Servicios de vending - concesión de máquinas expendedoras y alquiler de dispensadores de agua y máquinas bebidas calientes.

EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office) published tender EUIPO/2026/OP/0014 for vending services at its Alicante premises combining concession vending machines and rental of water and hot beverage dispensers under a cascade framework to award up to three contracts. Estimated total framework value €1,168,500 over up to four years; contractors must install, maintain, replenish and remove equipment and concessionaires assume commercial risk for sales to users. Award is by best price-quality ratio (quality 60%, price 40%) and key selection requirements include turnover > €175,000 for each of the last two years, professional liability insurance ≥ €300,000 and similar experience of at least €150,000 in one of the last three years. Tenders must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission system by 9 December 2026 at 13:00 (Europe/Madrid) and applicants should consult the official tender documents on the portal.

What it funds

Scope and value

Who can apply

Open to economic operators established within the scope of the EU Treaties and in third countries where applicable. Single bidders or joint bids allowed; subcontracting permitted (identified subcontracts >20% trigger additional requirements). SMEs may participate but contract not reserved for SMEs.

Key eligibility & selection highlights

Deadlines & milestones

Tenders must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission tool by the deadline below. Public opening of tenders is virtual.

What to submit

Electronic submission must include standard application form (Annex IV), financial offer, technical offer demonstrating compliance with technical specifications (Annex II), proof of legal/financial capacity and exclusion/selection documents. eSubmission requires EU Login and PICs for participating organisations.

Practical links

Tender documents, specification annexes, draft framework contract and submission link are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal tender page Tender details EUIPO/2026/OP/0014. 1

Footnotes

1. 1All submissions must be uploaded via the eSubmission tool on the Funding & Tenders Portal. See procedural guidance and templates on the tender page linked above.

Características principales del contrato

Fechas y eventos clave

Documentación disponible y plantilla de presentación

Elegibilidad y tipos de solicitantes

Criterios de selección y capacidad requerida

Criterios de adjudicación (calidad y precio)

Modalidades contractuales y alcance financiero

Requisitos operativos y técnicos principales

Gestión del procedimiento de presentación

Estructura de evaluación y etapas de la convocatoria

Éxito y probabilidades de adjudicación

La EUIPO adjudicará un máximo de tres contratos marco. No se proporcionan tasas de éxito numéricas en los pliegos; la adjudicación es competitiva y depende del cumplimiento estricto de los requisitos administrativos, criterios de selección y la puntuación combinada de calidad y precio. Los licitadores deben prestar especial atención a la documentación técnica justificativa de mejoras y a la capacidad de cumplimiento de los KPI y del ANS (Anexo II.2).

Requisitos financieros y de cofinanciación

Obligaciones contractuales durante la ejecución

Requisitos sobre subcontratación y agrupaciones

Se admiten ofertas conjuntas (agrupaciones) con responsabilidad solidaria y designación de un representante responsable. La subcontratación está permitida; los subcontratistas identificados (participación > 20 % o para cumplir criterios de selección) deben ser incluidos en la oferta e incorporar cartas de compromiso (modelo en Anexo IV). Los cambios en la composición del grupo o subcontratistas durante el procedimiento requieren aprobación previa por escrito de la EUIPO y deben respetar la capacidad original declarada.

Requisitos de seguridad y protección de datos

Plantillas y estructura requeridas para la oferta (Anexo IV y modelos)

Aspectos operativos prácticos y notas para licitadores

Preguntas frecuentes clave (extracto práctico)

Riesgos y puntos de atención para licitadores

Categorías solicitadas (resumen de extracción para sistemas de clasificación)

Footnotes

1. 1Documentación completa y formularios oficiales disponibles en el portal Funding & Tenders: ec.europa.eu

EUIPO vending services tender

Opportunity summary

This is a public procurement opportunity, not a grant. The European Union Intellectual Property Office is seeking operators to provide vending services at its premises in Alicante, Spain. The procurement covers the concession of vending machines for food and beverages and the rental of filtered water dispensers and hot beverage machines. The successful contractors will install, maintain, replenish, clean, disinfect, operate and ultimately remove the equipment.

The procedure is an open procedure for a multiple cascade framework agreement. The EUIPO intends to establish up to three framework contracts. The ranking of contractors will determine the order in which specific contracts and orders are offered during the framework agreement period. The framework agreement does not guarantee any minimum volume, revenue, profit or number of orders.

The official opportunity record and tender documents should be treated as controlling sources for the application. 1

Key identification

Tender scope and operating model

The procurement combines two commercial models. Under the concession model, the contractor supplies and operates vending machines and receives payment directly from users for purchases. Under the rental model, the EUIPO pays for rented water dispensers and hot beverage machines through specific contractual arrangements.

The service is expected to include the following activities:

The technical specifications are essential because they define the mandatory equipment, product, staffing, service level, hygiene, maintenance, reporting and operational requirements. They also determine which technical improvements can earn quality points. 6

Financial value and commercial assumptions

The estimated total framework value is €1,168,500. This is divided between estimated expenditure by the EUIPO and estimated expenditure by users of the concession vending machines.

The annual estimate is indicative and does not create a commitment to order the stated amounts.

The stated amounts are historical or planning estimates. Actual demand will depend on specific orders, the number of users and consumption levels. The EUIPO is not required to exhaust the maximum framework value. The tender documents also allow the contracting authority, within three years from signature, to acquire similar additional services up to 50 percent of the initial framework ceiling through the applicable negotiated procedure.

Under the concession element, the contractor bears the commercial risk associated with operation of the vending machines. The framework agreement does not provide exclusive rights and does not guarantee a minimum level of income or profit.

Duration and renewals

The maximum duration is four years. The framework agreement starts with an initial period of one year and may be renewed automatically up to three times, for one additional year each time, unless either party gives notice of non renewal at least three months before the applicable expiry date.

Specific contracts must be signed before expiry of the framework agreement. Specific contracts already signed may continue to apply after framework expiry, subject to the limits in the draft framework contract, including the stated maximum period for completion after expiry.

The framework agreement does not itself require the EUIPO to place orders. Specific requirements are issued through requests for offer or orders under the cascade mechanism. The draft contract indicates that the normal response period for a request for offer is 15 working days unless another period is specified.

Award method

The award criterion is best price quality ratio. Quality carries 60 percent of the final score and price carries 40 percent.

The quality assessment includes two principal criteria. The first concerns rented machines and carries 60 quality points. The second concerns service organisation and management tools and carries 40 quality points.

Quality improvements must be objectively verifiable, technically documented and applicable to the EUIPO context. Unsupported marketing claims are unlikely to receive full credit.

The financial score is calculated by comparing each offer with the lowest evaluated price. The quality score is calculated by comparing each technical score with the highest technical score. The final score combines the resulting price indicator at 40 percent and quality indicator at 60 percent.

Up to three contractors will be ranked and awarded framework contracts if their offers meet all minimum requirements and the contractors pass the eligibility, exclusion and selection checks. If only one bidder qualifies, the EUIPO may cancel the procedure or award a single framework contract after assessing supply security risk.

Eligible applicants

Participation is open on equal terms to natural and legal persons established within the scope of the EU Treaties and to operators established in a third country where an applicable agreement with the European Union provides access to this procurement.

Applicants may participate as:

Each participating entity must be clearly identified by role. A joint tender must identify a lead entity and define the responsibilities and tasks of each member. Consortium members assume joint and several responsibility for the performance of the contract. The lead member acts as the single administrative, financial and operational contact.

The SME suitability indicator is recorded as false in the portal data. This means the opportunity is not identified as specifically reserved or designed for SMEs. SMEs may nevertheless participate if they satisfy the eligibility and capacity requirements, either alone, jointly or through permitted reliance on other entities.

Consortium and subcontracting conditions

Joint tenders are permitted. Each consortium member is subject to the exclusion requirements. Selection capacity may generally be demonstrated through the combined capacity of the consortium, subject to the specific rules in the tender specifications.

Subcontracting is permitted, but the lead contractor remains fully responsible to the EUIPO for the complete performance of the contract. The tender must state the intended subcontracting proportion and describe the tasks assigned to identified subcontractors.

An identified subcontractor must provide a signed commitment where it supplies capacity relied upon for selection or where its individual share exceeds 20 percent. Changes to identified subcontractors after the submission deadline and before signature require prior written approval and must not materially change the original offer.

An applicant may rely on the technical, professional, economic or financial capacity of another entity, but must provide a specific commitment demonstrating that the required resources will actually be available. For technical and professional capacity, the supporting entity must perform the services for which its capacity is relied upon.

Minimum selection requirements

The key minimum capacity requirements identified in the tender specifications are as follows.

The similar experience requirement must cover vending machines for food products, cold and or hot beverages, and or water dispensers, and must demonstrate the required value threshold. General facility management experience without relevant vending or dispenser content may not be sufficient.

The insurance and turnover requirements are assessed on a consolidated basis for the tenderer and participating entities where the specifications permit combined capacity. Professional registration is assessed for each participant individually.

Exclusion and compliance requirements

Each single tenderer and each consortium member must submit a signed declaration on honour covering exclusion and applicable selection criteria. Identified subcontractors whose share exceeds 20 percent may also be required to submit the declaration and supporting evidence.

The EUIPO may request supporting documents at any stage. Applicants should be ready to provide recent criminal record or equivalent certificates, tax payment certificates and social security compliance certificates. Failure to provide requested evidence within the specified period may lead to rejection.

Applicants and all involved entities must not be subject to EU restrictive measures that legally prevent the execution of the contract. They must also be free from professional conflicts of interest and must comply with applicable environmental, social, labour, health and safety, data protection and food safety obligations.

Submission requirements and deadline

Tenders must be submitted electronically through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal eSubmission system. Submission by email, post or another method will not be accepted.

An EU Login account is required to access the procedure, submit questions and submit the tender. Each organisation participating as a tenderer or consortium member must be registered in the Commission Participant Register and must use a valid Participant Identification Code. The portal guidance also states that the PIC must be validated for participation.

The operative deadline shown in the detailed tender record and invitation document is 9 December 2026 at 13:00 Europe or Madrid time. The supplied metadata also contains a conflicting date of 1 January 2026. Applicants should rely on the live detailed record and confirm the deadline immediately before submission. 5

The public opening is scheduled for 10 December 2026 at 11:00 Europe or Madrid time. The public session is virtual and generally discloses compliance with submission formalities and the names of tenderers, rather than the substantive contents of offers.

Questions must be submitted through the Funding and Tenders Portal Q and A function. The EUIPO is not required to answer questions received less than six working days before the tender deadline. The portal record identifies 1 December 2026 at 23:59 Europe or Madrid time as the latest stated point for questions, but earlier submission is strongly advisable.

A site visit is scheduled for 16 November 2026 at 11:00 Europe or Madrid time at the EUIPO premises in Alicante. A maximum of two representatives per tenderer may attend. Names and identification or passport details must be submitted to the EUIPO at least two working days in advance. Questions cannot be asked during the visit and must instead be submitted through the portal.

The eSubmission receipt, including the official timestamp, is the evidence of timely submission. The system considers the time when all documents have been received, not merely the moment when the submit button is clicked. Applicants should submit well before the deadline and preserve the receipt.

The offer must remain valid for nine months from the submission deadline. The first page of the standard submission form must be signed by an authorised representative. Documents requiring signatures must be signed, scanned or signed using a qualified or advanced electronic signature based on a qualified certificate.

The portal guidance states that attachments must comply with the eSubmission system requirements. The supplied portal information indicates a maximum individual attachment size of less than 50 MB and a maximum of 200 files per submission. Applicants should verify the current system requirements because technical limits may be updated.

Required tender documentation

The standard submission form requires the following principal information and supporting documents, subject to the role of each entity.

The financial offer must include all requested prices and must be complete, unambiguous and unconditional. Prices must be stated in euros without taxes. Applicants must not add new prices or substantially modify the financial offer after submission. 4

Contract and payment conditions

The framework agreement becomes effective only when signed by the last contracting party. No services may start before the relevant framework and specific contracts have entered into force.

The framework is implemented through a cascade. The EUIPO normally sends a request for offer first to the highest ranked contractor. If that contractor cannot meet the request, fails to respond or has a relevant professional conflict of interest, the request may pass to the second and then third ranked contractor.

The EUIPO may issue specific contracts or order forms under the framework. The framework draft provides for payment of EUIPO ordered services according to the specific contract, normally within 30 days from receipt of a valid invoice and required supporting documentation. No prefinancing is provided for in the draft framework contract.

Users pay directly for concession vending purchases. Prices charged to users are set by the contractor within the requirements and limits of the tender documents. The financial offer must therefore distinguish the EUIPO paid services from the commercial concession activity and follow the prescribed financial form.

The framework is not exclusive. The EUIPO may use other procurement arrangements where legally permitted and is not obliged to award every requirement to a framework contractor. The contractor remains responsible for service levels, legal compliance, confidentiality, audits, security requirements and continuous improvement.

Commercial and operational risks

Applicant preparation priorities

Overall assessment

This is a sizeable, operationally intensive service procurement suited to established vending, catering services, beverage equipment, water dispenser or facility service operators with proven on site delivery capability. The opportunity is commercially attractive because the estimated four year value is €1,168,500 and up to three contractors may be appointed, but the value is not guaranteed and the concession component transfers demand and operating risk to the contractor.

The strongest bids are likely to combine compliant equipment, credible staffing, robust hygiene and food safety controls, reliable replenishment and maintenance logistics, high quality monitoring data and clearly evidenced technical improvements. Because quality represents 60 percent of the final score, a technically detailed and verifiable service model is likely to be more important than offering the lowest price alone.

Applicants should review every current version of the invitation, tender specifications, technical specifications, draft framework contract, specific contract examples and financial offer form before submission. 2

The procurement is governed by the EU financial and procurement framework applicable to the EUIPO, including Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 as reflected in the tender documents. 7

Footnotes

1. 1Official Funding and Tenders Portal opportunity page: EUIPO vending services tender. The portal record and tender documents are the authoritative sources for the procedure.
2. 2Official tender documents: Invitation to tender, Tender specifications, Financial offer form.
3. 3The portal record identifies the procedure as EUIPO/2026/OP/0014, TED reference 209/2026 747740-2026, with publication on 28 October 2026.
4. 4The tender documents state that the EUIPO is exempt from taxes and charges under the applicable privileges and immunities framework. Tender prices must therefore be stated in euros without taxes, subject to the bidder confirming the applicable treatment with its national authorities where necessary.
5. 5The supplied portal data contains an inconsistent additional deadline value of 1 January 2026. The detailed tender record and invitation document identify 9 December 2026 at 13:00 Europe or Madrid time as the operative deadline. Applicants should verify the live portal record before submission.
6. 6Technical requirements and service levels are contained in Anexo II, which was published on the Funding and Tenders Portal but was not fully reproduced in the supplied material. Applicants must review that document before preparing the technical proposal.
7. 7The tender documents refer to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 as the applicable EU Financial Regulation, replacing references to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046.