Support implementation of the Smart Specialisation Strategy

Restricted EU tender EC-ENEST/SKP/2026/EA-RP/0012 under IPA III seeks service providers to support implementation of North Macedonia's Smart Specialisation Strategy, including S3 management and information systems, SME digital and green transition measures, academia–industry mobility schemes, promotion of EU research and innovation programmes, and upgrading the Point of Single Contact. The estimated contract value is €2,800,000 for a fee-based services contract with a maximum duration of 36 months and performance in North Macedonia, to be awarded on the best price-quality ratio. Requests to participate must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by 14 April 2026 14:00 Europe/Skopje, and eligibility follows IPA III/PRAG rules with strict selection criteria on turnover, current ratio, professional staffing and technical references (two completed contracts ≥ €1,000,000 in relevant public-sector capacity building).

Opportunity type

EU tender (restricted procedure) for service contract

What it funds:set up of a management and information system and stakeholder coordination for Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3); design and delivery of support measures for SME digital and green transition, academia-industry mobility, promotion of EU research and innovation programmes, capacity building of national stakeholders, and upgrade of the Point of Single Contact for services in North Macedonia.

Estimated contract value:€2 800 000 (fee-based, Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance) ¹

1. 1Who can apply: natural persons and legal entities effectively established in EU Member States or eligible IPA countries; international and regional organisations may participate; consortia allowed (joint and several liability).
2. 2Key dates: publication 12/02/2026; deadline to submit request to participate 14/04/2026 14:00 (Europe/Skopje); provisional invitation to tender May/June 2026; expected contract start Nov/Dec 2026.
3. 3Contract details: maximum duration 36 months; place of performance North Macedonia; award by best price-quality ratio; restricted shortlist 4 to 8 candidates invited to tender.

How to apply:submit a request to participate via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission system using the standard request to participate form and declarations; PIC registration required. See procurement documents and Q&A on the portal for clarifications.

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement notice and documents available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: F&T Portal.

This is an EU external action service contract financed under IPA III to support the Republic of North Macedonia in implementing its Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3). The restricted procedure seeks qualified service providers to deliver technical assistance on S3 governance systems, SME-oriented innovation measures, EU programme participation, and alignment with EU services policy, including upgrading the Point of Single Contact. Procedure identifier: EC-ENEST/SKP/2026/EA-RP/0012. TED reference: 101670-2026. Estimated total value: €2,800,000. Contracting authority: European Union, represented by the European Commission, on behalf of and for the account of North Macedonia. Place of performance: North Macedonia. Maximum duration: 36 months. Award method: best price-quality ratio. Submission is electronic via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Key Facts

Scope of Work and Technical Focus

• Set up a management and information system for S3 implementation and integrated stakeholder coordination.
• Design and implement support measures for technological and practice-based innovation deriving from S3, including: support to SMEs for digital and green transition; mobility schemes between academia and industry to enable highly qualified young researchers and professionals to transfer know-how into production environments.
• Promote EU programmes relevant to S3, the European Research Area and the European Innovation Area, and strengthen the capacity of national stakeholders (SMEs, academic institutions, business support organisations, etc.) to increase participation in Union programmes.
• Strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Economy and Labour and other public bodies to understand and adopt EU policy and legislation in the area of services; support the transposition process and upgrade the Point of Single Contact for services to ensure continuous functionality and full online access for service providers to information and administrative services.

Eligibility, Nationality Rules, and Applicant Profiles

Participation is governed by IPA III. Eligible participants are natural persons who are nationals of, and legal persons effectively established in, an EU Member State or another eligible country/territory as defined under Article 11 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1529 (IPA III). International and regional organisations may also participate. The contracting authority has clarified that United Kingdom entities are not eligible; entities established in Georgia are not eligible. Subcontractors must meet the same eligibility and nationality rules and must not be subject to EU restrictive measures. Technical capacity references must come from projects implemented in an EU Member State or an IPA country; references from Moldova are not eligible for this criterion because Moldova is not an IPA country.

• Single tenderers or consortia are allowed. All consortium members are jointly and severally liable.
• Short-listed candidates may not form alliances or subcontract to each other for this contract unless prior approval is obtained.
• Only one request to participate is permitted per economic operator (as single entity or as part of one consortium).

Selection and Award Criteria

Economic and financial capacity (last three closed financial years)

• Average annual turnover: at least €1,500,000.
• Current ratio (current assets/current liabilities) in the last closed year: at least 1. For consortia, each member must meet this ratio.
• Public bodies must provide equivalent information.

Professional capacity (last 3 years before the submission deadline)

• On average at least 3 personnel directly employed or otherwise legally contracted (permanent or non-permanent) in areas of specialist knowledge related to the contract.
• Absence of professional conflicting interests that may adversely affect contract performance (to be declared via Declarations on Honour).

Technical capacity (during the last 4 years before the submission deadline)

• At least 2 contracts under which services were completed at any moment during the last four years.
• For each reference contract: value of completed services not less than €1,000,000.
• The completed services must be in the domain of capacity building of a public body, in an EU or an IPA country, to design policy and/or measures in private sector development.
• Only the parts completed during the reference period count, and must be evidenced (e.g. approved deliverables, proof of payment, certificates). For consortium references, the candidate’s completed share must be made clear.
• References that are solely about supporting the implementation of a strategy do not meet the criterion; the references must cover capacity building to design policy and/or measures in private sector development.
• References from grant contracts are not eligible as per the standard request to participate form (footnote 16).
• Cascade framework contracts with reopening of competition cannot be presented as a single reference by cumulating specific contracts; such cumulation renders the reference ineligible.

Shortlisting and award

• Between 4 and 8 candidates will be invited to submit tenders. If fewer than 4 eligible candidates meet the criteria, those that do may be invited. If more than 8 meet the criteria, tie-breakers are applied:
• Additional comparative criteria for ranking: 1) highest number of qualifying contracts; 2) highest cumulative value of qualifying services (applied only to resolve ties for the 8th position).
• Award criterion: best price-quality ratio.

Procedure, Timeline, and Submission

• Procedure type: Restricted procedure with two stages: 1) Request to participate; 2) Invitation to tender for short-listed candidates.
• Deadline for receipt of requests to participate: 14/04/2026, 14:00 Europe/Skopje.
• TED publication date: 12/02/2026.
• Provisional date of invitation to tender: May/June 2026.
• Provisional commencement of contract: November/December 2026.
• Period of implementation of tasks: 36 months.
• Language of the procedure and contract: English.
• Electronic submission only via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. A Participant Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for each candidate and for each consortium member.

Submission resources and templates:Request to participate must use the official request to participate form and be accompanied by a Declaration on Honour on exclusion and selection criteria. Access via EU External Action Wiki Annexes (EU Login with double authentication required): Request to participate and Declaration on Honour templates Annexes (EU External Action Wiki). Portal entry point: EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Contracting and Administrative Provisions

• Nature of contract: Fee-based service contract.
• Financing: Budget line 15.020201 under IPA III. Programming: EU for Economic Cohesion – AAP 2024 for North Macedonia, Window 4.
• Subcontracting is allowed; subcontractors must meet eligibility/nationality rules and not fall under exclusion or EU restrictive measures.
• Grounds for exclusion: candidates must submit a signed Declaration on Honour confirming they are not in situations listed in PRAG Section 2.4.2.1; capacity-providing entities and subcontractors must also submit such declarations.
• Capacity-providing entities: allowed; must meet the same eligibility and nationality rules and the relevant selection criteria for which their capacity is relied upon. For economic/financial criteria, such entities become jointly and severally liable.
• Short-listed candidates may not form alliances or subcontract to each other for the contract without prior approval.
• All financial figures in the request to participate must be in EUR; currency conversions must use the InforEuro exchange rate of February 2026.

Documents and Official Clarifications

• Additional information to the Contract Notice: key legal basis, eligibility, selection criteria, and submission rules. Additional information CN (PDF)
• Clarifications no. 1: clarifies technical capacity country scope strictly includes EU Member States for “EU country”; UK entities are not eligible; references must cover design of policy/measures, not only implementation. Clarifications no1 (PDF)
• Clarifications no. 2: confirms technical capacity geography remains EU or IPA; subcontractors must meet eligibility/nationality; Moldova references are not eligible; defines “public body”; references from grants are not eligible. Clarifications no2 (PDF)
• Clarifications no. 3: provides working links to templates via EU Login; confirms entities established in Georgia are not eligible; framework contracts with reopening of competition cannot be cumulated into a single technical reference. Clarifications no3 (PDF)
• Official TED notice overview: TED Notice 101670-2026

Categorisation Answers (Structured Extraction)

Eligible Applicant Types:Eligible applicants are economic operators that are natural persons (consultants) or legal persons effectively established in eligible countries, including private companies (SMEs and large enterprises), universities, research institutes, nonprofit organisations, NGOs, business support organisations, international or regional organisations, and public bodies. Consortia of such entities are allowed; all consortium members share joint and several liability. Subcontractors are allowed but must meet eligibility and nationality rules.

Funding Type:Procurement — service contract (fee-based). Not a grant, loan, or equity. Contractor is paid for services rendered under the contract.

Consortium Requirement:Consortium optional. Single applicants or consortia may apply. If shortlisted, the composition must remain consistent unless prior approval is granted; short-listed candidates may not form alliances or subcontract to each other for this contract without approval.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Eligible nationality and establishment per IPA III Article 11: EU Member States; IPA III beneficiary countries; contracting parties to the EEA Agreement; and as set in the notice under IPA III rules. Clarifications explicitly state that UK-based entities are not eligible and entities established in Georgia are not eligible. Subcontractors must satisfy the same eligibility rules. For technical capacity references, only contracts in EU Member States or IPA countries are acceptable.

Target Sector:Innovation policy and governance; private sector development; SME competitiveness; digital transition; green transition; research and innovation systems; academia–industry mobility and knowledge transfer; EU programmes participation (ERA and European Innovation Area); public administration and services policy alignment; e-government and Points of Single Contact. Cross-cutting themes: ICT, environment/cleantech, entrepreneurship, education–research linkages, industrial policy.

Mentioned Countries:North Macedonia; United Kingdom; Moldova; Georgia; Norway; Switzerland; European Union Member States; IPA countries; EEA contracting parties. Note: Norway and Switzerland were mentioned in a clarification question; eligibility was confirmed strictly for EU Member States under the technical capacity geography, and the UK and Georgia were explicitly deemed ineligible.

Project Stage:Implementation-focused technical assistance and capacity building. Activities include systems setup, policy design support, measure design and delivery, institutional strengthening, and compliance/transposition support. Not research or demonstration funding; it is service delivery and institutional development.

Funding Amount:Estimated total contract value is €2,800,000. Single fee-based services contract, maximum duration 36 months.

Application Type:Restricted procedure. Stage 1: request to participate via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Stage 2: invitation to tender for 4–8 shortlisted candidates. Electronic submission only.

Nature of Support:Money. Payments for contracted services under a fee-based contract. No sub-granting to third parties described.

Application Stages:2 stages. 1) Request to participate and shortlisting; 2) Invitation to tender and award based on best price-quality ratio.

Success Rates:Not specified. The procedure foresees shortlisting of between 4 and 8 candidates who meet the selection criteria; no quantitative success rate is provided.

Co-funding Requirement:No co-funding required. This is a procurement contract fully financed under IPA III; contractors are remunerated for services. Standard financial guarantees and contractual obligations may apply as per PRAG, but no cost-sharing is indicated.

Templates:Applicants must use the official Request to Participate form and the Declaration on Honour on exclusion and selection criteria. Access requires EU Login with double authentication. Template access: EU External Action Wiki Annexes Annexes (EU External Action Wiki). Submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal requires PIC registration for each participant. Outline for the Request to Participate typically includes: 1) Identification of the candidate/consortium and PICs; 2) Exclusion criteria declarations; 3) Economic and financial capacity (turnover; current ratio); 4) Professional capacity (staffing and relevant expertise); 5) Technical capacity (project references meeting value, period, geography, and thematic scope with evidence); 6) Statements on capacity-providing entities (if any) with commitments; 7) Subcontracting intentions; 8) Contact details and authorised signatures. Upload instructions: request form and related declarations under “Other documents”; Declaration on Honour under “Declaration on Honour” in the portal.

Practical Notes for Applicants

• Register or reuse your organisation’s PIC before submission. Participant Register
• Ensure all references meet the strict technical capacity tests: €1,000,000 minimum value per contract; in EU or IPA country; capacity building of a public body to design policy/measures in private sector development; and within the last four years window.
• Do not present grant-funded projects as references; they are ineligible as references for technical capacity.
• Do not aggregate specific contracts under a cascade framework contract to create a single reference; such cumulation will be rejected.
• Subcontractors must meet eligibility/nationality and must not be under EU restrictive measures.
• Maintain consortium composition between request to participate and tender, unless prior approval is obtained.
• All communications and submissions are electronic; follow the system requirements for eSubmission and file size/format constraints on the portal.

Long Summary

This restricted tender finances a fee-based technical assistance contract to help North Macedonia implement its Smart Specialisation Strategy over 36 months. The contractor will establish S3 management and information systems, design and roll out innovation support measures with a focus on SME digital and green transitions, run academia–industry mobility schemes to embed research talent in production settings, strengthen national stakeholders’ capacity to join EU innovation and research programmes, and support alignment with EU services policy by upgrading the Point of Single Contact for fully online access. The procedure is funded by IPA III under the EU for Economic Cohesion 2024 action and is managed by the EU on behalf of North Macedonia. Applicants must pass strict selection criteria: adequate turnover and liquidity, relevant professional staffing, and two large references in the last four years from EU or IPA countries demonstrating capacity building of public bodies to design policies/measures in private sector development, each worth at least €1 million. References from grants, pure implementation support without design components, and cumulated framework-contract call-offs are not admissible. Eligibility follows IPA III rules; the contracting authority has confirmed that UK- and Georgia-based entities are not eligible, and subcontractors must meet the same eligibility and non-restrictive-measures requirements. The process involves an initial request to participate leading to a shortlist of 4–8 candidates, followed by an invitation to tender with award on best price-quality ratio. Submission is electronic via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, using the official request forms and declarations, with PIC registration required for all participants. Overall, the opportunity is tailored to experienced consortia or firms with strong public-sector policy design capacity in innovation and private sector development, and with proven delivery in EU or IPA contexts.

Opportunity Overview

This is a restricted tender procedure (EC-ENEST/SKP/2026/EA-RP/0012) under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III), funded through the EU for Economic Cohesion Annual Action Plan 2024 for North Macedonia, Window 4: Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth, Thematic Priority 2: Private sector development, trade, research and innovation. The estimated total value is €2,800,000 for services related to research and development consultancy (CPV 73000000). The contract duration is up to 36 months, with performance in North Macedonia.

The project aims to:set up a management and information system for Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3) implementation and stakeholder coordination; support design and implementation of measures for technological and practice-based innovation from S3, including digital and green transition of SMEs and academia-industry mobility schemes; promote EU programmes targeting S3, European Research Area, and European Innovation Area while building stakeholder capacity (SMEs, academia, business support organisations) to increase participation; strengthen capacity of the Ministry of Economy and Labour and public bodies to adopt EU services policy, support transposition, and upgrade the Point of Single Contact for full online access.

Key Dates and Submission

TED Publication:12 February 2026.

Deadline for Requests to Participate:14 April 2026, 14:00 Europe/Skopje. Electronic submission via EU Funding & Tenders Portal is mandatory. Provisional invitation to tender: May/June 2026; contract start: November/December 2026.

Requests must use the standard form and Declaration on Honour on Exclusion and Selection Criteria, available at Annexes (requires EU Login). Register for PIC in Participant Register. Language: English. Up to 4-8 shortlisted candidates invited to tender.

Eligibility and Who Can Apply

Open to natural persons who are nationals of, and legal persons effectively established in, EU Member States, IPA III beneficiaries (per Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2021/1529), EEA countries, or countries in Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2021/947. International and regional organisations also eligible. Consortia allowed (jointly and severally liable); no more than one request per entity. UK, Georgia, Moldova-based entities ineligible (whole consortium excluded if ineligible member). Subcontractors must meet same eligibility/nationality rules and not be subject to EU restrictive measures.

Selection Criteria

Economic and Financial Capacity (last 3 years)

• Average annual turnover >= €1.5 million.
• Current ratio (current assets/current liabilities) >= 1 (each consortium member). Public bodies provide equivalent info.

Professional Capacity (last 3 years)

• Average of at least 3 personnel in relevant specialist areas.
• No professional conflicting interests.

Technical Capacity (last 4 years)

• At least 2 completed contracts, each >= €1 million value, for capacity building of a public body (government-created/funded/controlled entity) in an EU Member State or IPA country to design policy/measures in private sector development. Only completed parts within period count; no grants, no strategy implementation (design only), no cascade framework contracts as single reference, no non-IPA like Moldova. Documentary evidence required.

Capacity-providing entities must meet eligibility and criteria relied upon (jointly liable for financial). Selection criteria not applied to natural persons/single-member companies as subcontractors. If >8 eligible, ranked by number then value of qualifying contracts. Grounds for exclusion per PRAG Section 2.4.2.1; declaration required.

Award Criteria and Contract Details

Best price-quality ratio. Fee-based services contract. Shortlisted cannot change composition or subcontract each other without approval.

Key Documents and Clarifications

• Additional Information CN (main procurement doc).
• Clarifications no1, no2, no3 (address eligibility, technical refs, public body definition, subcontractors, etc.).
• All available for download via EU F&T Portal. Check Q&A section regularly.

Financial data in EUR (use February 2026 InforEuro rates). Contracting authority:European Commission for North Macedonia.

Additional Applicant Notes

Restricted procedure:first submit request to participate; only shortlisted proceed to full tender. Monitor portal for updates/clarifications (submit questions via Q&A, min 21 days before deadline). PIC validation may be requested. No alliances among shortlisted.

Footnotes

1. 1Based on official EU F&T Portal documents: Additional Information CN, Clarifications 1-3.