Security services for the Delegation of the European Union to China

The European External Action Service, through the EU Delegation to China, has published a public procurement tender (procedure ref EEAS/DELCHNP/2026/CPN/0083) to award a single framework service contract for security services in Beijing with an estimated ceiling of CNY 14,090,000 and a maximum duration of up to 72 months (initial 48 months plus possible renewals). The procedure is a two-stage competitive procedure with negotiation: interested operators must submit a request to participate by 30 November 2026 at 17:00 Asia/Shanghai and only selected candidates will receive the confidential technical specifications and be invited to tender. Mandatory selection requirements include a valid Chinese Security Service Permit for the entity performing the services, an average turnover threshold and minimum technical references and staffing levels, and award will follow a best price-quality ratio with quality weighted at 60% and price at 40%. All submissions must be made electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and candidates must comply with the exclusion, integrity and evidentiary requirements set out in the tender documents.

What it funds

Scope

Provision of security services to the EU Delegation in China (Beijing). Services include provision of security guards and related equipment and systems (eg alarm, CCTV, GPS/GPRS tracking), delivered under a framework service contract.

Key documents published (Invitation to participate; Tender specifications; Draft framework contract; Declaration on honour). Technical specifications and confidential details are disclosed only to candidates selected after stage 1. Candidates must provide required certificates (eg Chinese Security Service Permit) and meet selection criteria (turnover, previous contracts, manpower).

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement notice and documents: Funding & Tenders Portal — Security services for the Delegation of the European Union to China || ec.europa.eu

Opportunity summary

The European External Action Service (EEAS), acting through the Delegation of the European Union to China, has published a competitive procedure with negotiation for a framework contract for the provision of security services in Beijing, China. The procurement will result in a framework service contract for the provision of human and material security resources to protect persons and assets under the Delegation’s responsibility. The procedure is organised in two stages: a first selection stage (request to participate) and a second stage in which selected candidates will be invited to submit technical and financial tenders. The framework contract duration is up to 72 months (initial 48 months plus two renewals as specified in the draft contract).

Key procurement facts

Eligibility and applicant requirements

This procurement is open to natural and legal persons established in any EU Member State and in China, as well as to international organisations and third countries that have procurement agreements with the EU where applicable. Candidates must demonstrate compliance with exclusion, selection and regulatory requirements described in the procurement documents and submit a Declaration on Honour and supporting evidence where requested. All candidates must register organisations in the Participant Register and use a Participant Identification Code (PIC) for submissions.

Award procedure and evaluation

Contract form, durations and financials

The procurement will result in a Framework Service Contract (FWC). The FWC is single-award (one contractor or joint tender leader) concluded for an initial period of 48 months, renewable up to two times (per procurement documents) so total maximum duration specified is 72 months. The published estimated overall value is CNY 14,090,000. The published value is the estimated ceiling of the FWC and includes a note that the contracting authority is not exempt from VAT for the services covered; invoices must show amounts excluding and including VAT and VAT calculation guidance is provided in the tender specifications. Reimbursable expenses are capped in the draft FWC and the contract ceiling cannot exceed the amount published in the contract notice.

Submission logistics and documents

Requests to participate and, for invited candidates, tenders must be submitted electronically through the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission system. EU Login and registration in the Participant Register (PIC) are required. Candidates must use the eSubmission portal link provided in the contract notice and follow system requirements for supported browsers, file types and attachment size limits. The contracting authority publishes the Invitation to Participate, Tender Specifications (Part I) and the Draft FWC and Declaration on Honour. Technical specifications (confidential) will only be disclosed to selected candidates at stage 2.

Selection and exclusion mechanics

Candidates are evaluated against exclusion grounds (criminal convictions, fraud, corruption, money laundering, serious professional misconduct, bankruptcy, tax/social security breaches, significant contractual performance deficiencies, irregularities) through a Declaration on Honour. The contracting authority may request documentary evidence within a given timeframe. Candidates may rely on capacities of other entities subject to signed commitment letters and evidentiary provisions in the Request to Participate. Subcontractors must be identified and meet the same exclusion tests and, where their capacities are relied upon, supply supporting evidence.

Contract management and key contractual clauses

The draft Framework Contract (FWC) published with the procurement documents sets out detailed terms including order of priority of provisions, pricing and invoicing rules, VAT treatment, confidentiality, data protection obligations under Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, intellectual property regime for results (not applicable in a conventional services supply but included as standard), liability caps, liquidated damages, performance and retention guarantees (not requested in draft), termination rights, suspension, audits and on-the-spot checks by OLAF and other EU bodies and Court of Auditors. The FWC contains standard EU contracting clauses and an extensive set of general conditions.

How to prepare an application

Read and follow the Invitation to Participate and Tender Specifications precisely. Register organisations in the Participant Register and obtain a PIC. Ensure an EU Login account is active and test eSubmission well before the deadline. Assemble the Request to Participate package including the completed Request to Participate form, Declaration on Honour, legal/registration documents, financial statements, client reference letters for relevant contracts, proof of Security Service Permit and staff levels, and any additional evidence required by the selection criteria or requested annexes (power of attorney for joint tenders, commitment letters for subcontractors and supporting entities). Do not submit technical or financial tenders at stage 1. Technical and financial tenders are requested only from selected candidates in stage 2.

Risk, compliance and audits

The contracting authority emphasises compliance with environmental, social and labour law obligations established by EU law, national law and international conventions. The contracting authority and EU anti-fraud bodies (OLAF), the Court of Auditors and the EPPO have rights to audits, on-the-spot checks and investigations during contract performance and for a period of up to five years after final payment for the last specific contract. Data protection obligations are detailed and include processing limits, localisation and breach notification timelines.

Full procurement documents and official forms are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page; candidates must consult them for complete technical requirements, sub-criteria, unit price schedules and scenario tables to be used in stage 2 tenders 1.

Structured categorisation answers

The following entries extract structured metadata from the procurement documents and present them in full detail for quick reference.

Final summary and recommendation

This is a public tender from the European External Action Service to award a framework contract for security services in Beijing for the Delegation of the European Union to China. The procurement is a two-stage competitive procedure with negotiation, requiring an initial Request to Participate (electronic) to pass exclusion and selection criteria. Selected candidates will receive confidential technical specifications and will be invited to submit technical and financial tenders that will be evaluated by a weighted price-quality formula. Key mandatory selection requirements include a valid Chinese Security Service Permit, minimum turnover and technical contract references, and minimum staff numbers. The framework contract is for an initial 48 months with the possibility of two renewals; the published estimated ceiling is CNY 14,090,000. Candidates should consult and download all procurement documents on the Funding & Tenders Portal, register their organisation (PIC), ensure compliance with the selection and exclusion documentation and prepare to provide detailed operational and financial proposals if invited to the second stage. Subscribe on the opportunity page and prepare the Declaration on Honour, legal and financial evidence, client references and any joint tender documentation (power of attorney, subcontractor commitments) as specified. For full tender texts, annexes, unit price schedules and the confidential technical specifications (available to selected candidates) consult the Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page 1.

Footnotes

1. 1Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page Security services for the Delegation of the European Union to China || ec.europa.eu

Executive summary

This is a public procurement opportunity, not a grant. The European External Action Service, acting through the European Union Delegation to China, intends to award one framework service contract for security services in Beijing. The scope is expected to include security personnel and related security systems for protecting people and assets under the Delegation’s responsibility.

The procedure is a two stage competitive procedure with negotiation. Interested economic operators must first submit a request to participate. Only candidates that pass the access, exclusion and selection stages will receive the confidential technical specifications and be invited to submit a technical and financial tender.

The official portal identifies the estimated total contract value as CNY 14,090,000, the maximum possible duration as 72 months, and the deadline for requests to participate as 30 November 2026 at 17:00 local time in Shanghai. 1

Opportunity profile

What the procurement covers

The contractor must provide the human and material resources necessary to ensure the security of persons and assets for which the EU Delegation to China is responsible. The published administrative specifications indicate that services may include security guards, active GPS or GPRS tracking systems, alarm systems and CCTV systems.

The detailed technical specifications are confidential at the first stage. They will be disclosed only to candidates selected after assessment of access, exclusion and selection criteria. Applicants should therefore avoid submitting technical or financial tenders with the first stage request to participate.

The framework agreement will be implemented through specific contracts or order forms issued by the Delegation. The framework agreement itself does not oblige the contracting authority to purchase the full estimated or maximum value.

Who can apply

Participation is open to natural and legal persons established or domiciled in an EU Member State, in a third country covered by a specific EU public procurement agreement, or in China. International organisations may also participate.

Applicants may participate as a single economic operator or as a group of economic operators. A joint group must appoint a leader, and all members will assume joint and several liability for performance if the contract is awarded to the group.

Subcontracting is permitted, but the main contractor remains fully responsible for contract implementation. All identified subcontractors must be disclosed and must satisfy the applicable exclusion requirements. A subcontractor whose capacity is relied upon to meet a selection criterion must provide the required evidence and a signed commitment to make the relevant resources available.

The same natural or legal person cannot participate in more than one request to participate for the same procurement procedure, whether as a sole operator, group member or subcontractor in a conflicting arrangement. Cross subcontracting between competing candidates is prohibited.

Eligibility and exclusion requirements

Each applicant, each member of a joint submission, each entity on whose capacity the applicant relies and each identified subcontractor must address the applicable exclusion requirements.

The declaration on honour covers, among other matters, insolvency, unpaid taxes or social security contributions, grave professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, criminal organisation, money laundering, terrorist financing, trafficking in human beings, significant contractual deficiencies, irregularities, unlawful circumvention of legal obligations and conflicts of interest.

The contracting authority may request recent judicial, administrative, tax and social security evidence. Evidence may in some circumstances be waived where it was already submitted to the same contracting authority within the preceding year and remains valid, or where it is available through a free national database.

Applicants must immediately notify the contracting authority of any change affecting the declarations. False or incomplete declarations can result in rejection and administrative sanctions, including exclusion or financial penalties.

Mandatory selection criteria

The Chinese security service permit is a critical requirement. The applicant cannot rely on another entity, including a subcontractor, to satisfy this legal and regulatory capacity requirement. The services requiring the permit must be performed directly by the applicant or by a member of the joint group that holds the relevant authorisation.

Where an applicant relies on another entity’s economic, financial, technical or professional capacity, that entity must provide a signed and dated commitment confirming the resources that will be made available. Technical and professional capacity may be relied upon only where the supporting entity will perform the services for which that capacity is required.

Second stage tender evaluation

The second stage will be limited to selected candidates. They will receive the invitation to tender and the confidential Part II technical specifications. They must then submit a compliant technical tender and financial tender in CNY.

The contracting authority may negotiate with tenderers to improve or adapt their tenders, but minimum requirements and published award criteria cannot be changed. The authority may also decide not to negotiate and may award the contract on the basis of the initial tenders.

Technical subcriteria will be disclosed only to selected candidates because of the confidential nature of the security requirements. A tender that fails mandatory requirements or the applicable technical thresholds will be rejected and will not proceed to financial comparison.

Financial and commercial conditions

Financial offers must be submitted in CNY, all inclusive, using the unit price schedule and price scenario tables supplied at the second stage. Changing the prescribed tables may lead to rejection.

The financial offer must be presented both excluding VAT and including applicable Chinese VAT. The published tender specifications state that the Delegation is not exempt from VAT for the services covered by this contract. The VAT calculation and applicable rate may be adjusted in line with legislation during contract performance.

Prices cannot be revised during the validity period of the tender. During contract implementation, price revision may be permitted under the price revision provisions of the framework contract, based on the applicable consumer price index mechanism.

The published draft framework contract provides for reimbursement of specified expenses, including travel, subsistence, accommodation and shipment expenses. The draft sets a total reimbursable expense ceiling of CNY 157,000 over the framework contract period including renewals. It also states daily subsistence and accommodation ceilings of CNY 426.21 and CNY 1,201.13 respectively.

There is no grant funding rate, co-financing percentage or applicant budget contribution because this is a procurement contract. Contractors are paid for services ordered and accepted under specific contracts or order forms. The draft contract does not provide for pre-financing, interim payments or a performance guarantee.

Contract duration and implementation

The framework contract is initially concluded for four years from the date on which it is signed by the last party. It may be renewed up to two times for one year each, subject to express written agreement. The maximum duration is therefore six years.

Specific contracts must be signed before the framework agreement expires. The framework agreement can continue to govern those specific contracts after expiry, with services under such contracts generally to be completed no later than six months after the framework agreement expires.

The contracting authority may increase the framework ceiling through a negotiated procedure without prior publication in specified circumstances, including deterioration of the security situation, a particular security event, changes to Delegation premises or housing policy, or an increase in the number of Delegation staff. The tender specifications state that such increases may reach up to 50 percent of the initial contract value and may be used during performance and at the latest within three years after signature, subject to the applicable legal conditions.

The framework contract may be terminated by either party with three months written notice. Termination does not create an entitlement to compensation, and the contractor is entitled only to payment for services provided before termination takes effect.

Performance risks and obligations

Security services are operationally sensitive and require continuous compliance with the technical specifications, applicable Chinese law, labour law, social law, environmental obligations and the contractual minimum requirements. These requirements cannot be qualified, limited or made conditional in the tender.

The draft contract provides for key performance indicators and possible payment reductions where expected performance levels are not achieved. It indicates that a 10 percent deduction may be applied to the score for each missed KPI indicator and that a monthly invoice deduction may apply where the aggregate KPI score falls below 90 percent.

Personnel accessing Delegation premises may require access cards. The draft contract states that failure to return an access card may result in liquidated damages of CNY 775 per day, up to CNY 7,750.

The contractor must manage confidentiality, conflicts of interest, personal data protection, audits, checks, subcontracting controls, staff performance and continuity of service. The draft contract includes restrictions on the location and access of personal data processed in connection with the services.

Application and submission requirements

Requests to participate must be submitted exclusively through the electronic submission system available from the Funding and Tenders Portal. Email, post and other submission methods will be disregarded.

An EU Login account is required for portal access, questions and electronic submission. Each participating organisation must be registered in the European Commission Participant Register and must use a valid nine digit Participant Identification Code, known as a PIC.

The first stage submission should contain the completed and signed request to participate form and all documents specified in that form. The declaration on honour must be completed and signed by the relevant participating entities. Joint groups must provide the required power of attorney and identify their group leader.

The request to participate deadline is 30 November 2026 at 17:00 Asia/Shanghai. Late submissions cannot be accepted. The eSubmission timestamp and receipt constitute evidence of timely submission, so applicants should upload all files well before the deadline and retain the submission receipt.

Applicants bear their own preparation and submission costs. A candidate may withdraw and replace a submission before the deadline, but the replacement submission must be complete because the applicant cannot rely on missing information from an earlier version.

The portal documents were published in English and no translations were indicated. The request to participate may be submitted in an official EU language, but applicants should verify the applicable language and document requirements in the invitation and portal before submission.

Recommended applicant preparation

Build the evidence file: Prepare the last three closed years of profit and loss accounts, the turnover table, evidence of at least 30 relevant employees, the list of qualifying security contracts and a compliant client reference letter for every listed contract.

Check group and subcontractor structures: Map all group members, capacity providers and subcontractors, identify the tasks each will perform, obtain commitment letters and ensure that no entity participates in an incompatible role or in more than one competing submission.

Prepare exclusion evidence: Obtain current corporate registration, tax, social security, judicial and regulatory evidence so it can be supplied quickly if requested by the contracting authority.

Set up electronic submission: Create or verify EU Login credentials, confirm each organisation’s PIC, assign the authorised contact person and test the eSubmission environment and supported file formats.

Monitor amendments: Subscribe to the call and check the portal regularly for revised documents, clarifications, questions and answers. The contracting authority states that applicants are responsible for monitoring updates during the submission period.

Plan the second stage: Although technical and financial tenders must not be submitted at stage one, candidates should prepare operational information on staffing, supervision, quality management, labour conditions, technology, incident response and service continuity for the later tender stage.

Key assessment

This opportunity is most suitable for an established security services provider already authorised to operate in China, with at least 30 relevant employees, a qualifying financial base and documented recent experience. The Chinese permit requirement makes a locally authorised operator essential for the critical security activities.

The strongest applications will be those that provide a complete and internally consistent evidence package at stage one, clearly allocate responsibilities within any consortium or subcontracting structure, demonstrate reliable security service references and show that the organisation can support a six year operational relationship in Beijing.

The principal commercial risks are the absence of a guaranteed minimum purchase, the all inclusive pricing requirement, performance based invoice deductions, potential changes in security requirements, confidentiality constraints and the need to comply with Chinese licensing and operational rules throughout contract execution.

Official source

The authoritative opportunity page and procurement documents are available through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal EU Funding and Tenders Portal tender page.

Footnotes

1. 1The opportunity information and procurement documents are based on the official EU Funding and Tenders Portal record supplied for this analysis. Portal information should be checked again before submission because deadlines, documents and clarifications may be amended.