Support to Dialogue in the Euro-Mediterranean Region and the Gulf

This is an EU restricted tender (EC-MENA/2026/EA-RP/0018) managed by the European Commission DG MENA to procure services for facilitating institutional dialogue in the Euro-Mediterranean region and the Gulf through conferences, seminars, meetings and related activities. The estimated contract value is €2,000,000 for an initial 36-month implementation period (renewable) and the procedure is published on the Funding & Tenders Portal with a main submission deadline of 25 August 2026. Eligible bidders include natural and legal persons, consortia and international organisations established in EU Member States or other eligible countries, and selection requirements include demonstrated regional project experience and minimum financial capacity (e.g., average turnover and current ratio thresholds as set out in the annex). Tender documentation, templates and eSubmission are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal and applicants must follow the published procurement dossier for full eligibility, selection and award criteria.

Opportunity type

Procurement (call for tenders)

Purpose:Contract to facilitate institutional dialogue across the MENA region through organisation of conferences, seminars, meetings and related activities under the Pact for the Mediterranean, the Union for the Mediterranean or similar dialogue platforms.

What it funds:Service contract covering design, organisation and logistical management of regional dialogue events and associated communication and coordination activities.

Who can apply:Professional service providers and contractor consortia experienced in international event management, stakeholder coordination and regional dialogue programmes (open tender via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal). SMEs suitability: flagged as not SME-suitable.

1. 1Estimated total value: €2,000,000 (procurement-wide estimate)
2. 2Planned duration: 54 months in total; initial contract 36 months with one possible renewal
3. 3Main CPV: 79952000 (conference, fair and event organisation services)

How to apply:Respond to the tender on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. See the procurement notice and invitation documents for selection and award criteria, contract draft and submission instructions Tender details. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement documents (Invitation to submit a request to participate, contract draft, annexes) are published on the Funding & Tenders Portal; consult them for eligibility, award criteria (quality 80% / price 20%), and full timelines.

Basic Opportunity Data

Opportunity Title:Support to Dialogue in the Euro-Mediterranean Region and the Gulf. Reference / Call Identifier: EC-MENA/2026/EA-RP/0018. Procurement type: Services contract (CPV 79952000). Lead contracting authority: European Commission, MENA.A - North Africa. Estimated overall contract value: €2,000,000. Planned total duration: 54 months. Contract initial duration: 36 months, renewable once (one renewal).

Deadlines:Two important dates appear in the notice: a submission/administrative date listed as 2026-01-01T14:00:59.000Z (appears in metadata) and the explicit tender submission deadline for interested participants of 25 August 2026 at 16:00:59 (Europe/Brussels timezone). The formal final deadline published is 2026-08-25T16:00:59+00:00 / Two-stage deadline 2026-08-25T16:00:59Z.

Objective and Scope

Overall objective:Facilitate institutional dialogue in the MENA region (Mediterranean and the Gulf). Activities to be delivered include organisation and logistical support for conferences, seminars, meetings and other dialogue-related activities implemented within the framework of the Pact for the Mediterranean, the Union for the Mediterranean or other relevant regional dialogue platforms. Benefitting zone: Mediterranean Region as indicated in the procurement notice.

Who Can Apply and Eligibility

Eligible applicant types:The procurement is open to tenderers that meet the selection criteria set out in the procurement documents. Typical eligible entities for this EU services tender include private companies (SMEs and large enterprises), non-profit organisations, research or policy institutes, event and conference management firms, consultancies experienced in regional diplomacy/dialogue, and consortia of such entities. The published notice indicates SME suitability flag false, so the contract is not classified as SME-only. Public authorities may be allowed only if procurement rules and the tender documents permit.

Geographic eligibility / Beneficiary scope:Geographic focus/eligibility: The action targets the Mediterranean region, Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf. The contracting authority is the European Commission Directorate-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf. The procurement is funded from EU budget lines and uses the Funding & Tenders Portal e-submission mechanism; eligibility and participation rules in the tender dossier and the Public Procurement Regulations apply. Applicants from EU Member States and third countries that meet the procurement rules may take part; consult the procurement documents for country-specific exclusions and requirements Funding & Tenders Portal. ¹

Financial and Contractual Details

Estimated overall contract amount:€2,000,000 (currency EUR as published). Contract nature: Service contract to provide dialogue support (organisation of events, logistical and technical support, facilitation of institutional dialogue). Planned duration: 54 months overall; contract concluded for initial 36 months with one possible renewal. Contracting modalities: standard EU procurement; electronic ordering and electronic payments indicated; eSubmission via the Funding & Tenders Portal is required.

Funding Type / Nature of Support:Primary financial mechanism: public procurement contract (paid services). Nature of support: monetary contract payments to the contractor for service delivery; non-monetary support not the primary modality.

Consortium and Submission Requirements

Consortium requirement:The notice does not mandate a single bidder only. Tenderers may form consortia or joint ventures as permitted by procurement rules and as defined in the tender documents. The procurement documents include a formal Invitation to submit a request to participate (Annex) and selection criteria; consult these documents for any required consortium composition, lead partner declaration, or power of attorney requirements.

Submission method:Application type / Submission channel: Open tender via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal; electronic submission (ESUBMISSION) is required. The eForms/portal is the access and submission tool referenced for the procedure.

Evaluation and Award

Award criteria and weighting:The award criteria are quality (80) and price (20). The procurement notice prompts tenderers to consult the procurement documents for full details of award criteria, scoring methodology, minimum thresholds and supporting documentation requirements.

Selection and stages:Application stages: The published notice indicates a single tendering procedure submitted electronically (one-stage submission). There is a participation request reception period and a tender submission deadline; additional clarifications or pre-qualification steps will be specified in the procurement dossier. In practice applicants will: 1) review procurement documents, 2) prepare and submit eTender files through the portal, 3) potentially respond to clarification requests and await award decision. The metadata also records a 'Two Stage Deadline' field but the tender documents should be checked for multi-stage/eligibility steps.

Requirements, Documents and Templates

Procurement documents published:Invitation to submit a request to participate and Annex A5F Additional Information about the Contract Notice were published on 20 July 2026. Tender dossier contains draft contract, selection and award criteria, administrative and technical specifications, and supporting templates. The procurement notice explicitly states: Please consult the procurement documents for full details of requirements and award criteria. Tenderers must use the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission forms (eForms) and follow the portal templates and structure for submission.

1. 1Key documents to obtain from the portal: Contract Notice, Invitation to submit a request to participate, Annexes, Draft Contract, Technical Specifications, Financial Offer template, Selection & Exclusion forms, Administrative forms (declarations).
2. 2Core application components typically required: Administrative identification, Evidence of legal and financial capacity, Professional and technical capacity references (event/diplomatic dialogue management), Detailed technical offer describing methodology and workplan, Personnel CVs, Financial offer priced according to the pricing schedule, Consortium agreements or mandates if applicable.

Technical / Thematic Requirements

Target sector and expertise expected:diplomacy and intergovernmental dialogue facilitation, event and conference management, stakeholder engagement across public authorities and civil society in the Mediterranean / MENA / Gulf region, regional policy knowledge (Pact for the Mediterranean, Union for the Mediterranean), strong logistical capacity for international events, security and risk management for regional meetings, and multilingual capabilities. The procuring authority will require evidence of relevant prior experience and capacity; specific minimum experience thresholds and required deliverables are detailed in the tender dossier.

Administrative and Miscellaneous Details

CPV code:main CPV 79952000 (conference, fair and exhibition related services). Programme context: Neighbourhood (RELEX) programme lines for 2014-2020 and 2021-2027 periods. Procurement project ID: EC-MENA/2026/EA-RP/0018. Awarding terms include electronic order and payment usage. Appeal terms list an appeal receiver party (organisational code ORG-0002). The procurement is flagged as 'republish: true' and tenderers should ensure they consult the latest published documents and any corrigenda on the portal.

Co-funding requirement:Co-funding: Not specified in the notice. As a standard public procurement service contract funded by the EU budget, the contractor is paid under the contract; no co-funding by the contractor is normally required unless specified in the tender documents for specific activities. Tenderers should verify any cost-share or counterpart requirements in the procurement dossier.

Risk, Success Rate and Competitive Context

Success rates:The tender notice does not publish success rates or number of contracts to be awarded. As a competitive open procurement with a single lot (LOT-0001), success depends on fulfilling selection criteria and achieving the best quality-price ratio (80/20 weighting). Tenderers should expect competition from specialised event management firms, regional consultancies and consortia combining logistical and policy expertise.

Explicitly Mentioned Countries and Regions

Mentioned regions and geographic references in the procurement data and detailed pages:Mediterranean Region, Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf (MENA and Gulf). No specific individual countries are mandated in the contract notice text provided; the scope is regional and covers partners and stakeholders within the Mediterranean and Gulf areas.

How to Prepare an Application — Suggested Structure

Follow precisely the procurement dossier templates and the eForms on the Funding & Tenders Portal. Typical structure and contents to prepare (consult the portal templates and Annexes for mandatory forms):

1. 1Administrative package: Identification of tenderer (legal name, registration), exclusion and eligibility declarations, evidence of legal status, financial capacity statements (audited accounts or bank references if requested).
2. 2Consortium documentation: Lead partner mandate, consortium agreement or commitment letters, roles and responsibilities matrix. If a consortium is proposed, identify a single contact and contracting lead.
3. 3Technical offer: Methodology for organising and facilitating dialogues; detailed workplan and timeline; event management approach (logistics, IT, interpretation, security, accessibility); risk assessment and contingency planning; quality assurance and monitoring indicators; description of deliverables and outputs tied to the Pact/Union for the Mediterranean platforms.
4. 4Staffing and CVs: Key personnel profiles, CVs demonstrating experience in regional dialogue facilitation and event management, staffing plan and allocation of working days. Include translators/interpreters, moderators, security/medical provisions as relevant.
5. 5Past performance / References: Examples of previous relevant contracts (international/regional events, EU-funded projects or equivalent), client references and contact details, evidence of experience in MENA/Gulf region.
6. 6Financial offer: Completed pricing schedule as provided in tender dossier, breakdown of costs (staff, travel, venue/logistics, subcontractors, overheads), justification of price assumptions. Ensure alignment with procurement rules on cost reasonableness.
7. 7Supporting annexes: Insurance certificates, permits, sub-contractor letters of intent, templates for reports and deliverables, any required declarations under the draft contract.

Tenderers must consult and use the exact templates and forms provided in the procurement documents published on the Funding & Tenders Portal. The procurement notice specifies an Invitation to submit a request to participate and additional annexes; these documents contain the mandatory forms and the draft contract clauses.

Concise Answers to Categorisation Questions

• Eligible Applicant Types: Private companies (SMEs and large enterprises), non-profit organisations, research/policy institutes, consultancies, event and conference management firms, consortia of the above; public entities only if permitted by the tender documents.
• Funding Type: Public procurement paid services contract (monetary service contract).
• Consortium Requirement: Not mandatory; single tenderer or consortium permitted. Tender documents should be checked for any mandatory consortium composition rules.
• Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Mediterranean / MENA / Gulf region; applicants must comply with EU procurement participation rules (EU Member States and eligible third countries as specified in procurement documents).
• Target Sector: Diplomacy / regional policy / event and conference services / international relations / stakeholder engagement; thematic ties to the Pact for the Mediterranean and Union for the Mediterranean.
• Mentioned Countries: None explicitly listed; regions mentioned: Mediterranean Region, Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf.
• Project Stage: Implementation / service delivery (operational delivery of events, facilitation, and logistical services).
• Funding Amount: Estimated overall contract amount €2,000,000 (total for planned period).
• Application Type: Open tender published on the Funding & Tenders Portal, electronic submission required (ESUBMISSION).
• Nature of Support: Money (contract payments for services).
• Application Stages: One main procurement submission stage (eSubmission) with possible clarifications and award decision; consult dossier for any pre-qualification steps.
• Success Rates: Not specified in the notice; competitive open procurement—success depends on meeting selection criteria and scoring highest on 80/20 quality-price award split.
• Co-funding Requirement: Not indicated; typically no co-funding required for contractor payment under EU service contract unless specified.

Summary — What is this opportunity about and how to approach it

This is an EU public procurement tender to contract a service provider (or consortium) to facilitate institutional dialogue between European and regional partners across the Mediterranean, MENA and Gulf regions. The successful contractor will organise and support conferences, seminars, meetings and related activities under frameworks such as the Pact for the Mediterranean and the Union for the Mediterranean. The contract is funded by the European Commission and has an estimated value of €2,000,000 for a planned period of up to 54 months, with an initial 36-month duration renewable once. Submission is through the Funding & Tenders Portal using the eSubmission channel before the published deadline (25 August 2026 16:00:59 Europe/Brussels). Evaluation will prioritise quality (80) over price (20). Interested tenderers should download and study the full procurement dossier, use the portal templates and eForms, assemble administrative, technical and financial proposals that demonstrate regional experience, event management and dialogue facilitation capacity, and submit a compliant eTender by the deadline. For the full official documentation and submission, consult the Funding & Tenders Portal notice and annexes Funding & Tenders Portal. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Access the procurement notice and all tender documents, templates and submission eForms on the Funding & Tenders Portal: ec.europa.eu

This tender seeks services to support institutional dialogue in the Euro-Mediterranean region and the Gulf through conferences, seminars, meetings and related activities, and the public summary shows an estimated value of €2,000,000 under procedure EC-MENA/2026/EA-RP/0018.[1][2]

Estimated value:€2,000,000.[1]

Procurement snapshot

Scope and policy context

The annex says the contract is financed under NDICI-Global Europe 2021, Southern Neighbourhood budget line 14.02.01.10, and its geographic focus covers Southern Neighbourhood countries and a wider set of Union for the Mediterranean and neighboring countries listed in the notice.[2]

The listed countries include Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia, together with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mauritania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Türkiye, Chad, Mali, Niger, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Iraq.[2]

Who can apply

According to the summary and annex, eligible bidders include natural persons, legal entities, consortia and international organisations that are effectively established in an EU Member State or another country or territory eligible under Article 28 of Regulation 2021/947.[1][2]

• Organisations established in an EU Member State or in another eligible country or territory may participate.[1][2]
• Consortia are allowed, and the eligibility rules explicitly refer to grouping of candidates or tenderers.[1][2]
• International organisations are explicitly mentioned as eligible in the public summary.[1]
• The opportunity is most relevant to organisations able to deliver event management, conference facilitation and dialogue-support services across the region.[1][2]

Financial, technical and compliance requirements

The annex requires an average annual turnover of at least €1,000,000 over the last three closed financial years, a current ratio of at least 1 in the last closed year, and if a consortium bids, each member must satisfy the current-ratio test.[2]

• The visible excerpt shows project-experience thresholds that include at least two projects implemented in the Southern Neighbourhood or Gulf countries and at least five projects involving Southern Neighbourhood participants, but the scrape truncates the full criterion.[2]
• The candidate's share in those projects must have been at least 50 percent.[2]
• All written communications for the procedure must be in English.[2]
• Because the procedure is restricted, applicants should expect an initial request-to-participate stage before any full tender submission.[1][2]

Timeline and submission

The public summary says the procedure is open for submission, while the annex gives a provisional invitation to tender date of 25 September 2026 and a provisional contract commencement date of 1 March 2027, so the timing records shown here are not fully aligned.[1][2]

The supplied metadata also lists deadlines of 1 January 2026 at 14:00:59 UTC and 25 August 2026 at 16:00:59 UTC, so applicants should verify the live portal notice before planning submission ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1The search results show inconsistent timing information across the scraped records. The annex extract is the strongest source available here, but the live Funding and Tenders Portal notice should be checked immediately before any bid planning.[1][2]