Supply and distribution of recycled paper in DIN A4 format

Open procurement tender for a single four year framework contract to supply and distribute 100% recycled DIN A4 office paper to the European Parliament delivery sites in Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg, including provision of a computerised order management system, training for approximately 400 authorised users and annual carbon offsetting. Award will be by lowest evaluated price using a three‑tier unit price structure and the contract ceiling is derived from the winning offer plus a 25% contingency; estimated evaluation volume is 32,800 boxes over four years. Eligible tenderers are natural or legal persons and public entities established in EU Member States and in third countries covered by procurement access agreements; electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal is mandatory and strict technical, environmental and documentation requirements apply, including tender‑stage runnability samples and mandatory environmental labels or equivalent evidence. Deadline for receipt of tenders is 10 November 2026 at 16:00 Europe/Luxembourg time and the public opening is scheduled for 12 November 2026 at 10:00 Europe/Luxembourg.

What it funds

Scope and outputs

Open framework tender to supply and distribute white 80 g/m2 recycled A4 office paper to the European Parliament delivery sites in Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg. Includes provision and maintenance of a web-based order management system, training of authorised users (approx. 400 persons), collection/management of pallets and annual CO2 offsetting for paper production and transport.

Contract model:Single-supplier framework agreement (no reopening). Maximum duration up to 48 months; award by lowest price. ¹

1. 1What is ordered: multi-purpose recycled A4 paper (80 g/m2), 100% recovered fibres, PCF standard, minimum box configuration 2 500 sheets
2. 2Ancillary services: computerised order management system, training, pallet handling and annual carbon offsetting
3. 3Key performance checks: supplier runnability/compatibility testing and ongoing compatibility testing during contract

Who can apply

Economic operators established in an EU Member State or in third countries eligible under the procurement documents. Single tenderers or groups (consortia) may apply; subcontracting and capacity providers are allowed but subject to declaration and approval. Tenderers must meet exclusion, selection and minimum capacity requirements (financial minimums, environmental management, reference deliveries and IT/order-system capabilities).

Key commercial facts

1. 1Estimated indicative total volume over 4 years: 32 800 boxes (used for price evaluation)
2. 2Pricing: unit price per box submitted for three volume tiers (T1/T2/T3); evaluated price = weighted mix of tier prices × estimated volume
3. 3Award: lowest evaluated price; price revision rules and annual carbon-offset obligation apply

Essential requirements at a glance

Minimum technical, environmental and contractual requirements are strict:paper specs (80 g/m2, whiteness, opacity, archival resistance), environmental labelling or equivalent evidence (Blue Angel or FSC Recycled + EU Ecolabel or equivalent), demonstrated experience supplying multi-site customers, ISO 14001/EMAS or equivalent, and ability to deliver and support the mandated order-management system. Samples (60 boxes: 20 per site) are requested from the highest-ranked bidder for runnability testing prior to award.

Where to apply:Prepare and submit your tender electronically on the Funding & Tenders Portal (eSubmission). Procurement reference EP-ITEC/LUX/2026/OP/0002; all procurement documents and forms are available on the tender page Tender documents ¹.

1. 1Register organisation and obtain PIC for eSubmission
2. 2Complete required forms (identification, declarations, financial offer Form 9, technical evidence and certificates)
3. 3Provide requested environmental labels/certificates and technical data sheets; be prepared to deliver sample boxes for runnability tests if provisionally top-ranked

Selection follows exclusion checks, financial and technical selection criteria in the Tender Specifications. Invoicing and electronic order integration (PEPPOL or Funding & Tenders Portal) are required; contractor must offset CO2 annually and provide supporting certificates.

Footnotes

1. 1Full procurement documents, technical specifications, forms and the draft framework contract are available on the F&T Portal tender page: PAPER27 tender page.

This is an open public tender published by the European Parliament (Directorate-General for Information Technologies and Cybersecurity, Directorate for Customers and Digital Workplace) to award a single framework supply contract for recycled DIN A4 office paper plus a computerised order management system, training and annual carbon offsetting. The Framework Contract maximum duration is 48 months (4 years) and the procedure is an open procedure with electronic submission through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (eSubmission). Deadline for receipt of tenders: 10 November 2026 at 16:00 (Europe/Luxembourg time). Public opening: 12 November 2026 at 10:00 (Europe/Luxembourg).

TED reference and identifiers:TED ref 184/2026 654572-2026. Procedure identifier EP-ITEC/LUX/2026/OP/0002. Portal tender details: ec.europa.eu ¹

Scope and key deliverables

The contract covers the continuous supply and distribution of white multi-purpose recycled DIN A4 office paper to the European Parliament delivery sites in Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg, plus associated services. The contract is a framework agreement (without reopening of competition) with ordering by specific order forms. Key included services and requirements: provision and maintenance of a computerised order management system (ordering, budget monitoring, electronic invoicing, statistics and reporting); initial and recurrent training of approximately 400 authorised staff (managing departments and users) on the ordering system; paper compatibility and runnability testing at tender stage and during performance; deliveries to multiple decentralised and centralised delivery addresses; collection of empty pallets/packaging; annual offsetting of the CO2 generated by production and transport of the paper ordered; compliance with strict technical and environmental paper specifications set out in Annex I to the Tender Specifications.

Minimum technical and environmental requirements for paper

The Tender Specifications (Annex I) set mandatory minimum characteristics. Tenders failing to prove compliance will be rejected.

1. 1Format and basic properties: DIN A4 (210 mm x 297 mm), grammage 80 g/m2, thickness 10005 bcm, absolute moisture content 4.5% b1 0.5%, whiteness ISO 11475 >= 135 CIE, opacity > 92%, Bendtsen roughness 200300 ml/min, archiving resistance at least 100 years.
2. 2Fibre content and process: 100% recovered fibres (pre- and post-consumer) and Process Chlorine Free (PCF) production.
3. 3Compatibility: suitable for photocopiers, multifunction devices (MFDs), laser and inkjet printers, offset and duplex/high-volume office printing.
4. 4Environmental evidence: submission of one of the following is mandatory: valid Blue Angel (RAL-UZ 14), or valid FSC Recycled plus EU Ecolabel for the paper offered, or equivalent documented evidence (technical files, independent test reports) demonstrating equivalent environmental performance (recycled content, restriction of hazardous substances, emissions, energy and waste management).

Tender-stage samples:the tenderer ranked provisionally first must provide 60 boxes of the exact paper offered (20 boxes per site) within 10 EP working days of request for compatibility and runnability testing. Failure to provide acceptable samples leads to rejection.

Commercial model, pricing and volume

Award is by lowest price (evaluated price formula). The Framework Contract is single-contractor. Pricing is per box and must be submitted using Form 9 (Financial Offer Excel). The evaluation uses three order-volume tiers and a weighted adjusted price (AP): AP = 0.2*P1 + 0.5*P2 + 0.3*P3, where P1, P2, P3 are unit prices per box for the tiers. The evaluated price = AP x estimated total volume (VOLUME = 32,800 boxes over 4 years). The tender requires the tenderer to propose box configuration (reams/box, sheets/ream) with a minimum of 2,500 sheets per box. The price structure enforces progressive discounts between tiers: P2 <= 0.95 x P1 and P3 <= 0.95 x P2; Form 9 enforces this constraint.

Estimated contract quantities and ceiling:Indicative estimated volume for the full 4-year duration: 32,800 boxes (provided for evaluation only, not a minimum or guaranteed volume). The maximum Framework Contract value will be calculated from the successful tenderer's offer plus a 25% contingency for indexation/unforeseen needs and rounded to the nearest thousand.

Procurement, selection and award

Procedure:open procedure, electronic submission mandatory via EU Login and eSubmission. The contract will be awarded on the basis of the lowest-priced tender (evaluated price). Tender validity: 6 months. Tender language: any EU official language; procurement documents published in English (sole authentic text). The award will produce a single framework supplier.

1. 1Selection (minimum) criteria: legal and regulatory capacity (registration), financial capacity: minimum annual turnover €400,000 for each of the last three financial years and professional risk indemnity insurance; technical and professional capacity: documented experience supplying paper or comparable consumables to multi-site organisations (references demonstrating at least 5,000 boxes/year and multi-delivery points and evidence of managed orders through a computerised order management system), and an environmental management system certified to ISO 14001 or EMAS or equivalent.
2. 2Exclusion criteria: standard Financial Regulation exclusion grounds (fraud, corruption, insolvency, grave professional misconduct, non-payment of taxes/social contributions, serious misrepresentation) and specific restrictive measures compliance (Council Regulation 833/2014 restrictions related to Russia): Form 5 and Form 6 declarations are mandatory.
3. 3Award criterion: lowest evaluated price based on Form 9, with enforced tier discount rules and the AP calculation; incomplete financial form leads to rejection.

Mandatory submission documents (selected and non-exhaustive):Invitation letter; Tender Specifications; Annex I (technical specifications); Annex II (checklist); Annex III (security provisions); Form 1 (Tenderer identification); Form 2 (group members/subcontractors/capacity providers if applicable); Form 3 (power of attorney for group where relevant); Form 4a/€4B (letters of intent for subcontractors/capacity providers); Form 5 (declaration on honour, exclusion & selection criteria); Form 6 (declaration on restrictive measures); Form 7a/€7B (legal and financial ID); Form 8 (financial data sheet); Form 9 (Financial Offer price table Excel). All forms and templates are provided in the eTendering document library and must be used as indicated in Annex IIA (checklist).

Contract performance highlights (selected clauses)

1. 1Framework contract model and annexes are published; the Framework Contract contains Specific Terms and Conditions and Annex II (Detailed performance terms).
2. 2Computerised order management system: Contractor must provide, host and support a secure web-based ordering system (browser accessible, no dedicated software), available in English and French, with user account management, administrative dashboards, budget tracking, reporting and helpdesk. Test environment must be delivered and full production go-live within 30 calendar days of contract entry into force; penalties apply for delay and downtime.
3. 3Delivery regime: decentralised deliveries to ~400 end-user delivery addresses (4 working days), centralised deliveries to warehouses/printshops (7 working days), deliveries counted and invoiced per box; consolidated deliveries allowed with aggregation rules for tier pricing.
4. 4Acceptance and invoicing: signed delivery notes required; monthly reconciliation file and Certificate of Acceptance mechanism; one consolidated monthly invoice per delivery site following acceptance; electronic invoicing preferred (PEPPOL or F&T Portal) or signed e-mail with qualified signature; paper invoices allowed only in exceptional cases.
5. 5Carbon offsetting: Contractor must annually offset CO2 from production and transport of the paper delivered using recognised mechanisms (Gold Standard CDM/JI/VER or equivalent) and provide certificates and registry evidence.
6. 6Security provisions and ICT obligations: Annex III defines security breach events that justify contract termination and replacement of equipment/manufacturers or subcontractors involved in incidents affecting EP IT systems; full cooperation and immediate reporting obligations.

Eligible applicants and consortium rules

Participation is open to natural and legal persons established in EU Member States and to third countries that have concluded procurement access agreements with the EU, or on an ad hoc basis if authorised. Single tenderers and groups of economic operators (consortia) are allowed. Subcontracting to first-level subcontractors is permitted; capacity providers may be relied upon. Joint tenders must provide Form 3 (power of attorney) and demonstrate joint and several liability. The group leader signs the Framework Contract and invoices; PICs required for all economic operators participating in submissions.

Administrative & IT submission requirements

Mandatory electronic submission via eSubmission (EU Login). Tenderers must register their organisation in the Participant Register and use a PIC. Attachments must follow naming conventions and template formats (xlsx/docx); signed documents in PDF. eSubmission technical constraints: supported browsers (Chrome/Firefox), max file size 50 MB per attachment, max 200 attachments per tender. Drafts may be edited before deadline; one final tender considered per tenderer (unless replaced by explicit withdrawal and re-submission).

Selection / evidence templates and forms (how to structure your tender)

The procurement provides a set of required templates (Forms 10 to Form 9). The main structure tenderers must submit: identification (Form 1); group/subcontractor details (Form 2) where relevant; power of attorney for joint bids (Form 3); letters of intent for subcontractors/capacity providers (Form 4a/€4B); declarations on exclusion/selection and restrictive measures (Form 5 and Form 6); legal & financial ID (Form 7a/€7Band RIB); financial data sheet (Form 8) and Financial Offer (Form 9 price table - mandatory Excel template). Annex II checklist provides file naming conventions and upload locations within eSubmission.

Templates / Forms - structure summary:Form 1 Tenderer identification (xlsx): legal name, registration, contacts and authorised signatories. Form 2 Group members/subcontractors/capacity providers (xlsx): roles, % subcontracted, selection criteria contributions. Form 3 Power of attorney for group (docx): joint and several liability, group leader designation. Form 4a/€4BLetter of intent for subcontractor/capacity provider (docx): binding commitment to provide capacity. Form 5 Declaration on honour (docx): exclusion and selection declarations. Form 6 Declaration on restrictive measures (docx): compliance with sanctions rules. Form 7a Legal Entity & Financial Identification + RIB (pdf): bank details, identification documents. Form 8 Financial data sheet (docx): annual turnover of last 3 years. Form 9 Financial Offer (xlsx): mandatory price table, tier rules enforced by Excel logic; include box configuration (reams/box, sheets/ream).

Risk, compliance and security highlights

The procurement emphasises environmental compliance (recycled 100% fibres, PCF, Blue Angel / FSC Recycled + EU Ecolabel or equivalent), security (Annex III lists contractual breaches related to information systems that can trigger immediate termination), restrictive measures compliance (Form 6 regarding Russia-related restrictions), and strict data protection obligations for the ordering system and personal data processed in relation to order management (Regulation (EU) 2018/1725). The Contractor must implement technical and organisational security measures and allow audits.

Classification answers (structured extraction)

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: startups, SMEs and large enterprises are eligible provided they meet selection criteria; universities and research institutes could participate if they are legal persons providing the required supplies/services; non-profit or NGOs may participate if they meet legal and financial selection requirements; subcontractors and capacity providers may be declared and relied upon; consortia (groups of economic operators) are permitted. Individuals are generally not appropriate for this supply contract. Summary: SME, large enterprise, consortium, subcontractor, capacity provider, public entity, NGO (if compliant).
2. 2Funding Type: This is a public procurement (tender) awarding a framework supply contract; financial mechanism: procurement / supplies (framework agreement).
3. 3Consortium Requirement: Consortiums allowed but not mandatory; tenderers may be single tenderers or groups. Power of attorney (Form 3) required for groups and group leader concept applies.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Geographic eligibility: EU Member States (EU) and third countries with procurement access agreements; effectively focused on suppliers able to deliver to EU sites (Brussels, Luxembourg, Strasbourg).
5. 5Target Sector: Target sector: supplies for public administration, classification CPV 30197630 Printing paper (office paper) and 30197643 Photocopier paper. Thematic sector: environment / cleantech (recycled paper), procurement/logistics, ICT (order management system).
6. 6Mentioned Countries: Belgium, France, Luxembourg (delivery sites) and European Parliament (EU institution). Tender open to entities in EU Member States; references to restrictive measures (Russia) are included.
7. 7Project Stage: Expected maturity: commercial supply & distribution, logistics and IT operational system (procurement expects established producers/distributors with existing production and delivery capacity and tested IT systems).
8. 8Funding Amount: No fixed contract value is published in the notice text. Indicative volume: 32,800 boxes (4 years). The maximum contract value will be computed after award based on successful tenderer’s financial offer plus 25% contingency. Therefore funding scale is supplier-level commercial contract (no direct grant amount stated).
9. 9Application Type: Electronic open call for tenders via eSubmission (Funding & Tenders Portal).
10. 10Nature of Support: The beneficiaries (contractor) will receive financial remuneration (money) under a supplies contract (payments against invoices). Additionally the European Parliament receives non-monetary services (ordering system hosting, training) as contract deliverables.
11. 11Application Stages: Applicants pass multiple procedural stages: 1. Eligibility & exclusion check, 2. Selection (legal/financial/technical capacity review), 3. Administrative compliance & tender completeness, 4. Financial evaluation (Form 9) and technical runnability testing (sample provision if bidder provisionally ranked first), 5. Award and contract signature. Practically 3 stages (prequalification/selection, technical compliance/testing, financial evaluation/award).
12. 12Success Rates: Not published. As a single-supplier framework open tender with potentially many bidders, expected success rate is low dependent on competitiveness; tender does not publish historical success rates. Practical advice: competition is open and award to lowest-priced compliant offer; success requires full compliance with documentation, technical samples and highly competitive pricing.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: No co-funding required. This is a procurement for supplies; bidders fund their own proposal preparation and must provide financial guarantees where required; no matching or co-financing requested.

How to prepare a compliant tender (practical checklist)

1. 1Register organisation in Participant Register and obtain PIC; create EU Login and eSubmission account well before the deadline.
2. 2Download and use the official templates in the document library (Forms 10, Tender Specifications, Annexes and Framework Contract, Form 9 Financial Offer Excel). Do not change template formats or formulas.
3. 3Complete Form 1 tenderer identification and attach evidence of legal existence and authorised signatories (PDF).
4. 4If bidding as a group, submit Form 2 (members) and Form 3 (power of attorney) and ensure group leader is established with a PIC.
5. 5Provide evidence of financial capacity: Form 8 and annual accounts for last three years, evidence of professional indemnity insurance, meeting €400,000 turnover minimum requirement.
6. 6Provide evidence of technical and professional capacity: client references for supply and distribution to multi-delivery sites (min 5,000 boxes/year), description of logistic resources, EMAS/ISO 14001 certification or equivalent, and detailed description of the proposed computerised order management system (Annex I Section 3.2 and Annex II requirements).
7. 7Complete Form 9 Financial Offer in the exact Excel template; respect tier discount rules and complete box configuration (>=2,500 sheets/box). The Excel contains validation logic: incomplete or non-compliant entry can lead to rejection.
8. 8Prepare to provide samples if requested (60 boxes total: 20 per site) within 10 EP working days of notification.
9. 9Submit the full tender package by eSubmission before the deadline; signed documents in PDF; ensure file naming follows checklist (Annex II - Checklist) and that attachments comply with eSubmission requirements (file types, max sizes, total number of files).
10. 10Monitor the portal for clarifications; submit Q&A via portal 'Create a question' before the cut-off date (02 November 2026).

Concluding summary:This procurement is a public tender by the European Parliament to appoint a single supplier under a four-year framework agreement to provide 100% recycled DIN A4 paper (80 g/m2) meeting strict technical and environmental requirements, plus a hosted computerised ordering system, training for ~400 staff, and annual carbon offsetting. Award is on lowest evaluated price using a three-tier unit price structure (Form 9). Bidders must fully comply with exclusion and selection rules, provide mandatory forms and templates, submit technical evidence and environmental labels (or equivalent), and be prepared to deliver tender-stage samples for compatibility testing if provisionally ranked first. Electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal is mandatory. The contracting authority emphasises data security, IT compatibility, delivery reliability and environmental credentials.

Key documents and immediate links (use official portal to download):Invitation to tender (PAPER27 EN-01), Tender Specifications (PAPER27 EN-02) and Annex I Technical specifications (PAPER27 EN-02A01), Form 9 Financial Offer (PAPER27 EN-02F09) and the Framework Contract draft (PAPER27 EN-03). The Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page contains the full document library and eSubmission link Funding and Tenders Portal - PAPER27. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Portal tender page with full documents and eSubmission link: ec.europa.eu

This is a procurement tender for the supply and distribution of recycled DIN A4 paper to the European Parliament in Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg. The contract also covers a computerized order management system, staff training for about 400 authorised users, and annual offsetting of carbon emissions generated across production and transport. The portal metadata contains two deadline values, but the tender notice and submission milestones indicate 10 November 2026 at 16:00 Europe/Luxembourg as the operative deadline ¹.

Who Can Apply

Eligible tenderers are natural or legal persons and public entities established in an EU Member State, as well as entities from third countries that have a specific public procurement agreement with the EU granting access to this contract. The contracting authority may exceptionally allow an otherwise ineligible tenderer to participate on an ad hoc basis, but this does not create any precedent. Each tenderer may submit only one tender, either alone or as part of one group. Subcontractors and capacity providers may not participate in multiple roles across competing tenders, and only first level subcontracting is allowed.

Eligibility and participation highlights:Tenderers must identify their country of establishment and provide supporting evidence under national law or equivalent proof. Groups of economic operators must submit Form 2 and may be required to adopt a legal form needed for proper performance, with joint and several liability expected. If a tenderer relies on subcontractors or external capacity, the relevant declarations and supporting documents must be included. Tenders involving Russian controlled or sanctioned entities are prohibited under the restrictive measures rules referred to in the specifications.

Contract Structure and Financial Terms

Scope and Operational Requirements

The contract covers continuous supply of recycled A4 paper and related logistics to the Parliament's delivery sites. It also includes provision and updating of a computerized management system for ordering, budget monitoring, e invoicing and statistics, plus training for authorised staff. The technical paper characteristics, environmental requirements, tender stage testing, and documentary evidence are set out in Annex I to the tender specifications. The framework contract and annexes also govern delivery conditions, acceptance certificates, non conformities, paper compatibility during performance, pricing arrangements and carbon offsetting.

Operational obligations for the successful contractor:The contractor must comply with environmental legislation, support the European Parliament's EMAS related requirements, and provide carbon neutrality for emissions generated under the contract through recognised offset projects and certified carbon credit retirement. The procurement does not allow variants, and only a single contractor will be selected. The Parliament may also require evidence that staff assigned to the contract have received appropriate technical, safety and environmental training.

Submission Process and Key Dates

Tenders must be submitted exclusively through the electronic submission system. EU Login and a Participant Identification Code are required, and tenders submitted by email, post or any other route will be rejected. The contracting authority is not bound to answer questions submitted after 2 November 2026 at 23:59 Luxembourg time.

Required Tender Documents

The tender package includes an invitation letter, tender specifications, technical specifications, security provisions, forms for tenderer identification, group membership, power of attorney, subcontractor intent, capacity provider undertaking, declarations on exclusion and restrictive measures, legal entity and financial identification, financial data sheet, and financial offer form. The checklist also indicates that evidence of authority to sign, legal existence, annual accounts or insurance evidence where relevant, technical and professional capacity evidence, and signed forms must be provided as specified. File naming rules and upload format rules are strict, and signed documents generally need to be submitted as PDF.

Evaluation and Award

Award is based on the lowest price, with a 100 percent price weighting. The contracting authority evaluates access to procurement, exclusion criteria, selection criteria and minimum requirements in the order it chooses, and failure at one stage can prevent the later stages from being assessed. The tenderer should expect close scrutiny of eligibility, technical compliance, financial capacity and the compulsory environmental and anti restrictive measures declarations.

Practical Applicant Checklist

• Confirm that the recycled paper specification, environmental criteria and runnability testing requirements in Annex I can be met without deviation.
• Verify that the computerized order management system can cover ordering, budget monitoring, electronic invoicing and statistics.
• Prepare the financial offer carefully, because award is price only and the contract ceiling is based on the winning price plus a 25 percent reserve.
• If bidding as a group, ensure joint and several liability, a designated group leader and all required power of attorney documents.
• If using subcontractors or capacity providers, ensure they are limited to the first level and that all declarations are complete.
• Check that no proposed supplier, subcontractor or capacity provider is subject to restrictive measures or Russia related prohibitions.
• Plan for carbon offsetting and for eventual proof of certified carbon neutrality before the end of the last contract.

Official call page and procurement documents:EU Funding and Tenders Portal.

Footnotes

1. 1The live portal records the deadline for receipt of tenders as 10 November 2026 at 16:00 Europe/Luxembourg and the public opening as 12 November 2026 at 10:00 Europe/Luxembourg. The metadata also contains an additional deadline value of 1 January 2026, which appears inconsistent with the published tender timeline.