Support for the organisation of events and other communication and information activities of the European Parliament Liaison Office in Cyprus

The European Parliament Directorate-General for Communication has published an open tender (EP-COMM/2026/OP/0021) for a framework contract to provide event organisation, communication and information services to the European Parliament Liaison Office in Cyprus. The maximum total contract value is €240,000, with an initial 12-month term renewable up to 48 months, and services procured via specific order forms; tenders must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission. Key selection requirements include minimum turnover thresholds (€60,000 per year for the last two years with at least €45,000 in the contract area), at least three years' relevant experience and a team with a project manager plus two junior consultants, and compliance with exclusion, restrictive measures, environmental and accessibility provisions. The award will be based on the best price-quality ratio (70% qualitative / 30% price) and the tender receipt deadline is 11 June 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time.

What it funds

Scope in one line

Framework contract to provide technical assistance and supplier management for organisation of events, hybrid and editorial projects, communication campaigns, media/content production and related third‑party services for the European Parliament Liaison Office in Cyprus (including regional and cross‑border activities).

Estimated value and duration:Total maximum value €240 000 (including reimbursable third‑party costs). Initial 12‑month contract, renewable up to 3 times to a maximum of 48 months.

Who can apply

Open to natural or legal persons and public entities established in EU Member States and third countries covered by applicable procurement access agreements. Consortia and subcontracting permitted; SMEs may apply. Tenderers must meet selection minimums (e.g. turnover and experience) set in the procurement documents.

1. 1Minimum yearly turnover: €60 000 for each of the last two years (with at least €45 000 in the contract area).
2. 2At least 3 years’ relevant experience; proposed team must include 1 project manager + 2 junior consultants.
3. 3Tenderers must register and submit electronically via EU Login / eSubmission.

Key procedural facts

Procedure:Open tender for a framework agreement awarded on best price‑quality ratio. Main CPV: 79416000 Public relations services; additional CPV 79952000 Event services.

Deadlines and opening:Deadline for receipt of tenders: 11 June 2026, 17:00 (Europe/Brussels). Public opening (virtual): 12 June 2026, 11:00 (Europe/Brussels). Last date to submit questions: 3 June 2026. ¹

Selection and award:administrative exclusion and selection checks apply; qualitative evaluation (70%) and price (30%). Price schedule uses hourly rates and management fee rules for reimbursable third‑party services. Full technical specifications, annexes and draft contract available on the Funding & Tenders Portal Tender page.

Contracting authority:European Parliament, DG Communication — Directorate for Liaison Offices. Contact mailbox: epnicosia@europarl.europa.eu.

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement documents (specifications, annexes, price schedule, case study and draft framework contract) and submission link are published on the Funding & Tenders Portal above. Review the Annex I technical specifications for detailed eligibility, scoring and environmental/accessibility requirements.

Basic facts and administrative data

Title:Support for the organisation of events and other communication and information activities of the European Parliament Liaison Office in Cyprus (EP-COMM/2026/OP/0021). Procurement type: Open procedure call for tenders (framework agreement, without reopening of competition). Main CPV: 79416000 Public relations services (additional CPV: 79952000 Event services). Lead contracting authority: European Parliament, Directorate-General for Communication (Directorate for Liaison Offices).

Estimated total/maximum contract value:€240,000 (total maximum value for the framework contract including reimbursement of third-party services over full duration). Maximum contract duration: 48 months (initial 12 months, renewable up to 3 times). Nature of contract: services. Award method: best price-quality ratio.

Publication / key dates:TED publication and F&T Portal publication date 30 April 2026. Deadline for receipt of tenders: 11 June 2026, 17:00 Europe/Brussels (Eastern European Time UTC+02:00). Date and time of public opening: 12 June 2026, 11:00 Europe/Brussels. Deadline for questions: contracting authority not bound to reply to questions submitted after 3 June 2026, 23:59 Europe/Brussels.

Purpose and scope of the framework contract

Objective:provide support and technical assistance to the European Parliament Liaison Office in Cyprus (EPLO Cyprus) for organisation of events, communication campaigns, production of media content and other communication and information activities, both in the capital and in regions for decentralised communication. Services may also be requested for cross-border activities with neighbouring countries.

Main categories of services requested:Organisation and logistical delivery of events (physical, online, hybrid); communication campaign support; content production (videos, podcasts, editorial projects); identification, selection and management of third-party suppliers and subcontractors; press relations and media buying; on-site event staffing; accessibility and environmental compliance; monitoring, evaluation and reporting.

Who may apply and eligibility

Participation is open on equal terms to all natural or legal persons and public entities established in a European Union Member State and to natural or legal persons and public entities of third countries that have a specific public-procurement access agreement with the European Union. Tenderers must state the country of establishment and provide evidence under national law or equivalent proof. The contracting documents require registration in the Participant Register (PIC) and electronic submission via the F&T portal eSubmission system, accessible with EU Login credentials.

Eligible applicant types:SMEs and micro-enterprises, large enterprises, sole traders, NGOs/nonprofits, public bodies, universities/research institutes (if offering relevant services), consortia/groups of economic operators and subcontractors are allowed. The tenderer may be a single economic operator or a group of economic operators; groups must provide Annex V and undertake joint and several liability. International organisations are also catered for under the general rules.

Procurement model and financial arrangements

Contract form:framework service contract (framework agreement without reopening of competition) to be executed via specific order forms for each assignment. The contract sets hourly rates for contractor staff profiles and reimbursement of third-party supplier costs against original invoices. The contractor may apply a one-off management fee (calculated as hours of Junior Consultant profile) to cover subcontractor management for reimbursable third-party expenses. Pre-financing: the European Parliament shall prefinance 30% of the total value indicated in specific order forms (60% for order forms concerning flights and accommodation) when the order form amount exceeds €15,000, upon contractor request. Payment terms: 30 calendar days after receipt and acceptance of invoice and final report; invoicing electronic via PEPPOL or F&T Portal; invoices must reference the order form. Prices expressed in euros, VAT excluded.

Funding type:Procurement / service contract (payment for services and reimbursement of third-party costs).

Detailed eligibility, selection and exclusion requirements

Exclusion rules are applied in line with Articles 138 to 143 of the Financial Regulation (Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509). Tenderers must submit Annex III declaration on honour covering exclusion and selection criteria. Tenderers, proposed subcontractors and entities whose capacities are relied on must not be subject to restrictive measures (Regulation 833/2014) – a specific Annex VIII must be completed. The contracting authority may request documentary evidence and will exclude candidates falling into exclusion situations. Tenderers must be enrolled in a relevant professional or trade register (evidence: national register extract).

Selection criteria (minimum thresholds):Minimum financial capacity: minimum yearly turnover €60,000 for each of the last two years, including minimum €45,000 turnover in the area covered by the contract. Evidence: profit and loss accounts or tax declarations and Annex VII Financial Data Sheet. Minimum technical capacity: at least three years’ experience in similar services; proposed team must include at least one project manager (≥3 years experience) and two junior consultants (≥1 year experience each). All team members must have excellent English (C1) and excellent command (C1) of the language(s) in which the EPLO operates (Greek required for Cyprus). Evidence: list of principal services delivered, CVs of key staff.

Award criteria and evaluation

Award is based on the best price-quality ratio. Weighting:qualitative criteria 70% (max 100 points) and price 30%. Tenders must pass minimum scores per qualitative sub-criterion and achieve an overall minimum of 60/100 to proceed. Evaluation includes a mandatory case study (Annex X).

Price scoring:price component computed by weighting each price item according to the price schedule (Annex IX). Tenderers must submit the completed price schedule (Annex IX) with hourly rates per profile. The price evaluation total is used only for scoring and is not contractually binding.

Operational rules, deliverables and performance

Operational execution:the framework is operated through specific order forms issued by the EPLO. Typical timelines: EPLO should request services at least four weeks before event date (shorter in exceptional cases). Contractor normally has 14 calendar days to submit a detailed offer after receiving a written request. Order form signature by EP constitutes acceptance and contract for the specific task; EP signs order form within 10 calendar days after acceptance in normal circumstances. The contractor must maintain close coordination with the EPLO, provide preparatory and debriefing meetings when required, and keep the EPLO informed on progress.

Reporting and invoices:final invoice must reference the order form and be accompanied by timesheets for consultancy hours and original invoices and offers for third-party costs. Final reports must include summaries of actions, lessons learnt, evaluation results, questionnaire data and a detailed press review where relevant. Annual overviews of events and impact are required upon request.

Technical requirements and service specifics

Accessibility:all services and venues must comply with the European Accessibility Act, Web Accessibility Directive and national accessibility law; digital content must achieve WCAG 2.1 AA standard (captions, transcripts, alt text, tagged PDFs). Environmental minimum criteria: vegetarian/vegan options, no single-use tableware, fair-trade coffee/tea, use of recycled/PEFC/FSC paper, public-transport-accessible locations, reuse of badges, eco-labelled goodies where possible. Political neutrality must be respected at all times. Intellectual property: all deliverables become property of the European Parliament; contractor responsible for clearing copyrights and image rights.

Financial, practical and contract clauses of note

1. 1Maximum total value for the framework contract: €240,000 including third-party reimbursements over the full duration (up to 48 months).
2. 2Pre-financing mechanism: 30% pre-financing (60% for flights/accommodation) for order forms > €15,000 on contractor request.
3. 3Reimbursable third-party costs paid by contractor and reimbursed on presentation of original invoices; contractor may apply management fee in hours of Junior Consultant according to thresholds (max 10/25/40 hours per order depending on third-party value bands).
4. 4Prices must be quoted excluding VAT; contractor bears any VAT that cannot be recovered under national rules.
5. 5Payment: within 30 calendar days after receipt and acceptance of invoice and final report; electronic invoicing via PEPPOL (GLN 0088:5488888007925) or F&T Portal.

Submission process, templates and application structure

Tenders must be submitted electronically via the eSubmission system on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (EU Login required). Submissions by email or paper are not accepted. Tender validity period: at least 6 months. A checklist is provided in procurement documents to ensure a complete tender (administrative, technical and financial parts). The contracting authority publishes all procurement documents on the F&T Portal; interested operators should subscribe to the call to receive updates. European Parliament F&T tender page eSubmission. ¹

Required documents and templates (administrative part):Mandatory administrative annexes and templates (submit within your tender): Annex III Declaration on the tenderer’s honour (exclusion and selection); Annex IV Financial Identification Form; Annex V Group of Economic Operators (if joint tender); Annex VI Declaration concerning subcontractors (if any); Annex VII Financial Data Sheet; Annex VIII Declaration on restrictive measures related to Russia; Annex IX Price schedule (fill and sign); Annex X Case study; Annex XI PEPPOL/F&T invoicing registration guidance; Annex XII Electronic invoicing form. The procurement package contains a Checklist for a complete tender. Prepare supporting evidence for selection and exclusion criteria in advance as the authority may request documentary proof within two weeks.

Required structure of the technical part:The technical tender must include: description of day-to-day management structure and team organisation; approach to cooperation with the EPLO; plan to mobilise and manage third-party suppliers and local partners; risk mitigation and contingency measures; environmental policy and concrete actions beyond minimum green criteria; methodology for monitoring, evaluation and KPIs; CVs of proposed team (project manager + minimum two junior consultants); response to the case study (Annex X). All technical elements (including the case study) must be contained in a combined maximum of 30 pages.

Checklist highlights:ensure Annex IX price schedule is completed and signed; include timesheet template approach; ensure intellectual property pre-existing rights declaration (Annex V to FWC) and list of pre-existing rights if applicable; include supporting financial statements for two most recent financial years (as per Annex VII).

Practical submission notes and systems

You must have an EU Login account and a Participant Identification Code (PIC) to prepare and submit the tender. From 30 June 2026 EU Login will require 2-factor authentication. eSubmission supports modern browsers (recommended Chrome or Firefox); follow the eSubmission System Requirements and file naming rules in the portal documentation. Attachments per submission: maximum 200 files; max file size per attachment 50 MB. The system encrypts uploaded documents; submissions are timestamped and the eSubmission receipt constitutes proof of timely submission.

Geographic scope and languages

Place of performance:Cyprus (capital and regional locations) and possible cross-border activities with neighbouring countries. Languages: tenders may be submitted in any official EU language; however technical delivery must be provided in the national language(s) of Cyprus for local activities (Greek-speaking contact person required) and English is required for coordination and reporting. All deliverables must be submitted in English or French if requested in an order form.

Beneficiary scope (geographic eligibility):EU Member States and third countries contracting-accessible under applicable public procurement agreements; operational activities targeted to Cyprus and nearby cross-border areas.

Target sectors and project maturity

Target sector:communication/public relations, events management, media production, public affairs and public diplomacy. Project stage: implementation/delivery of communication activities, event logistics, content production, and monitoring/evaluation of outreach. The contract covers operational delivery, not research or technology development.

Other commercial and legal clauses of importance

Intellectual property:all deliverables and produced materials become property of the European Parliament; contractor must obtain all necessary rights, clearances and image releases before delivery. Conflict of interest rules apply; the contractor must avoid any political partiality and must respect political neutrality of EPLOs. Data protection: processing of personal data is subject to Regulation (EU) 2018/1725; contractor acts as processor on behalf of EP and must meet data protection obligations and technical/organisational measures, with servers located in the EEA or in third countries with an EU adequacy decision or appropriate safeguards. Governing law: EU law complemented by Belgian law; jurisdiction: General Court of the Court of Justice of the European Union. Termination, penalties and remedies are specified in the draft framework contract (including flat-rate penalty for delays and other breach measures).

Application process summary and timeline

1. 1Subscribe to the call on the F&T Portal and download all procurement documents (Invitation letter, Specifications, Annexes I–XII, draft Framework Contract, Price Schedule template, Case Study).
2. 2Register or reuse your Participant Identification Code (PIC) and ensure EU Login with 2FA where applicable.
3. 3Prepare administrative documents (Annexes III–VIII, financial statements, Annex VII, declarations, and any subcontractor or group declarations).
4. 4Prepare technical proposal limited to 30 pages including the case study (Annex X), CVs and approach to management, suppliers, environmental measures and evaluation methodology.
5. 5Complete Annex IX price schedule with hourly rates and management fee approach; attach signed price schedule.
6. 6Submit the tender exclusively through eSubmission before 11 June 2026, 17:00 Europe/Brussels. Attend virtual opening if desired (request to epnicosia@europarl.europa.eu at least one working day before).

Assessment of application complexity, co-funding and success likelihood

Consortium requirement:not mandatory; single tenderers or groups of economic operators may apply. Subcontracting is permitted but subcontractors must be declared and may be assessed. Co-funding: not required in the form of a matching grant; the contractor invoices for services and is reimbursed for third-party costs—no financial co-funding requirement is specified. Success rates: not published; this is a competitive open procurement with scoring and minimum thresholds. Application stages: single-stage submission followed by evaluation and award (effectively 1 main submission stage, evaluation and award).

Success rates:Not specified by the contracting authority. As a competitive single-lot framework procurement, success depends on meeting exclusion/selection criteria, passing minimum scores on qualitative criteria, case study quality and competitive pricing.

Key contacts, support and further information

Contact mailbox for procedural questions and to request attendance at the opening session:epnicosia@europarl.europa.eu. Procurement documents and updates are on the Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page. For technical issues with eSubmission contact the eSubmission Helpdesk as indicated in the eSubmission Quick Guide. Electronic invoicing guidance (PEPPOL or F&T Portal) is provided as Annex XI and Annex XII in the procurement documents.

Mentioned country(ies) and region

Explicitly mentioned country:Cyprus (place of performance). Contracting authority location: European Parliament (Brussels, Belgium). Geographic eligibility: EU Member States and third countries with access under public procurement agreements.

Short summary: what is this opportunity about and how to approach it

This is an open-procedure tender launched by the European Parliament’s Directorate-General for Communication to award a national framework service contract (Cyprus) for outsourced event organisation, communications, media production and related third-party services for the European Parliament Liaison Office in Cyprus. The framework covers regional and capital activities, hybrid event formats, editorial projects and targeted outreach. The tender requires a combined technical and financial proposal submitted electronically, meeting specified selection thresholds (financial turnover, experience, team composition) and passing a qualitative evaluation (management approach, supplier management, environmental practices, measurement of impact, and a detailed case study). The contract operates through specific order forms; reimbursement of third-party costs is foreseen and subject to documented invoices and a limited management fee. Interested contractors should prepare all Annex templates, assemble a compact high-quality technical file (max 30 pages), complete the price schedule, ensure required financial evidence and team CVs, register with PIC/EU Login and submit via eSubmission before the 11 June 2026 deadline. For full procurement documents refer to the F&T Portal opportunity page and the Annexes provided there European Parliament — Tender documents.

Footnotes

1. 1Funding & Tenders portal opportunity page and eSubmission guidance are available at the European Commission portal: ec.europa.eu. See the invitation letter and tender specifications for full legal and procedural details.

Funding Opportunity Overview

The European Parliament Directorate-General for Communication is issuing an open tender for a framework contract to provide support and technical assistance in organising events and other communication and information activities for the European Parliament Liaison Office (EPLO) in Cyprus. This is a service procurement opportunity managed by the European Parliament's central services in Brussels, with operational responsibility held by the EPLO in Cyprus.

Procedure Identifier:EP-COMM/2026/OP/0021

TED Reference:84/2026 297015-2026

Key Financial Information

Total Contract Value:€240,000 maximum for the entire contract duration

Contract Duration:Initial period of 12 months, renewable up to 3 times for a maximum total duration of 48 months

Pricing Structure:The contract uses a dual pricing model combining hourly rates for direct contractor services and reimbursable expenses for third-party suppliers. Direct services are billed at specified hourly rates for different consultant profiles (Senior Consultant, Consultant, Junior Consultant). Third-party services are reimbursed based on actual invoices, with the contractor receiving a management fee calculated in Junior Consultant hours depending on the value of third-party services: maximum 10 hours for services under €5,000; maximum 25 hours for services between €5,001 and €15,000; maximum 40 hours for services above €15,000 ¹.

Scope of Work

The contractor will provide comprehensive support for the EPLO's communication and information activities, including organisation of events, communication campaigns, media content production, and other communication services. Activities are expected to focus increasingly on hybrid events and editorial projects rather than purely physical events. The contractor must be able to work in the national language(s) of Cyprus and must appoint a Greek-speaking contact person for general communication with the European Parliament.

Main Categories of Services

• Organisation of specialised seminars, webinars, debates, workshops and roundtables
• Open-door activities and participation in democracy forums and regional events
• Events on European values and campaigns
• Major central European Parliament communication campaigns
• Editorial projects and content production for media outlets
• Press and public relations management
• Social media management and monitoring
• Photographic, video and audio-visual services
• Graphic design and communication material preparation
• Exhibition organisation and management
• Identification and management of third-party suppliers for specialised services

Third-Party Services Support

The contractor is responsible for identifying and managing third-party suppliers for services including venue rental, technical equipment, catering, interior design, transport, participant accommodation, event moderation, speaker fees, media buying, production of promotional materials, insurance and other services as defined by the contracting authority. The contractor must obtain competitive estimates from multiple suppliers based on the service value and submit these with their offer to the EPLO for approval.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

Who Can Apply

Participation is open on equal terms to all natural or legal persons and public entities in European Union Member States and to natural and legal persons and public entities of third countries that have concluded a specific public procurement agreement with the European Union. Tenderers must indicate their country of establishment and provide supporting evidence as required under their national law.

Legal and Regulatory Capacity

Tenderers must be enrolled in a relevant professional or trade register, except for international organisations. Evidence must be provided in the form of an extract from the appropriate national register confirming such enrolment.

Financial and Economic Capacity

Tenderers must demonstrate minimum yearly turnover of €60,000 for each of the last two years, including a minimum of €45,000 turnover in the area covered by the contract. Evidence must be submitted through profit and loss accounts for the two most recent closed financial years or tax declarations for natural persons, along with a completed Financial Data Sheet (Annex VII) showing overall turnover and turnover in the contract area for the two most recent closed financial years.

Technical and Professional Capacity

Tenderers must have at least three years' experience in services or deliveries similar to those required by the contract. The proposed team must consist of at least one project manager and two project assistants (Junior consultants). The project manager must have at least three years' proven experience in events organisation and communication consultancy; other team members must have at least one year's experience in the field. All team members must have excellent knowledge of English (C1 level) and excellent written and spoken knowledge of the language(s) in which the EPLO operates (C1 level). If the successful tenderer's team composition changes subsequently, minimum requirements must always be maintained.

Evidence of technical and professional capacity must be substantiated through a list of principal services provided and supplies delivered in the past three years with sums, dates and clients, and CVs of the project manager and team members clearly mentioning professional experience and language knowledge levels.

Exclusion Criteria

Tenderers must not be in any of the exclusion situations defined in Articles 138 to 143 of the Financial Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. These include bankruptcy or insolvency, breach of tax or social security payment obligations, grave professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, criminal offences, significant deficiencies in contract performance, irregularities, and resistance to investigations. All tenderers must submit a signed Declaration on Honour (Annex III) confirming their compliance with exclusion criteria.

Restrictive Measures Compliance

Tenderers must ensure that they, their subcontractors, suppliers or entities whose capacities are relied upon are not subject to restrictive measures adopted under Article 29 TEU or Article 215 TFEU. Specifically, tenderers must not be Russian nationals or entities established in Russia, nor entities owned more than 50 percent by Russian entities, nor entities acting on behalf of Russian entities. Tenderers must also not be engaged in transactions with Russian state-controlled entities or entities listed in Annex XIX of Regulation 833/2014. A signed Declaration on Honour concerning restrictive measures (Annex VIII) must be submitted ².

Award Criteria and Evaluation

The contract will be awarded to the tender offering the best price-quality ratio. Evaluation is based on qualitative criteria (70 percent weighting) and price criteria (30 percent weighting).

Qualitative Evaluation Criteria

To be admitted to the next evaluation stage, tenderers must obtain at least the pass mark for each criterion and a minimum of 60 points out of 100 total. All qualitative elements including the case study must be presented in a maximum of 30 pages cumulated.

Price Evaluation

Each price will be multiplied by the relevant weighting coefficient (30 percent). The total price to be taken into account is the sum of all weighted prices. This total is used only for evaluation purposes and is not contractually binding. The contract will be awarded to the tenderer receiving the highest combined score.

Submission Requirements and Deadlines

Deadline for Tender Receipt:11 June 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time

Public Opening Date and Time:12 June 2026 at 11:00 Brussels time

Deadline for Questions:3 June 2026 at 23:59 Brussels time. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after this deadline.

Tender Validity Period:As indicated in the contract notice

Submission Method

Tenders must be submitted exclusively via the electronic submission system (eSubmission) available on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. Tenders submitted by any other method (email, letter, etc.) will be rejected. Tenderers must register in the European Commission's Participant Register to obtain a Participant Identification Code (PIC) before submission. An EU Login account is required to access the submission system.

The submission receipt provided by eSubmission showing the official date and time of receipt constitutes proof of compliance with the deadline. Tenders received after the deadline will be rejected. Tenderers should familiarise themselves with the system and accepted file formats well in advance. Maximum file size per attachment is 50 MB, and maximum number of documents per tender is 200 files.

Required Documents and Annexes

• Invitation letter
• Tender specifications and all annexes
• Annex I: Technical specifications
• Annex II: European Parliament environmental policy
• Annex III: Declaration on Honour concerning exclusion and selection criteria
• Annex IV: Financial Identification Form
• Annex V: Information sheet concerning groups of economic operators (if applicable)
• Annex VI: Declaration concerning subcontractors (if applicable)
• Annex VII: Financial Data Sheet
• Annex VIII: Declaration on Honour concerning restrictive measures
• Annex IX: Price schedule
• Annex X: Case study
• Annex XI: Instructions for registering on PEPPOL platform and Funding and Tenders Portal
• Annex XII: Electronic invoicing form
• Draft contract and annexes

All documents must be submitted in English or another official language of the European Union. Tenderers must ensure their tenders contain all information and documents required by the contracting authority at the time of submission.

Special Conditions and Requirements

Environmental Compliance

Tenderers must undertake to comply with environmental legislation in force in the field of the contract. The European Parliament applies the EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) environmental management system in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009. The successful tenderer must ensure that all staff working on the contract are aware of the EMAS programme and environmental measures. Upon request, the successful tenderer may be required to certify that assigned personnel have received appropriate professional training on safety and environmental compliance.

Minimal green criteria for events and communication activities include:vegetarian catering options with no single-use plates or cutlery; fair-trade coffee and tea; locations reachable by public transport within one hour of the nearest airport; reusable or recycled paper badges; digital delivery of participant lists; recycled or PEFC/FSC certified paper for all printed materials; and goodies made from recycled materials or certified with recognised ecolabels.

Equal Opportunities Policy

Tenderers must undertake to observe a policy on promotion of equality and diversity in contract performance, applying principles of non-discrimination and equality based on three main elements: equality between men and women; employment and integration of disabled persons; and removal of obstacles to recruitment and discrimination based on sex, race, ethnic origin, religion, convictions, disability, age or sexual orientation. Tenderers must submit a description of their equal opportunities policy as part of their technical tender and report yearly on the evolution of equal opportunities in their company.

Accessibility Requirements

All services must comply with relevant EU, international and local accessibility standards including the European Accessibility Act (Directive 2019/882) and Web Accessibility Directive (Directive 2016/2102). Events must take place in fully accessible venues with live-streamed sessions including captions or subtitles and sign language interpretation where relevant. Online platforms must be accessible. Printed materials must be available in accessible formats. Digital content must comply with WCAG 2.1 AA standards with videos including captions, podcasts including transcripts, and images including alternative text descriptions.

Intellectual Property Rights

All deliverables produced under the contract, including photographs, videos, audio-visual materials, written materials, presentations and other creative or communication materials, shall become the property of the European Parliament for all modes of exploitation described in the contract. The contractor is responsible for obtaining all necessary rights and permissions, including copyright, related rights and image rights of persons depicted or participating in events.

Travel Costs and Accommodation

The contractor is responsible for arranging travel and accommodation required for contract performance. Accommodation and travel expenses are reimbursed up to the applicable limits of allowances for European Parliament staff when travelling. If the distance between the EPLO seat and the activity location exceeds 60 kilometres one-way, travel costs can be paid as a flat-rate amount per kilometre travelled. Overnight accommodation allowances can be paid when agreed between the contracting authority and contractor.

Pricing and Payment Terms

Prices must be submitted excluding VAT and other equivalent indirect taxes. The price quoted must be all-inclusive and expressed in euros. For tenderers in non-euro countries, the amount may not be revised in line with exchange rate movements; the tenderer must select an exchange rate and accept risks or benefits from variations. Reimbursement of third-party services costs is based on presentation of original supporting documents excluding VAT. Any VAT paid by the contractor to third parties must be recovered through regular VAT recovery processes according to national legislation. If supporting documents are issued in another currency, conversion is made according to the daily euro exchange rate published in the Official Journal of the European Union on the date the supporting document was issued. All reimbursable expenses are subject to prior approval by the European Parliament through the signed Specific Order Form.

Contract Implementation Process

The framework contract is performed through order forms. The EPLO issues written requests for services specifying the place of service and specific features. The contractor has a maximum of 14 calendar days after receiving a request to submit a detailed offer based on the price schedule. For third-party services, the contractor must obtain competitive estimates depending on the service value. The EPLO reviews the offer and may request modifications. An order form is drawn up and signed by the contracting authority within ten calendar days, representing acceptance of the offer and constituting a contract. After service completion, the contractor submits an invoice with a final report including summaries of actions, lessons learned, evaluation details, press reviews and supporting documents from third-party suppliers.

Payment Terms

The European Parliament pays invoices within 30 calendar days after receipt and acceptance by its competent departments. Partial invoicing is possible in cases clearly defined in specific order forms.

Consortium and Subcontracting

Groups of Economic Operators

Groups of economic operators may submit tenders. The European Parliament reserves the right to require the selected group to have a given legal form if necessary for proper contract performance. The group must provide proof of its legal form by the time the contract is signed, which may be an entity with legal personality recognised by a Member State, an entity without legal personality but offering sufficient protection of the European Parliament's contractual interests, or a power of attorney or equivalent document signed by all partners confirming cooperation. The group must furnish proof of legal form and demonstrate joint and several liability of all members. Each member must furnish proof of right of access to the contract and proof concerning compliance with exclusion and selection criteria. Annex V must be completed and included with the tender.

Subcontracting

Subcontracting is permitted. Tenderers using subcontractors must complete Annex VI and include it with the tender, providing details of the subcontracted part of the contract and the identity of subcontractors. The European Parliament reserves the right to request information on the financial, economic, technical and professional capacity of proposed subcontractors and to demand proof of compliance with exclusion criteria. The European Parliament may reject any subcontractor not complying with exclusion and/or selection criteria. The contractor must inform the European Parliament of any subsequent subcontracting not provided for in the tender, and the European Parliament reserves the right to accept or reject proposed subcontractors. If the contract is awarded to a tenderer who proposes a subcontractor in the tender, this constitutes consent for subcontracting.

Data Protection and Confidentiality

Processing of personal data in tender replies is conducted in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 on protection of natural persons with regard to processing of personal data by Union institutions. Personal data will be processed solely for evaluation purposes in the context of the call for tenders by the European Parliament as data controller. Tenderers may exercise rights under Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 by contacting DGCOMM-EPLO-FinancialSupport@europarl.europa.eu. Tenderer personal data may be registered in the Early Detection and Exclusion System (EDES) if the tenderer is in an exclusion situation. Privacy statements are available at the specified links.

Contact and Communication

There must be no contact between the contracting authority and tenderers during the procedure except in exceptional circumstances. Requests for additional information must be made in writing only by clicking 'Create question' in the Questions and Answers section of the Funding and Tenders Portal. The contracting authority is under no obligation to reply to requests received fewer than six working days before the deadline. Any additional information will be published on the portal and it is the economic operator's responsibility to check for updates.

For the virtual opening session, tenderers may request to attend by sending an email to epnicosia@europarl.europa.eu no later than one working day before the scheduled start, including full names and email addresses of representatives, the tenderer name, and the submission receipt. A maximum of two representatives per tenderer may attend.

Important Notes for Applicants

• All costs incurred in preparing and submitting tenders and attending the opening session are borne by tenderers and will not be reimbursed
• The contracting authority may cancel the procurement procedure at any time until the contract is signed without tenderers being entitled to claim compensation
• Submission of a tender implies acceptance of all terms and conditions in the procurement documents and waives the tenderer's own general or specific terms and conditions
• The submitted tender is binding on the tenderer to whom the contract is awarded for the contract duration
• No more than one tender can be considered per tenderer; if multiple tenders are submitted, only the latest will be considered
• Tenders may be withdrawn and replaced before the deadline
• The contracting authority may correct obvious clerical errors in tenders after confirmation by the tenderer
• Tenderers who fail to submit required evidence may be contacted to provide missing information or clarify supporting documents
• Tenderers will be notified of procurement results by email; unsuccessful tenderers will be informed of rejection grounds
• A standstill period applies before contract signature
• Variants are not permitted
• Prices will be revised in accordance with contract terms
• No financial guarantees are required

Additional Resources

All procurement documents are available on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. For technical issues with eSubmission, contact the eSubmission Helpdesk. For detailed submission instructions, see the eSubmission Quick Guide available on the portal. System requirements including supported browsers, file types and attachment sizes are documented in the portal's technical specifications.

Footnotes

1. 1The management fee structure is designed to cover the contractor's efforts for market research, supplier negotiations, contract conclusion with third parties, subcontractor management and all other costs associated with provision of goods and services, excluding the actual costs for external supplies and services which are reimbursed separately.
2. 2Compliance with restrictive measures is mandatory under Regulation 833/2014 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia's actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine, as amended by Regulation 2022/576. Tenderers must declare compliance and may be subject to rejection and administrative sanctions if declarations prove false.