Technical and Logistical Assistance for the Organisation of the Policy Forum on Development and the Global Gateway CSO-LA Advisory Platform

The European Commission DG INTPA invites requests to participate in a restricted tender (EC-INTPA/2026/EA-RP/0035) to provide technical and logistical services for the Policy Forum on Development and the Global Gateway CSO-LA Advisory Platform, covering facilitation, event logistics, digital platform management and policy documentation. The estimated maximum contract value is €3,927,334 and the provisional contract duration is up to 48 months, with the deadline for requests to participate on 24 April 2026 at 14:00 Brussels time. Eligibility requires applicants to be nationals of or effectively established in EU Member States or eligible third countries, and selection criteria include minimum average turnover of €1,500,000, an average team of at least six relevant staff and at least three relevant contracts in the last four years each valued at a minimum of €400,000. Submission is electronic only via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using the Request to Participate form and mandated declarations; award will be based on the best price-quality ratio.

What it funds

Scope summary

Service contract to provide technical, facilitation, communication and logistical support for in-person and virtual multi-stakeholder dialogues and consultations (global and regional) with civil society organisations, foundations and associations of local authorities, mainly via the Policy Forum on Development and ad hoc consultations. Tasks include facilitation, drafting concept notes and background material, digital platform management, event logistics and related advisory work.

Estimated contract value:€3,927,334 (estimated total value, excluding recoverable VAT) ¹.

Who can apply

Eligible applicants:natural persons and legal entities established in EU Member States, eligible third countries as defined by NDICI regulation, and international organisations. Consortia are allowed and members are jointly and severally liable. Participation requires PIC registration and submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal/eSubmission.

Key eligibility and selection highlights

1. 1Minimum average annual turnover: €1,500,000 (last 3 closed financial years).
2. 2Professional capacity: on average at least 6 staff with relevant specialist knowledge over the last 3 years.
3. 3Technical capacity: evidence of at least 3 contracts (within last 4 years) each >= €400,000 covering facilitation of multi-stakeholder consultations, digital communication/platform management, and international event logistics; collectively the references must cover all three domains.
4. 4Procedure: restricted (two-stage). Between 4 and 8 candidates will be short-listed to submit full tenders.
5. 5Award: framework/service contract up to 48 months, awarded on best price-quality ratio.

Submission must be electronic via the Funding & Tenders Portal/eSubmission. All procedure communications and documentation must be in English. Sub-contracting is allowed; capacity-providing entities can be relied upon but must meet eligibility rules.

Where to find procurement documents:Full call documents, templates and the Additional information to the Contract Notice are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal tender page Tender details ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement notice and supporting documents published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: Technical and Logistical Assistance for the Organisation of the Policy Forum on Development and the Global Gateway CSO-LA Advisory Platform (EC-INTPA/2026/EA-RP/0035).

Opportunity summary

What the contract covers

This is a restricted tender launched by the European Commission, Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) to provide technical and logistical assistance to facilitate global and regional dialogue and consultations between the Commission, EU Member States and civil society stakeholders. Core tasks include organisation and facilitation of in-person and virtual spaces such as the Policy Forum on Development (PFD) and ad hoc consultations; support to explore and design new cooperation avenues with civil society organisations (CSOs), foundations and associations of local authorities (LAs); drafting of concept notes, background papers and regular policy updates; management of digital communication tools and platforms; and full logistics for international conferences (travel, accommodation, venue, catering, invitations, registration and payment management).

Estimated total value:€3,927,334 (estimated value excluding VAT; non-recoverable VAT should be included where applicable). ¹

Maximum contract duration:48 months (period of implementation of tasks).

Procedure type and award method:Restricted procedure with a two-stage process (requests to participate then invitation to tender). Award based on best price-quality ratio.

Place(s) of performance:Worldwide / All Countries.

Important dates and submission

Deadlines published in the procurement documents:TED publication date 25/03/2026; deadline for receipt of requests to participate 24/04/2026 at 14:00:59 Europe/Brussels. Provisional invitation to tender: June 2026. Provisional contract commencement: May 2027.

How to submit:Requests to participate and tenders must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal / eSubmission. An EU Login account and registration in the Participant Register (PIC) are required. Upload the Request to Participate form and supporting documents in the specified attachment sections on the Portal. Clarification questions must be raised through the Portal's Questions & Answers tab within the time limits specified in the procurement documents.

Eligibility, selection and exclusion rules

Legal basis:Regulation (EU) No 2021/947 establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument Global Europe (NDICI-GE). Participation is open to natural persons who are nationals of, and legal persons effectively established in, EU Member States or in eligible third countries/territories defined under Article 28 of Regulation (EU) No 2021/947. International organisations may also participate. Candidates included in EU restrictive measures lists at award cannot be awarded the contract. Sub-contracting is allowed.

1. 1Eligible applicant types: natural persons, legal persons, consortia, and international organisations effectively established in EU Member States or eligible third countries as per NDICI-GE Article 28.
2. 2Only one request to participate or tender can be submitted by a natural or legal person (per lot).
3. 3If a consortium is used, all members are jointly and severally liable.
4. 4Between 4 and 8 candidates will be short-listed to be invited to submit full tenders. If fewer than 4 meet criteria, the contracting authority may still invite those who satisfy criteria.
5. 5Short-listed candidates may not change the composition of the consortium unless prior authorisation is granted. Short-listed candidates cannot form alliances or subcontract to each other for this contract.

Selection criteria (summary)

Selection criteria include minimum economic/financial capacity, professional capacity, and technical capacity demonstrated through prior contracts. All documentary evidence must be supplied as requested.

Where candidates rely on the capacities of third entities (capacity-providing entities), these entities must meet the same nationality and eligibility rules and provide commitments to place resources at the tenderer's disposal. For economic/financial reliance, those entities become jointly and severally liable for contract performance.

Award and contract details

Award criterion:best price-quality ratio. The procurement is a services contract classified under CPV 73000000 (research and development and related consultancy services) with additional CPVs 79419000 (evaluation consultancy services) and 79951000 (seminar organisation services). The contract is fee-based and may include options: repeat services or similar services may be entrusted up to 50% of the initial contract by negotiated procedure without prior publication, provided conformity with the basic project.

Estimated value and VAT guidance:Estimated value €3,927,334 excluding recoverable VAT; non-recoverable VAT should be included where applicable. The maximum amount to be contracted and paid under this contract must not exceed €3,927,334.

Contract start and implementation:Provisional contract start May 2027 with implementation period of up to 48 months.

Practical application information and templates

Requests to participate must be submitted using the official request to participate form available from the EC Annexes wiki. A signed Declaration on Honour on exclusion and selection criteria must accompany the request. Only documents uploaded in the specified Portal attachment tabs will be considered. Additional documentation beyond what is requested will not be taken into account.

1. 1Mandatory registration steps: create EU Login account; register organisation in Participant Register to obtain a PIC; ensure PIC data are valid and, if requested, validated by REA EU Validation Services.
2. 2Required attachments on submission: Request to Participate form (under Other documents), Declaration referred to in Point 7 of the request to participate form (Other documents), Declaration on Honour on Exclusion and Selection criteria (Declaration on Honour tab).
3. 3File technical rules: follow eSubmission System Requirements for supported file types, file naming and size limits (50 MB per file) and maximum 200 files per submission. Use recommended browsers (latest Chrome or Firefox).

The request to participate form and the declaration templates are referenced at:Annexes. The procurement documents and additional information to the contract notice are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal tender page Tender details.

Categorisation answers (structured extraction)

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: natural persons, legal persons, consortia (permanent or ad hoc), and international organisations established in EU Member States or eligible third countries as defined in NDICI-GE Article 28. Public bodies may participate and must provide equivalent financial info where applicable.
2. 2Funding Type: this is a procurement tender for a services contract (fee-based). Not a grant, loan or equity instrument.
3. 3Consortium Requirement: Consortium allowed but not mandatory. Procedure is restricted: single applicants or consortia may apply; if a consortium participates, members are jointly and severally liable. Short-listed candidates must respect the composition declared in the request to participate unless authorised to change.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Applicants must be nationals of or effectively established in EU Member States or eligible countries/territories under NDICI-GE Article 28; participation also open to international organisations. Place of performance is worldwide.
5. 5Target Sector: civil society engagement, governance, public policy dialogue and stakeholder consultation services, event management, digital communications platforms, and international cooperation (development) sector.
6. 6Mentioned Countries: No individual countries are mandated for performance; the procurement states All Countries and worldwide. The contracting authority is the European Commission (Brussels, Belgium).
7. 7Project Stage: implementation/service delivery stage (organisation, facilitation, platform management and logistics for events and consultations).
8. 8Funding Amount: estimated total contract value €3,927,334 (excluding recoverable VAT).
9. 9Application Type: open restricted tender (two-stage restricted procedure): call for requests to participate followed by invitation to tender for short-listed candidates. Electronic submission via F&T Portal eSubmission is required.
10. 10Nature of Support: monetary fee-based contract (services contract remunerated by the contracting authority).
11. 11Application Stages: 2 stages (stage 1: request to participate and shortlisting; stage 2: invited tenderers submit full tenders).
12. 12Success Rates: not specified in documents; short-listing will select between 4 and 8 candidates to be invited to tender, so initial short-listing acceptance rate depends on number of eligible applicants; final award rate depends on number of invited tenderers and evaluation, not specified.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: not specified. This is a fee-based contract; there is no explicit co-funding requirement stated in the procurement documents.
14. 14Templates: mandatory use of the Request to Participate form and Declaration on Honour templates available at the EC Annexes wiki Annexes. All supporting documents must follow eSubmission system requirements for naming, formats and size limits.

Selection and evaluation practicalities

Short-listing:between 4 and 8 candidates will be invited to submit full tenders. If more than 8 eligible candidates meet the selection criteria, ranking will be applied using: (1) highest number of contracts meeting technical capacity criterion, then (2) highest cumulative value of those contracts (applied only to tied candidates for last positions). All candidates must provide documentary evidence for references (reports/deliverables, proofs of payment, certificates from contracting entities).

Technical references must represent at least 50% of the overall contract value during the reference period for each cited contract. Collectively, cited contracts must cover the three technical domains (facilitation/organisation, digital platform management, logistics).

Contacts, procurement documents and review

Lead contracting authority:European Commission, DG INTPA - International Partnerships (INTPA.G.2 Local Authorities, Civil Society Organisations and Foundations). Contact email for the tender: INTPA-TENDERS-0035@ec.europa.eu. Procurement documents, Invitation to submit a request to participate and Additional information to the Contract Notice are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal tender page linked above. Review body for remedies: Court of Justice of the European Union.

Submission URL (eSubmission):webgate.ec.europa.eu

What is this opportunity about and how to explain it

This procurement seeks a professional services contractor (single entity or consortium) to support the European Commission in organising, facilitating and managing multi-stakeholder dialogues and consultations at global and regional level focused on development policy, civil society engagement and the Global Gateway CSO-LA Advisory Platform. The contractor will combine event management, logistics, facilitation, digital platform operation, and policy drafting support to ensure effective, inclusive and well-documented dialogue between the Commission, Member States and a broad range of civil society actors including local authorities, foundations and CSO networks. The assignment is global in scope, fee-based, has an estimated budget of €3.93 million, runs up to 48 months, and is carried out under a restricted two-stage procurement with explicit selection criteria for turnover, staffing and proven track record across three service domains. Interested organisations must register with EU Login and the Participant Register (PIC), complete the official Request to Participate form and supporting declarations, and submit electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal by the published deadline. Full procurement documents and required templates are linked from the Portal and Annexes wiki Tender details and Annexes.

Footnotes

1. 1Additional information to the Contract Notice (A5f) and procurement documents available on the Funding & Tenders Portal: Additional information to the Contract Notice_V1 (PDF).

This is a restricted tender procedure (EC-INTPA/2026/EA-RP/0035) launched by the European Commission, Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA), to provide technical and logistical support for facilitating dialogues and consultations with civil society organisations (CSOs), foundations, associations of local authorities (LAs), EU institutions, and Member States. The primary focus is on the Policy Forum on Development (PFD) and the Global Gateway CSO-LA Advisory Platform, including organisation of in-person and virtual events, policy updates, concept notes, and background papers.

Key Dates and Timeline

• TED publication date: 25 March 2026
• Deadline for requests to participate: 24 April 2026 at 14:00 Brussels time
• Provisional invitation to tender: June 2026
• Provisional contract start: May 2027
• Contract duration: 48 months

Financial Information

Estimated total value:€3,927,334 (excluding recoverable VAT; non-recoverable VAT included, maximum contract amount not to exceed this figure).¹

Nature of contract:Fee-based services contract.

Eligibility and Who Can Apply

Open to natural persons who are nationals of, and legal persons effectively established in, EU Member States or eligible countries/territories per Article 28 of Regulation (EU) No 2021/947 (NDICI-Global Europe). International organisations may also participate. Consortia are allowed (permanent or informal), with all members jointly and severally liable. No more than one request per entity, regardless of participation form. Sub-contracting is permitted. Short-listing: 4-8 candidates invited to tender.

Exclusion Grounds

Candidates must declare they are not in exclusion situations per PRAG Section 2.4.2.1. Those on EU restrictive measures lists at award decision are ineligible. Capacity-providing entities and subcontractors must provide similar declarations.

Selection Criteria

Economic and Financial Capacity

• Average annual turnover of last 3 closed financial years: at least €1,500,000.

Professional Capacity (last 3 years)

• Average of at least 6 personnel (employed or contracted) in relevant specialist areas.
• No professional conflicting interests.

Technical Capacity (last 4 years)

• At least 3 contracts, each with services completed valued at minimum €400,000 (at least 50% of contract value implemented in reference period).
• Contracts must collectively cover: (a) facilitation/organisation of international multi-stakeholder consultations on development/EU policies (in-person/virtual); (b) digital platform management (design, maintenance, moderation, consultations); (c) logistics for international conferences (travel, accommodation, venues, etc.).
• Evidence required: reports, payments, certificates detailing value and role (consortium shares specified).

If >8 eligible candidates, ranking by:(1) highest number of qualifying contracts; (2) highest cumulative value of qualifying services. Capacity from other entities allowed if committed and eligible.

Award Criteria

Best price-quality ratio.

Scope of Services

Assist EC in global/regional dialogues via PFD and ad hoc consultations; explore CSO/foundation/LA cooperation; draft concept notes, policy updates, background papers. Classified under CPV 73000000 (R&D and consultancy services), with additional CPV 79419000 (evaluation consultancy) and 79951000 (seminar organisation). Performance worldwide.

Application Process

1. 1Register in Participant Register for PIC (mandatory for individuals/consortia members). Reuse existing PIC if applicable.
2. 2Submit request to participate exclusively via F&T Portal eSubmission (electronic only; other methods rejected).
3. 3Upload: Request to participate form (under 'Other documents'), Declaration on Point 7 (under 'Other documents'), Declaration on Honour on exclusion/selection (under 'Declaration on Honour').
4. 4All in English; financial data in EUR (convert via InforEuro March 2026 rates if needed).
5. 5Questions via F&T Portal Q&A (min 21 days before deadline).
6. 6Monitor portal for updates; subscribe for notifications.

Primary documents:Invitation to submit request to participate and Additional Information to Contract Notice available at EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Request form and DoH templates at EXACT Annexes.

Additional Notes

Funded under NDICI-Global Europe, Civil Society Organisations programme (budget line E.14020220). Short-listed candidates cannot change composition or subcontract to each other without authorisation. Up to 50% repeat services possible via negotiated procedure.

Footnotes

1. 1Per TED notice and F&T Portal; maximum payable amount €3,927,334.