Supply of hand guns for close protection

The European Commission's Directorate-General for Human Resources and Security is announcing a future procurement opportunity for the supply of handguns intended for close protection services. This public procurement tender seeks to establish a framework agreement for a maximum duration of 48 months, specifically for the Security Directorate's Unit DS.1, responsible for safeguarding European Commissioners.

Eligible applicants must be large enterprises with authorization to transport and deliver weapons to Belgium, as the procurement is deemed unsuitable for small and medium-sized enterprises. The procurement will not be in the form of a grant but will be a supply contract under a framework agreement without reopening competition.

The request aligns with the security and defense sector, focusing on operational security and training needs for close protection teams. The tender includes a registration process for interested suppliers, who must express their interest electronically between October 6 and November 2, 2025. The anticipated launch date for the tender is December 1, 2025.

The announcement confirms that no funding amounts are specified at this stage, and interested parties will need to adhere to stringent licensing and regulatory compliance related to the transport and supply of firearms. The call for tenders aims to ensure a reliable supply of handguns for operational needs and training programs within Belgium, reflecting the critical security responsibilities undertaken by the European Commission. This procurement is characterized by a highly regulated nature, emphasizing quality and compliance due to the sensitive nature of the goods involved.

Overall, this is a pre-information notice, emphasizing that the actual call for tenders is yet to be published, and suppliers should prepare for the competitive process ahead as they evaluate their qualifications and prepare necessary documentation for submission.

This is a pre-information notice, announcing the European Commission's intention to publish a future negotiated low or middle value procedure. This is not a call for tenders.

The procedure identifier is EC-HR/2025/MVP/0376-EXA.

The contracting authority is the European Commission, DG HR - Human Resources and Security.

The subject of the planned call for tenders is the supply of hand guns for close protection.

The Security Directorate (DS) is in charge of ensuring the security of European Commission staff, premises and information. It carries out a variety of protective tasks, which include safeguarding the institution's staff, premises and information against hostile intelligence services. Unit DS.1 is responsible for operational security services, which include close protection of the European Commissioners while in the premises of the Commission but also during their missions in and outside the Commission. Staff members of the Close Protection team should therefore be well equipped with weapons and be able to practise shooting. The aim of the contract resulting from this call for tenders is to provide sufficient supply of hand guns for DS.1's operations and CPO trainings in Belgium. Tenderers must be authorised to transport and deliver weapons to Belgium.

The nature of the contract is supplies. The main classification (CPV) code is 35300000 - 35300000.

The maximum contract duration is 48 months. The framework agreement is a framework agreement, without reopening of competition.

Milestones:
Start date for expression of interest: 2025-10-06 Europe/Brussels
Deadline for expression of interest: 02/11/2025 06:59 Europe/Brussels
Indicative date of launch of the negotiated procedure: 2025-12-01 Europe/Brussels

The method of expression of interest is electronic. Submissions must be sent exclusively at the address for submission given.

A question and answer section is available.

A frequently asked question is: Where can I find the procurement documents for calls for tenders with ‘ExA' in the reference? The answer is: References that feature an ‘ExA’ are not calls for tenders. They are a publication announcing the contracting authority’s intent to launch in the future a low or middle negotiated procedure. This was published on 03/10/2024 17:32.

In summary, the European Commission, specifically DG HR, plans to launch a negotiated procurement procedure for the supply of handguns. These handguns are intended for the Security Directorate's Unit DS.1, which is responsible for the close protection of European Commissioners. The handguns will be used both for operational purposes and for close protection officer (CPO) training in Belgium. Companies interested in participating in this future tender should express their interest electronically between October 6, 2025, and November 2, 2025. The actual call for tenders is indicatively planned for December 1, 2025. The resulting contract will be a framework agreement without reopening of competition, with a maximum duration of 48 months. It is crucial to understand that the current announcement is not a call for tenders itself, but a pre-information notice.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the nature of the procurement, it is likely to be companies or firms authorized to transport and deliver weapons to Belgium.

Funding Type: This is a procurement opportunity, specifically a planned call for tenders. The nature of the contract is supplies.

Consortium Requirement: The information does not specify whether a single applicant or a consortium is required.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Tenderers must be authorized to transport and deliver weapons to Belgium, suggesting that the geographic eligibility includes companies located in countries from which such transport is legally permissible.

Target Sector: The target sector is security/cybersecurity, specifically the supply of handguns for close protection operations and training.

Mentioned Countries: Belgium is explicitly mentioned as the destination for the delivery of weapons.

Project Stage: The project is in the planning stage, as this is an announcement of a future negotiated procedure.

Funding Amount: The opportunity is described as a "low or middle value procedure," but the estimated total value is not specified.

Application Type: The application type will be a negotiated procedure, with an initial expression of interest.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for the supply of handguns.

Application Stages: There will be at least two stages: an expression of interest and a subsequent negotiated procedure.

Success Rates: Success rates are not mentioned.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding is not mentioned.

Summary:

This is an announcement from the European Commission, DG HR - Human Resources and Security, regarding a planned call for tenders for the supply of handguns. The Security Directorate needs these handguns for its Unit DS.1, which is responsible for the close protection of European Commissioners. The handguns will be used for both operational security services and close protection officer (CPO) trainings in Belgium. This is not a current call for tenders, but rather a notification of the contracting authority's intention to launch a negotiated low or middle value procedure in the future. Companies interested in participating must be authorized to transport and deliver weapons to Belgium. The procedure will involve an initial expression of interest, followed by a negotiated procedure. The indicative date for the launch of the negotiated procedure is December 1, 2025. The maximum contract duration is 48 months and it will be a framework agreement without reopening of competition.