Strategic Communication Service Contract Global Gateway Brazil

The European Commission, specifically the INTPA (International Partnerships), has called for tenders for a Strategic Communication Service Contract under the Global Gateway initiative, primarily focused on Brazil. This opportunity is identified by the procedure identifier EC-INTPA/BSB/2025/EA-RP/0063 and the TED reference 81/2025 266716-2025. The estimated total contract value is €1.2 million, and the deadline for requests to participate is May 26, 2025, at 16:00 America/Sao_Paulo time.

Eligible applicants can include various entities such as communication agencies and marketing firms, though SMEs are not explicitly prioritized. The funding type is a grant, structured as a service contract where payment is based on the delivery of specific outputs. This contract does not require consortium participation and allows single applicants. The geographic focus is on Brazil, which is explicitly mentioned as the benefitting zone. The contract aims to improve the EU's perception as a trusted partner among Brazilian youth concerning key priorities of the Global Gateway partnership.

The project involves stages of development and implementation, with expected outputs including data gathering, planning, production, and monitoring of communication campaigns. The application procedure is restricted, requiring candidates to first submit a request to participate. Following this, shortlisted candidates will be invited to submit full tenders.

The nature of the support provided through this grant is in exchange for non-monetary communication services. The financial offer must include a detailed breakdown of costs for each expected output, with evaluations based on a combination of quality and price considerations.

The expected outputs of the project emphasize a comprehensive communication strategy which includes designing and implementing campaigns, along with ongoing analysis and performance reporting. Technical and professional capacity, as well as economic stability, are key selection criteria, with a notable emphasis on previous experience executing projects in Brazil. The announcement specifies no co-funding requirements and provides a robust Q&A section addressing common queries about eligibility, documentation, and the tender process.

The entire submission must be conducted electronically through the EU's tender portal, which supports several file types and enforces strict size and naming conventions to ensure proper handling of submissions. Participants must have a Personal Identification Code (PIC), which is necessary for participation in this tender process.

The European Commission, INTPA International Partnerships, has announced a call for tenders for a Strategic Communication Service Contract Global Gateway Brazil, with procedure identifier EC-INTPA/BSB/2025/EA-RP/0063. The TED reference for this call is 81/2025 266716-2025. This is a restricted procedure, and submissions must be sent electronically to the address for submission given in the tender documents. The estimated total value of the contract is 1,200,000 EUR. The TED publication date is 25/04/2025, and the deadline for receipt of requests to participate is 26/05/2025 at 16:00 America/Sao_Paulo time.

The overall objective of the services contract is to stimulate a paradigm shift in the way the relationship between the EU and Brazil is portrayed and perceived by the primary target audience. The specific objective (Outcome) of the services contract is to measurably increase awareness and positive perception of the EU as a trusted and reliable partner for Brazil, on the issues that matter to young people and around key Global Gateway partnership priorities.

The service will be paid on the basis of the delivery of the specified outputs. The expected outputs of this contract are as follows: SO1 (Outcome 1): Global Gateway campaign designed and implemented. This includes:
Output 1 to Outcome 1: Data gathering and analysis
Output 2 to Outcome 1: Planning, production, placement
Output 3 to Outcome 1: Campaign production and implementation
Output 4 to Outcome 1: Monitoring, optimisation and reporting

The financial offer shall include a breakdown indicating the price for each expected output. The main classification (CPV) for this tender is 79341000 Advertising services. The nature of the contract is for services, with a maximum contract duration of 36 months. The award method will be based on the best price-quality ratio. No framework agreement is associated with this tender. The place of delivery or performance is Brazil, specifically designated by the code 20000848. The programme associated with this tender is 42921260 Latin America.

Selection criteria include:
Suitability to pursue the professional activity (consult the procurement documents)
Economic and financial standing (consult the procurement documents)
Technical and professional ability (consult the procurement documents)

The following documents are available for download:
Annex a5f Additional information about the Contract NoticeInvitation to submit a request to participate, published on 25/04/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
Terms of Reference Technical specifications (requests to participate), published on 25/04/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
Request to participate form Technical specifications (requests to participate), published on 25/04/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
Disclaimer stating that the published Terms of Reference is currently a draft merely for pre-information and is subject to potential further change at step two. Tender specifications (requests to participate), published on 30/04/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
Change number 1 to additional information about the contract notice Tender specifications (requests to participate), published on 14/05/2025, Version 1, no translations available.

Several questions and answers have been published regarding this tender:
Question: Regarding currency exchange risk, are there safeguards in the contract? Answer: There are no safeguards in the contract regarding currency exchange risk and no insurance foreseen. Costs should take into account all risks associated. The payments will depend on the terms outlined in the contract. Published on 23/05/2025.
Question: Under section 6, experience, documentary evidence is required. Is it necessary to provide evidence for all experiences? Answer: According to section 6 EXPERIENCE of the Request to Participate: Candidates are allowed to refer either to projects completed within the reference period (although started earlier) or projects not yet completed. Published on 23/05/2025.
Question: Regarding the declaration of honour (doc. a14a) and evidence on exclusion criteria, what evidence is required? Answer: Participants are obliged to declare that they are not in one of the exclusion grounds mentioned above through a signed declaration on honour. Where it is necessary, they must provide the evidence. Published on 23/05/2025.
Question: How should we inform you of our intention to subcontract the work to a local entity in Brazil? Answer: An economic operator (i.e. candidate or tenderer) may, where appropriate and for a particular contract, rely on the capacities of other entities, regardless of the legal nature of the links which it has with them. Published on 23/05/2025.
Question: Regarding Criterion 1, would it be acceptable to submit a reference from a similar project? Answer: To ensure equal treatment to candidates, the Contracting Authority cannot give opinions on specific cases. Members of the Evaluation Committee will meet to evaluate the request to participate. Published on 15/05/2025.
Question: Are Sri Lankan companies eligible to apply as a lead contractor? Answer: Please refer to Additional information about the Contract Notice, section 4 "Legal basis, eligibility and rules of origin" (please see Change no 1 to the additional information about the contract notice). Each legal entity identified under point 1 of the request to participate form, including every consortium member, and capacity-providing entity, must complete and sign a separate request to participate form. Published on 15/05/2025.
Question: Does the 1.2M expected budget include media buying and other costs like paid partnerships? Answer: EUR 1.2 Million budget includes media buying and other costs. Candidates who are shortlisted will be invited to submit a tender. Tenderers should provide an itemized budget as part of their tender. Published on 15/05/2025.
Question: Regarding criterion 1 of the technical capacity, are grants eligible? Answer: Criterion 1 of the technical capacity establishes: "The candidate has completed services in Brazil under at least 3 contracts implemented at any moment during the last four years before the deadline for submission of applications." Published on 15/05/2025.
Question: Request to remove or adjust selection criteria related to maintaining an office in Brazil. Answer: Solid experience and operational capacity in Brazil are considered essential for the implementation of the assignment. Companies can enter consortia with others to meet the requirements. Published on 15/05/2025.
Question: We are a marketing and advertising agency based in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with a strong focus on public sector communication. Are we eligible? Answer: Regarding the eligibility rule, please refer to Additional information about the Contract Notice, section 4 "Legal basis, eligibility and rules of origin" (please see Change no 1 to the additional information about the contract notice). Published on 15/05/2025.

For issues with the eSubmission system, it is recommended to use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. If problems persist, clear the cache and cookies. The system supports all 24 official EU languages and uses UTF-8 character set encoding. The system encrypts all uploaded documents using an asymmetric key. The maximum file size for attachments is 50 MB, and the maximum number of documents that can be uploaded per tender is 200. A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory to participate in this call for tenders. The PIC is unique and its validity is not limited in time. Submissions in draft status can be edited, viewed, and deleted until the deadline.

In summary, this tender is a call for a Strategic Communication Service Contract focused on improving the perception of the EU in Brazil, particularly among young people, in line with Global Gateway partnership priorities. The contract, worth 1.2 million EUR, requires the design and implementation of a communication campaign, with payment based on specified outputs. The tender is a restricted procedure, meaning that only pre-selected candidates will be invited to submit a full tender. Applicants must demonstrate suitability, economic stability, and technical ability, with a strong emphasis on experience in Brazil. The deadline for submitting requests to participate is May 26, 2025. The tender documents provide detailed information on eligibility, selection criteria, and submission procedures. The Q&A section addresses common queries regarding currency exchange risks, required documentation, subcontracting, and eligibility of specific types of organizations. The eSubmission system uses encryption to ensure confidentiality and integrity, and applicants must adhere to specific technical requirements for file uploads.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, based on the nature of the tender, it can be inferred that eligible applicants could include advertising agencies, marketing firms, communication companies, and other entities with the professional, economic, and technical ability to deliver the services required. The Q&A section suggests that companies from various countries, such as Sri Lanka, are potentially eligible, subject to the rules of origin specified in the "Additional information about the Contract Notice."

Funding Type: The funding type is a service contract, where payment is based on the delivery of specified outputs.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity allows for companies to enter consortia with others to meet the requirements, suggesting that both single applicants and consortia are permitted.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary place of performance is Brazil. The Q&A section indicates that companies from countries like Sri Lanka may be eligible, contingent upon the eligibility rules outlined in the "Additional information about the Contract Notice," specifically section 4 regarding "Legal basis, eligibility and rules of origin." The program itself is related to Latin America.

Target Sector: The target sector is advertising services, specifically strategic communication related to the EU's Global Gateway initiative in Brazil. This includes designing and implementing communication campaigns, data gathering and analysis, planning, production, placement, monitoring, optimization, and reporting.

Mentioned Countries: Brazil, Sri Lanka.

Project Stage: The project stage is implementation, focusing on designing and implementing a communication campaign.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the contract is 1,200,000 EUR.

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

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for delivering specified outputs related to the communication service.

Application Stages: The procedure type is "Restricted procedure", which typically involves at least two stages: a request to participate (assessing eligibility and selection criteria) and a full tender submission (for shortlisted candidates only). Therefore, there are at least 2 stages.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding is not explicitly mentioned, so it is not possible to determine if it is required.

Summary:

This is a call for tenders by the European Commission, INTPA - International Partnerships, for a Strategic Communication Service Contract related to the Global Gateway initiative in Brazil. The overall objective is to improve the perception of the EU as a trusted partner for Brazil, particularly among young people, by designing and implementing a comprehensive communication campaign. The contract, valued at 1.2 million EUR, will be awarded based on the best price-quality ratio. The contract duration is 36 months. The procedure is a restricted one, meaning that interested parties must first submit a request to participate by May 26, 2025, 16:00 America/Sao_Paulo. Shortlisted candidates will then be invited to submit a full tender. The expected outputs include data gathering and analysis, planning, production, placement, campaign production and implementation, and monitoring, optimization, and reporting. Submissions must be electronic. The tender documents, including the Terms of Reference, Request to Participate form, and additional information, are available for download. The opportunity is open to economic operators who can demonstrate the necessary professional, economic, and technical ability. While the primary focus is on services in Brazil, companies from other countries, such as Sri Lanka, may be eligible based on the rules of origin specified in the contract notice. A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation. The eSubmission system supports various file types and has specific requirements for attachment sizes and naming conventions. The system also supports all 24 official EU languages and uses encryption to ensure data integrity and confidentiality.