Support to Detailed Urban Planning and Social Housing for Roma

Tender Support to Detailed Urban Planning and Social Housing for Roma, procedure identifier EC-ENEST/SKP/2026/EA-RP/0049, is a restricted EU procurement to develop detailed urban plans and procurement-ready documentation to promote legal housing rights of Roma communities in North Macedonia. The estimated contract value is €2,500,000 with a planned duration of 30 months and award criteria weighted eighty percent quality and twenty percent price. The procedure is open to qualified consulting firms, consortia and service providers with expertise in urban planning, social housing, legal land and tenure issues, procurement documentation and community engagement. Submissions must be made electronically via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal by 31 August 2026 at 16:00 Europe Skopje time and the procurement documents specify the contact roma.team@coe.int for questions.

Who can apply

Eligibility summary

Open procurement tender led by the European Commission on behalf of North Macedonia. Suitable applicants are service providers or consortia with capacity in urban planning, social housing, public procurement documentation and rights-based community engagement. SME suitability is marked false; expect requirements addressing selection criteria and quality/price award weighting.

What is funded:Preparation and delivery of detailed urban plans and procurement documentation to promote legal housing rights and social housing improvements for Roma communities in North Macedonia ¹

Indicative budget:Estimated overall contract value €2,500,000 ¹

1. 1Deadlines: initial notice 2026-01-01 and main submission 31 August 2026, 16:00:59 (CEST)
2. 2Contract duration: planned 30 months
3. 3Geographical scope: North Macedonia
4. 4Procurement type: services contract, open e-submission procedure, quality 80% / price 20% award weighting

Interested bidders must consult the procurement documents and submit electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by the deadline ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Tender details and full procurement documents available at Tender page.

Basic opportunity facts

Title:Support to Detailed Urban Planning and Social Housing for Roma. Reference / Call Identifier: EC-ENEST/SKP/2026/EA-RP/0049. Type: Public procurement (service contract / tender). Lead contracting authority: European Union, represented by the European Commission on behalf of and for the account of North Macedonia. Benefitting zone / Project country: North Macedonia. Estimated overall contract value: €2,500,000. Planned contract duration: 30 months. Main CPV codes: 71621000 (Architectural, engineering and inspection services), 71410000 (Urban planning services), 75111200 (Project management), 85300000 (Legal services).

Official publication and access:Opportunity published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and detailed procurement documents are available through the portal access link for this tender Tender details page ¹.

Purpose and scope of the contract

Objective:Improve the respect of human rights by promoting the legal housing rights of the Roma people in North Macedonia. Scope of services to be contracted: development of detailed urban plans for targeted settlements; preparation of procurement documentation for subsequent improvement works (design-to-procurement package); technical, legal and administrative inputs required to enable follow-up works; project management and coordination with local stakeholders; provision of relevant studies, surveys and any legal/administrative assessments required to secure legal housing rights and planning compliance.

Key deliverables expected:Detailed urban plans for targeted Roma settlements; complete procurement-ready technical specifications, bills of quantities and tender documents for improvement works; supporting studies (e.g., land and legal status assessments, socio-economic impact notes, environmental screening as required); stakeholder consultation records; final implementation-ready documentation and guidance to contracting authority for launching works contracts.

1. 1Develop detailed urban planning documents and maps for specified settlements.
2. 2Prepare procurement documentation (technical specifications, tender dossiers, BoQ, evaluation methodologies) for works contracts.
3. 3Conduct necessary legal reviews regarding land/title/tenure to promote legal housing rights.
4. 4Engage with stakeholders including local authorities and Roma communities; document consultations.
5. 5Provide project management, reporting and coordination support during the contract period.

Eligibility and applicants

Eligible applicant types:Legal entities capable of performing public contracts for services. This typically includes private companies (large enterprises), consultancies, architectural and engineering firms, multidisciplinary consortia of firms, research or technical institutes, non-governmental organisations with relevant technical capacity, and public entities where admissible under procurement rules. The notice flags SME suitability as false, indicating the nature/size of the contract is not aimed specifically at SMEs.

Geographical eligibility / Beneficiary scope:The contract is for activities benefitting North Macedonia. The lead contracting authority is the European Commission for the account of North Macedonia. Economic operators from EU Member States and other countries permitted under the procurement rules of the contracting authority (commonly EU and eligible international bidders under the portal/procurement notice) can normally participate; bidders must check the procurement documents for any explicit nationality or local presence requirements.

Consortium requirement:Consortia are normally permitted for this type of service contract; the procurement documents include tenderer qualification requests and selection criteria. The published metadata does not force a single-entity requirement, so bidders may form consortia or joint ventures to meet capability and qualification requirements. Bidders should consult the published procurement documents for specific rules on lead partner, liability and subcontracting.

Financial and contractual terms

Funding type:Public procurement — service contract. The contracting authority will pay the contractor under the contract; this is not a grant, loan or subsidy. Estimated total contract value: €2,500,000 (currency EUR). Contract duration: 30 months as indicated in the procurement metadata. Payment and ordering: the project metadata indicates electronic order and payment usage, and normal public procurement payment terms will apply as set out in the contract documents.

Co-funding requirement:No co-funding from applicants is indicated. This is a fee-based service contract where the successful bidder receives contract payments. The procurement notice does not request or require co-financing by the contractor; bidders must price their offers to cover costs and expected profit within the tender price structure.

Application and evaluation

Submission method:Mandatory electronic submission (ESUBMISSION) via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission facility. Application type: Open tender with published invitation to submit a request to participate and procurement documents. Official documents include an Invitation to submit a request to participate and an additional information contract notice published on 2026-07-17. Bidders must register and use the Funding & Tenders Portal tools to access documents and submit.

1. 1Call published and documents available on the portal (Invitation to submit a request to participate and additional information document).
2. 2Deadline for submission of requests to participate / tenders: 31 August 2026 at 16:00:59 (Europe/Skopje timezone).
3. 3Electronic submission via the portal is required; no paper bids.
4. 4Award criteria: Quality (80 percent weight) and Price (20 percent weight) as indicated in metadata; bidders must address quality extensively in the technical proposal and ensure competitive pricing.

Application stages:The metadata indicates a single-stage open tender process where participants submit their proposals by the stated deadline (one formal submission round). There is an Invitation to submit a request to participate document and the usual post-submission evaluation and award steps will follow procurement rules.

Evaluation and selection criteria:Awarding criteria and weighting in the procurement metadata: Quality 80 and Price 20. The procurement notice instructs bidders to consult the procurement documents for full details on quality sub-criteria, required evidence, and the exact scoring methodology. Selection / qualification criteria are specified in the procurement documents and will include proof of professional, technical and financial capacity; references for similar assignments; key staff CVs; legal and administrative documentation.

Project stage and expected activities

Project maturity required:Implementation stage focused on design and preparation work: development of detailed urban plans and preparation of procurement documentation for works. Expected activities correspond to development, validation and demonstration readiness: urban design, technical studies, legal land/tenure assessments, stakeholder engagement, and production of procurement-ready documentation enabling the contracting authority to launch works contracts.

Administrative and technical requirements (from procurement metadata)

Procurement documents and tender dossiers include:Invitation to submit a request to participate, additional information contract notice (document a5f_additional_information_contract_notice_en urban settlement_V1.pdf), and the full set of procurement and selection documents accessible in the portal. The tendering terms include tenderer qualification requests and specific tenderer requirements referenced in the procurement documents. Bidders must provide administrative forms, proof of legal status, financial statements or capacity evidence, professional liability and insurance information as required, CVs and proven experience of proposed key experts, and references for similar projects.

1. 1Administrative documentation: legal entity registration, power of attorney, VAT/Tax information as required.
2. 2Financial capacity: statements or turnover evidence per procurement document thresholds.
3. 3Technical capacity: references for similar urban planning and procurement preparation assignments; evidence of past projects in social housing, community planning, or Roma inclusion is highly relevant.
4. 4Key experts: CVs and declarations of availability for lead planner, urban designer, civil/structural engineer, legal specialist (land/tenure), procurement specialist, community engagement specialist, project manager.
5. 5Quality proposal: methodology, workplan, risk management, stakeholder engagement plan and detailed schedule for the 30-month duration.

Deadlines, timelines and milestones

Critical dates:Call publication date in metadata: 17 July 2026. Submission deadline (final): 31 August 2026 at 16:00:59 (Europe/Skopje timezone). Start date indicated in procurement metadata: 17 July 2026 (this is the procurement start/publishing date); contract duration: 30 months from effective contract start as defined in the contract. Note: the scraped metadata also contained a 2026-01-01 timestamp likely erroneous; bidders must rely on the official procurement documents and the portal deadline 31 August 2026.

Scoring, success rates and co-funding

Scoring:Quality 80% and Price 20% according to procurement metadata. Success rates: Not provided in published procurement metadata. As a competitive public tender for a single contract, success rate depends on the number and quality of bids; exact historic success rates are not available here. Co-funding: Not required; this is a paid service contract (contractor receives payment for deliverables).

Application templates and structure

Templates and structured forms:The portal provides standard eSubmission forms and the procurement-specific tender dossier attachments. The metadata references an Invitation to submit a request to participate document and an additional information PDF. Bidders should expect and prepare the following sections and documents (check portal for official templates):

1. 1Administrative offer: completed eForms covering identification, legal status, exclusion and selection declarations.
2. 2Technical offer: Methodology and approach, workplan, detailed tasks and schedule, staffing plan with CVs and statements of availability, quality assurance and stakeholder engagement approach, examples/references of similar projects.
3. 3Financial offer: Lump-sum or priced breakdown as requested in tender documents, BoQ if applicable, and any required cost breakdowns per activity or expert.
4. 4Supporting documents: company profile, certificates, references, audited accounts or financial statements, proof of insurances, consortium agreements or power of attorney if bidding in a joint venture.
5. 5Signed declarations and forms as required by the procurement dossier (non-collusion, data protection, confidentiality and acceptance of contract terms).

The portal eSubmission tool contains the official forms and file upload fields; bidders must use the portal for submission and adhere to the format and page/annex limits defined in the procurement documents.

Risks, priorities and recommended bidder profile

Risks:complexity of land and legal tenure issues in informal settlements; community engagement sensitivity; need to align urban plans with local regulations and environmental requirements. Priority actions: robust legal assessments, participatory planning with Roma communities, clear procurement-ready design documentation to accelerate follow-up works, and strong project management to coordinate stakeholders.

• Recommended bidder profile: multidisciplinary team with urban planning, civil engineering, legal (land/tenure), procurement specialists and community engagement experts.
• Experience: prior work on social housing, informal settlements upgrading, Roma inclusion programmes, or donor-financed infrastructure projects is highly valued.
• Capacity: ability to mobilise key experts and produce procurement-ready documents within prescribed timelines.

Summarised answers to the categorisation questions

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: Legal entities capable of public service contracts: large enterprises, consultancies, architecture/engineering firms, research/technical institutes, NGOs with technical capacity, consortia / joint ventures. SMEs not specifically targeted (smeSuitableIndicator=false).
2. 2Funding Type: Public procurement — service contract (paid contract), not a grant or loan.
3. 3Consortium Requirement: Not strictly single-entity; consortia/joint ventures are permitted and commonly used. Procurement documents should be checked for explicit consortium rules.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Project benefits North Macedonia. Bidders: economic operators eligible under the EU/contracting authority procurement rules (typically EU and other eligible countries); consult procurement dossier for nationality/local presence conditions.
5. 5Target Sector: Urban planning, social housing, human rights / inclusion, public works preparatory services; thematic sectors include urban development, social inclusion, housing, legal/land tenure, community engagement.
6. 6Mentioned Countries: North Macedonia (explicit); contracting authority: European Commission / European Union (on behalf of North Macedonia).
7. 7Project Stage: Development and preparatory stage (detailed planning, preparation of procurement documentation) — development / validation / demonstration readiness for follow-on works.
8. 8Funding Amount: Estimated overall contract amount €2,500,000.
9. 9Application Type: Open tender via eSubmission on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (official procurement call).
10. 10Nature of Support: Money (contract payments to a service provider); the contract supplies professional services and deliverables in return for payment.
11. 11Application Stages: Single-stage tender submission (one formal submission followed by evaluation and award); standard procurement post-submission steps apply (evaluation, possible clarifications, award).
12. 12Success Rates: Not specified in the procurement metadata; dependent on number and quality of bids (no historical rate provided).
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: No co-funding required from bidders; contractors are remunerated by the contracting authority under the service contract.
14. 14Templates: Official eSubmission forms and tender dossier attachments available on the portal. Expected structure: administrative eForms, technical offer (methodology/workplan/CVs), financial offer (priced proposal), and supporting documents (legal, financial, references). Detailed templates and requirements are in the Invitation to submit a request to participate and procurement documents on the portal.

How to proceed:Interested bidders should immediately consult the procurement dossier on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, download the Invitation to submit a request to participate and additional information documents, register on the portal if not already registered, prepare the technical and financial proposals in line with the 80/20 quality/price weighting, ensure key experts and supporting documents are ready, and submit via the portal before 31 August 2026 at 16:00:59 (Europe/Skopje timezone).

Final summary:This is a procurement opportunity financed and managed under EU instruments for North Macedonia to secure professional services that will produce detailed urban plans and procurement-ready documentation aimed at improving legal housing rights of Roma communities. The contract is sizeable (€2.5 million), runs for approximately 30 months, and requires a multidisciplinary technical team with experience in urban planning, legal land/tenure issues, community engagement and procurement document preparation. Bidders must submit electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal and follow the procurement dossier guidance for qualification, technical proposal, and pricing. The award will be based primarily on quality (80) with price (20) as a secondary factor, so comprehensive technical proposals and evidenced experience are essential.

Footnotes

1. 1Tender details and procurement documents are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal at the official tender page: ec.europa.eu

Opportunity Overview

This is a restricted EU tender for consulting services aimed at improving the human rights of Roma people by promoting their legal housing rights through detailed urban planning and procurement documentation preparation [[1]]. The contract has an estimated total value of €2,500,000 and falls under the category of consulting services for urban planning and social housing [[1]].

Procedure Identifier:EC-ENEST/SKP/2026/EA-RP/0049 [[1]].

Contract Nature:Services (Consulting) [[1]].

Key Deadlines

1. 1First deadline: January 1, 2026 at 14:00 UTC
2. 2Second deadline: August 31, 2026 at 16:00 UTC

Who Can Apply

This is a restricted procedure open to qualified consulting firms and service providers with expertise in urban planning, social housing, and Roma integration [[1]]. Applicants must demonstrate capacity to develop detailed urban plans and prepare procurement documentation for housing improvement works [[1]].

Scope of Work

1. 1Develop detailed urban plans (DUP) for areas where Roma communities live
2. 2Prepare procurement documentation for subsequent housing improvement works
3. 3Promote legal housing rights of the Roma people
4. 4Improve respect for human rights through housing rights promotion

Funding Details

Context and Strategic Alignment

This tender aligns with the Roma Integration III Joint Programme of the European Union and Council of Europe, which strengthens government capacities in the Western Balkans and Türkiye to address Roma community challenges [[5]]. The initiative focuses on public policy development in housing, employment, education, and other areas [[5]].

Strategic Objectives:The project supports adoption of General Urban Plans (GUP) and Detailed Urban Plans (DUP) in Roma settlement areas, resolving property rights issues, and improving housing conditions with access to services [[2]].

Application Process

Tenders must be submitted through the official EU Funding & Tenders Portal using the procedure identifier EC-ENEST/SKP/2026/EA-RP/0049 [[1]]. For questions regarding this tender, contact roma.team@coe.int at least one week before the submission deadline [[4]].

Official Portal:EU Funding Portal

Footnotes

1. 1Official tender details available at Development Aid