Strengthening the enlargement dimension of the Adriatic-Ionian Macro-regional Strategy (2025CE160AT105)

Service contract tender by the European Commission DG REGIO to strengthen the enlargement dimension of the Adriatic and Ionian Macro‑regional Strategy (EUSAIR) by identifying complementarities with the EU enlargement process and proposing strategic actions. Maximum contract value €75,000, duration up to 18 months, payment in three interim instalments and prices quoted in euros excluding VAT. Deadline for electronic submission via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal is 29 April 2026 at 12:00 Brussels time; tenders must meet selection criteria including average annual turnover greater than €100,000 and recent projects in EU enlargement and macro‑regional strategies (minimum €50,000 each). Deliverables include discussion and issues papers, a work plan, and a final report with presentation, and award is on the most economically advantageous tender with quality weighted 70% and price 30%.

What the tender funds

A targeted services contract to analyse complementarities between the revised EUSAIR Action Plan (COM(2025)191 final) and the EU enlargement process for Western Balkans countries, and to propose specific actions, capacity building roadmaps, investments and flagship projects to support accession-relevant reforms.

Who can apply

Open procedure for economic operators (natural or legal persons). Applications may be submitted by a sole tenderer or a joint tender (group members). Tenderers must meet exclusion and selection criteria and are subject to EU restrictive measures and public-procurement access rules described in the tender documents.

Estimated value:Maximum total contract value €75,000; contract duration up to 18 months. Award by best price-quality ratio. ¹

1. 1Scope: comparative analysis of revised EUSAIR action plan vs enlargement acquis and negotiating chapters
2. 2Deliverables: discussion papers, stakeholder issues papers, work plan, draft and final report (max 100 pages) and final presentation
3. 3Submission: electronic only via eSubmission (EU Login)

Key administrative points:procedure identifier EC-REGIO/2026/OP/0022; contracting authority European Commission DG REGIO; contract type services; award method best price-quality ratio; tender specifications (Part 1 and Part 2), draft contract and annexes available on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

How to apply:Submit electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission (EU Login); follow instructions and upload the documents listed in Annex 1 (declaration on honour, technical and financial tenders, evidence for selection criteria, subcontractor commitments where applicable). ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Tender dossier and all documents are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: Tender details

Contracting authority:European Commission, DG REGIO - Regional and Urban Policy. Procedure type: Open procedure. Nature of contract: Services. CPV: 79110000 Legal advisory and representation services. Award method: Best price-quality ratio. Maximum contract duration: 18 months. Estimated total value: €75,000. Place of performance: EU countries and partner countries participating in the EU Macro-Regional Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR). Submission method: Electronic via eSubmission on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Official portal and documents:Opportunity page and full documents: EU Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page. Key documents include: Tender specifications Part 1 (administrative), Tender specifications Part 2 (technical), Draft service contract, Appendix 2 Security requirements, Invitation to tender, Declaration on Honour, Checklist procedures.

Deadlines and Milestones

• TED publication date: 20/03/2026
• Deadline for receipt of tenders: 29/04/2026 12:00 Europe/Brussels
• Public opening of tenders: 29/04/2026 14:00 Europe/Brussels
• Last date contracting authority is bound to reply to questions: 20/04/2026 23:59 Europe/Brussels

Purpose and Scope of Services

Objective:Conduct an in-depth analysis to identify complementarities and synergies between the revised Action Plan of the EU Macro-Regional Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) as set out in the Commission Communication of 7 May 2025 (COM(2025)191 final), its revised action plan, and the EU enlargement process of Western Balkans countries. The contractor must propose specific actions, activities, or initiatives that contribute both to EUSAIR objectives and to EU enlargement progress.

• Task 1: Comparative analysis, topic-by-topic and flagship-by-flagship (including horizontal and cross-cutting issues) of the revised EUSAIR action plan, EU accession negotiating frameworks, Stabilisation and Association Agreements, and the Reform Agenda; produce discussion papers by EUSAIR topic/flagship and/or EU negotiating chapter.
• Task 2: Stakeholder mapping and engagement at local, national, macro-regional, and EU level; update the existing inventory from 2021; develop issues papers with observations and suggestions to strengthen management capacity, empower stakeholders, reinforce multi-level governance, and link policymaking at EU and national level to EUSAIR; discuss issues papers with a representative sample of core stakeholders including Commission services and EU Delegations.
• Task 3: Develop concrete suggestions for improvement for the Commission and EUSAIR governance structures, including specific reform steps, action plans, investments, flagship projects, and joint activities aligned with the revised EUSAIR action plan; prepare a work plan with responsibilities and timelines; operationalise relevant recommendations from recent EUSAIR studies.
• Task 4: Final report and presentation, consolidating results of Tasks 1–3, including conclusions and policy suggestions.

Deliverables and meetings:Deliverables include separate discussion papers (Task 1), issues papers (Task 2), a work plan (Task 3), and a Final Report with abstract and executive summary (Task 4). Documents must follow Commission visual identity rules, be in English, and be in an editable format. The contractor is expected to attend 18 meetings: a kick-off; three meetings to present discussion papers, issues papers, and work plan; around 50 interviews/skype calls with key implementers and accession actors; a pre-closing workshop; a closing meeting; and a final oral presentation to EUSAIR implementers and relevant EU services.

Eligibility, Participation, and Compliance

Eligible Applicant Types:Any natural or legal person within the scope of the EU Treaties may submit a tender, as can international organisations. Entities established in third countries may participate if a special agreement with the EU in public procurement applies. Typical applicant types include consulting firms, SMEs, large enterprises, policy and legal advisory firms, universities and research institutes, nonprofits and NGOs with relevant expertise, and international organisations. Subcontractors may be involved; capacities of other entities may be relied upon under specified conditions.

Funding Type:Procurement — direct service contract. The contractor is paid for services delivered under the contract; this is not a grant.

Consortium Requirement:Single applicants or joint tenders are permitted. In joint tenders, all group members are jointly and severally liable and must appoint a group leader empowered to bind the group. The call is not divided into lots.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Open to economic operators within the scope of the EU Treaties and to international organisations; also open to operators from third countries that have a special agreement with the EU in the field of public procurement. The WTO Government Procurement Agreement does not apply. The place of performance spans EU countries and partner countries participating in EUSAIR.

Target Sector:Public policy and governance; regional and urban policy; EU enlargement policy; macro-regional cooperation; legal and policy analysis; administrative capacity building; cohesion policy alignment. CPV classification is legal advisory and representation services reflecting the advisory and analytical nature of the assignment.

Mentioned Countries:Albania; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Montenegro; North Macedonia; Serbia. These Western Balkan participants are referenced in the background to the revised EUSAIR and its linkage to the enlargement process.

Project Stage:Policy research and analysis; comparative assessment; stakeholder mapping and consultation; formulation of action plans and work plans; and preparation of a final analytical report and presentation. Activities correspond to research, development of recommendations, and validation with stakeholders.

Funding Amount:Estimated total value: €75,000. Price is evaluated with a 30% weight in the best price-quality ratio formula. No price indexation; reimbursement of expenses is not applicable.

Application Type:Open call for tenders with single electronic submission via eSubmission on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. A Participant Identification Code (PIC) is required. EU Login is required to access and submit.

Nature of Support:Monetary payment for services under a service contract, disbursed against approved deliverables in a 30% + 30% + 40% schedule. No pre-financing.

Application Stages:Single-stage submission and evaluation: administrative check, access to procurement, exclusion criteria verification, selection criteria assessment, technical and financial evaluation per award criteria, and award. Public opening of tenders is foreseen; evidence for exclusion/selection is primarily requested from the presumptive winner before award.

Success Rates:No success rate information is provided in the procurement documents.

Co-funding Requirement:No co-funding is required. This is a fixed-price service contract paid by the European Commission. Prices must be quoted in euros and free of all duties and taxes, including VAT. EU institutions are exempt from VAT; local VAT handling follows the instructions in the draft contract regarding exemptions.

Selection and Award Criteria

Exclusion criteria (evidence and declaration):Each involved entity must submit a signed Declaration on Honour on exclusion and selection criteria. Evidence will be requested from the presumptive winner before award, and may be requested from any tenderer at any time. The Early Detection and Exclusion System may be consulted. Entities must not be subject to EU restrictive measures. Declarations extend to persons with powers of representation, decision or control.

Selection criteria — Economic and financial capacity:Average yearly turnover over the last two closed financial years must exceed €100,000 (consolidated across involved entities). Evidence may include profit and loss accounts or bank statements; the most recent financial year must have closed within the last 18 months. Evidence may be requested during the procedure.

Selection criteria — Technical and professional capacity:T1: At least 1 similar project in EU enlargement policy, completed within the last 3 years before the submission deadline, with a minimum value of €50,000. T2: At least 1 similar project in EU macro-regional strategies, completed within the last 3 years, minimum value €50,000. Provide a list of projects with start/end dates, total amounts, scope, role, and amounts invoiced; only completed portions during the reference period count for ongoing projects. Client statements may be requested.

Award criteria and weights:Best price-quality ratio: Price 30%. Quality 70% split into: (1) Quality of proposed process and methodology (60 points; minimum 50% threshold) including evidence collection, linkage between EUSAIR and enlargement, monitoring and evaluation, visibility and communication; (2) Organisation of work and resources (30 points; minimum 50% threshold) including time and human resource allocation and rationale; (3) Quality control measures (10 points; minimum 50% threshold) including deliverable quality assurance, language checks, and continuity arrangements. Minimum total quality score: 60%. Tenders not meeting minimum thresholds are rejected. Ranking uses a formula combining relative price and quality scores.

Implementation, Contracting, and Compliance Requirements

Contract form and duration:Direct service contract, maximum duration 18 months from entry into force. The European Commission may, within three years after signature, procure new similar services from the same contractor via negotiated procedure up to 50% of the initial value, subject to satisfactory execution, budget availability, and scope consistency.

Payments, invoicing, and guarantees:No pre-financing. Interim payments: 30% after approval of meetings/deliverables up to the work plan; 30% after approval of the draft final report integrating stakeholder comments; 40% balance after the final report and final oral presentation. Invoices via the electronic exchange system if activated (or email as specified). Price revision and expense reimbursement are not applicable. Performance and retention guarantees are not required.

Subcontracting and reliance on third-party capacities:Subcontracting is permitted; critical tasks may be reserved to the tenderer if specified. Identified subcontractors must be disclosed if relied upon for selection criteria or if their individual share exceeds 20%, with commitment letters. Entities whose capacities are relied upon must provide commitment letters and will perform related tasks. Cross-subcontracting between competing tenderers is forbidden. All involved entities must avoid conflicts of interest.

Security, data protection, and confidentiality:Appendix 2 Security requirements apply, including security management, incident notification within 48 hours, and, where applicable, attendance of security briefings. Data protection follows Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 for processing by the contracting authority. The contractor must process any personal data only under controller instructions and ensure appropriate technical and organisational measures. Confidentiality obligations apply during performance and thereafter; third-party pre-existing rights must be licensable to the Union for the required modes of exploitation.

Intellectual property and dissemination:The Union acquires ownership of results and associated intellectual property rights on newly created materials. Pre-existing rights must be identified and licensed royalty-free, non-exclusively, and irrevocably to the Union for the specified modes of exploitation; provide a list of pre-existing rights with the balance invoice or as requested. Deliverables must include a disclaimer stating that opinions are those of the authors and not the Commission.

What to Submit and How

Submission channel:Submit exclusively via eSubmission on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. EU Login and a PIC (Participant Identification Code) are required for each involved organisation. The system supports up to 200 attachments; single file size limit is typically 50 MB; use current versions of supported browsers (Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox).

Technical tender (content guidance):Describe the proposed methodology to deliver Tasks 1–4, including detailed comparative analytical approach, evidence collection plan, stakeholder mapping and engagement strategy, monitoring and evaluation framework, visibility/communication approach, team composition with roles, skills, language capabilities, allocation of person-days by task/deliverable, quality management processes (language QA and continuity), and a work chart (schedule).

Financial tender (content guidance):Provide a complete price and price breakdown in euros, free of all duties and taxes, including VAT. Ensure the total entered in the eSubmission “Total amount” matches the uploaded financial offer; the uploaded financial offer prevails in case of discrepancy.

Administrative and eligibility documents:Upload for each involved entity as applicable: Declaration on Honour for exclusion and selection criteria; evidence of signing authority; for joint tenders, Agreement/Power of Attorney; List of identified subcontractors (and commitment letters); commitment letters from entities whose capacities are relied upon; technical and professional capacity evidence (project references meeting T1 and T2 requirements); economic and financial capacity evidence may be requested later. Maintain originals of hand-signed documents for five years.

Opening session attendance (optional):Maximum two representatives per tender may attend the public opening (virtually or physically). Request attendance by email to regio-contracts@ec.europa.eu before the prescribed cut-offs, providing tenderer name, eSubmission receipt, and required attendee details.

Evaluation Readiness Checklist

• Confirm eligibility and access to procurement; ensure none of the involved entities are subject to EU restrictive measures.
• Ensure economic and financial capacity threshold (€100,000 average annual turnover over last two closed years) is met (consolidated if joint).
• Prepare at least one reference project in EU enlargement policy and one in EU macro-regional strategies (value each at least €50,000; completed within the last 3 years).
• Demonstrate a robust, comparative analytical methodology, stakeholder plan, monitoring and evaluation, and a resourced work plan.
• Set out specific and fit-for-purpose quality control measures.
• Price competitively and coherently with the methodology and work effort.
• Upload all required declarations, forms, and commitment letters; check signatures and authority evidence.
• Validate that the financial tender total matches the figure entered in eSubmission.

Categorisation Answers (Detailed)

Eligible Applicant Types:Eligible applicants are economic operators that can be natural or legal persons, including SMEs, large enterprises, consulting and advisory firms, universities, research institutes, nonprofits and NGOs with relevant expertise, public or semi-public bodies, and international organisations. Subcontractors and entities on whose capacities the tenderer relies are permitted under the specified rules.

Funding Type:Procurement — direct service contract under an open procedure, not a grant.

Consortium Requirement:Single applicant or consortium (joint tender) is allowed; in joint tenders, members are jointly and severally liable and must appoint a group leader.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Open to natural and legal persons within the scope of the EU Treaties and to international organisations; also open to operators in third countries that have a special agreement with the EU in public procurement. The Agreement on Government Procurement does not apply. Contract implementation occurs across EUSAIR participating EU and partner countries.

Target Sector:Regional and urban policy; EU enlargement; macro-regional strategies; administrative capacity and governance; legal and policy advisory; cohesion policy alignment and enabling conditions.

Mentioned Countries:Albania; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Montenegro; North Macedonia; Serbia.

Project Stage:Research, comparative analysis, stakeholder validation, formulation of recommendations and work planning, and final reporting and presentation.

Funding Amount:€75,000 estimated total value. Single contract; no lots; price evaluated at 30% weight.

Application Type:Open call for tenders; single-step electronic submission via eSubmission on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Nature of Support:Money paid as consideration for services delivered under the contract according to approved deliverables and payment schedule.

Application Stages:1 stage (submission). Evaluation includes administrative compliance, exclusion, selection, and award criteria assessment, followed by award and contract signature.

Success Rates:Not specified in the documents.

Co-funding Requirement:No co-funding required; this is a fee-for-service procurement contract. VAT exemptions for EU institutions apply as per the draft contract.

Templates and Forms:Use the provided templates and models: Annex 2 Declaration on Honour (exclusion and selection criteria) signed by each involved entity; Annex 3 Agreement/Power of Attorney for joint tenders; Annex 4 List of identified subcontractors and proportion of subcontracting; Annex 5.1 Commitment letter by identified subcontractor; Annex 5.2 Commitment letter by entity on whose capacity is being relied. Technical tender should cover methodology, team, allocation of time and resources, quality control, monitoring and evaluation, and visibility plan. Financial tender must include total price and breakdown. Evidence of technical capacity (T1, T2) must be uploaded with the tender; economic/financial evidence may be requested later. Signature policy encourages Qualified Electronic Signatures; otherwise hand-signed documents must be retained for five years.

Summary

This open service procurement by the European Commission (DG REGIO) seeks a contractor to strengthen the enlargement dimension of the EU Macro-Regional Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR). The contractor will perform a comparative policy analysis aligning the revised EUSAIR action plan with the EU accession architecture for Western Balkans candidates, map and engage stakeholders across governance levels, and design actionable proposals, reforms, investments, flagship initiatives, and a concrete work plan to accelerate progress towards enlargement benchmarks while advancing EUSAIR objectives. The assignment culminates in an evidence-based Final Report and a presentation to EU and macro-regional stakeholders. The contract is valued at €75,000, runs up to 18 months, and is awarded on the best price-quality ratio, with quality weighted at 70% across methodology, organisation, and quality control. Applicants must demonstrate sufficient turnover and recent, relevant project experience in EU enlargement policy and EU macro-regional strategies, submit a robust technical offer and a coherent financial offer, and comply with the administrative, security, data protection, and intellectual property provisions. Submission is fully electronic via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, with clear interim and final deliverable milestones linked to payments.

Funding Opportunity Overview

This is a service contract tender issued by the European Commission's Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO). The opportunity seeks to identify complementarities between the revised EU Macro-Regional Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) and the EU enlargement process for Western Balkans countries. The contract aims to develop strategic actions that simultaneously support both the Strategy's objectives and candidate countries' EU accession pathways.

Contract Details

Reference and Identification:Procedure identifier EC-REGIO/2026/OP/0022; Contract reference 2025CE160AT105; TED reference 56/2026 194465-2026

Contracting Authority:European Commission, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO), based in Brussels, Belgium

Procedure Type:Open procedure for direct service contract award

Nature of Services:Legal advisory and representation services classified under CPV code 79110000

Financial Information

Maximum Contract Value:€75,000 (seventy-five thousand euros), covering all services to be provided under the contract. This is the maximum amount; tenders exceeding this will be rejected as unacceptable.

Payment Structure:Three interim payments of 30 percent each upon submission of milestones, plus final payment of 40 percent. First interim payment triggers upon presentation of issues papers and related deliverables; second interim payment upon draft final report; final payment upon final oral presentation.

Currency and Pricing:All prices must be expressed in euros and quoted free of duties, taxes and other charges including VAT. The EU is exempt from VAT under Articles 3 and 4 of Protocol 7 to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

Key Deadlines

Questions and requests for clarification must be submitted in writing through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal at least six working days before the tender submission deadline. The contracting authority is not bound to respond to requests received after this deadline.

Eligibility and Access to Procurement

This call is open to all natural and legal persons coming within the scope of the EU Treaties, as well as international organisations. Participation is open on equal terms to entities established in EU Member States, candidate countries, and third countries with special procurement agreements with the European Union. Notably, entities established in countries that have ratified the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement are excluded from participation.

Participation Modalities:Tenderers may submit as sole economic operators or as joint tenders (groups of economic operators). Joint tenders must designate a group leader responsible for all administrative and financial aspects. All group members assume joint and several liability toward the contracting authority.

Restrictive Measures:No involved entities (tenderers, group members, subcontractors, or entities on whose capacity the tenderer relies) may be subject to EU restrictive measures consisting of prohibitions to make available funds or resources, or asset freezes, adopted under Article 29 TEU or Article 215 TFEU.

Registration Requirement:All tenderers must register in the European Commission's Participant Register to obtain a Participant Identification Code (PIC) before submission. SME status must be registered and kept up to date in the system.

Selection Criteria and Minimum Requirements

Economic and Financial Capacity

Tenderers must demonstrate average yearly turnover exceeding €100,000 over the last two financial years for which accounts have been closed. Evidence must be provided through copies of profit and loss accounts or, failing that, statements from banks. The most recent financial year must have been closed within the last 18 months. This assessment applies to the tenderer as a whole, with consolidated evaluation of all involved entities' combined capacities.

Technical and Professional Capacity

Two key competency criteria must be satisfied:

• Experience in EU enlargement policy: Tenderers must demonstrate completion of at least one similar project in scope and complexity within the three years preceding the tender submission deadline, with minimum value of €50,000 per project. Evidence must include project details (start and end dates, total amount, scope, role, and amount invoiced), with client statements available upon request.
• Experience in EU macro-regional strategies: Tenderers must demonstrate completion of at least one similar project in scope and complexity within the three years preceding the tender submission deadline, with minimum value of €50,000 per project. Evidence required is identical to the enlargement policy criterion.

All technical and professional capacity evidence must be provided with the tender submission, as consolidated assessment of combined capacities of all involved entities will be conducted. Tenderers may rely on subcontractors' or other entities' capacities only where those entities will perform the services for which such capacities are required.

Exclusion and Conflict of Interest:Tenderers must declare they are not in exclusion situations including bankruptcy, breach of tax or social security obligations, grave professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, or irregularities. All involved entities must provide Declarations on Honour on exclusion criteria with their tenders. Professional conflicting interests that may negatively affect contract performance will result in rejection.

Award Criteria and Evaluation

Contracts will be awarded to the most economically advantageous tender based on best price-quality ratio using the following weighting:

The methodology assessment will evaluate the proposed approach for conducting comparative analysis, collecting evidence, identifying synergies between EUSAIR and enlargement policy, and quality of proposed monitoring and evaluation systems. The work organisation criterion assesses resource allocation adequacy, time management, and team allocation to deliverables. Quality control evaluation considers system specificity to contracted tasks, language quality checks, and team continuity provisions. Tenders scoring below 50 percent on any quality criterion or below 60 percent overall will be rejected without ranking.

Scope of Work and Deliverables

The contractor must conduct a comprehensive strategic analysis linking the revised EUSAIR action plan with EU enlargement processes for Western Balkans candidate countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia) plus three EU Member States (Croatia, Greece, Italy, Slovenia) and one non-EU country (San Marino).

Task 1: Comparative Analysis and Discussion Papers

Due within 16 weeks. Conduct comparative analysis of the Strategy's revised action plan, EU accession negotiating frameworks, Stabilisation and Association Agreements, and Reform Agendas. Identify synergies and administrative capacity-building needs. Prepare discussion papers per Strategy topic, flagship initiative, or EU negotiating chapter.

Task 2: Stakeholder Analysis and Issues Papers

Due within 24 weeks. Update and complement stakeholder inventories considering political dynamics and institutional capacities across partner countries since 2021. Identify support opportunities from EU Member States to candidate countries in capacity building, technical assistance, knowledge sharing, and financial mechanism alignment. Develop observations and recommendations on management capacity strengthening, stakeholder empowerment, multi-level governance enhancement, and policy linkage improvements. Prepare issues papers and discuss with representative stakeholder sample including Commission services and EU delegations before finalisation.

Task 3: Strategic Recommendations and Work Plan

Due within 40 weeks. Develop detailed suggestions for the Commission and Strategy governing structures on specific reform steps, action plans, investments, flagship projects, and joint activities contributing to both Strategy objectives and candidate country accession processes. Confirm and operationalise recommendations from previous EUSAIR studies treating the Strategy as a laboratory for EU enlargement. Prepare work plan with designated responsibilities and timelines for implementation.

Task 4: Final Report and Presentation

Due within 72 weeks with final presentation within 75 weeks. Produce comprehensive final report of maximum 100 pages (excluding appendices) incorporating all Tasks 1-3 results. Report must include abstract not exceeding 200 words, executive summary maximum 2 pages, and required EU disclaimer. Final oral presentation must highlight main results and conclusions to Strategy implementers and EU relevant services. Report must respect Commission visual identity rules and provide supporting PowerPoint presentation.

All deliverables must be submitted in English in easily accessible style. Draft versions must be provided electronically in editable format; final report requires three hard copies plus electronic version. Contractor must consider carbon footprint and choose efficient travel options for meetings and fieldwork.

Key Operational Requirements

Team and Expertise:Tenders must identify core team members and experts responsible for different tasks, clearly indicating roles and responsibilities. Tenderers must demonstrate team capacity and knowledge to work in required fields of expertise and necessary languages for analysis and interviews. Team must have strong coordination, guidance, and quality control capabilities. One person must be designated as responsible for content quality and editing of each deliverable, including the final report.

Stakeholder Engagement:Contractor must attend 18 scheduled meetings including kick-off, three presentation meetings for discussion papers/issues papers/work plan, 50 interviews or Skype calls with Strategy implementers and accession process actors in individual countries and EU services, one half-day workshop to discuss results, and final oral presentation. Most meetings will be held at DG REGIO premises in Brussels or conducted virtually.

Submission and Tender Process:Tenders must be submitted exclusively via the electronic eSubmission system by the deadline of 29 April 2026 at 12:00 Brussels time. Submission method is mandatory; tenders sent by email or post will be disregarded. Tenderers must use latest browser versions (Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox) and ensure file attachments do not exceed 50 MB. Maximum of 200 documents may be uploaded per tender submission.

Quality Standards and Compliance:Services must be provided to high quality standards in accordance with state of the art in industry and all contract provisions. Minimum requirements specified in technical specifications must be observed throughout contract duration and cannot be subject to assumptions, limitations, conditions, or reservations. Tenders deviating from or not covering all minimum requirements will be rejected on basis of non-compliance.

Legal and Administrative Conditions

Contract Conditions:The contract is a direct service agreement governed by Financial Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. Once signed, it can be implemented directly without further procedures. The contract includes extensive provisions on payment, performance, confidentiality, checks and audits, intellectual property rights, security requirements, and data protection. The contractor must comply with the security requirements set out in Appendix 2 of the draft contract, including compliance with Commission Decision (EU, Euratom) 2015/443 on security and Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2023/2841 on cybersecurity.

Intellectual Property Rights:The Union acquires irrevocable worldwide ownership of all results and intellectual property rights on newly created materials produced specifically for the Union. Pre-existing materials are licensed to the Union on royalty-free, non-exclusive, irrevocable basis for all exploitation modes outlined in the contract. Payment includes all fees for rights acquisition and licensing.

Confidentiality and Data Protection:Contractor must treat all information and documents relating to contract performance confidentially. Personal data processing must comply with Regulations (EU) 2018/1725 and (EU) 2016/679. All data must be processed within EU and EEA territory only. Contractor must notify the contracting authority of security incidents without undue delay and no later than 48 hours after awareness.

Subcontracting:The contractor may subcontract portions of the contract but remains fully liable toward the contracting authority for overall performance. Identified subcontractors on whose capacities the tenderer relies or whose intended share exceeds 20 percent must be named in the tender with commitment letters. Changes to subcontractors during procurement require prior written contracting authority approval subject to verification that new subcontractors meet exclusion/selection criteria and tender terms remain substantially unaltered.

Applicable Law and Jurisdiction:The contract is governed by Union law, complemented where necessary by Belgian law. The courts of Brussels, Belgium shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any disputes regarding the contract's validity, interpretation, performance, or termination.

Strategic Context and Relevance

The EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) was launched in 2014 as the third of four EU macro-regional strategies, bringing together ten countries in coordinated action on common challenges. The strategy encompasses four original thematic pillars (Blue Growth, Connecting the Region, Environmental Quality, Sustainable Tourism) and a newly added fifth pillar on Improved Social Cohesion. The revised action plan adopted on 7 May 2025 integrates climate change and green transition across all pillars and emphasises strengthening EU enlargement support for Western Balkans candidate countries.

The enlargement process faces significant challenges including the Western Balkans region's convergence at approximately 35 percent of EU average level, persistent gaps between political commitments and administrative implementation capacity, funding constraints for reforms, and substantial brain drain through outward migration. The revised strategy aims to facilitate candidate country accession through new joint actions supporting mutual learning, policy harmonisation, capacity building, and civil society strengthening.

This contract directly supports the European Commission's commitment to integrating the Western Balkans and other strategic priorities by identifying concrete synergies between macro-regional cooperation mechanisms and EU accession pathways, thereby accelerating integration of candidate countries into the Union.

Submission Documentation and Contact Information

Required Documents:Technical tender providing all information needed to assess compliance with technical specifications and award criteria; financial tender with complete price breakdown and total amount in euros; Declaration on Honour on exclusion and selection criteria; evidence of signatory authorisation; for joint tenders, Agreement/Power of Attorney signed by all group members; list of identified subcontractors with commitment letters; evidence of technical and professional capacity with project references; and any other documents specified in Annex 1 of tender specifications.

Submission System:All submissions must be made exclusively through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal eSubmission system at Funding and Tenders Portal. Detailed technical guidance is available via the eSubmission Quick Guide accessible through the portal with EU Login credentials.

Contact for Inquiries:Tenderers must submit questions in writing through the F&T Portal Questions and Answers section. Email contact: regio-contracts@ec.europa.eu. Contracting authority is not bound to respond to requests received less than six working days before the submission deadline.

Footnotes

1. 1The EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region involves ten participating countries: four EU Member States (Croatia, Greece, Italy, Slovenia), five EU candidate countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia), and one non-EU country (San Marino). The revised action plan was adopted by the European Commission on 7 May 2025, marking the Strategy's evolution into a second decade with strengthened focus on supporting EU enlargement processes.
2. 2Within three years of contract signature, the contracting authority may procure up to 50 percent of the initial contract value in additional similar services from the successful contractor using negotiated procedure, provided the contractor demonstrates satisfactory execution and achievement of results, subject to budget availability and conformity with procurement documents scope.