Rental of up to 8 armored cars for European Union Training Mission – Somalia (EUTM-S)

The General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union invites tenders for the rental of up to eight armored cars to support the European Union Training Mission in Somalia (EUTM-S) with an estimated overall contract value of €7,680,000 over a 48-month period. Bidders must submit a technical offer and a financial offer using the provided annexes and comply with the technical specifications, operational and maintenance requirements set out in the tender documents. The award will be based on quality weighted 70 percent and price weighted 30 percent, and submissions are required by 19 August 2026 at 15:00:59 Brussels time, with paper copy indicated as the submission method. Interested applicants should download the Invitation to Tender, Tendering Specifications and all annexes from the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and follow the submission instructions precisely.

What it funds

Scope summary

Supply contract for the rental (provision) of up to eight armored cars to support the European Union Training Mission in Somalia (EUTM-S). The contract is classified as supplies (CPV 35000000, 35400000, 35410000).

Estimated value:€7,680,000 (estimated overall contract amount).

1. 1Who can apply: commercial suppliers of armoured vehicles with required technical, administrative and financial capacity (SME suitable indicator: false).
2. 2Contracting authority: The General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union.
3. 3Contract type and duration: supply/rental under framework/contracting arrangement; planned period approx. 48 months.

Tender documentation (invitation, technical specifications, draft contract, financial and administrative annexes) is published on the portal; applicants must consult the full specifications and use the official tender references when preparing bids ¹.

How to access the opportunity:Full tender page and documents: EU Tender page.

Footnotes

1. 1Tender documents include: Invitation to tender, Tendering specifications, Annexes (technical, financial, legal), Draft Framework Contract and forms. Relevant documents published 30/06/2026 with later versions available on the portal.

Basic opportunity data

Core identifiers and administration

Title:Rental of up to 8 armored cars for European Union Training Mission – Somalia (EUTM-S). Contracting authority: The General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union (lead authority). Call Identifier: CONSILIUM/2026/OP/0012. Publication date: 30/06/2026. Tender type: Public procurement (Tender). Main CPV codes: 35000000 (Vehicles, parts, accessories and related services), 35400000, 35410000 (armoured vehicles). Estimated overall contract value: €7,680,000. Planned contract duration: 48 months (planned period indicated).

Deadlines:Submission deadline (closing): 19 August 2026 at 15:00:59 (Europe/Brussels). An earlier administrative ingest date and a secondary internal date are visible (01 January 2026 13:00:59 and 03 July 2026 updates), but the official closing date for tenders is 19/08/2026 15:00:59. There is an open tender event scheduled for 21 August 2026 at 12:00 (local time) and the period to request additional information ends 11 August 2026 ¹.

What the tender requests

Scope:Provision for the rental of up to eight (8) armored cars to support the European Union Training Mission in Somalia (EUTM-S). The procurement is for supplies/services classified under CPV vehicle categories and specifically requires armored vehicles meeting the technical specifications contained in the tender documents. The procurement is structured as a framework contract arrangement and the procurement project is listed as supplies. The procurement is not marked as SME-suitable.

Eligible applicant types

Eligible applicants:Commercial vehicle rental companies, specialised armored vehicle providers, logistics and security providers offering armored transport services, large enterprises, SMEs (note: the tender states SME suitable indicator = false, meaning the procurement is not specifically structured for SMEs), foreign and domestic companies able to operate in Somalia or deliver required services, consortia of providers where allowed by procurement rules. The tender includes an Annex 3 Legal entity form and selection criteria documents which indicate that legal entities (companies, firms) and likely consortia or joint ventures that meet selection requirements will be eligible to submit. Public bodies and government entities would only be eligible if legally permitted by the tender rules and if they meet the selection criteria. Individuals are not appropriate applicants for this supply/service contract.

Funding and contract modality

Funding type:Procurement / supply contract under public procurement (contracting authority will award a supply/service contract; the mechanism is a paid public contract). Nature of support: Monetary payments under a framework contract for the rental service (contract payments to the winning contractor).

Estimated financial scale:Estimated total procedure value / estimated overall contract amount: €7,680,000 (currency: EUR). The financial offer must be submitted using the provided Annex 7 Financial offer form (native spreadsheet) and the procurement documents set out price/quality weighting.

Consortium and submission requirements

Consortium requirement:The tender can be submitted by a single economic operator or by multiple economic operators acting as a consortium/joint venture, subject to the selection and tendering rules in the tender specifications. The documentation includes a Legal entity form (Annex 3), a Declaration on honour (Annex 4) and a Draft Framework Contract (Annex 1). The procurement project indicates contracting systems include framework agreement usage. The tender indicates 'smeSuitableIndicator': false, and a specific tenderer qualification request type is included. Submission method: PAPER_COPY is recorded as the submission method code for this call (the portal shows PAPER_COPY), though the tendering process area references the Funding & Tenders Portal for eForms and provides access tools. Interested bidders must carefully review the Invitation to Tender and Tendering specifications to confirm whether paper-only submission is required or if electronic submission is accepted for particular parts. The advertised 'submissionMethodCode' is 'not-allowed' in one block, but the explicit Cft Submission Method in the record states PAPER_COPY and documents (Invitation to tender) provide final instructions.

Geographic eligibility and beneficiary scope

Beneficiary scope:The contracting authority is an EU institution (Council General Secretariat) procuring for an EU Common Security and Defence Policy mission operating in Somalia. Bidders will need to be legally established entities able to perform or deliver services in Somalia or to the mission in-theatre and to meet any nationality/operational restrictions in the tender specifications. The portal listing does not restrict to only EU entities; therefore eligible bidders may include international firms, EU-based companies, and third-country operators as permitted by the procurement rules and the tender documents. The geographic area of service is Somalia (EUTM-S location).

Target sectors and technical focus

Target sector:Defence / security support services, vehicle rental and transport logistics, armoured vehicle supply and maintenance services. The technical annexes (Annex 2 Technical offer and Annex 6 Technical Specifications) outline vehicle performance, armour level, protection standards, maintenance, spare parts, crew training, and operational readiness requirements. Bidders must satisfy technical specifications and supply the technical offer document.

Project stage and expected deliverables

Project stage / maturity expected:Operational delivery and deployment (service provision). This is not a research or development call: it requires immediate operational capability to provide and sustain rented armored cars over the contract period (rental, maintenance, spare parts, possibly drivers and logistics depending on contract terms).

Application process and stages

Application type:Open public tender (invitation to tender published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal). Method: Formal tender submission governed by the Invitation to Tender and Tendering specifications. The record includes a schedule for questions (additional information request period ends 11/08/2026) and an open tender event on 21/08/2026. Submission method code: PAPER_COPY as recorded in the dataset; review the Invitation to Tender for the definitive submission channel and address.

1. 1Stage 1: Prepare and submit the tender dossier by the closing date (administrative forms, legal entity form, declaration on honour, financial offer form, technical offer according to Annex 2 and Annex 6).
2. 2Stage 2: Opening of tenders and formal eligibility/selection check (open tender event on 21/08/2026).
3. 3Stage 3: Technical and financial evaluation according to award criteria (quality weighting 70, price weighting 30 as indicated in awarding criteria; full details in tender documents).
4. 4Stage 4: Contract award decision, signature of Draft Framework Contract (Annex 1) and contract mobilization and execution (delivery of rental vehicles and services).

Number of application stages:3 to 4 main stages as above (submission, eligibility/selection, technical & financial evaluation, award/contracting).

Award criteria, evaluation and success rate

Award criteria:The procurement record shows awarding criteria with two subordinate criteria: quality (weight 70) and price (weight 30). The tendering specifications instruct bidders to consult the procurement documents for detailed scoring rules and sub-criteria. Success rate: Not published. Typical public procurement success rate depends on number of bidders and is not specified in the tender documents; applicants should assume competition and prepare to score highly on the 70 percent quality dimension and submit a competitive price for the 30 percent price weighting.

Co-funding and financial obligations

Co-funding requirement:No co-funding by the bidder is required as this is a public contract for which the contracting authority will pay the contractor in accordance with contract terms. Bidders must however meet financial and capacity selection criteria and provide financial identification (Annex 5) and other guarantees or performance securities if requested in the tender documents or the draft contract.

Submission templates and required documents

Provided templates and annexes in the procurement record (available to download from the tender notice): a set of formal templates and technical annexes that bidders must complete and return. These include, at minimum, the following documents and templates:

1. 1Invitation to Tender (Invitation to tender_V2.pdf) — contains instructions to tenderers, submission address/method, deadlines and procedural rules.
2. 2Tendering specifications (Tendering specifications_V2.pdf) — contains detailed administrative, selection and award provisions.
3. 3Annex 1 Draft Framework Contract (Annex 1 Draft_Framework_Contract_V1.docx) — draft contract text to be signed by the awardee.
4. 4Annex 2 Technical offer (Annex 2 Techical offer_V1.pdf) — technical offer template and technical questions to address capability, vehicle specs and operational approach.
5. 5Annex 3 Legal entity form (Annex 3 Legal entity form_V1.pdf) — required legal entity identification and supporting evidence.
6. 6Annex 4 Declaration on honour (Annex 4 Declaration on honour_V1.docx) — required declaration regarding exclusion and selection grounds.
7. 7Annex 5 Financial identification form (Annex 5 Financial identification_V1.pdf) — banking information for eventual payment.
8. 8Annex 6 Technical specifications (Annex 6 Technical Specifications_V1.pdf) — detailed minimum technical and operational requirements for armored cars, maintenance, spare parts, and related services.
9. 9Annex 7 Financial offer form (Annex 7 Financial offer form_V1.xlsx) — the required native spreadsheet for cost submission and pricing schedule.

Bidders must use these templates where indicated and ensure compatibility with submission requirements (paper copy vs electronic formats) as specified in the Invitation to Tender and Tendering specifications.

Operational and contractual specifics (technical obligations summary)

Technical obligations (summary from annexes):The technical annexes set out minimum protection levels for armored cars, vehicle categories and quantities (up to 8 cars), maintenance regimes, spare parts supply, servicing and repair timelines, availability and operational readiness levels, crew training or driver provision if required, fuel and consumables responsibilities, and reporting/administrative obligations. Bidders must provide a Technical Offer aligned with Annex 2 and demonstrate logistical capacity to deliver and sustain armored vehicles in Somalia under mission conditions.

Mentioned countries and regions

Explicit country referenced in the scope:Somalia (EUTM-S mission location). Contracting authority: institution of the European Union located in Brussels (The General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union). No exclusive limitation to EU-only bidders is stated in the record; bidders from multiple jurisdictions may participate as permitted by the procurement documents.

Procedure type and administrative notes

Procedure type:The procurement record indicates framework agreement contracting system (fa-wo-rc). Tender validity period requested: 6 months. The tender call is governed by the procurement and administrative provisions included within the Tendering specifications and the Invitation to Tender. An open tender event is scheduled and dates for submission of additional information requests are published. The appeal receiver is identified in the procurement project section.

Success likelihood and bidder strategy

Success rates:Not published in the call; depends on the number of competitors and how well bidders satisfy the 70/30 quality/price split. Strategy: focus on full compliance with technical specifications (Annex 6), clearly demonstrate operational capacity to deliver and maintain armored vehicles in Somalia, provide robust logistics and security management plans, complete all administrative forms accurately (Annex 3, Annex 4, Annex 5), and submit a competitive financial offer in Annex 7. Ensure adherence to submission format (paper copy vs electronic) as specified in the Invitation to Tender.

Co-funding, guarantees and contractual conditions

Co-funding:Not required. Financial guarantees and performance securities: The Draft Framework Contract and tender specifications will specify whether performance guarantees, advance payment guarantees or retention monies apply. Bidders should consult Annex 1 Draft Framework Contract for contractual conditions including liability, insurance, contract extension and payment terms.

How to apply and where to find the documents

How to apply:Download the Invitation to Tender and Tendering specifications and all annexes from the EU Funding & Tenders Portal tender details page for reference code 149e3bc2-e3b7 and complete all mandatory templates. Submit your tender in the manner specified in the Invitation to Tender (the record shows PAPER_COPY submission code; verify the address and number of copies required in the Invitation to Tender). The portal record link: ec.europa.eu ¹.

Key risks and compliance points

1. 1Operational risk: ability to deliver and maintain armored vehicles in Somalia (security, import/export, in-country maintenance and spare parts).
2. 2Compliance risk: meeting all mandatory technical specifications, administrative forms, and any nationality/operational restrictions in the Draft Framework Contract.
3. 3Submission risk: incorrect submission method or missing documents (Invitation to Tender specifies required submission format and number of copies).
4. 4Financial risk: accurate costing and sufficient cashflow/financial capacity to mobilise vehicles prior to payments; financial identification form must be provided.

Concluding summary

This is an EU public procurement tender published by the General Secretariat of the Council for a framework contract to supply and rent up to eight armored cars to the European Union Training Mission in Somalia. The procurement is estimated at €7,680,000 over a 48-month period and is structured with award criteria weighted heavily towards quality (70) with price at 30. Bidders must complete a set of administrative and technical templates (in particular Annex 2 technical offer, Annex 6 technical specifications, Annex 7 financial offer form, Annex 3 legal entity form, Annex 4 declaration on honour, Annex 5 financial identification and Annex 1 draft contract) and submit by the official closing date 19 August 2026 at 15:00:59 (Europe/Brussels). The submission method listed in the record is paper copy; confirm definitive submission instructions in the Invitation to Tender. The procurement requires operational delivery capability in Somalia and full compliance with the technical and contractual requirements set out in the tender documents. Interested bidders should download and study all annexes, prepare a high-quality technical offer addressing mission conditions and maintenance/availability commitments, and submit a competitive price using the provided financial template to maximise chances under the 70/30 quality/price evaluation regime ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Tender details and downloadable documents are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page: ec.europa.eu. Consult the Invitation to Tender and Tendering specifications for final submission instructions, address and the definitive submission method.

Opportunity Overview

This tender seeks the rental of up to 8 armored cars to support the European Union Training Mission in Somalia (EUTM-S), a military mission aimed at strengthening Somali federal defence institutions through training, mentoring, and advice ¹.

The estimated overall contract amount is €7,680,000, covering a planned period of 48 months (4 years) for the rental service ².

Key Tender Details

Who Should Apply

Applicants must be companies or entities capable of providing armored vehicle rental services, including those with experience in high-risk environments like Somalia. The tender is not specifically suitable for SMEs, indicating a requirement for substantial operational capacity ³.

Ideal bidders include armored vehicle manufacturers, specialized security firms, or logistics companies with existing fleets of armored vehicles and the ability to deploy them in Somalia.

Eligibility and Requirements

1. 1Provision of up to 8 armored cars meeting specific technical specifications (see Annex 6)
2. 2Ability to operate and maintain vehicles in Somalia for 48 months
3. 3Submission of a technical offer (Annex 2) and financial offer (Annex 7)
4. 4Completion of legal entity form (Annex 3) and financial identification form (Annex 5)
5. 5Declaration on honour (Annex 4) confirming compliance with EU procurement rules

Award Criteria:The contract will be awarded based on a weighted system: 70% for quality (technical merit) and 30% for price, as per the tender specifications ⁴.

How to Apply

All tender documents, including the draft framework contract (Annex 1), technical specifications (Annex 6), and offer forms, are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal EU Tender Portal.

Submissions must be made via paper copy (PAPER_COPY) by the deadline of 2026-08-19 at 15:00:59 Brussels Time. Additional information requests can be submitted until 2026-08-11 ⁵.

Footnotes

1. 1EUTM Somalia mission details: EEAS EUTM-Somalia
2. 2Contract value and duration: EU Tender Portal data (Estimated Overall Contract Amount: €7,680,000; Duration: 48 months)
3. 3SME suitability: Tendering terms indicate 'smeSuitableIndicator: false', suggesting high operational requirements
4. 4Award criteria weights: 70% quality, 30% price (per tender specifications)
5. 5Additional information deadline: 2026-08-11 (per tendering process details)