Results Oriented Monitoring (ROM) system for external aid interventions financed by the European Union in the Middle East, North Africa and Gulf region

The European Commission has initiated a call for tenders (reference EC-MENA/2025/EA-RP/0007) focused on establishing a Results Oriented Monitoring (ROM) system aimed at providing independent monitoring and evaluation for EU-funded interventions in the Middle East, North Africa, and Gulf regions. This procurement opportunity estimates a contract value of 2,533,333 EUR, structured for a duration of 72 months, with an initial period of 24 months and two potential renewals. The deadline for participants to submit requests is set for 20 August 2025 at 20:00 CET.

Eligible applicants for this opportunity include independent consortia that can range from consulting firms to research institutes capable of delivering monitoring and evaluation services. It is important to note that while consortia participation is implied as desirable, it is not explicitly mandatory as per the current information.

The geographical scope for service provision includes the Near and Middle East and the Mediterranean Region, although there are no stated restrictions on the geographic eligibility of the bidders, allowing international participation.

In terms of sectoral focus, this opportunity is firmly within the consulting services realm, as indicated by the CPV code 79419000, which corresponds to business and management consultancy services. The project specifically emphasizes the enhancement of internal controls and accountability related to EU-funded programs.

The project will adhere to a single-stage application process whereby submissions are required through electronic means via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal, prioritizing quality (80%) over price (20) in the awarding criteria.

Participants are reminded that a Personal Identification Code (PIC) is necessary for submission and that the electronic submission system allows for a maximum of 200 files with individual file sizes not to exceed 50 MB.

Overall, the contract aims to improve the effectiveness of EU-funded interventions by strengthening their design, monitoring, and evaluation systems. The anticipated outcome is to bolster the EU’s strategic oversight and accountability, ensuring that interventions deliver significant results within the targeted regions.

The European Commission, specifically DG INTPA, DG ENEST, and DG MENA, has announced a call for tenders, EC-MENA/2025/EA-RP/0007, for a Results Oriented Monitoring (ROM) system for external aid interventions financed by the European Union in the Middle East, North Africa, and Gulf region. The TED reference for this call is 139/2025 481251-2025.

The ROM is an external monitoring system designed to enhance the European Commission's internal control, accountability, and management capacity, with a focus on results. It is contracted to independent consortia and complements the internal monitoring performed by the EU and the continuous monitoring by Implementing Partners. The new ROM contract aims to improve the performance of EU-funded interventions by strengthening design, monitoring, and evaluation systems at both the intervention and institutional levels in the specified regions.

This is a restricted procedure, and submissions must be electronic. The estimated total value of the contract is 2,533,333 EUR. The TED publication date is 23/07/2025, and the deadline for receipt of requests to participate is 20/08/2025 at 20:00 Europe/Brussels time. The lead contracting authority is the European Commission, MENA.B - Middle East.

The main classification (CPV) code is 79419000 - Evaluation consultancy services. The nature of the contract is for services, with a maximum contract duration of 72 months. The award method will be based on the best price-quality ratio. No framework agreement is specified.

The places of delivery or performance include the Mediterranean Region (31085494) and the Near and Middle East (31085113). The relevant program is Neighbourhood (42921254).

One document is available for download: ENMENA ROM additional information contract notice final 17.07 Invitation to submit a request to participate, published on 23/07/2025, Version 1, with no translations available.

Submissions must be sent exclusively at the address for submission given on the eSubmission platform.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) regarding the eSubmission system:

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

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Use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Refer to the System Requirements link for the most up-to-date technical recommendations.

Is it possible to view the details of the submission after the deadline?
No, the content of the submission is not accessible after submitting the tender, as the system encrypts all attachments upon upload. Decryption is not possible after the deadline.

Where can I find my submissions in Manage My Area, in the Funding & Tenders portal?
Submissions can be found in ‘My Submission(s)’ for tenders in response to open calls, or in other relevant sections depending on the procedure type.

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eSubmission accepts files that are less than 50 MB in size.

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Name attachments following the System Requirements. Attachment names must adhere to specific conditions outlined in the documentation.

Can I submit a video in eSubmission? Which formats are supported?
Check the System Requirements of eSubmission for supported formats.

I received an invitation from the F&T Portal but cannot view the procurement documents.
Invited candidates can only see the procurement documents after having selected an organisation. Go to F&T Portal, “My Invitations”. Click on “Select Organisation” from the “Action” column.

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 a member of a group (consortium).

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.

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

Why do tenderers need a PIC?
Registration for a PIC is mandatory to submit a tender or a request to participate.

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Check if the organisation is already registered using the Search PIC tool under 'How to Participate' > Participant Register.

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A PIC is unique and its validity is not limited in time.

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The system supports all 24 official EU languages.

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The character set encoding is UTF-8.

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Yes, the system encrypts all uploaded documents using an asymmetric key as an encryption mechanism.

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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?
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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. You had the possibility of withdrawing your submission until the deadline.

In summary, this is a call for tenders by the European Commission for an external monitoring system, called Results Oriented Monitoring (ROM), to evaluate EU-funded projects in the Middle East, North Africa, and Gulf region. The goal is to improve the effectiveness and accountability of these projects. The tender is open to independent consortia who can provide evaluation consultancy services. The process is electronic, and interested parties must submit their requests to participate by August 20, 2025. The selected consortium will be responsible for strengthening the design, monitoring, and evaluation systems of EU-funded interventions in the region. The eSubmission platform is used for all submissions, and tenderers must adhere to specific technical requirements, including file size limits, naming conventions, and the use of a Personal Identification Code (PIC). The system supports multiple languages and encrypts uploaded documents to ensure confidentiality.

Eligible Applicant Types: The opportunity is open to independent consortia. This suggests that eligible applicants are likely to be consulting firms, research institutes, or other organizations capable of providing evaluation and monitoring services. The mention of "Implementing Partners" suggests that these entities are distinct from the applicants for this tender.

Funding Type: This is a procurement opportunity, specifically a call for tenders for a service contract. The nature of the contract is for services, specifically "Evaluation consultancy services."

Consortium Requirement: The description explicitly states that the ROM system is contracted to independent consortia, indicating that a consortium of multiple applicants is required.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility focuses on the Middle East, North Africa, and Gulf region (MENA). The place of delivery or performance includes the Mediterranean Region and the Near and Middle East.

Target Sector: The target sector is primarily related to external aid interventions, monitoring, and evaluation. This includes evaluation consultancy services, and strengthening design, monitoring, and evaluation systems. The program targets the "Neighbourhood" thematic area, which suggests a focus on EU's neighboring countries and related policies.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity focuses on the Middle East, North Africa, and Gulf region. While specific countries are not listed, the regions of the Mediterranean and Near and Middle East are mentioned.

Project Stage: The project stage involves improving existing monitoring and evaluation systems. This suggests a focus on development and enhancement of current practices rather than initial research or idea generation. The project aims to strengthen design, monitoring, and evaluation systems at the intervention and institutional level.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the contract is 2,533,333 EUR. This places the funding scale in the €1M–€5M range.

Application Type: The application type is an open call for tenders, specifically a restricted procedure. This means there is a pre-selection phase based on requests to participate, followed by a full proposal submission from the selected candidates.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for providing services, specifically evaluation consultancy services. This is a service contract where payment is made upon delivery of the contracted services.

Application Stages: The procedure type is "Restricted procedure," which implies at least two stages: a request to participate (pre-selection) and a full proposal submission for those who are pre-selected. Therefore, there are at least 2 stages.

Success Rates: The success rates cannot be determined from the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This is a call for tenders by the European Commission, specifically DG INTPA, DG ENEST, and DG MENA, for a "Results Oriented Monitoring (ROM) system" to monitor external aid interventions financed by the EU in the Middle East, North Africa, and Gulf region. The contract, worth an estimated 2,533,333 EUR, aims to enhance the Commission's internal control, accountability, and management capacity by improving the design, monitoring, and evaluation systems of EU-funded projects in the region. The tender is open to independent consortia capable of providing evaluation consultancy services. It is a restricted procedure, meaning applicants must first submit a request to participate by August 20, 2025, and only pre-selected candidates will be invited to submit a full proposal. The contract duration is 72 months. The submission method is electronic. The selected consortium will be responsible for providing external monitoring that complements the internal monitoring performed by the EU and the continuous monitoring by Implementing Partners. The eSubmission system supports multiple file types, with a maximum of 200 files and a size limit of 50 MB per file. A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation.