Supply of equipment for automatization and modernisation of data collection processes of IT system of the Statistical Office of Montenegro (MONSTAT)

EU-funded tender EC-ENEST/TGD/2026/EA-LOP/0103 seeks supply, delivery, installation, commissioning and after-sales support of ICT equipment to modernise the Statistical Office of Montenegro (MONSTAT) IT and data collection systems. Submission deadline is 2 October 2026 at 14:30:59 CEST with paper copy submission indicated on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and a public tender opening on 9 October 2026. The award criterion is price only (100% weight) and the planned contract duration is 180 days. The opportunity targets economic operators able to deliver a turnkey ICT supply, integration and maintenance solution and is marked not suitable for SMEs.

Summary

What is funded

Procurement of hardware and associated services:supply, delivery, unloading, siting, testing, installation, commissioning and after-sales support to modernise and automatise data collection processes of the Statistical Office of Montenegro (MONSTAT) as part of its IT system digital transformation.

Who can tender:Suppliers of ICT equipment and related installation services eligible to participate in public procurement in Montenegro and as specified in the tender dossier. Participation follows the contracting authority and procurement rules in the tender documents Tender notice and dossier ¹

1. 1Procurement type: supplies (CPV 30236200)
2. 2Contract includes delivery, installation and after-sales services
3. 3SME suitability: marked as not suitable in the notice (check dossier for subcontracting rules)

Estimated contract value:not published in the notice; financial details and lot structure (single lot LOT-0001) are in the tender dossier.

How to apply:Submit a tender following instructions in the Invitation letter and Tender Dossier available from the EU Funding & Tenders Portal link above; submission method indicated as paper copy in the notice and formal e-portal references are provided in the documents ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Full procurement documents (Invitation letter, Additional information, Tender Dossier) and the official contract notice are available via the opportunity page: ec.europa.eu

Opportunity summary

This is a public procurement tender (supply contract) for the supply, delivery, unloading, siting, testing, installation, commissioning and after-sales of equipment to support the digitisation and modernisation of the IT system of the Statistical Office of Montenegro (MONSTAT). The procurement is financed under EU pre-accession instruments (Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance / IPARD context appears in the metadata) and is managed via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and the Government of Montenegro contracting authorities. The objective is to strengthen MONSTAT’s ICT infrastructure to enable more timely and representative official statistics and more efficient public reporting on service performance and user satisfaction.

Key administrative and procedural facts

Tender reference:EC-ENEST/TGD/2026/EA-LOP/0103. Main CPV: 30236200. Procurement type: supplies (supply contract). Lead contracting authority: Government of Montenegro (Directorate for Finance, Contracting and Implementation of the EU Assistance Funds / CFCU). Benefitting country: Montenegro.

Important dates:Tender publication date: 2026-09-02. Tender submission deadline (closing): 2026-10-02 14:30:59 (CEST). Open tender event (tender opening): 2026-10-09 09:00 (CEST). Start date indicated: 2026-09-02. Additional information request period ends: 2026-09-11. Tender validity period (contract award validity): 6 months. Planned contract execution period: 180 days.

1. 1Submission method: The record shows PAPER_COPY for final submission; the portal references Funding and Tenders Portal eForms for access. Candidates should consult the Tender Dossier and Invitation Letter for precise submission instructions and permitted formats.
2. 2Documents published and available in the tender package: Invitation letter (c4a_invit_en_V1.pdf), Additional information contract notice (a5f_additional_information_contract_notice_en_V1.pdf), Tender Dossier (Tender dossier_V1.zip).
3. 3SME suitability indicator: false (tender marked not SME-suitable).
4. 4Post-award processes: electronic order and electronic payment usage indicated as true (electronicOrderUsageIndicator and electronicPaymentUsageIndicator).

Eligibility and applicant requirements

Eligible applicant types:economic operators capable of supplying IT hardware, system integration and related after-sales services. This typically includes large enterprises, system integrators, authorised distributors, manufacturers, consortia or joint ventures of suppliers, and possibly specialised ICT suppliers. Public sector entities, research organisations or universities would not be the primary suppliers unless they operate as certified commercial suppliers. The tender dossier and Invitation Letter must be consulted for exact legal and qualification criteria (financial capacity, technical capacity, past experience, certificates).

Consortium / Joint bid rules:The procurement metadata does not explicitly forbid joint bids. Public procurement under EU-funded projects commonly allows joint ventures or consortia (economic operators in a joint bid). Bidders intending to submit a joint bid must follow the tender dossier instructions on documentation, lead partner identification, and liability arrangements. See the Tender Dossier for explicit rules and required forms.

Technical scope and expected deliverables

Scope (summary):supply and full lifecycle delivery of equipment to automatize and modernise MONSTAT data collection processes. Services required include delivery, unloading, siting, testing, installation, commissioning and after-sales support. The equipment selection, integration, and configuration must support MONSTAT’s digital transformation goals: improving capacity to collect timely and representative data on economic, demographic and social phenomena and modernising the official statistics system for better service performance reporting and user satisfaction.

Expected technical domains and possible items (indicative; bidders must consult Tender Dossier for the exact technical specification): server hardware, storage systems, networking equipment, secure data collection endpoints, virtualisation or container platforms, data acquisition appliances, high-availability infrastructure, backup and disaster recovery systems, monitoring and management tools, installation materials, cabling and racks, software licences (if required), integration services, commissioning, testing, documentation and training, and after-sales maintenance and warranty services.

Financial and contractual information

Funding type:procurement / supply contract funded under EU pre-accession assistance (IPARD / IPA programme context appears in the metadata). The contract is a purchase of goods and associated services (installation, commissioning, after-sales). The portal indicates eu-funds and eu-funded program codes in procurement metadata.

Co-funding and pricing:The procurement is presented as EU-funded through Montenegro implementation structures. The tender metadata does not explicitly require bidder co-funding; bidders must price their offered goods and services as requested in the tender dossier. Award criterion listed in metadata is price with a total weight of 100 (evaluation primarily on price), and the dossier instructs bidders to consult procurement documents for details.

Application, evaluation and award process

Application type and submission:open tender (call for tenders). The tender package is published and candidates should follow the Invitation Letter and Tender Dossier instructions. The metadata lists PAPER_COPY as submission method in one field, while eForms access is provided; the definitive submission method and required submission format and address are specified in the Tender Dossier and Invitation Letter. The timetable includes a period for additional information requests (ending 2026-09-11).

1. 1Application stages: (1) read Invitation Letter and Tender Dossier and confirm eligibility, (2) request clarifications during the information period if needed, (3) prepare and submit tender by the deadline, (4) tender opening (public opening event on 2026-10-09), (5) technical and administrative evaluation, (6) price evaluation and award decision, (7) contract signature and execution/implementation phase with delivery and commissioning, and (8) post-award after-sales/warranty obligations.
2. 2Number of evaluation stages: The standard procurement sequence implies at least 2 to 3 formal evaluation stages (eligibility/selection and award/price evaluation), but bidders must consult the Tender Dossier for the exact evaluation procedure and scoring.

Success rates:Not provided. Public procurement competitions typically have variable competition depending on niche market size; success rate cannot be determined from the published metadata. Bidders should assume competitive open tender with multiple offers.

Eligibility geography and beneficiary scope

Geographic eligibility:Procurement benefits Montenegro (benefitting zone code ME). Bidders can be international economic operators if allowed by procurement rules and the Tender Dossier. The procurement is managed under EU-pre-accession funding instruments and implemented by Montenegrin contracting authority, so bidders should verify whether any nationality, local establishment or supplier registration requirements apply in the Tender Dossier.

Templates and documents provided

Documents published with the tender package (as of publication):Invitation letter (document c4a_invit_en_V1.pdf), Additional information contract notice (a5f_additional_information_contract_notice_en_V1.pdf), and the Tender Dossier (Tender dossier_V1.zip). The Tender Dossier will include mandatory templates and forms such as: administrative submission forms, confirmation of tender validity, financial and technical offer forms, declaration of honour on exclusion grounds, certificates of incorporation, proof of technical capacity and references, proposed delivery and implementation schedule, warranty and maintenance commitments, and contractual draft terms. Candidates must download and complete the Tender Dossier forms exactly as requested and include all supporting evidence.

Specific instructions highlighted in metadata

Award criterion:price indicated as the awarding criterion with weight parameter 100. Tenderers are instructed to consult procurement documents for full details. The tendering process metadata references the Funding and Tenders Portal eForms for access to documents and indicates the public opening event date. Tender validity is specified and the planned contract execution period (180 days) is provided.

Contact and buyer profile:Lead contracting authority and buyer profile: Government of Montenegro – Directorate for Finance, Contracting and Implementation of the EU Assistance Funds (CFCU). Tender documents include contact details and the buyer profile link; consult the Invitation Letter and Tender Dossier for the exact postal submission address, electronic portal access and contact details.

1. 1Check Tender Dossier immediately upon publication. It contains all mandatory templates and precise submission instructions.
2. 2If intending to submit a joint bid, define a lead partner and include joint bid agreement documents per Tender Dossier requirements.
3. 3Follow the additional information request timeline (requests must be submitted before 2026-09-11).
4. 4Confirm final submission method (paper copy or electronic) in the Invitation Letter and Tender Dossier and meet the deadline 2026-10-02 14:30:59 CEST.

For the official procurement page and full tender dossier, consult the EU Funding & Tenders Portal tender notice for this call Tender details page ¹

Structured answers to requested categorisation fields

Eligible Applicant Types:Large enterprises, system integrators, authorised distributors, equipment manufacturers, ICT suppliers, commercial service companies, and consortia or joint ventures of suppliers. Public administrations or research bodies may participate only if acting as commercial suppliers and meeting the tender dossier eligibility conditions. Nonprofits and individuals are unlikely to be eligible unless structured as qualifying economic operators in the tender documentation.

Funding Type:Procurement / public supply contract (purchase of goods and associated services) funded under EU pre-accession assistance (IPARD/IPA context).

Consortium Requirement:Not explicitly required. Joint bids/consortia are typically permitted in public procurements; bidders should consult the Tender Dossier for explicit rules on joint bids and required agreements. Therefore, submission may be by single economic operator or a consortium/joint venture where allowed.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Benefitting country Montenegro. Bidders may be domestic or international economic operators subject to eligibility rules laid out in the Tender Dossier.

Target Sector:Information and Communication Technology (ICT), public statistics infrastructure, data collection and systems integration. Applicable subdomains include servers/storage, networking, data acquisition hardware, system integration, commissioning and after-sales services.

Mentioned Countries:Montenegro (explicit). The procurement is published via the EU portal and funded through EU pre-accession instruments, but the only explicit beneficiary country noted is Montenegro.

Project Stage:Implementation / deployment stage: procurement of equipment and services for deployment, installation, commissioning and after-sales. The project is beyond concept/research and targets full delivery and operationalisation of ICT equipment and systems.

Funding Amount:No contract value is published in the metadata provided. The requestedTenderTotal field is empty; bidders must consult the Tender Dossier and procurement documents for budget or estimated contract value if disclosed.

Application Type:Open tender published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal with a formal call for tenders and published Tender Dossier. Submission method should be confirmed in the Invitation Letter/Tender Dossier (metadata references PAPER_COPY submission and eForms access).

Nature of Support:Monetary contract (payment for supplied goods and services). This is not a grant; it is a commercial procurement resulting in financial payment upon contract performance according to contractual terms.

Application Stages:Multiple stages expected: 1) pre-bid / information requests, 2) submission of tender, 3) public opening, 4) administrative and technical evaluation, 5) price evaluation and award, 6) contract signature and implementation. Counted as 3 to 6 stages depending on evaluation steps.

Success Rates:Not available in the published notice. Public procurement competitions vary; success probability depends on market competition, bidder compliance with requirements and competitiveness of price and technical proposal.

Co-funding Requirement:Not applicable in typical procurement sense. The supplier provides goods/services and will be paid under contract; there is no explicit requirement for supplier co-funding in metadata. The procurement is funded under EU pre-accession financing; see Tender Dossier for any special financial requirements or guarantees.

How to prepare a compliant bid (practical checklist)

1. 1Download and read the entire Tender Dossier, Invitation Letter and Additional Information documents immediately.
2. 2Confirm submission modality (paper copy or electronic) and the exact postal or electronic submission address and any required number of copies or file formats.
3. 3Confirm eligibility criteria, required certificates, exclusion and selection grounds, and prepare supporting documentation (company registration, financial statements, references, CVs of key personnel, technical brochures, manufacturer authorisations if applicable).
4. 4Complete all mandatory templates and forms included in the Tender Dossier exactly as requested (administrative forms, technical offer, price schedule, declarations).
5. 5If bidding as a consortium, prepare and attach the joint bidding agreement and designate the lead partner with a power of attorney or equivalent document per Tender Dossier instructions.
6. 6Prepare a clear delivery, installation and commissioning schedule aligned with the 180-day planned performance period and indicate warranty and after-sales service terms.
7. 7Price competitively and ensure price offer matches the required price schedule and includes all costs (delivery, installation, commissioning, training, warranties).
8. 8Submit requests for clarification before 2026-09-11 if any part of the tender documents is unclear.
9. 9Ensure timely submission by 2026-10-02 14:30:59 CEST and prepare for public opening on 2026-10-09.

Summary:This is a structured, open public procurement for the supply and full lifecycle provisioning of ICT equipment and related services to modernise MONSTAT’s data collection and IT systems. The award will be based on price (as stated) and compliance with the Tender Dossier technical and administrative requirements. Interested suppliers should act promptly to download the Tender Dossier, prepare required documentation, clarify points before the information deadline and submit a fully compliant offer by the stated deadline to compete for the contract. More details and the full document package are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal tender details page referenced above Tender details page ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Tender documents (Invitation Letter, Additional information and Tender Dossier) are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal tender details page referenced above. Candidates must download and follow the Tender Dossier forms and submission instructions exactly.

Opportunity Overview

This is an EU-funded supplies tender for the supply, delivery, unloading, siting, testing, installation, commissioning and after-sales support of equipment for the Statistical Office of Montenegro MONSTAT, intended to modernise its IT system and improve official statistics production and reporting.[1]

The procurement is linked to Montenegro and is presented as part of the digital transformation of MONSTAT's data collection processes, with the broader policy aim of improving the timeliness, representativeness and usefulness of economic, demographic and social statistics.[1]

Tender reference:EC-ENEST/TGD/2026/EA-LOP/0103, with portal reference 46bcc5de-acbf.[1]

Key Dates and Process

The prepared metadata contains two deadline timestamps, but the portal and secondary coverage both indicate 2 October 2026 as the closing date, so that should be treated as the operative deadline.[1]

Who Can Apply

The tender is aimed at economic operators capable of supplying ICT and data collection equipment and delivering the associated installation, testing, commissioning and after-sales services, while meeting the selection criteria and technical requirements set out in the procurement documents.[1]

The notice marks the opportunity as not suitable for SMEs, which suggests the contracting authority expects bidders to have the capacity to deliver a complete and compliant solution rather than a small-scale or partial offer.

Funding and Contract Conditions

Secondary coverage identifies the opportunity as EU financed and linked to IPA III support, while the portal record describes the funding context as EU funded.[1]

The current notice extract does not show an estimated contract value or maximum budget, so applicants should review the tender dossier for pricing rules, financial constraints and any required bid securities or administrative conditions.

The contract is not configured as a framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system, and the lead contracting authority is the Government of Montenegro.

Applicant Takeaways

1. 1This is a focused public procurement for equipment and related services, not a grant call.
2. 2Bidders should be ready to deliver a complete turnkey package covering supply, installation and commissioning.
3. 3The award method is price driven, so competitiveness on cost will matter strongly.
4. 4Submission is not electronic, so bidders must follow the paper submission instructions in the dossier.
5. 5The implementation window is relatively short at 180 days, which makes delivery planning important.

Overall, this is a specialised procurement opportunity for firms with proven capacity in ICT equipment supply and deployment for public sector statistical or data collection environments.