Second phase of the EU assistance for Uzbekistan Agri-Food Development Strategy 2020-2030

This opportunity represents a planned call for tenders by the European Commission, specifically through the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA), aimed at providing technical assistance to the Government of Uzbekistan for the second phase of the EU Assistance for the Uzbekistan Agri-Food Development Strategy 2020-2030. The estimated value of the contract is approximately 7,532,756 EUR, designed to support the transition from a planned economy to a market-based system by enhancing the policy and regulatory framework and strengthening institutional capacities in key areas such as food safety, water management, agricultural land planning, agricultural subsidies, agricultural extension services, and public finance management. The primary recipient of the technical assistance will be the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan, along with other relevant ministries like the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction, and the Ministry of Health.

The procedure will involve an open call for tenders, to be published in the Official Journal of the European Union on or around January 21, 2026, with the potential publication date noted as November 12, 2025. The contract's maximum duration is set for 48 months, indicating substantial long-term engagement. The procurement type is classified as service procurement, focusing on delivering non-financial consulting and advisory services rather than direct financial support.

Eligible applicants will likely include consulting firms and organizations with demonstrated expertise in agricultural policy reform, food safety systems, and public finance management. The specific eligibility details and requirements will be provided in the forthcoming tender documentation. Currently, there is no indication of a co-funding requirement for applicants, thus making this a fully EU-funded project.

Interest in this project is part of broader EU engagement with Central Asia, reflecting the EU's strategic priorities in developing sustainable governance and capacity building in the region.

Second phase of the EU assistance for Uzbekistan Agri-Food Development Strategy 2020-2030 is a planned call for tenders with procedure identifier EC-INTPA/TAS/2025/EA-RP/0196-PIN. The TED reference is 218/2025 748528-2025. It is classified as Forthcoming.

Description: This is the Second phase of the EU assistance for Uzbekistan Agri-Food Development Strategy 2020-2030, under the ongoing Financing Agreement with the Government of Uzbekistan ACT- 61294 "Budget Support for the development of Agri-food sector and resilient rural livelihoods". The purpose of this contract is to pursue the assistance to the Government of Uzbekistan in managing the transition process from a planned economy to a market-based system by creating an enabling policy and regulatory environment and strengthening key institutional capacities, with a particular focus on food safety, water management, rangeland and agricultural land planning, agricultural subsidies, agricultural extension services, agricultural subsidies, and public finance management. The main recipient of the technical assistance support provided through this service contract is the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the different agencies under its mandate. The ministry of Economy and Finance will receive specific support on public finance management, while the ministries of Water Resources, Employment and Poverty reduction, and Health will also be the object of specific technical support in the topics covered by this contract and under the general objectives of Uzbekistan’s Agri-food Development Strategy 2020-2030.

The procedure type is a planned call for tenders with OJ S publication. The estimated total value is 7532756 EUR. The TED publication date is 12/11/2025. The lead contracting authority is the European Commission, INTPA - International Partnerships. The main classification (CPV) is 77000000 - Agricultural, forestry, horticultural, aquacultural and apicultural services. The nature of the contract is services. The maximum contract duration is 48 MONTH. There is no framework agreement. The place of delivery or performance is Uzbekistan, specifically identified by the code 20001036. The programme associated with this call is Asia and the Pacific, identified by the code 44995882. The estimated date of publication of a contract notice is 21/01/2026.

A question was asked regarding where to find the procurement documents for this call for tenders. The answer provided states that the planned call for tenders announces the intention of the contracting authority to publish a future call for tenders and that no other information or documents other than those published are available. This question was published on 17/02/2024 00:54.

In summary, this is a planned call for tenders by the European Commission, specifically INTPA, to provide assistance to Uzbekistan in the second phase of its Agri-Food Development Strategy 2020-2030. The project aims to support Uzbekistan's transition from a planned economy to a market-based system by improving policy, regulation, and institutional capacities. Key areas of focus include food safety, water management, land planning, agricultural subsidies, extension services, and public finance management. The primary beneficiary is the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan, with additional support for the Ministries of Economy and Finance, Water Resources, Employment and Poverty Reduction, and Health. The total estimated value of the contract is 7,532,756 EUR, and the contract duration is up to 48 months. The call for tenders is expected to be published in the Official Journal of the European Union, with the contract notice anticipated around January 21, 2026. Currently, no procurement documents are available as the call is still in the planning phase.

Eligible Applicant Types: The opportunity is a call for tenders, implying that eligible applicants are likely to be organizations capable of providing the required services. Based on the description, these could include consulting firms, research institutions, or other entities with expertise in agri-food development, policy, and public finance management. The specific eligibility criteria will be detailed in the forthcoming call for tenders documentation.

Funding Type: The funding type is procurement, specifically a service contract. The European Commission is seeking to procure services related to technical assistance.

Consortium Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. This detail will likely be specified in the full call for tenders documentation when it is released. It is possible that both single applicants and consortia are eligible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary place of performance is Uzbekistan. While the call is issued by the European Commission, the focus is on providing assistance within Uzbekistan. The geographic eligibility of the applicants themselves is not explicitly stated, but it is common for EU tenders to be open to entities from EU member states and potentially other countries, depending on the specific requirements of the call.

Target Sector: The target sector is agriculture and food, specifically agri-food development. It also touches on related areas such as water management, rural livelihoods, public finance management, and food safety.

Mentioned Countries: Uzbekistan.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on providing technical assistance to support the implementation of the Uzbekistan Agri-Food Development Strategy 2020-2030. This suggests a development and implementation stage, rather than basic research or initial idea generation.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the contract is 7,532,756 EUR.

Application Type: The application type is a planned call for tenders with OJ S publication (Official Journal of the European Union Supplement). This means the call will be formally announced in the Official Journal, and applicants will need to submit a tender proposal according to the specified guidelines.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries, primarily the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan and other related ministries, will receive non-monetary services in the form of technical assistance and expertise.

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly mentioned, but a typical call for tenders involves at least two stages: submission of a tender and evaluation of the submitted tenders. There might be additional stages such as clarification requests or contract negotiation.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned in the provided text. Success rates for EU tenders can vary significantly depending on the specific call and the number of applicants.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. This detail will likely be specified in the full call for tenders documentation when it is released.

Summary:

This opportunity is a planned call for tenders by the European Commission, specifically Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA), to provide technical assistance to the Government of Uzbekistan for the second phase of the EU assistance for the Uzbekistan Agri-Food Development Strategy 2020-2030. The contract, valued at approximately 7.5 million EUR, aims to support Uzbekistan's transition to a market-based system by strengthening policy, regulatory environment, and institutional capacities in the agri-food sector. Key areas of focus include food safety, water management, rangeland and agricultural land planning, agricultural subsidies, agricultural extension services, and public finance management. The primary recipient of the technical assistance will be the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan, along with other relevant ministries such as the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction, and the Ministry of Health. The call for tenders is expected to be published in the Official Journal of the European Union Supplement (OJ S) around January 21, 2026, with a TED publication date of November 12, 2025. The maximum duration of the contract is 48 months. Interested organizations should monitor the OJ S for the official announcement and detailed application guidelines. The call falls under the CPV code 77000000, which relates to agricultural, forestry, horticultural, aquacultural, and apicultural services.