Scientific e-journals and e-books: subscription, access and related services

CEPOL has launched an open procurement tender for subscription, access and related services for scientific e-journals and e-books to be integrated with its LEEd learning environment, with an estimated framework value of €322,000 and a maximum duration of 48 months. The contract requires activation and maintenance of listed e-journals and e-books, authentication/authorization integration (OpenAthens-compatible or equivalent), administrator tools, usage statistics, training and helpdesk support, and timely activation of specific contracts. Tenders must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission system and will be evaluated on the best price-quality ratio (quality 60% / price 40%), with a submission deadline of 15 September 2026 at 11:00 Europe/Budapest. Applicants must meet standard exclusion and selection criteria and complete the mandatory annexes and templates provided in the procurement dossier.

What it funds

Framework contract to supply institutional access, authentication and related services for scientific e-journals and e-books to CEPOL users (LEEd platform integration, administration, helpdesk, usage statistics, activation of titles and technical access management).

Who can apply

Economic operators offering subscription/access services and platform integration for academic publishers or library content providers. Tenders must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders portal: participants must be registered (PIC) and meet standard exclusion and selection checks (legal, financial and technical capacity). Joint bids and subcontracting are allowed under the contract rules.

Key contract facts

Estimated budget and duration:Estimated total value €322,000; maximum framework duration 48 months; framework concluded for initial 12 months with renewals (see tender). ¹

1. 1Procedure: Open procedure (electronic submission via F&T portal).
2. 2Award method: Best price-quality ratio (quality 60%, price 40%).
3. 3Maximum contract type: single framework agreement (no re-opening).

Deadlines and milestone

Main submission deadline:15 September 2026, 11:00 (Europe/Budapest). Public opening: 15 September 2026 at 14:00 (Europe/Budapest). (An earlier system notice appears in metadata but the official closing published is 15/09/2026.)

Selection & minimum requirements (high level)

Mandatory capabilities include proven authentication/authorisation integration with LEEd (current OpenAthens-compatible model accepted), activation and delivery of e-journal and e-book subscriptions, administrator reporting, helpdesk and technical support, and compliance with security and data-protection rules. Financial minimum: consolidated turnover threshold indicated in tender documents. Technical evidence: recent contracts for subscription services and at least one implemented single-sign-on integration.

What the tender documents include

Invitation letter, tender specifications with detailed title lists and technical/financial templates, draft framework contract, security baseline and standard administrative annexes (Declaration on Honour, LEF, power of attorney, commitment letters, financial offer form, technical proposal form).

How to apply

Submit electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. You must have an EU Login account and a registered PIC. Complete technical and financial annexes exactly as requested and provide all mandatory declarations and evidence in the submission.

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement and submission details, documents and the eSubmission system are available on the EU Funding & Tenders portal: F&T Portal.

One-line description

Procurement (open procedure) by the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL) to establish a single-vendor framework service contract for subscriptions, access and related services for scientific e-journals and e-books to be used by CEPOL’s Learning Management System (LEEd). The framework contract ceiling is €322,000 for up to 48 months; the contract will be awarded on the basis of the best price-quality ratio and implemented as a framework contract with specific contracts (orders) for 12-month subscriptions and related services. See procurement documents for full technical and contractual requirements Contract notice and procurement documents ¹.

Important administrative dates and milestones

Full procurement scope and purpose

Objective:centralised procurement and provision of stable, lawful and comprehensive access to peer-reviewed scientific e-journals, e-books and related services for CEPOL’s registered users through the LEEd Learning Management System (Moodle Workplace). The contract includes: provision, activation and maintenance of e-journal and e-book subscriptions; technical access, authentication and authorisation integration (single sign-on) between LEEd and the chosen content platforms; a contractor portal and administration services; helpdesk and technical support; monthly usage statistics and administrative account access; training for CEPOL administrators; and ad-hoc additional services priced hourly. The procurement defines mandatory technical, security and contractual requirements (Tender Specifications and Draft Framework Contract).

Why CEPOL procures these services:To ensure consistent, equal and organised access to high-quality scientific literature across the CEPOL community (trainers, analysts, researchers and operational staff), to support evidence-based learning and harmonised training, and to meet technical and licensing requirements of publishers through integrated authentication compatible with LEEd (currently OpenAthens is supported; alternatives are permitted if compatible).

Procurement model and contract details

1. 1Procedure type: Open procedure (calls published on F&T Portal and TED).
2. 2Nature of the contract: Framework service contract (single framework contractor).
3. 3Framework contract ceiling (estimated total value): €322,000.
4. 4Maximum framework contract duration: 48 months (FWC concluded for initial 12 months, renewable up to three times — total up to 48 months).
5. 5Award method: Best price-quality ratio; award criteria: Quality 60% / Price 40%. Quality sub-criteria include availability of listed e-journals, management of subscriptions and credential handling, notification system, implementation and maintenance of integration to LEEd, and any additional services proposed.
6. 6Form of purchase: Specific contracts (order forms) signed per subscription/order; subscriptions normally ordered as 12-month access and activated within 1 month of the specific contract signature. CEPOL may order new titles or bulk packages up to 30% of the annual contract value (example €24,150/year given annual scenario value).
7. 7Payment: Interim payment model in tender: 50% after activation of subscription service (authentication mechanism and content accessible), balance 50% after the 12-month service period has elapsed, accompanied by service report and list of pre-existing rights if applicable.

Technical & operational features required

Key technical requirements (excerpt):integration with LEEd authentication (LEEd will act as identity provider); contractor to install, maintain and support a proven authentication/authorisation mechanism compliant with standards (OpenAthens supported as present solution but alternatives accepted if compatible). Contractor must activate subscriptions, provide links and administrator accounts, provide monthly usage statistics (views, downloads), provide training for CEPOL administrators, operate a helpdesk (incident response and SLA obligations), provide tools/services to support search and usage, and offer mechanisms to link e-content to CEPOL LMS (LEEd). No variants allowed that deviate from minimum requirements; all titles listed in Annex 6 sheets 1.a and 1.b must be priced or tender may be rejected.

Titles and pricing:Annex 6 Financial Proposal Form lists 46 e-journal titles and an e-book list. Tenderers must price each mandatory line where indicated, provide prices for back-issue collections where applicable, propose discounts for new subscriptions or bulk packages, and populate the technical access administration and ad-hoc hourly service items. Prices must be fixed, all-inclusive and exclusive of VAT for evaluation.

Who may apply and eligibility

Eligible applicant types:legal persons and natural persons established in EU Member States and other jurisdictions with appropriate procurement access. The tender documentation and rules on access to procurement apply; entities subject to restrictive measures or in exclusion situations (as per Financial Regulation Article 138 and Declaration on Honour) are not eligible. Participant Register PIC is required to submit a tender via eSubmission. Joint tenders (groups) and subcontracting are permitted subject to the tender rules; where subcontractors are identified (subcontracting above 20% or essential capacities), commitment letters and details must be supplied in Annex 4 / Annex 5.1 (subcontractor) and 5.2 (entities relied upon).

Eligible Applicant Types (structured):Examples of allowed applicant types: private companies (publishers, subscription agents, aggregators), SMEs, large enterprises, nonprofit organisations, research libraries offering aggregator services, consortia (joint tenders), subcontractors, and public-private groupings. Individual natural persons may only participate where allowed by procurement rules but registration (PIC) and compliance with selection/exclusion criteria are mandatory.

Categorisation answers (structured extraction)

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: startup, SME, large enterprise, university/research institute (if offering subscription services), nonprofit, library/aggregator, subcontractor, consortium (group of economic operators), joint venture. Individual natural persons may participate only if compliant and registered; public bodies may participate if compliant with rules.
2. 2Funding Type: Procurement (tender) — Framework service contract (service contract).
3. 3Consortium Requirement: Not required; both single tenderers and consortium/joint tenders allowed. Joint tenders must appoint a group leader and submit Agreement/Power of Attorney (Annex 3).
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): EU (CEPOL is an EU agency). Participation is open to entities from the Union and to some third countries only where rules on procurement access apply; Participant Register PIC mandatory. The baseline technical rules require remote service delivery sites to be located in an EU Member State. (See Tender Specifications and Security Baseline.)
5. 5Target Sector: ICT/Information services (scientific publishing and e-resources), Publishing/Library services, Education/Training, Research, Law enforcement knowledge services. Secondary sectors: information security and identity management (authentication integration).
6. 6Mentioned Countries: Hungary (CEPOL headquarters location: Budapest for time zone references). The procurement is EU-wide; service delivery locations must be in EU Member States. The Tender notice and Draft FWC reference EU institutions and rules. No other specific countries are singled out for eligibility; non-EU third-country applicants are subject to special screening (Third Country National Security Screening) and access restrictions.
7. 7Project Stage: Delivery and operations (subscription procurement, integration and service operation). Required maturity: established service provider with operational subscriptions, authentication integration experience, ability to implement and support production services immediately. Technical readiness and prior experience required (minimum references).
8. 8Funding Amount: Estimated total / framework contract ceiling: €322,000 (estimated overall value). Annual scenario in financial model indicates an annual contract value example of €80,500 and 30% of the annual value available for new subscriptions (~€24,150) for ordering new titles/bulk packages. Exact spend depends on specific contracts/orders during the FWC period.
9. 9Application Type: Open call via Funding & Tenders Portal / eSubmission (electronic submission only). Participant Register PIC registration required. Tender documents and templates available in Annexes on the F&T Portal.
10. 10Nature of Support: Commercial services (money to contractor in exchange for subscription services and technical implementation). This is a procurement for services — not a grant or voucher. Beneficiaries receive services and access to content; the contractor receives payment.
11. 11Application Stages: Single-stage submission (tender submission by deadline). Evaluation includes exclusion/selection checks and technical & financial evaluation. Some procedural steps: question period, tender submission, virtual public opening, evaluation (exclusion/selection/award). If a single FWC with no re-opening, specific contracts are awarded later to the FWC winner. Expected effective application stages: 1 (single-stage tender), plus post-award checks (document requests) before contract signature — overall 2 procedural phases if counting award and signature.
12. 12Success Rates: Not published. As a single-award open procedure with a single winner, the success rate depends on number of valid tenders. No historical success rate published in the documentation. Tenderers should assume competitive market and prepare compliant technical and financial offers.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: No co-funding required. Prices must be all-inclusive fixed prices covering implementation and support. No requirement for counterpart funding by CEPOL; payments are made according to contract terms.
14. 14Templates: The procurement provides templates and mandatory forms to be used and submitted: Invitation letter, Tender Specifications, Draft FWC (Framework Contract), Annex 6 Financial Proposal form (Excel workbook with Summary and sheets for e-journals, back issues, e-book packages, discounts, technical access/admin and hourly rates), Annex 7 Technical Proposal Form (structured Q&A, mandatory checklist), Annex 2 Declaration on Honour (exclusion and selection criteria), Annex 3 Power of Attorney (joint tenders), Annex 4 List of subcontractors, Annex 5.1 Commitment letter by identified subcontractor and Annex 5.2 Commitment letter by entities on whose capacities are relied, Annex 8 Legal Entity and Financial Identification Form (LEF), Appendix 2 Declaration and security annexes, Appendix 3 Security Baseline for External Connections, Draft FWC contract, model Specific Contract and Order Form templates. Tenderers must use the provided Financial Proposal form and Technical Proposal form; any changes to those forms risk rejection.

Eligibility and (mandatory) selection & exclusion highlights

Mandatory compliance checklist (examples drawn from Tender Specifications):all tenders must meet the minimum technical mandatory requirements (integration with LEEd authentication; ability to provide full-text access, download and print; provision and maintenance of authentication/authorisation mechanism; activation and availability of subscribed titles; administrator access and monthly statistics; helpdesk and technical support; timely activation of subscriptions). Tenders that do not meet minimum mandatory requirements will be rejected. Evidence for exclusion and selection criteria must be provided either with the tender or on request; Declaration on Honour (Annex 2) is mandatory for the tenderer and involved entities, and the contracting authority may request supporting documents pre-award.

Selection criteria (summary):Economic/financial capacity: minimum yearly turnover of last two financial years above €130,000 (consolidated assessment may apply). Technical/professional capacity: at least 3 similar contracts in last 3 years (one with minimum value €100,000) and at least one implementing single sign-on authentication for e-journals/e-books; nominated account manager and technical expert with minimum experience; CVs required. Full details in Tender Specifications Section 3.2.

Evaluation and award mechanism

Evaluation stages:(1) compliance with submission rules and mandatory requirements; (2) exclusion and selection checks; (3) technical evaluation (60% of award score); (4) financial evaluation (40% of award score); (5) best price-quality ranking and award decision. Technical evaluation includes: availability of listed e-journals (scored by number of items priced/available), management and credential handling, notification system for subscription changes and new titles, implementation and maintenance of mechanisms to connect content to LEEd, and additional services. Financial evaluation uses submitted Financial Proposal Form; lowest price receives maximum financial score; the combined score (technical 60% + financial 40%) determines ranking. The contracting authority may request clarifications or corrections that do not substantially change tenders. Detection of abnormally low tenders and other procurement integrity rules apply.

Technical submission and templates

Mandatory templates and submission requirements (submitted via eSubmission):Technical Proposal Form (Annex 7) including checklist and responses; Financial Proposal Form (Annex 6) Excel workbook filled exactly as provided (no comments or alterations permitted); Declaration on Honour (Annex 2); Annex 8 Legal Entity and Financial Identification Form (LEF); Annex 4 list of identified subcontractors if applicable; Annex 5.1 commitment letters from identified subcontractors; Annex 5.2 commitment letters for entities relied upon; Power of Attorney (Annex 3) where joint tender; Draft FWC and annexes to be reviewed and accepted by tenderer in principle. Tenderers must follow signature rules for scanned handwritten signatures or qualified electronic signatures where requested. All attachments must comply with eSubmission technical requirements (file formats, size limits, number of files).

Key deliverables and reporting:Monthly usage statistics (views, downloads), administrative account access, timely activation of subscriptions (within one month of specific contract signature), helpdesk with defined response times, training for CEPOL admin accounts, account management representative as single contact, and regular meetings including a kick-off. Full deliverable descriptions and payment conditions are in Tender Specifications and Draft FWC.

Security and data protection

The contractor and any service providers must comply with the security provisions in Appendix 2 and the Security Baseline (Appendix 3). Remote service delivery must be from EU Member State locations. Service providers using Commission equipment or accessing Commission CIS must follow the Commission Security Baseline for External Connections (Appendix 3), sign Acceptable Use Policy and follow the Commission’s information security and incident reporting rules. Personal data processing must comply with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 and contractual provisions for processing. Third Country service providers will be subject to specific screening and restrictions.

How to apply (submission method)

Electronic submission exclusively via the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission system. Registration in Participant Register and a PIC is mandatory. The tender must be complete at time of electronic submission. Late submissions will be rejected. Use the provided Annex 6 and Annex 7 templates; do not modify form structure. Questions must be submitted through the Portal Q&A before the Q&A cut-off date. Attend virtual public opening if requested (representatives may register).

Risk factors and commercial notes for bidders

• Publishers’ licensing models, availability of back-files and territory-based licensing may affect feasibility for some titles; tenderers must price lines as required and indicate if titles are unavailable (leave cells blank per Financial form instructions).
• Interoperability: successful technical integration with LEEd is mandatory; tenderers must demonstrate experience integrating authentication solutions (OpenAthens or equivalent) with LMS (Moodle Workplace).
• Sustainability and continuity: tenderers must propose support model and contingency for interruptions; service continuity clauses apply in Draft FWC.
• Data protection and localisation constraints: processing outside EU/EEA is restricted and must be pre-authorised; tenderers must declare locations used for storage/processing in technical proposal where applicable.

Practical checklist for bidders (quick start)

1. 1Register organisation in Participant Register and obtain PIC.
2. 2Subscribe to the call on the Funding & Tenders Portal and download all annexes (Tender Specifications, Draft FWC, Annexes 1-9, Financial Proposal form, Technical Proposal form).
3. 3Prepare Technical Proposal (Annex 7) answering mandatory checklist and contract implementation details and providing references for required selection criteria.
4. 4Complete Annex 6 Financial Proposal Form exactly as provided (no edits to template).
5. 5Assemble mandatory administrative documents: Declaration on Honour (Annex 2), LEF (Annex 8), Annex 3 Power of Attorney for joint tenders, Annex 4 subcontractor list and Annex 5.1/5.2 commitment letters where applicable.
6. 6Ensure security baseline compliance and prepare to sign Acceptable Use Policy for any service providers.
7. 7Submit the tender only via eSubmission before 15/09/2026 11:00:59 Europe/Budapest.

This summary captures the essential, structured information from the CEPOL tender notice CEPOL/2026/OP/0005. Bidders must consult official procurement documents for full requirements, legal text of the Draft Framework Contract, full Annex 6 Financial Proposal template, Annex 7 Technical Proposal form and the security appendices prior to submission. All official documents and the full call text and attachments are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal Procurement page ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Full procurement dossier, official call text, Tender Specifications, Financial Proposal form (Annex 6), Technical Proposal form (Annex 7), Draft Framework Contract and all Annexes and security appendices are available at the Funding & Tenders Portal: ec.europa.eu

This is not a grant funding call but an EU procurement tender. CEPOL is seeking a supplier for subscription, access and related services for scientific e-journals and e-books used in the LEEd learning environment, under an open procedure and framework agreement, with an estimated total value of €322,000 and a maximum contract duration of 48 months [1].

What the contract is about

The procurement is designed to give registered LEEd users stable and comprehensive access to scientific publications relevant to law enforcement education, research and practice. The required service includes full-text access to e-journals and e-books, external authentication, administration tools, usage statistics, training for CEPOL staff and helpdesk support, all integrated with CEPOL's existing digital environment [1].

1. 1Provide a stable authentication and authorisation mechanism compatible with CEPOL's LEEd environment, with OpenAthens accepted as a current model and equivalent or better solutions allowed [1].
2. 2Activate access to subscribed e-journals, e-books and related librarian services for registered users [1].
3. 3Offer 12-month subscriptions for the e-journal titles listed in Annex 6, with all listed titles priced or the tender may be rejected [1].
4. 4Provide 12-month access for e-books for 3 users, with all listed titles priced or the tender may be rejected [1].
5. 5Offer a discount percentage for future new titles and bulk packages not listed in the financial annexes [1].
6. 6Provide search and usage tools, administrator access, monthly usage statistics, training and helpdesk support [1].
7. 7Support activation within one month from signature of each specific contract, and make allowances if access is unavailable for reasons not attributable to CEPOL [1].

Who can apply

The call is open to economic operators capable of supplying licensed scientific content, access-management solutions and associated services. Single tenderers and joint tenders can participate, subcontractors may be used where identified, and the tenderer must satisfy the applicable exclusion, selection and conflict-of-interest rules, including compliance with EU restrictive measures [1].

Commercial and financial terms

There is no grant funding rate here because this is a procurement contract, not a subsidy. The financial model is based on fixed-price subscription and service pricing, plus a discount to be applied to future new e-journals, e-books and bulk packages, and CEPOL may order such new items up to 30 percent of the annual value, equal to €24,150 per year [1].

Timing and submission requirements

• Deadline for receipt of tenders is 15 September 2026 at 11:00 Europe/Budapest [1].
• Public opening is scheduled for 15 September 2026 at 14:00 Europe/Budapest [1].
• The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after 7 September 2026 at 23:59 Europe/Budapest [1].
• Tender validity is six months [1].
• Submissions must be sent electronically through eSubmission and not by email or post [1].
• Tenders must be prepared in one official EU language, and no variants are allowed [1].
• Only one tender per tenderer will be considered unless the later submission replaces an earlier one before the deadline [1].
• The tenderer bears its own preparation and attendance costs [1].

Documents and practical applicant notes

The procurement file includes an invitation letter, tender specifications, financial proposal form, declaration on honour, draft framework contract, commitment letters, subcontractor list, power of attorney, technical proposal form and related annexes. The tender specifications also require the service to be fully compatible with CEPOL's LEEd environment and allow alternative authentication solutions if they perform at least as well as the current setup [1].

Applicants should pay close attention to the mandatory annex pricing rules, because missing prices, altered forms or incomplete submissions can lead to rejection. The contract is intended to support continuous access for law enforcement trainers, analysts, researchers and operational staff, so technical reliability, user support and evidence of implementation capacity are likely to matter strongly in the evaluation [1].