order forms against the framework over its life. Deliveries will be to a wide set of Delegation premises (varied building types and access conditions). The FWC includes primary furniture lines, accessory items, assembly and installation services, warranty and post-delivery support, and a catalogue-based option for supplementary items up to €750,000 across the contract duration.

Eligible Applicant Types

Eligible applicants:businesses and organisations that may participate in EU procurement open to entities established in Member States, signatories of the WTO GPA, third countries with access to EU public procurement, and international organisations. The procurement documents explicitly allow natural persons and legal persons, single economic operators or joint tenders (groups/consortia). Subcontractors are permitted and must be identified in the tender. In practice the following applicant types are appropriate and explicitly supported: SME, large enterprise, joint ventures/consortia, subcontractors, manufacturers, authorised distributors and dealers, logistics and installation service providers. Public-private partnerships or investors are not the target; individual natural persons may participate where legal and operational capacity exists.

Funding Type

This is a public procurement tender for a supplies framework contract. Financial mechanism:procurement (framework agreement) under which the contracting authority will place specific contracts and order forms. The framework includes reimbursements for transport and reimbursable expenses in accordance with the draft FWC. This is not a grant, loan or equity instrument.

Consortium Requirement

Consortiums are permitted but not mandatory. Tenders can be submitted by a single economic operator or jointly by two or more operators. Joint tenders must nominate a leader with a power of attorney and all members bear joint and several liability. No special legal form is required for a joint tender, but the Request to Participate and power of attorney must be included; joint tender members must each satisfy exclusion and selection criteria.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility)

Geographic eligibility:organisations established in the European Union Member States, in third countries that have special procurement agreements with the EU, signatories of the WTO GPA and international organisations may participate. Delivery performance locations: all EU Delegations in Africa (place of performance). The call is published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and tenderers must register with EU Login and have or obtain a Participant Identification Code (PIC) as required.

Target Sector

Target industries and thematic sectors:procurement for office furniture, interiors and fit-out, logistics and international shipping, customs clearance, on-site assembly and installation services, site project management and warranty/after-sales service. Ancillary sectors: recycling/disposal of old furniture, acoustic solutions, workplace ergonomic solutions and small electrical installations for desk power units.

Mentioned Countries

Explicit countries mentioned:none listed individually in the procurement summary; performance locations: EU Delegations in Africa (all African Delegations). The contracting authority is based in Belgium, Brussels. Eligible origin countries follow the access rules (EU, GPA signatories, other specified third countries).

Project Stage

Expected maturity:procurement for production, supply and implementation (commercial stage). Suitable bidders must be at manufacturing / distribution / logistics and field-service readiness for delivery, installation and warranty execution. This tender is for operational supply, installation and life-cycle services (delivery, assembly, commissioning, warranty, spare parts).

Funding Amount

Estimated total framework contract ceiling:€7,940,000. Supplementary office furniture ceiling: €750,000 (catalogue-based supplementary supplies). Maximum reimbursable expenses across the FWC: €1,864,400 as indicated in the draft FWC. These figures are indicative and will be used to calculate the contract ceiling at award (scenario totals plus margins and reimbursable amounts).

Application Type and Submission Method

Application method:open call for tenders published on EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Submission method is hybrid: mandatory electronic submission of the tender via eSubmission (EU Login required) and physical submission of required samples (tops of workstations and fabric samples) by post or courier to the address in the Invitation to Tender. Tenderers must provide all requested documentation via eSubmission and comply with eSubmission system requirements including file formats and size limits ¹.

Nature of Support

Beneficiary support is contractual procurement payments for supplies and services. Support provided: monetary payments under specific contracts (procurement), reimbursement of transport and reimbursable expenses where applicable, and non-monetary services in the form of contractual performance obligations such as technical specifications, delivery schedules, site access details and contractual oversight by the EEAS.

Application Stages

Stages in the award process:1) Access check and eligibility; 2) Exclusion and selection assessment (Declaration on honour and supporting evidence requested on demand); 3) Technical evaluation against award criteria; 4) Financial evaluation and calculation of overall price-quality score; 5) Contract award and signature of framework contract; 6) Issue of specific contracts/order forms under the framework. For joint tenders there are additional administrative steps (power of attorney, joint liability documentation).

Success Rates

The portal and procurement documents do not publish explicit success rates. For open EU tenders of this type competition may be moderate to high; only tenders that pass exclusion, selection and minimum technical thresholds (technical minimums: minimum percentages per award criterion) progress to financial evaluation. The award will be to the tender scoring best on the weighted price-quality formula (60% quality, 40% price).

Co-funding Requirement

There is no co-funding requirement. Tenderers propose fixed prices for supplies and services. Transport costs are reimbursed upon presentation of supporting documents. Taxes and VAT: contracting authority is exempt; tenderers must insert zero for VAT. No matched funding is required.

Selection and Exclusion Criteria (detailed)

Exclusion:candidates must submit a Declaration on Honour covering bankruptcy, tax/social security breaches, grave professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, money laundering, terrorist financing, trafficking, irregularities and other grounds for exclusion. Evidence may be requested and must be provided on demand. Selection: legal/regulatory capacity (authorisation to supply and install in the place of performance), economic and financial capacity (minimum average annual turnover €2,000,000 for last three closed financial years), technical and professional capacity (at least two supply contracts relevant to office furniture in the last three years, cumulative value at least €600,000; and minimum manpower of 8 staff related to supply of office furniture). Specific documentary evidence is listed in the Request to Participate form and tender specifications (profit and loss accounts, client reference letters, certificates).

Minimum technical requirements:Tenders must submit a completed Statement of compliance and a Checklist on minimum technical requirements. Mandatory standards include EN 527-1, EN 527-2+A1, EN 438-2, EN 16121+A1, EN ISO 9227 and EN 13501-1 among others. Samples, test reports and certificates (EN 17025 accredited labs or equivalent) are required for verification. Non-compliant tenders will be rejected.

1. 1Complete Request to Participate form and Declaration on Honour for leader and each group member, identified subcontractors and entities on whose capacity the candidate relies.
2. 2Evidence of legal and regulatory capacity: authorisation certificate to supply and install in the place of performance.
3. 3Economic and financial evidence: profit and loss accounts for last three years and the completed financial table showing average turnover >= €2,000,000.
4. 4Technical and professional evidence: list of previous contracts with client reference letters for office furniture supply in last three years; demonstrated manpower of minimum 8 staff related to office furniture supply.
5. 5Technical tender: Statement of compliance, technical descriptions, brochures, data sheets, 30x30 cm tops samples and A4 fabric samples as specified; Annexes 1-7 and financial Annexes A and B signed.

Award criteria and scoring

Award is based on the best price-quality ratio. Weighting:Quality 60% and Price 40%. Technical evaluation: criteria and sub-criteria total 100 points (Quality of furniture 35 pts, Methodology and contract management 15 pts, Warranty 15 pts, Social considerations 5 pts, Organisation of assignment 30 pts). Minimum thresholds: 50% minimum for some criteria and overall technical minimum of 60% to proceed to financial evaluation. Price evaluation uses the scenario total (Annex B) without reimbursable expenses to compute Fi; final combined score Pi = Ti*0.60 + Fi*0.40.

Application templates, forms and required structure

The procurement package provides standard EU templates and annexes. The mandatory documents and the structure to upload via eSubmission are clearly listed in the Request to Participate form and the Tender Specifications Part I and II. Required documents include: Request to Participate form, Declaration on Honour, Legal Entity form, Financial Identification form, profit and loss accounts for the last three financial years, technical tender including Annex 1 Statement of Compliance and minimum requirements checklist, Annex 2-6 technical documentation, Annexes A (unit price schedule) and B (scenario) signed for the financial tender, samples (delivered physically) and any power of attorney in case of joint tenders. Samples must be submitted separately by post or courier to the EEAS address with the envelope marked as per the invitation letter. The Tender Specifications provide the exact upload locations in eSubmission and the required annex numbering and naming conventions. The Request to Participate includes tables and fields to be completed for company details, subcontractors, entities relied upon, economic and financial data, contract references and manpower.

1. 1Request to Participate form: fully completed and signed. If joint tender, signed by each member or the leader with power of attorney.
2. 2Declaration on Honour: one per legal entity involved (leader, each member, subcontractors and relied-upon entities).
3. 3Legal and regulatory capacity evidence: certificate proving authorization to supply and install in place of performance.
4. 4Economic and financial evidence: profit and loss accounts for last three years, completed turnover table.
5. 5Technical tender: Statement of compliance (Annex 1), technical descriptions, product brochures, data sheets, compliance checklists, methodology, organisation and warranty offers.
6. 6Samples: workstation top samples 30x30 cm per specified items and fabric samples A4 for chairs/sofas, delivered physically.
7. 7Financial tender: signed Annex A unit price schedule and Annex B price scenario, total amount excluding taxes and declaration of tax treatment.

Evaluation & award practicalities

Only tenders that pass exclusion and selection checks and achieve the minimum technical thresholds proceed to financial evaluation. The contracting authority may request clarifications or missing documents after opening. A public virtual opening records the presence of tenderers and announces received tenders. Tenderers may attend the virtual opening by prior formal request. Award will be notified by email to the address provided in eSubmission.

Administrative and IT requirements

EU Login account is mandatory to subscribe, access procurement documents, submit questions in the Q&A and to submit the tender via eSubmission. From 30 June 2026 two-factor authentication will be required for EU Login access; tenderers are advised to set up EU Login with two-factor authentication early and to follow the eSubmission system requirements for supported browsers and file types. The tender documents reference the eSubmission Quick Guide and system requirements. The eSubmission system encrypts attachments upon upload and does not allow viewing or decryption after submission. Attachments must be less than 50 MB each and a maximum 200 files per submission are allowed; file naming rules are specified in the system requirements ¹.

Success tips and bidder checklist

1. 1Confirm your organisation’s PIC and EU Login account and set up two-factor authentication early.
2. 2Read the Invitation to Tender, Tender Specifications Part I and II, FWC Draft, Annexes and all Q&A before starting the bid.
3. 3Complete the Request to Participate and Declaration on Honour fully; prepare supporting proof for potential contracting authority requests.
4. 4Prepare high-quality technical dossiers and data sheets showing compliance with mandatory EN or equivalent standards and include EN 17025 test reports where required.
5. 5Prepare and deliver samples on time by post or courier to the specified EEAS address with the required labelling.
6. 6Complete Annex A unit prices and Annex B scenario correctly, avoid any modifications to the table structure, and sign them as required.
7. 7Ensure logistics and DDP transport cost documentation can be produced for reimbursable deliveries; verify customs/diplomatic clearance needs for African destinations.
8. 8Plan for installation teams with adequate project managers, foremen and technicians who meet the experience requirements and language skills (English or French).

What this opportunity is about and how to explain it

This procurement seeks one framework contractor (or a joint tender winner) able to supply a defined catalogue of office furniture items and accessories and to deliver, assemble and install them in EU Delegations across Africa over a 48-month framework period. The framework is a ceiling-based supplies agreement allowing the EEAS to place specific contracts or order forms for concrete needs. The award is based on a combined technical and financial evaluation with a quality emphasis (60% weight). The tenderer must demonstrate financial capacity, prior relevant contracts, sufficient manpower, capacity to deliver on DDP terms and to provide warranty and post-delivery service. Bidders must use eSubmission for the electronic tender and submit required physical samples by post/courier. The contractual documents establish detailed technical and compliance requirements, mandatory standards, and reporting/delivery paperwork (delivery notes, assembly and installation reports). The contract includes reimbursement of actual transport costs (with documentation) and a supplementary catalogue provision limited to €750,000 over the FWC duration. Interested suppliers should study the Invitation to Tender, the two-part technical and administrative specifications, Annex A and B financial tables, prepare evidence for selection criteria, ensure sample delivery on time and register in the Participant Register and EU Login well before the submission deadline.

Footnotes

1. 1eSubmission guidance, technical system requirements and the eSubmission Quick Guide are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal (eSubmission help pages) and in the Invitation to Tender. See: ec.europa.eu

Opportunity Overview

The European External Action Service (EEAS) is seeking qualified suppliers for a framework contract to supply, assemble, and install office furniture and related accessories across all EU Delegations in Africa. This is an open procurement procedure with an estimated total value of €7,940,000 and a maximum contract duration of 48 months. The framework agreement will be awarded without reopening of competition, meaning the successful contractor will be the sole supplier for the duration unless circumstances change.

Key Dates and Deadlines

• Publication date: 17 April 2026
• Deadline for requesting additional information: 12 May 2026 at 23:59 (UTC+02:00)
• Deadline for tender submission: 28 May 2026 at 17:00 (UTC+02:00)
• Public opening of tenders: 11 June 2026 at 10:00 (UTC+02:00)
• Tender validity period: 9 months from submission deadline

Scope of Work

The contractor must provide comprehensive office furniture solutions including supply, delivery, assembly, and installation services. The contract covers primary office furniture items such as ergonomic chairs, workstations, meeting tables, storage cabinets, and accessories, plus supplementary items from the contractor's catalogue up to €750,000 in value. All furniture must be delivered on a DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) basis to EU Delegation premises across Africa, with the contractor responsible for customs clearance, transportation, unpacking, assembly, positioning, and installation according to provided layouts.

Eligibility and Participation

Who Can Apply

Participation is open on equal terms to natural and legal persons whose headquarters or domicile is located in: EU Member States; third countries with special procurement agreements with the EU; countries signatory to the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) concluded within the WTO; or international organisations. Economic operators must confirm their legal entity's headquarters location and provide supporting evidence normally acceptable under their own law, such as an extract from a trade register or companies register containing the official registration number.

Submission Format

The submission method is hybrid. All tenders must be submitted exclusively via the electronic submission system (eSubmission) available through the Funding and Tenders Portal. Physical samples of workstation tops (30 x 30 cm) and fabric samples (A4 size) must be delivered separately by post or courier by the same deadline. Tenders may be submitted in any official EU language. Each economic operator may submit only one tender; if multiple tenders are submitted, only the latest will be considered.

Selection Criteria

Tenderers must demonstrate legal, regulatory, economic, financial, technical, and professional capacity to deliver the required supplies. The following minimum capacity levels apply:

Legal and Regulatory Capacity

The tenderer must be authorised to produce and/or distribute office furniture and related accessories and to provide assembly and installation services in the place of performance. A certificate officially issued by the relevant authority of the country where the tenderer is legally registered is required, proving authorisation to provide the supplies and services in accordance with applicable law.

Economic and Financial Capacity

The average annual turnover for the last three financial years for which accounts have been closed must be at least €2,000,000. Tenderers must submit duly completed financial data tables and profit and loss accounts (income statements) for the last three closed financial years. For joint tenders, this criterion is applied to the group as a whole.

Technical and Professional Capacity

Tenderers must demonstrate at least two supply contracts relevant to office furniture and associated services completed during the last three years, with a cumulative value of at least €600,000. At least one of these contracts must be for office furniture supply. Client reference letters specifying whether supplies were delivered in compliance with contractual terms are mandatory for each listed contract. Additionally, the tenderer must currently employ at least 8 staff in fields related to supply of office furniture. For joint tenders, these criteria are applied to the group as a whole.

Award Criteria and Evaluation

The contract will be awarded to the tender offering the best price-quality ratio. Evaluation uses a 60 percent quality weighting and 40 percent price weighting. Only technically compliant tenders achieving at least 60 percent of total technical points and at least 50 percent of maximum points for each individual criterion will be evaluated financially.

Technical Evaluation Criteria

• Quality of furniture and accessories (35 points, minimum threshold 50 percent): robustness, tabletop quality, design, functionality, and customisation options
• Performance methodology and contract management (15 points, minimum threshold 50 percent): transport and delivery approach, assembly and installation services, and contract management organisation
• Warranty (15 points, no minimum threshold): extended warranty periods offered beyond the minimum 2-year requirement, with up to 5 points per additional year
• Social considerations (5 points, no minimum threshold): measures to support social integration of disadvantaged persons or vulnerable groups
• Organisation of assignment (30 points, minimum threshold 50 percent): detailed assignment organisation and delivery strategy based on a case scenario for Niger

Tenders not achieving the minimum quality threshold of 50 percent for each criterion where indicated and 60 percent of points for all criteria combined will be eliminated from further evaluation.

Financial Terms and Conditions

Estimated Value and Pricing

The estimated total value of the framework contract is €7,940,000 excluding VAT. This represents the maximum amount to be spent; the contracting authority is not bound to purchase the full amount. Prices must be tendered in EUR, free of all duties, taxes, and other charges including VAT, as the EEAS is exempt from such charges. All prices must be all-inclusive, covering acquisition, delivery to warehouse, packaging, unpacking, assembly, positioning, installation, and removal of existing furniture when applicable. Transportation costs are reimbursed separately based on actual costs incurred with supporting documentation.

Payment Structure

Payment is structured in two stages. An interim payment of 80 percent of the delivered supplies price is made upon submission of a delivery note approved by the contracting authority, accompanied by transport provider invoices, customs clearance certificates, and warranty certificates. The contracting authority must approve and pay within 60 days of invoice receipt. The balance payment of 20 percent is made upon submission of an assembly, positioning, and installation report approved by the contracting authority, with payment due within 90 days of invoice receipt. If the contracting authority has observations, the payment period is suspended until the contractor provides additional information or corrections within 10 days.

Reimbursable Expenses

The contracting authority reimburses delivery and transportation costs and other expenses as provided in the tender specifications. The total value of reimbursable expenses may not exceed €1,864,400 throughout the contract duration. Supplementary office furniture items cannot exceed €750,000 in total value.

Delivery and Performance Requirements

Delivery Timeframe

The contractor must confirm shipment of items from its warehouse within a maximum of 16 calendar weeks from the signature of the order form by both parties, unless another date is agreed and specified on the order form. The contractor must notify the contracting authority of the exact delivery date and time at least 5 working days in advance. Deliveries must be made on working days during normal working hours at the address and floor specified in the order form. For cost estimation purposes, contractors should consider delivery to a second floor of a building without lifts as the standard.

Assembly and Installation

The contractor must assemble and install all furniture within one month of delivery unless otherwise specified. The contractor must deploy sufficient qualified, experienced staff with required tools to ensure optimum performance. All staff must work under the responsibility of a site foreman who represents the contractor and is responsible for continuous monitoring and supervision. The site foreman must be proficient in English or French. The contractor must install furniture following plans provided by the contracting authority and demonstrate proper use to designated contact persons. Furniture must be handled carefully to avoid damage, with protective measures taken during transport within buildings. After installation, the contractor must leave the site tidy and restore areas to their original state of cleanliness.

Warranty and Post-Delivery Service

The contractor warrants that all items delivered will be new, unused, and free from material defects in design, colour, material, and workmanship for a minimum period of 2 years from the date of approval of the assembly, positioning, and installation report. This warranty covers furniture, spare parts, and technical support for repair or replacement of defective parts. Within the warranty period, the contractor bears all costs of intervention, labour, and travel for removing, repairing, and returning furniture to the delegation premises. Defective or non-conforming items will be returned to the contractor at its own expense at the earliest opportunity. The contractor must replace all returned items and deliver them back at the delegation at its own cost. Qualified technicians with at least 3 years of experience must be sent to the delegation premises within 10 working days of notification for mechanical failures, or within 30 working days if repair requires transportation outside the delegation. The contractor must guarantee availability of spare parts or equivalent elements during the contract duration and warranty period and provide technical data sheets and disassembly instructions in English and/or French.

Technical Specifications and Compliance

All furniture must comply strictly with mandatory European standards including EN 527-2+A1, EN 438-2, EN 16121+A1, EN 527-1, EN ISO 9227, EN 4628-2, EN 4628-3, EN 13501-1, EN 11654, EN 14073-2-3, EN 6272-1, and EN ISO 2409, or equivalent standards such as ISO 21015, ISO 4586, ISO 7170, and ISO 354. Evidence of compliance must be provided in the form of test reports from EN 17025-accredited laboratories or quality certificates from EN 45011-accredited bodies. The furniture must demonstrate excellent performance in durability, sustainability, ease of use and maintenance, respect for the environment, and user health.

Sustainability Requirements

Tenderers must provide evidence of sustainable forest management through sector certificates such as PEFC or FSC, or product ecolabels including NF Environnement Ameublement, Blue Angel, Nordic Swan Ecolabel, EU Ecolabel Furniture, or FEMB Level 2017. Surface coatings must not contain carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic substances classified under Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, and must not contain aziridine. Packaging must be made of easily recycled materials or renewable resources, with all components separable by hand into single-material recyclable components. Tenderers must demonstrate an energy policy committing to energy savings and performance, and must establish an inventory of process water used in manufacturing.

Contract Management and Personnel

The contractor must appoint an experienced and qualified Contract Manager to act as the single point of contact for administrative management and all communications during ordering and delivery stages. The Contract Manager must have minimum C1 level proficiency in written and spoken English or French under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and at least 3 years of experience supervising relevant projects. The contractor must submit 2 CVs for contracting authority approval. After contract signature and before the first assignment, the Contract Manager must organise a kick-off meeting with the contracting authority team to review work agreements.

Submission and Registration Requirements

Each economic operator must register in the European Commission's Participant Register to obtain a Participant Identification Code (PIC), a 9-digit unique identifier. All members of joint tenders must register individually. Tenders must be submitted exclusively via the eSubmission electronic submission system. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to requests for additional information received less than 6 working days before the submission deadline. Tenderers may withdraw and resubmit tenders before the deadline, but only the latest submission will be considered. No more than one tender per tenderer will be evaluated.

Joint Tenders and Subcontracting

Tenders can be submitted by a single economic operator or jointly by two or more operators. In joint tenders, one member must be appointed as leader with full authority to bind the group and all its members. Each group member assumes joint and several liability for contract performance. The group is not required to adopt a specific legal form. Subcontracting is allowed but the contractor retains full liability. All subcontractors must comply with the same exclusion criteria as tenderers. Changes to group composition or subcontractors during the procedure or after contract signature may lead to tender rejection or contract termination. Cross-subcontracting between competing tenderers is forbidden.

Exclusion and Conflict of Interest

Tenderers must provide a Declaration on Honour on exclusion criteria and selection criteria, duly filled in, signed, and dated by legally authorised representatives. This declaration must be provided by each group member in joint tenders, by entities on whose capacity the tenderer relies, and by all identified subcontractors. Tenderers in situations of bankruptcy, insolvency, breach of tax or social security obligations, grave professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, or other serious violations are excluded. The contracting authority may request evidence supporting the declaration within a specified timeframe. Tenderers must declare any conflicts of interest or professional conflicting interests that could negatively affect contract performance and must immediately notify the contracting authority of any changes in their situation.

Contact Information and Further Details

All procurement documents are available at the Funding and Tenders Portal. Tenders must be submitted electronically through eSubmission. For additional information, tenderers should contact the EEAS at eeas-tenders@eeas.europa.eu. The contracting authority is the European External Action Service, Department RM.SCS.6 (Real Estate, Safety and Greening), located at EEAS Building, 9A Rond Point Schuman, Brussels, Belgium. The procedure is governed by EU law, complemented where necessary by Belgian law, with the Court of Justice of the European Union having jurisdiction over disputes.

This procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) and is fully or partially financed with EU funds. Electronic ordering and electronic payment will be used. The framework agreement will be awarded without reopening of competition, meaning the successful contractor will be the sole supplier for the contract duration unless circumstances change.