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

This is an open EU public procurement tender (reference EP-COMM/2026/OP/0040) for a framework contract to provide organisation of events and communication and information activities for the European Parliament Liaison Office in Austria. The framework has an estimated maximum total value of €2,000,000 and a maximum duration of 48 months (initial 12 months with up to three renewals). Tenders must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by 28 September 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time. Award is by best price-quality ratio with quality weighted 70 percent and price 30 percent, and tenderers must meet minimum financial and technical capacity requirements including specified turnover and team composition criteria.

What it funds

Scope

Framework service contract to provide support and technical assistance for organising events, communication campaigns, content production and related third-party procurement for the European Parliament Liaison Office (EPLO) in Austria (including regional and occasional cross-border activities).

Estimated value:Total maximum contract value €2,000,000 for up to 48 months (initial 12 months, renewable three times) ¹.

Who can apply

Open to natural or legal persons and public entities established in EU Member States and third countries party to applicable procurement agreements; submissions may be by single economic operators or groups/consortia. Subcontracting permitted subject to approval.

Key eligibility and selection highlights

1. 1Minimum financial capacity: yearly turnover at least €500,000 for each of the last two years, including minimum €375,000 in the contract’s area.
2. 2Technical capacity: at least 3 years’ experience in similar services; proposed team must include one project manager (min. 3 years’ experience) and two junior consultants (min. 1 year each); language requirements include C1 English and C1 in local language(s).
3. 3Award criteria: best price-quality ratio (quality 70%, price 30%); quality assessment includes project management, supplier management, environmental measures, impact evaluation and case studies.

How to apply & process

Submission is electronic only via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission. Tenders must follow the tender specifications, annexes and required templates (financial sheet, declarations, case studies, price schedule).

Price format and invoicing:offers in EUR, excluding VAT; reimbursable third-party costs require original invoices and are subject to EP approval and management fees calculated per Annex I price rules.

Where to find documents:All procurement documents, draft framework contract and annexes are published on the Funding & Tenders Portal tender page for call EP-COMM/2026/OP/0040 Call page. ¹

1. 1Prepare required administrative annexes: Annex III (declaration on honour), Annex VII (financial data), Annex IX (price schedule) and Annex X (case studies).
2. 2Ensure Participant Identification Code (PIC) and EU Login registration for eSubmission.
3. 3Check restrictive-measures declaration (Annex VIII) and comply with exclusion grounds in Financial Regulation.

Footnotes

1. 1Tender documents, specifications and submission portal are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal call page: ec.europa.eu

This is an open procedure framework tender published by the European Parliament, Directorate-General for Communication, Directorate for Liaison Offices. The contract objective is to provide support and technical assistance for the organisation of events and for communication and information activities of the European Parliament Liaison Office (EPLO) in Austria, covering Vienna and regional activities, and where needed cross-border activities with neighbouring countries. Full procurement documents (specifications, technical specifications, draft framework contract and annexes) are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Tender details ¹.

Essential facts and procurement structure

Procurement reference EP-COMM/2026/OP/0040 (TED reference 156/2026 564142-2026). Main CPV:79416000 Public relations services, additional CPV 79952000 Event services. Nature of contract: services. Type of procedure: Open procedure. Award method: Best price-quality ratio. Framework agreement without reopening of competition. Maximum duration: 48 months (initial 12 months plus up to 3 annual renewals). Estimated maximum total contract value: €2,000,000 (including reimbursements to subcontractors).

Key dates and deadlines:Deadline for receipt of tenders: 28 September 2026, 17:00:59 Europe/Brussels. Virtual public opening of tenders: 29 September 2026, 11:00 Europe/Brussels. Last date to submit questions: 18 September 2026, 23:59 Europe/Brussels. TED publication date: 14 August 2026. Submission is electronic via eSubmission and requires EU Login and a PIC. See procurement documents for any updates ¹.

Who can apply and how

Participation is open to natural or legal persons and public entities of EU Member States and third countries that have a specific public procurement agreement with the EU granting access under the terms of that agreement. Tenderers must indicate their country of establishment and provide supporting evidence as required. Joint tenders (groups of economic operators) and subcontracting are permitted but must provide the required declarations and evidence. Tenders must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission system; EU Login registration and a Participant Identification Code (PIC) are mandatory. Only tenders received through eSubmission by the deadline will be considered.

Eligible applicant types:SMEs, large companies, event agencies, communication and PR agencies, marketing agencies, audiovisual production companies, multimedia and digital content producers, consultants, non-profit organisations, public entities, consortia or groups of economic operators. Individual natural persons are eligible only where national law permits and aligned with tender rules; most likely legal entities and consortia will apply.

Beneficiary geographic eligibility:EU Member States and third countries having concluded a specific public-procurement agreement with the EU granting access. Primary operational area: Austria (national and regional activities, with possible cross-border activities in neighbouring countries).

Contract scope, tasks and services required

The framework contract covers a broad range of communication, event organisation and content-production services to support the EPLO in Austria. The contract is implemented by specific order forms for each request. The contractor is expected to act as prime contractor, carry out direct services and identify, subcontract and manage third-party suppliers where necessary. All deliverables and produced material become property of the European Parliament according to the contract IP terms.

1. 1Organisation of events: face-to-face, hybrid, or fully online events, town-hall meetings, seminars, workshops, regional info tours, exhibitions, open-door activities, cultural events and large public-facing actions.
2. 2Organisation of communication campaigns: local media relations, social media activities, media plans and media buying.
3. 3Production of media and editorial content: videos, podcasts, photography, editorial projects, press releases, social media assets, graphic design and printing adaptations.
4. 4Logistics and on-site services: venue rental, technical equipment, interpretation, registration, catering, local staff support, security and transport.
5. 5Third-party supplier management: obtaining required estimates, subcontracting local suppliers, and providing reimbursement documentation.
6. 6Travel and accommodation arrangements for invited stakeholders and media: booking economy travel and hotels in Brussels, Strasbourg and other EU Member States where required.
7. 7Evaluation and reporting: KPI-based performance measurement, final report and media/press review after each order form.

The contractor must nominate a German-speaking contact person for day-to-day liaison with the EPLO in Austria. The EPLO retains operational responsibility and signs specific order forms; payments and contract signature are handled centrally by EP HQ in Brussels.

Selection, exclusion and minimum requirements

Tenderers must provide administrative, technical and financial evidence. Exclusion criteria follow Articles 138-143 of the Financial Regulation and the tender’s Annex III declaration on honour. The contracting authority may use EU legal-entity validation services and request supporting documents at any time.

Minimum financial capacity:Minimum yearly turnover of €500,000 for each of the last two years, including minimum €375,000 turnover in the area covered by the contract. Evidence: profit and loss accounts or tax declarations and Annex VII Financial Data Sheet.

Minimum technical and professional capacity:At least three years' experience in similar services. Proposed team must include at least one project manager (minimum 3 years proven experience in events organisation and communication consultancy) and two junior consultants/project assistants (minimum 1 year experience each). All team members must have excellent English (C1) and excellent written/spoken knowledge of the local language(s) used by the EPLO (German C1). Evidence: list of principal services, CVs of team members.

Award criteria and evaluation

Award is based on best price-quality ratio. Evaluation uses qualitative criteria weighted 70% and price criteria 30%. Tenders must achieve minimum pass marks per qualitative sub-criterion and at least 60/100 overall to be admitted to award stage.

1. 1Qualitative criteria (70% total, max 100 points): Quality of working methods, project management and allocation of resources (25 points, pass mark 13); Management of third-party suppliers (15 points, pass mark 8); Quality of environmental policies and methods (10 points, pass mark 5); Quality of proposed method to assess impact (10 points, pass mark 5); Quality of case studies (40 points, pass mark 20).
2. 2Price criterion (30%): price component calculated via weighting coefficients applied to hourly rates and price schedule entries. Total weighted price used for comparative evaluation only and is not contractually binding.

Price structure and reimbursements

Tenderers must complete the price schedule (Annex IX). The price schedule contains hourly rates for named profiles and a weighted price calculation for evaluation. Two categories in offer: A) direct contractor contribution via hourly rates (consultancy and support), B) reimbursement of third-party suppliers with a one-off management fee charged as a number of junior consultant hours per order value band. Third-party reimbursements require annexed supplier invoices and prior EP approval via order form. All prices must be exclusive of VAT and in euros. Travel and accommodation reimbursements follow EP staff allowance limits. The contract allows pre-financing of 30% for specific order forms above €15,000 upon contractor request.

Implementation, order process and reporting

Work is ordered by signed Specific Order Forms. Typical process:EPLO sends request; contractor submits draft offer within 14 calendar days; contractor obtains required number of estimates for third-party supplies depending on value (<= €15,000: 1-3 estimates; €15,001-60,000: 3 estimates; > €60,000: 5 estimates); order form is signed within ten calendar days after acceptance; contractor implements service, keeps EPLO informed, submits invoice and final report with timesheets and supporting supplier invoices for reimbursements. EP pays within 30 calendar days after receipt and acceptance.

Compliance, ethical and environmental obligations

Tenderers must comply with EU restrictive measures (Regulation 833/2014 and Council decisions) and declare compliance in Annex VIII. They must implement environmental minimum criteria for events (vegetarian options, no single-use plastics, fair-trade products, accessible locations by public transport, recycled paper for print materials, sustainable goodies), accessibility requirements (WCAG 2.1 AA for digital content, accessibility for venues), non-discrimination and equal opportunities policies, and data protection provisions in line with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725.

Application procedure and templates

Submission is electronic only via eSubmission on the Funding & Tenders Portal. Required administrative templates and annexes are published with the tender documents and must be completed or attached as specified. Key annexes provided include Annex I Technical Specifications, Annex III Declaration on Honour (exclusion and selection), Annex V Group of Economic Operators, Annex VI Declaration subcontractors, Annex VII Financial Data Sheet, Annex VIII Declaration Russia restrictive measures, Annex IX Price Schedule, Annex X Case Studies, Annex XI PEPPOL and F&T Portal registration guidance, Annex XII Electronic invoicing form, Annex XIII Annual Activity Report (information/reference). A Checklist for a complete tender is provided to structure submissions.

1. 1Administrative part: Annex III Declaration on Honour; Annex IV Financial identification; Annex VII Financial Data Sheet; Annex VIII restrictive measures declaration; Annex V (if joint tender); Annex VI (if subcontractors).
2. 2Technical part: documents addressing award criteria including management approach, third-party supplier mobilisation plan, environmental policies, evaluation methodology, equal opportunities policy, and the required case studies (Annex X).
3. 3Financial part: completed Annex IX Price Schedule, signed and dated.
4. 4Supporting evidence to be prepared and available on request: company registration extracts, audited financial statements or P&L, CVs of key staff, list of relevant services in the last three years, proofs of turnover in the relevant area.

Application stages:Single-stage tender submission. After opening, evaluators may request clarifications or missing documents but cannot substantially change a tender. Award decision follows evaluation and standstill period applies before contract signature.

Number of evaluation stages and success rate:Evaluation consists of administrative compliance checks, selection checks (exclusion and minimum capacity), and award evaluation (technical/qualitative scoring and price scoring). In practice this is a single submission evaluated through these sequential checks; applicants must pass all to be awarded. Success rates are not published; typical EU institutional framework tenders of this type are competitive with limited slots (maximum number of participants in framework: 1 winning contractor for this lot), implying a low final success probability depending on competition quality.

Risk, contractual conditions and IP

The draft framework contract sets detailed contractual terms including liability, penalties for delay or poor quality (flat-rate penalties up to 0.2% per day up to 20% of specific order value), termination clauses, invoicing and payment rules, insurance requirements, audits and checks, confidentiality, data protection obligations, security provisions, and intellectual property rules. All results and deliverables produced under the contract become property of the European Parliament; pre-existing rights must be declared and licensed on a royalty-free, non-exclusive, irrevocable basis. Contractors are responsible for clearing copyrights and image rights for materials produced.

Documents provided with the tender (selected list)

• Invitation letter (published 14/08/2026)
• Specifications NFWC and Annexes (full tender specifications)
• Annex I Technical Specifications (detailed tasks, green and accessibility criteria)
• Annex III Declaration on Honour (exclusion/selection)
• Annex V Group of Economic Operators
• Annex VI Declaration subcontractors
• Annex VII Financial Data Sheet
• Annex VIII Declaration Russia restrictive measures
• Annex IX Price Schedule (financial offer form)
• Annex X Case Studies
• Draft framework contract and draft specific order form
• Checklist for a complete tender

What the opportunity is about — summary and client expectations

This framework tender procures a single contractor to support the European Parliament Liaison Office in Austria in organising a wide variety of events, campaigns and content production activities to engage citizens, stakeholders and the media. The EP expects a service provider that can both deliver core communication tasks directly and efficiently manage third-party suppliers for locally required services. The provider must demonstrate strong project management, local networks, audiovisual and editorial production capacity, PR and media relations skills, accessibility and sustainability awareness, and the financial and organisational capacity to manage reimbursements and order-by-order budgeting. The contract is executed through specific order forms signed by the EPLO and central EP services; the contractor will invoice per order form and must deliver final reports and supporting evidence for reimbursements. Sustainability, political neutrality, compliance with restrictive measures, and rigorous data protection are mandatory elements of performance.

If awarded, the contractor will work under the terms of a standard EU framework contract which includes detailed IP assignment to the European Parliament, rigorous invoicing and audit rules, the possibility of pre-financing for orders above €15,000, and the application of penalties and performance controls. The contracting authority expects the supplier to maintain a German-speaking contact point, deliver on KPIs and evaluation methodologies, and to ensure accessibility and minimum green criteria for all activities.

Where to find the full documentation and submit:All procurement documents are published on the Funding & Tenders Portal. Electronic submission via eSubmission is mandatory: webgate.ec.europa.eu ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Tender details and all annexes are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: ec.europa.eu

This is an EU public procurement tender for a framework contract to support the European Parliament Liaison Office in Austria with the organisation of events and other communication and information activities. The official portal notice and tender documents are published under EP-COMM/2026/OP/0040¹.

What the contract covers

The contract is intended to provide technical and organisational support for the European Parliament Liaison Office in Austria, including activities in Vienna, regional locations, and in some cases cross-border events with neighbouring countries. The work covers event organisation, communication campaigns, editorial and media content production, logistical support, and the coordination of third-party suppliers.

• Organisation of seminars, workshops, roundtables, town hall meetings, regional events and similar activities
• Support for communication campaigns, strategic engagement and media relations
• Editorial projects and content production such as videos, podcasts, graphics and social media materials
• Booking and coordination of venues, catering, equipment, travel, accommodation and related logistics
• Management and reimbursement of third-party suppliers where the contractor does not deliver the service directly
• Evaluation, reporting and impact measurement after delivery of the services

Who can apply

Participation is open on equal terms to natural or legal persons and public entities established in an EU Member State, and to eligible entities from third countries that have a public procurement agreement with the EU granting access to this contract. Joint tenders are allowed, subcontracting is permitted, and tenderers may rely on the capacities of other entities if they can prove that the necessary resources will be available.

Selection criteria and minimum capacity requirements

Tenderers must also complete the declaration on honour, and before award the contracting authority may request documentary evidence on exclusion and selection criteria. The tenderer should be prepared to provide accounts, turnover evidence, CVs and service references within a short deadline.

Financial and contractual terms

This is a procurement contract, not a grant, so there is no funding rate or co-financing percentage. Pricing is based on hourly rates for direct services and a separate reimbursable mechanism for third-party services, with all prices quoted in euros and excluding VAT.

The framework contract is expected to run for an initial period of 12 months and may be renewed three times, reaching a maximum duration of 48 months. The total maximum contract value, including reimbursement of third-party services, is €2,000,000.

Evaluation and award

The award is based on the best price-quality ratio. Tenderers must achieve the minimum pass mark for each qualitative criterion and at least 60 points out of 100 overall to proceed in the evaluation.

The qualitative submission is limited to a maximum of 35 pages in total. The technical offer must also address accessibility, environmental performance, political neutrality, reporting methods and the proposed approach to third-party supplier management.

Submission and timeline

• TED publication date: 14 August 2026
• Deadline for questions: 18 September 2026 at 23:59 Brussels time
• Deadline for receipt of tenders: 28 September 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time
• Public opening: 29 September 2026 at 11:00 Brussels time
• Submission channel: electronic only via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal
• Tender validity period: 6 months

Practical requirements applicants should note

• Tenderers must submit all documents in the required electronic format and cannot submit by email or post
• Tenderers must comply with restrictive measures, including Russia-related restrictions, and submit Annex VIII
• Variants are not permitted
• Subcontractors and consortium members may be asked to demonstrate exclusion and selection compliance
• The contractor must respect accessibility requirements, including accessible venues, captions or subtitles for video content, and WCAG 2.1 AA for digital content
• The contractor must follow the minimum green criteria, including reusable or recycled materials, fair-trade coffee and tea, and a preference for public transport access

Footnotes

1. 1Official tender notice and documents are available on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal at Tender details.