Results-Oriented Monitoring (ROM) system for the EU external action

The European Commission, specifically the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA), has announced a call for tenders under the reference EC-INTPA/2025/EA-RP/0168 for a Results-Oriented Monitoring (ROM) system related to EU external action. This procurement opportunity seeks to engage contractors to provide monitoring and evaluation services for ongoing EU-funded interventions across various global sectors. The primary aim of the ROM system is to independently assess the effectiveness, relevance, efficiency, and sustainability of these interventions, ultimately enhancing their design and outcomes.

The estimated total value of the tender is €24,026,919, with a maximum contract duration of 36 months. This contract represents a significant investment by the European Commission, indicative of its commitment to establishing robust evaluation mechanisms for its development programs. The procedure type is classified as a restricted procedure, indicating that there will be a two-stage application process. Interested economic operators must first submit a request to participate by November 17, 2025, demonstrating their qualifications and capacity. This will lead to a subsequent invitation for selected candidates to submit full tenders. The contract emphasizes quality in its award criteria, placing 80% on quality and 20% on price, which underscores the importance of technical excellence in the evaluation services offered.

Eligible applicants include large consulting firms, specialized evaluation consultancies, research institutions, and potentially consortia, although the opportunity has been marked as not suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Participation requires a Personal Identification Code (PIC), which is mandatory whether applying as a sole contractor or part of a consortium.

The scope of the services encompasses a variety of thematic areas under EU external action, including but not limited to development cooperation, democracy promotion, climate action, and economic development. Monitoring missions will likely involve multiple countries where EU interventions are operational, covering regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Eastern Partnership countries.

Submissions must be made electronically, adhering to specific guidelines and file limitations within the eSubmission system, designed to encrypt and secure all uploaded documents. This procurement opportunity is aimed at organizations capable of delivering comprehensive evaluation services, with a clear focus on maintaining high quality and accountability standards in EU development initiatives.

Overall, this represents a strategic move by the European Commission to bolster the effectiveness of its funding through independent assessments, aiming for increased accountability and improvements in project implementation on a global scale.

The European Commission, Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA), has published a call for tenders EC-INTPA/2025/EA-RP/0168 for a Results-Oriented Monitoring (ROM) system for EU external action. The TED reference for this call is 197/2025 675330-2025.

The ROM system serves as an independent assessment tool to review ongoing EU-funded interventions against criteria such as relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability. The goal is to improve the design, implementation, and outcomes of these interventions, enhancing their overall impact. ROM provides impartial and evidence-based assessments to facilitate informed decision-making, accountability, and transparency within the EU. A key feature is its demand-driven nature, delivering external and impartial ROM reviews or monitoring missions of selected ongoing interventions, conducted by independent experts.

This is a restricted procedure. The estimated total value of the tender is 24,026,919 EUR. The TED publication date is 14/10/2025, and the deadline for receipt of requests to participate is 17/11/2025 at 12:00 Europe/Brussels time. The lead contracting authority is the European Commission, INTPA - International Partnerships. The main classification (CPV) code is 79420000 - Management-related services. The nature of the contract is for services, with a maximum contract duration of 36 months. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio. There is no framework agreement. The place of delivery or performance is coded as 20000839 - 20000839. The relevant programmes are 42921314 - 42921314 and 44995793 - 44995793.

Submissions must be sent electronically via the specified address for submission.

Two documents are available for download: "ENAdditional Information about the Contract NoticeInvitation to submit a request to participate" and "ENAdditional Information about the Contract Notice - Annex IInvitation to submit a request to participate," both published on 14/10/2025, Version 1, with no translations available.

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 the issue persists, clear the cache and cookies on the Internet browser. Published on 13/02/2025 21:52.

Which Internet browsers does eSubmission support? Use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. For the most up-to-date technical recommendations, click on the link System Requirements. Published on 13/02/2025 21:52.

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. Thus, the system will not allow decryption after the upload. Published on 13/02/2025 21:50.

Where can I find my submissions in Manage My Area, in the Funding & Tenders portal? Submissions can be found in ‘My Submission(s)’: tenders in response to open calls for tenders, requests to participate. Published on 17/10/2024 21:40.

Which size should attachments have? eSubmission accepts files that are less than 50 MB in size. Any larger sizes will not be accepted by the system. Published on 17/10/2024 21:36.

How should I name attachments in eSubmission? Name the attachments for your tender draft following the System Requirements. Attachment names must adhere to specific conditions. Published on 03/10/2024 17:39.

Can I submit a video in eSubmission? Which formats are supported? Check the System Requirements of eSubmission. Published on 03/10/2024 17:37.

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”. Published on 03/10/2024 17:37.

Do I need to validate my PIC in order to submit a tender in eSubmission? The Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory to participate in a call for tenders as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium). For subcontractors PIC is not mandatory. Published on 03/10/2024 17:36.

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. Published on 03/10/2024 17:36.

How many attachments can I upload per submission? The maximum number of documents the system will allow you to upload per tender is 200 files. Check the eSubmission System Requirements in the documentation. Published on 03/10/2024 17:35.

Why do tenderers need a PIC? It is mandatory to register for a PIC if you intend to submit a tender or a request to participate. Only one PIC per organisation must be used. Published on 23/04/2024 18:14.

How do I register my organisation and get a Participant Identification Code (PIC)? First, check if the organisation is already registered using the Search PIC tool under 'How to Participate' > Participant Register. Published on 23/04/2024 17:07.

How many languages does the system support? The system is multilingual and supports all 24 official EU languages. Published on 01/04/2024 20:56.

Which is the character set encoding in the system? The character set encoding is UTF-8. Published on 23/02/2024 00:58.

Does the system use encryption to ensure the integrity and the confidentiality of the information? Yes, the system encrypts all uploaded documents, using an asymmetric key as an encryption mechanism. Published on 23/02/2024 00:57.

Which file types does the system support? The supported file types depend on the type of submission you want to make. The allowed file types are specified within the system requirements linked to the procedure in question. Published on 22/02/2024 00:55.

Can I view and edit my draft submission? Until the deadline for the submission has been reached, submissions in the draft status can be edited, viewed and deleted. Published on 24/03/2023 22:32.

In the submission report, under the name of our entity, "Legal form: UNKNOWN" is displayed while in the system, our legal form was correctly displayed. Is this a problem for the submission? No, it is just a display issue. This is not blocking for you: you can submit. Published on 03/08/2021 23:07.

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 sent when the time limit of receipt defined for the call for tenders has been reached. Until then, you had the possibility of withdrawing. Published on 03/08/2021 23:05.

In summary, this is a call for tenders by the European Commission for a Results-Oriented Monitoring (ROM) system to assess the effectiveness and sustainability of EU-funded external action interventions. The goal is to improve the design, implementation, and outcomes of these interventions. The tender is a restricted procedure with an estimated value of over 24 million EUR and a maximum contract duration of 36 months. Interested parties must submit their requests to participate electronically by November 17, 2025. The eSubmission system supports various file types, requires a PIC for participation, and encrypts all uploaded documents. The system supports all 24 official EU languages and uses UTF-8 character encoding.

Eligible Applicant Types: The content does not explicitly state the eligible applicant types. However, given that this is a call for tenders for a service contract, eligible applicants are likely to be organizations or companies, including potentially SMEs and large enterprises, with expertise in management-related services, monitoring, and evaluation. The requirement for a PIC (Personal Identification Code) suggests that registered organizations are the intended applicants. Independent experts are mentioned in the description, so individuals with relevant expertise might also be eligible.

Funding Type: Procurement. This opportunity is a call for tenders, which indicates a procurement process where the contracting authority (European Commission) is purchasing services. The nature of the contract is explicitly stated as "services".

Consortium Requirement: The content mentions that a PIC is mandatory to participate as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium). This indicates that both single applicants and consortia are eligible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The content does not explicitly define geographic eligibility. However, given that it is an EU funding opportunity related to EU external action, it is likely open to entities established in the EU and potentially to entities in countries that have agreements with the EU. The place of delivery or performance is indicated by the code "20000839 - 20000839", which does not provide specific geographic information.

Target Sector: This program targets the management-related services sector, specifically focusing on monitoring and evaluation of EU-funded interventions. The main classification (CPV) code is 79420000, which confirms this.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned. The opportunity relates to EU external action, implying a global scope in terms of where the services might be performed, but no specific countries are named in the provided text.

Project Stage: The services required relate to the review of "ongoing EU-funded interventions." This suggests that the projects being monitored are in the implementation phase. The service itself is focused on monitoring and assessment, not on research, development, or commercialization.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the tender is 24,026,919 EUR.

Application Type: The application type is an open call for tenders, with electronic submission. The procedure type is a restricted procedure.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for providing services. This is a service contract, so the support is financial compensation for the provision of monitoring and evaluation services.

Application Stages: The procedure type is "Restricted procedure", which typically involves at least two stages: a selection stage based on the request to participate and a subsequent stage where selected candidates are invited to submit a full tender. Therefore, there are at least 2 stages.

Success Rates: The content does not provide information on success rates.

Co-funding Requirement: The content does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. Given that this is a procurement contract, co-funding is unlikely.

Summary:

This is a call for tenders from the European Commission, specifically Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA), for a "Results-Oriented Monitoring (ROM) system for the EU external action." The ROM system is an independent assessment tool used to review ongoing EU-funded interventions based on criteria like relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability. The main goal is to improve the design, implementation, and outcomes of these interventions. The estimated total value of the contract is approximately 24 million EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 36 months.

The procedure type is a restricted procedure, meaning that there will be a selection phase based on requests to participate, followed by a full tendering phase for selected candidates. Submissions must be electronic. The deadline for receipt of requests to participate is November 17, 2025. The contract will be awarded based on the best price-quality ratio. The service involves external and impartial ROM reviews, or monitoring missions, of selected ongoing interventions, conducted by independent experts. A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation, whether as a sole candidate or as part of a consortium. The eSubmission system supports multiple languages and encrypts uploaded documents. The maximum file size for attachments is 50 MB, and up to 200 files can be uploaded per tender.