Supply of Reinforced Concrete Containers and Metallic Drums Fabrication Plants for radioactive waste management in Armenia

The European Commission, acting for the Republic of Armenia, has launched an open tender (EC-INTPA/2025/EA-OP/0109, TED ref. 188906-2026) to design, manufacture and supply technological equipment and auxiliary tools for two radioactive waste management fabrication plants in Armenia: a reinforced concrete containers plant and a metallic drums plant, offered as two separate lots. Participation is open to natural and legal persons established in EU Member States and eligible countries and to international organisations, with all supplies required to originate in eligible source countries and tenders submitted electronically via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. The deadline for submission is 8 June 2026 at 12:00 Brussels time, the award criterion is lowest compliant price, and key contractual conditions include a 24-month implementation period, 40% pre-financing and 60% on provisional acceptance, and a 10% performance guarantee. Technical and financial submission requirements, selection criteria (including minimum turnover and technical references), origin rules, warranty, testing and certification obligations and detailed deliverables are set out in the tender dossier and Invitation to Tender available on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal.

Opportunity type and reference

Tender EC-INTPA/2025/EA-OP/0109 (TED ref. 188906-2026)

Open supply tender to procure complete technological equipment, tools and related services to establish two fabrication plants in Armenia: one for reinforced concrete radioactive waste containers (RCC) and one for metallic drums.

What it funds:Design, manufacture, factory acceptance, delivery (DAP Harmless-RW, Metsamor, Armenia), training, supervision of installation, site acceptance tests, commissioning support, warranty and after-sales service for: RCC fabrication plant (equipment, moulds, lifting and handling, curing, quality control instruments) and Metallic Drums fabrication plant (semiautomatic drums production line, handling equipment, QC instruments). Includes provision of design documentation and a royalty-free manufacturing licence for certified RCC; supplier must arrange manufacture and testing of three RCC for certification ¹.

1. 1Lot 1: RCC Fabrication Plant — tentative output 15 RCC per week
2. 2Lot 2: Metallic Drums Fabrication Plant — tentative output 3 750 x 165 L and 3 750 x 200 L drums per year

Who can apply:Open to natural persons and legal entities established in EU Member States or eligible countries under Regulation (EU) 2021/948, and to international organisations; consortia are allowed; subcontracting and capacity-providing entities accepted subject to selection and non-exclusion criteria.

Key commercial and contractual facts:Procedure: open procedure; award criterion: lowest price; contract duration: maximum 24 months (until provisional acceptance); delivery terms: DAP Harmless-RW, Metsamor, Armenia; main CPV: 42000000 (Industrial machinery).

Selection and submission:Minimum selection thresholds include average annual turnover and technical references specified in the tender dossier; electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (EU Login required). See full tender dossier and invitation to tender for instructions and templates Tender dossier and Invitation to tender. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Full technical specifications, evaluation and administrative compliance grids, contract draft (general and special conditions), templates and submission instructions are in the tender dossier and Invitation to Tender available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (see Tender dossier link).

Procedure identifier:EC-INTPA/2025/EA-OP/0109. Procurement managed via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal under DG International Partnerships, Programme code Nuclear Safety. The tender finances the supply, delivery, and linked services for establishing two manufacturing plants in Armenia that will produce reinforced concrete containers for radioactive waste storage and metallic drums for waste management. Contracts will be awarded per lot under an open procedure with lowest price as the sole award criterion. The European Union acts as contracting authority on behalf of and for the account of the Republic of Armenia. Place of delivery and performance is Armenia, with end user Closed Joint-Stock Company Harmless-Rendering of Radioactive Waste, Metsamor, Armavir Marz, 0910, Republic of Armenia.

Scope and Lots

The tender is divided into two lots. Tenderers may bid for one or both lots. Each lot will result in a separate contract. If a tenderer is successful on multiple lots, a single contract may be concluded covering those lots.

Lot 1: RCC Fabrication Plant and manufacturing license

Design, manufacture, and supply of technological equipment and auxiliary tools to establish a Reinforced Concrete Containers Fabrication Plant. Includes provision of design documentation and a license for royalty-free manufacturing of certified reinforced concrete containers for radioactive waste storage and disposal in Armenia. Tentative plant output is 15 RCC per week. For certification, the supplier must manufacture three RCC units at its or a nominated facility, develop a certification test programme, and arrange and conduct tests in the presence of an acceptance commission. Armenian counterparts will construct the plant building based on the selected supplier’s design and will install and commission the equipment under the supplier’s supervision.

Indicative equipment and services for Lot 1:Complete set of equipment for RCC fabrication including concrete production unit, auxiliary equipment for reinforcement preparation, moulds for body and lid, moulds for plugs, mould vibration table, concrete curing chamber, mould cleaning and lubrication station, auxiliary equipment and tools; lifting equipment including one bridge crane, one low-capacity forklift, one high-capacity forklift; spare parts, equipment for container finishing and labelling, and instruments for control of RCC characteristics; documentation, factory acceptance inspection, delivery DAP, training, supervision of installation, site acceptance tests, support to commissioning, warranty, and after-sales service.

• Concrete production unit - 1 set
• Auxiliary equipment and tools for preparation of RCC reinforcement - 2 sets
• Moulds for container body - 4 pieces
• Moulds for container lid - 4 pieces
• Moulds for container plug - 8 pieces
• Mould vibration table - 1 set
• Concrete curing chamber - 1 set
• Moulds cleaning and lubrication station - 1 set
• Set of auxiliary equipment, machinery and tools - 1 set
• Bridge crane - 1 piece
• Forklift loader low-capacity - 1 piece
• Forklift loader high-capacity - 1 piece
• Spare parts - 1 set
• Equipment for container finishing and labelling - 1 set
• Instruments and tools for control of RCC characteristics - 1 set

Lot 2: Metallic Drums Fabrication Plant

Design, manufacture, and supply of technological equipment and auxiliary tools to establish a Metallic Drums Fabrication Plant for radioactive waste management. Tentative plant output is 3,750 units per year for 165 litre drums and 3,750 units per year for 200 litre drums. Armenian counterparts will construct the building and will install and commission the equipment under the supplier’s supervision.

Indicative equipment and services for Lot 2:Semiautomatic steel drums production line, lifting and handling equipment, spare parts and auxiliaries, labelling equipment, and instruments to control metallic drum characteristics; documentation, factory acceptance inspection, delivery DAP, training, supervision of installation, site acceptance tests, support to commissioning, warranty, and after-sales service.

• Semiautomatic steel drums production line - 1 set
• Steel coil lifting beam for crane - 1 piece
• Electric pallet stacker - 1 piece
• Spare parts - 1 set
• Equipment for drums labelling - 1 set
• Instruments and tools for control of metallic drum characteristics - 1 set

Key Facts and Timeline

Eligibility and Participation

Participation is open to natural and legal persons effectively established in a Member State of the European Union or in an eligible country or territory as defined under Article 11 of Regulation Euratom 2021/948 for the European Instrument for International Nuclear Safety Cooperation. International organisations are also eligible. All supplies must originate in one or more eligible countries. Subcontracting is allowed. Consortia are permitted and all members are jointly and severally liable. Each entity in the tender, all subcontractors, and any capacity-providing entities must meet the same nationality and eligibility rules, and must provide Declarations on Honour on exclusion and selection criteria.

Selection and Award Criteria

Professional, financial, and technical capacity requirements:Economic and financial capacity: average annual turnover of at least €3,000,000 over the last three closed financial years. Professional capacity: on average at least five personnel directly employed or legally contracted in the last three years in areas of specialist knowledge related to this contract; absence of professional conflicting interests. Technical capacity: completion of supplies under at least two contracts during the last four years before the submission deadline, each with a value not less than €1,000,000, in the domain of nuclear safety, radiation protection, or radioactive waste management. Evidence can include completed or partially implemented projects within the reference period with documentary proof for the relevant parts.

Exclusion and compliance:Entities must not be in exclusion situations set out in the Practical Guide PRAG, must not be subject to EU restrictive measures, and must comply with EU values, environmental legislation, and core labour standards. Declarations on Honour are mandatory and evidence may be requested at any time during the procedure.

Award method:The sole award criterion is lowest price among the tenders that are administratively and technically compliant. Variant solutions are not permitted. Clarifications may be requested during evaluation but may not alter price or substance except to correct arithmetic errors.

Contractual, Delivery, Testing, and Certification Provisions

• Implementation period: 24 months until provisional acceptance.
• DAP delivery to end-user site in Armenia; delivery, unloading, training, supervision of installation, site acceptance, commissioning support, warranty, after-sales service are included.
• Factory acceptance inspection before shipment; site acceptance tests and support to commissioning at the end-user site.
• For Lot 1, the supplier must produce three RCC units for certification tests, develop a certification test programme, and conduct tests in the presence of an acceptance commission.
• Origin: supplies must originate in eligible countries. Supplier must certify origin in the tender and document origin at provisional acceptance.
• Standards and quality: compliance with applicable codes and standards and a Quality Assurance programme; ISO 9000 or equivalent quality assurance certification for the tenderer and manufacturers is required.
• Warranty and after-sales service: per General and Special Conditions, warranty obligations and a 5-year after-sales service proposal must be included in the technical and financial offers.
• Documentation: operation and maintenance manuals and all technical documentation in English must be provided before provisional acceptance.
• Performance guarantee: 10 percent of the contract amount, provided upon countersigning the contract. No tender guarantee required.
• Payments: 40 percent pre-financing upon contract signature against performance and pre-financing guarantees; 60 percent upon provisional acceptance against invoice and request for provisional acceptance. All amounts exclusive of taxes; contracting authority is tax exempt.
• Taxes and customs in Armenia: EU-funded project tax and customs exemptions apply as per Armenian Government Decree No. 1112-N and the Financing Memorandum arrangements.
• Price structure: unit-price contract; fixed prices in euro; spares and consumables for four years post-warranty to be itemised but do not influence evaluation unless substantially divergent.
• Variations: quantities per item may be varied by up to 100 percent; total contract value may not change by more than 10 percent, with unit prices applied.
• Delays and liquidated damages: 0.5 percent per day of undelivered supplies value, capped at 15 percent of total contract price; further remedies include seizing the performance guarantee or termination if thresholds are reached.
• Ethics and compliance: code of conduct obligations on human rights, anti-corruption, environmental and labour standards, data protection, conflict of interest, and visibility requirements apply.

Submission Method and Portal Requirements

Tenders must be submitted electronically through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal eSubmission. EU Login credentials and an organisational PIC Participant Identification Code are required. Tenders submitted by other means will be disregarded. The submission receipt timestamp from eSubmission constitutes proof of timely receipt. All communications and tender documentation are in English.

Application Templates and Required Content

Technical offer content:Use Annex II and III Contractor’s technical offer template. Include a detailed description of supplies with drawings and sketches with dimensions and weights, full equipment list, manufacturer-recommended spares and consumables for four years after warranty, after-sales service proposal for five years, and detailed ancillary services plan including design and QA programme, standards compliance, factory acceptance, packing and transport, support to site acceptance and commissioning, training, warranty, after-sales. Provide preliminary performance schedule covering design, manufacturing, testing, delivery, and key milestones; reference list of similar installed equipment; type test results where available; subcontractor details and quality references; ISO 9000 or equivalent certificates; statement on spare parts availability for the design lifetime; and statement of origin.

Financial offer content:Use Annex IV Budget breakdown template. Quote DAP basis prices in euro excluding taxes. Provide line items for any special tools, the four-year spares and consumables with itemised quantities and unit prices, and costed ancillary services as listed above. Ensure the total amount in eSubmission matches the uploaded financial offer. Indicate VAT zero in the Total taxes amount field.

Administrative and compliance documents:Tender form for a supply contract and Annex 1 Declaration on Honour on exclusion and selection criteria from each consortium member and any subcontractor and capacity provider; evidence of duly authorised signature and power of attorney; organisational description and chart. Evidence for selection criteria and non-exclusion may be requested at any time and must be provided within short deadlines. Follow the List of documents to be submitted with the tender and during the procedure for correct upload locations in eSubmission.

• Technical offer file uploaded under Tender Data - Technical offer
• Financial offer file uploaded under Tender Data - Financial offer
• Declaration on Honour uploaded under Parties - Identification tenderer - Attachments - Declaration on Honour
• Other required documents uploaded under Parties - Identification tenderer - Attachments - Other documents

Answers to Categorisation Questions

Eligible Applicant Types:Private sector suppliers and integrators of industrial machinery and nuclear waste management equipment, SMEs and large enterprises; manufacturers of concrete production systems, moulds, curing systems, cranes, metalworking and drum production lines; engineering and EPC firms; international organisations; consortia of such entities. Universities and research institutes could participate only if they qualify as economic operators with relevant supplies capacity. Government bodies may participate if eligible under nationality and origin rules, but the opportunity is designed for commercial supply contractors.

Funding Type:Procurement contract for supplies and associated services financed under the European Instrument for International Nuclear Safety Cooperation. Not a grant. Unit-price contract paid against milestones.

Consortium Requirement:Single tenderers or consortia are allowed. If a consortium is used, a leader must be designated with joint and several liability across members. Subcontracting is permitted.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Eligibility is open to nationals and legal entities established in EU Member States and in eligible countries or territories defined in Article 11 of Regulation Euratom 2021/948 for the Instrument for International Nuclear Safety Cooperation. International organisations are eligible. All supplies must originate in eligible countries. Armenia is the place of delivery, with the EU as contracting authority on behalf of Armenia.

Target Sector:Nuclear safety and radioactive waste management; industrial machinery; concrete production and precast moulding; metalworking and drum manufacturing; lifting and material handling; quality assurance and certification in nuclear-related supply chains.

Mentioned Countries:Armenia; European Union Member States as a group in the context of eligibility and contracting authority.

Project Stage:Procurement and implementation stage covering design finalisation, manufacturing, factory acceptance, delivery, supervision of installation, training, site acceptance, commissioning support, certification testing for RCC, and transition to operational handover. This includes validation and demonstration through acceptance tests.

Funding Amount:Estimated total value is not disclosed in the notice. Each lot is a separate supply contract with payments structured as 40 percent pre-financing and 60 percent at provisional acceptance. Performance guarantee is 10 percent of contract value. No tender guarantee is required.

Application Type:Open call for tenders via electronic submission on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. EU Login and PIC registration are required for submission. Single-stage submission with public opening at the specified date and time.

Nature of Support:Monetary payment for supplies and services delivered under contract terms. No non-financial services to tenderers are provided beyond standard procurement guidance.

Application Stages:One submission stage with three evaluation steps: administrative conformity, technical compliance including selection criteria, and financial evaluation with lowest price award. Documentary evidence for exclusion and selection criteria may be requested at any time.

Success Rates:Not published. The procedure is competitive with award to the lowest compliant tender for each lot.

Co-funding Requirement:No co-funding is required from the supplier. Standard procurement securities apply, including a 10 percent performance guarantee and a pre-financing guarantee equal to the pre-financing amount.

Practical Information and Compliance Notes

• Time validity of tenders: 90 days from submission deadline. The contracting authority may request a 40-day extension.
• Language: all communications and documents in English.
• Currency: euro. If converting from other currencies for financial data, use InforEuro rate for March 2026.
• PIC validation may be requested by the EU Validation Services; provision of documentation does not imply award.
• Public opening attendance requires prior email request to INTPA-TENDERS-0109@ec.europa.eu no later than two working days before opening, maximum two representatives per tenderer.
• Ethics and code of conduct clauses include zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment, anti-corruption compliance, and visibility obligations for EU financing.
• Armenian counterparts will construct buildings for both plants and carry out equipment installation and commissioning under supplier supervision.

How to Apply and Where to Find Documents

Access the opportunity and documents via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. Registered users can download the Invitation to tender, Tender dossier, Instructions to tenderers, Additional Information about the Contract Notice, Draft contract General Conditions, and templates. Submission is exclusively electronic. Create or use an existing EU Login and ensure your organisation has a PIC.

• Opportunity page: EU Funding and Tenders Portal screen for EC-INTPA/2025/EA-OP/0109 EU F&T Portal opportunity
• Invitation to tender PDF Invitation to tender
• Tender dossier and annexes archive Tender dossier ZIP
• Practical Guide to Contract Procedures ePRAG and annexes PRAG and annexes ¹

General Summary

This open tender procures two turnkey fabrication plants in Armenia to strengthen national capacity for radioactive waste management under the EU’s Instrument for International Nuclear Safety Cooperation. Lot 1 delivers a reinforced concrete container production facility, complete with concrete batching and curing systems, moulds, handling equipment, instrumentation, and a royalty-free manufacturing license for certified containers. It also includes development and execution of a certification test programme for three prototype containers. Lot 2 delivers a semiautomatic steel drums production line with associated handling and quality control equipment to produce 165 litre and 200 litre drums. For both lots, the supplier is responsible for design, manufacturing, factory acceptance, delivery DAP, training, supervision of installation, site acceptance, commissioning support, warranty, and after-sales service. Armenian counterparts will construct the buildings and perform installation and commissioning under supplier supervision. Participation is open to EU and other eligible countries under Regulation Euratom 2021/948, including international organisations, with origin rules applying to all supplies. Selection criteria require significant turnover, specialist staff, and proven delivery of high-value contracts in nuclear safety, radiation protection, or radioactive waste management. Contracts are unit price and awarded on lowest price among technically compliant offers, with a 24-month implementation period, a 10 percent performance guarantee, 40 percent pre-financing against a pre-financing guarantee, and 60 percent payment upon provisional acceptance. Tenders must be submitted electronically in English via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal, using EU Login and PIC. The opportunity is targeted at experienced industrial suppliers and system integrators in nuclear waste containment, concrete and metal fabrication, and plant engineering who can deliver fully documented, standards-compliant, and certifiable production capabilities for Armenia’s long-term radioactive waste management.

Footnotes

1. 1Applicants must follow the Practical Guide to contract procedures for EU external actions ePRAG, including eligibility, exclusion, and procedural rules. See PRAG at PRAG and annexes.

This open procedure tender invites suppliers to design, manufacture and supply technological equipment and auxiliary tools for establishing two radioactive waste management fabrication plants in Armenia. The tender is issued by the European Commission on behalf of the Republic of Armenia under the European Instrument for International Nuclear Safety Cooperation. Participation is open to natural and legal persons established in EU Member States and eligible countries, as well as international organisations.

Project Background and Context

Armenia is developing an independent capacity for producing radioactive waste storage containers to support its nuclear safety and waste management infrastructure. The Government of Armenia, through a financing agreement with the European Commission signed in 2024, is establishing a National Radioactive Waste Management Operator responsible for the safe, long-term management of radioactive waste generated by the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant and other sources. This tender is part of the strategic priority to establish safe and reliable waste management systems in compliance with international conventions and IAEA safety standards. ¹

Opportunity Reference Details:Procedure Identifier: EC-INTPA/2025/EA-OP/0109 | TED Reference: 54/2026 188906-2026 | Publication Date: 18 March 2026 | Contracting Authority: European Union, represented by the European Commission on behalf of and for the account of the Republic of Armenia

Scope of Supply

Lot 1: Reinforced Concrete Containers Fabrication Plant

Suppliers must design, manufacture and supply a complete set of technological equipment and auxiliary tools for establishing a reinforced concrete container (RCC) fabrication plant. The scope includes provision of design documentation and a royalty-free license for certified RCC manufacturing in Armenia. The plant will produce reinforced concrete containers for radioactive waste storage and disposal with a tentative capacity of 15 containers per week. As part of contract performance, the selected supplier must manufacture three sample RCC units at its own or a supplier-selected facility, develop a certification test plan and arrange certification tests in the presence of an acceptance committee. Deliverables include concrete production units, auxiliary equipment for reinforcement preparation, moulds for container bodies and lids, vibration tables, curing chambers, cleaning stations, lifting equipment (bridge crane, forklifts), spare parts, finishing equipment and quality control instruments.

Lot 2: Metallic Drums Fabrication Plant

Suppliers must design, manufacture and supply technological equipment and auxiliary tools for establishing a metallic drums fabrication plant. The plant will produce 165-litre drums (3,750 per year) and 200-litre drums (3,750 per year) for radioactive waste storage. Deliverables include a semiautomatic steel drums production line, lifting and transport equipment (steel coil lifting beams, electric pallet stackers), spare parts, labelling equipment and quality control instruments.

For both lots, Armenian counterparts will be responsible for construction of the facility buildings based on supplier-proposed designs and installation and commissioning of equipment under supplier supervision. Delivery is on DAP (Delivered At Place) terms to Closed Joint-Stock Company Harmless-Rendering of Radioactive Waste, Metsamor, Armavir Marz, Armenia. The implementation period is 24 months until provisional acceptance.

Eligibility and Participation Requirements

Who Can Apply

Participation is open to:natural persons who are nationals of EU Member States; legal persons effectively established in EU Member States or eligible countries as defined under Article 11 of Council Regulation (Euratom) 2021/948; and international organisations. Participants may submit tenders individually or as consortia (joint ventures or permanent groupings). If submitting as a consortium, all members are jointly and severally liable, and one member must be designated as the consortium leader.

Geographic Eligibility

All supplies must originate in one or more eligible source countries as defined under Article 11 of Regulation (EU) N° 2021/948. Tenderers must state expressly that goods meet origin requirements and specify countries of origin. Origin is defined as the place where goods are mined, grown, produced or manufactured and determined according to relevant international agreements, notably WTO agreements and EU Customs Code provisions on rules of origin.

Prohibited Situations

Tenderers and all consortium members, subcontractors and entities on whose capacity reliance is placed must not be in exclusion situations listed in Section 2.4.2.1 of the practical guide. These include situations related to EU restrictive measures, criminal convictions, professional misconduct, conflicts of interest and other specified grounds. Tenderers must provide declarations on honour confirming non-exclusion. False declarations may result in financial penalties and exclusion from future procedures.

Selection Criteria

Tenderers must demonstrate compliance with economic, professional and technical capacity criteria. These criteria are evaluated as pass/fail and apply to each tenderer individually unless specified otherwise. For consortia, criteria are applied to the consortium as a whole unless noted otherwise.

1. Economic and Financial Capacity:Average annual turnover for the last three financial years for which accounts have been closed must not be less than €3,000,000. For public bodies, equivalent information should be provided.

2. Professional Capacity:

• Candidate or tenderer must have, during the current year and the previous two years on average, at least five personnel directly employed or otherwise legally contracted on a permanent or non-permanent basis in areas of specialist knowledge related to the contract
• Candidate or tenderer must not be subject to professional conflicting interests which may negatively affect contract performance

3. Technical Capacity:

• Candidate or tenderer has completed supplies under at least 2 contracts implemented at any moment during the last four years before the submission deadline
• For each contract, the value of supplies completed must not be less than €1,000,000
• Completed supplies must be in the domain of nuclear safety, radiation protection or radioactive waste management. Contracts may have been started earlier but only the part completed during the reference period will be considered and must be supported by documentary evidence (approval of report, proof of payment, statement or certificate from the awarding entity)

Tenderers may rely on the capacities of other entities for meeting these criteria provided they prove that resources will be at their disposal and entities respect the same eligibility rules and fulfil the criteria for which the tenderer relies on them. Capacity-providing entities become jointly and severally liable for contract performance regarding economic and financial criteria.

Tender Submission and Evaluation

Submission Method and Timeline:Tenders must be submitted exclusively via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal using the eSubmission system. Electronic submission only; tenders by email or post will be disregarded. Deadline for submission: 8 June 2026 at 12:00 Brussels time. Tenderers have 90 days from submission deadline to maintain tender validity.

Key Dates:

Tenderers wishing to attend the tender opening session must request attendance by email to INTPA-TENDERS-0109@ec.europa.eu no later than two working days before the opening. Maximum of two representatives per tender may attend. A maximum of two representatives per tender may attend. Opening session minutes will be available on request. If tenders have not been delivered by opening time but evidence shows timely sending, a second opening session may be organised.

Required Submission Documentation

Tenders must be submitted in English and include three main parts:²

• Technical Offer: detailed description of supplies in conformity with technical specifications, including list of equipment, technical descriptions with drawings and dimensions, spare parts and consumables list for four years post-warranty, after-sales service proposal for five years, and description of ancillary services (design, documentation, quality assurance, factory acceptance inspection, packing, transport, delivery, site acceptance test support, training, warranty and after-sales service)
• Financial Offer: DAP-basis pricing for supplies including costs for special tools, recommended spare parts for four years post-warranty (itemised with unit prices and quantities), and ancillary services costs (design, documentation, quality assurance, factory acceptance inspection, packing, transport, delivery, site acceptance test support, training, warranty and after-sales service). All amounts exclude taxes; VAT mentioned separately.
• Documentation: completed tender form with declaration on exclusion and selection criteria, warranty conditions description, warranty organisation description, statement of goods origin, proof of duly authorised signature, organisation description and chart, preliminary performance schedule, reference list of facilities with similar installed equipment, type test results if available, subcontractor details and quality assurance information, ISO 9000 series or equivalent quality certificate, and statement confirming spare parts availability during equipment design lifetime

All supporting documents for technical offer upload under Technical Tender section; financial offer documents under Financial Tender section; other documentation under Other Documents section. Declarations on honour submitted through specific Declaration on Honour section.

Evaluation Process

1. 1Administrative compliance check: tenders checked against essential requirements; non-compliant tenders immediately rejected
2. 2Technical evaluation: minimum qualifications assessed; technical admissibility determined; after-sales service and training quality evaluated using yes/no criteria; evaluation committee may request written clarification (no price or substance changes permitted except for arithmetical errors)
3. 3Financial evaluation: arithmetical errors corrected (amounts in words prevail over figures; unit prices prevail over totals); corrected amounts binding on tenderer
4. 4Award decision: contract awarded to lowest compliant tender based on price criterion (100% weight)

Variant solutions will not be considered. No tender may be altered or withdrawn between submission deadline and expiry of validity period; withdrawal during this interval may result in forfeiture of tender guarantee. ³

Contract Award and Implementation Terms

Lot Structure and Award:Tenderers may submit bids for one or both lots. Each lot forms a separate contract with indivisible quantities; whole quantities per lot must be offered. Tenderers may include overall discounts if awarded multiple lots, clearly indicated per lot for announcement at public opening. Contracts awarded lot by lot, but contracting authority may select most favourable overall solution considering discounts. If awarded multiple lots, a single contract may cover all lots.

Contract Duration and Performance:Contract implementation period: 24 months from latest contract signature until provisional acceptance. Delivery on DAP (Delivered At Place) terms to Metsamor, Armenia. Successful tenderer becomes contractor upon contract signature and enters into force immediately.

Guarantees and Financial Terms

Performance Guarantee:Contractor must provide a performance guarantee at 10% of total contract value upon return of countersigned contract. Guarantee format: bank guarantee, banker's draft, certified cheque, insurance bond, irrevocable letter of credit or cash deposit. Guarantee remains valid until contract fully and properly performed. Released within 60 days of final acceptance certificate issuance, except for after-sales service proportion. ⁴

Payment Schedule:40% pre-financing (within 30 days of contract signature) against provision of performance guarantee and pre-financing guarantee for full pre-financing amount. Pre-financing guarantee released 30 days maximum after provisional acceptance. 60% balance payment (within 60 days of invoice receipt) after receipt of invoice and application for certificate of provisional acceptance. Payments in Euro. Pre-financing guarantee may be waived for public bodies based on risk assessment.

Payments made to bank account specified in contract. Changes to bank account require contract addendum. If contractor established debt with the Union, such debt may be offset against payments due under the contract.

Price and Commercial Terms

Contract prices are fixed with no revision permitted. Contractor deemed to have satisfied itself as to correctness and sufficiency of prices, including all costs for transport, handling, packing, loading, unloading, insurance, documents, assembly, supervision, training, maintenance and warranty. Unit prices quoted in tender apply to any quantity variations. Contracting authority reserves right to vary quantities by plus or minus 100% at contracting and during contract validity; total value may not rise or fall more than 10% of original offer. No additional charge for work with neither unit price nor lump sum indicated in tender.

Taxes and Customs:European Commission and Republic of Armenia agreed on full tax exemption for EU-financed projects in Armenia under 2006 Financing Memorandum and RA Government Decree No. 1112-N (23 September 2009). Tender prices must be quoted excluding taxes. VAT mentioned separately, with €0 shown in tax field as Commission is exempt from taxation.

Contract Conditions and Obligations

The contract incorporates main and special conditions, general conditions for supply contracts, technical specifications, general conditions for supply contracts (Annex I), and related annexes. Contractor must execute with due care, efficiency and diligence, complying with best professional practice and high-quality standards. Contractor responsible for all equipment, supervision, labour and facilities for implementation. Contractor must comply with administrative orders from project manager and supply information/documents upon request.

Delivery and Acceptance

Contractor must ensure supplies delivered to acceptance place in time for project manager acceptance proceedings. Factory acceptance inspection, site acceptance tests, support to commissioning and training included in contractor obligations. Supplies must comply fully with technical specifications and conform to drawings, models and requirements. Provisional acceptance issued upon satisfactory completion of acceptance procedures. Final acceptance issued after warranty period satisfaction (minimum 12 months unless otherwise specified). Contractor must supply operation and maintenance manuals with detailed drawings before provisional acceptance.

Warranty and After-Sales Service

Contractor provides warranty for full and proper execution covering all defects in materials and workmanship. Warranty includes replacement of defective parts and remedying of defects at contractor's cost. Warranty period: minimum 12 months from provisional acceptance unless otherwise specified in special conditions. Contractor must provide after-sales service and supply spare parts to end user during entire equipment design lifetime at commercial terms (not financed by contract) per end-user-contractor agreement.

Subcontracting

Subcontracting is permitted but requires prior written authorisation from contracting authority. Request must indicate contract elements to be subcontracted and subcontractor identity; contracting authority responds within 30 days. Subcontractors must satisfy eligibility criteria and not fall under exclusion criteria. Contractor remains fully responsible for acts and defaults of subcontractors. Contractor and economic/financial capacity-providing entities are jointly liable for contract performance.

Intellectual Property and Patents

Contractor indemnifies contracting authority for damages and costs from third-party claims for alleged intellectual, industrial or other property rights violations based on contracting authority's use of supplies as specified, except where infringement results from compliance with contracting authority designs or specifications. Industrial and intellectual property rights developed by contractor remain vested in contractor, but contracting authority receives irrevocable, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence for contract purposes, transferable to third parties without contractor consent.

Compliance and Conduct Requirements

Contractor must comply with all applicable laws and regulations in country of supply delivery. Contractor indemnifies contracting authority against claims and proceedings from infringement by contractor, employees and dependants. Contractor must treat information and documents linked to contract performance with strictest confidence; confidentiality obligation continues after task completion. Use of contract reference for marketing or tendering does not require approval unless contract declared confidential.

Contractor must respect human rights, EU values, environmental legislation and core labour standards (ILO conventions on freedom of association, elimination of forced/compulsory labour, elimination of discrimination, abolition of child labour). Zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment and physical abuse. No unusual commercial expenses permitted. Contractor must avoid and disclose conflicts of interest and professional conflicting interests. Contractor must maintain accurate records for five years after final payment on any appropriate medium.

Contractor and personnel must comply with EU values including respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law and human rights. Contractor must comply with applicable data protection rules and anti-bribery/anti-corruption laws. Commission reserves right to suspend or cancel financing if corrupt practices discovered. Tenderers suspected of arranging individual meetings with contracting authority during tender period may be excluded from procedure.

Risk Management and Contract Termination

Contractor assumes full responsibility for supplies integrity and assumes risk of loss and damage until final acceptance. If unforeseen events hamper contract performance, contractor must immediately report to contracting authority with problem description, start date and remedial actions taken. Contractor prioritises solving problems over determining liability.

Delays and Liquidated Damages:If goods not delivered within implementation period, contracting authority entitled to liquidated damages of 5 per thousand of undelivered supplies value daily, maximum 15% of total contract price. If non-delivery prevents normal supplies use as whole, damages calculated on total contract price. Damages do not preclude contractor liability for additional damages or other contract remedies. If contracting authority entitled to claim at least 15% total contract price, it may seize performance guarantee, terminate contract or enter third-party contract for balance at contractor's cost.

Contract Termination:Contracting authority may terminate contract for: contractor breach or default, failure to provide adequate performance guarantee, insolvency or serious financial difficulties, false declarations, exclusion criteria discovery, serious deficiencies in task implementation. Termination by contractor permitted if contracting authority fails contractual obligations or suspension exceeds 180 days without contractor breach. Contractor must provide notice and opportunity to remedy breaches where applicable.

Administrative and Legal Framework

Applicable law:Belgian law (or law specified in special conditions). Disputes resolved through amicable settlement, arbitration or litigation as specified in practical guide Section 2.12. Contracting authority and contractor may pursue appeals for errors or irregularities during award process. Commission reserves right to verify documentary evidence of compliance with exclusion and selection criteria at any procedure stage before award. European Union bodies retain rights to conduct verifications, checks and audits. ⁵

Processing of personal data (names, contact details, CVs) solely for tender management and contract monitoring by Commission. Transmission to Partner Country may occur for compliance with applicable legislative framework and financing agreement. Data subjects must be informed of processing details via privacy statement. Early detection and exclusion system may register tenderer personal details if in exclusion situations and communicate to specified persons/entities.

Key Contact Information and Resources

All written communications must be in English. EU Login account required for tender submission, question submission and accessing procurement documents. Register at the Participant Register for Participant Identification Code (PIC). Submit tenders exclusively via EU Funding and Tenders Portal eSubmission system. Submit questions via Questions and Answers section before clarification deadline (18 May 2026 23:59 Brussels time).

For technical assistance with eSubmission, contact helpdesk available through portal. For procedural or evaluation issues, contact INTPA-TENDERS-0109@ec.europa.eu. Practical guide and annexes available at ePRAG Wiki. InforEuro exchange rates for currency conversion: InforEuro

Strategic Context: Armenia's Nuclear Sector

Armenia has been using nuclear technology for peaceful purposes since the 1950s across energy, medicine, agriculture, industry and scientific research. The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP) at Metsamor, operational since 1980 with a 376 MWe VVER reactor, is the primary source of radioactive waste in Armenia. Following a 1988 earthquake that caused extensive damage, Unit 2 was restarted in 1995 despite technical inadequacies including lack of protective fuel storage basin. An agreement signed with Russia's Rosatom in December 2023 extended the plant's operational lifespan to 2036 following modernisation work undertaken in 2021. ⁶

Armenia's Government has adopted nuclear energy as essential to energy security and is conducting feasibility studies for new nuclear power plant construction, considering both high-power reactors and small modular reactors (SMRs). Armenia is evaluating technology proposals from Russia, the United States, France, China and South Korea, with final reactor size and supplier decisions expected in 2026-2027. The Government allocated USD €65 millionfor ANPP modernisation and extension programmes. Construction of a new nuclear facility is planned within 8-10 years. ⁶

The radioactive waste management challenge is significant given Armenian NPP operation and expected decommissioning wastes, plus institutional-type waste from non-nuclear applications including science, industry and healthcare. Armenia has developed a Strategy for Safe Management of Radioactive Waste establishing a National Operator under the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure responsible for long-term waste management. The strategy implements the polluter pays principle, develops geological disposal possibility studies, improves waste processing and storage systems, strengthens personnel training and upgrades electronic recording systems. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Armenia's waste management strategy aligns with obligations established by ratified international conventions and IAEA safety standards. Many countries operating nuclear power plants including Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria and France maintain dedicated National Operators coordinating radioactive waste long-term management. Source: National Report of the Republic of Armenia under Joint Convention and NRSC-AM radioactive waste management documentation.
2. 2The tender dossier is divided into sections: Section A contains instructions to tenderers and additional contract information; Section B contains draft contract terms and technical specifications; Section C contains administrative and evaluation grids; Section D contains tender submission form and declarations. Templates for technical offer, financial offer and related documents are available in the practical guide annexes (reference Annexes C Chapter 4 Supplies).
3. 3Tender validity period of 90 days may be extended by the contracting authority request before expiry for up to 40 additional days. Tenderers agreeing to extension may not modify tenders and must extend tender guarantee validity. Successful tenderers remain bound by tenders for additional 60-day period following award notification, for total binding period of 150 days from submission deadline.
4. 4Performance guarantee may be provided by bank or bonding/insurance company approved by contracting authority. Guarantee denominated in contract currency. If guarantor unable or unwilling to perform, not authorised to issue guarantees or appears financially unreliable, contractor must provide replacement guarantee on same terms. Guarantor must pay amounts claimed without delay or objection; contracting authority notifies contractor of default before claiming.
5. 5Contracting authority may request documentary evidence at any time during procedure and before award on compliance with exclusion criteria and selection criteria (financial, economic, technical and professional capacity). Requested evidence must be dated no more than one year before tender submission. Documentary evidence in official EU languages other than English should be translated to English to facilitate evaluation. Failure to provide valid evidence within deadline results in tender rejection unless tenderer justifies material impossibility.
6. 6Armenia's nuclear dilemma reflects geopolitical positioning. While maintaining cooperation with Russia through Rosatom on ANPP operations and modernisation, Armenia seeks to diversify technology partnerships and reduce energy dependence on Russian gas supply (monopolised until 2043 under 2013 agreement). US SMR technology interest reflects this strategic balance. Final decisions on reactor model and supplier remain under consideration as of March 2026, with feasibility studies ongoing. Sources: AVIM nuclear analysis, NEI Magazine, World Nuclear News and Oil Price reporting.