Technical assistance for Support Measures – Cooperation Facility for Papua New Guinea 2025-2027

Restricted tender EC-INTPA/POM/2026/EA-RP/0018 seeks development consultancy services to provide a Cooperation Facility team supporting the EU Delegation in Papua New Guinea to assist with programme identification, design, implementation, monitoring, review and evaluation. The estimated contract value is €2,050,000 for up to 24 months, place of performance Papua New Guinea, and the procedure is a two-stage restricted tender with 4–8 shortlisted candidates and award by best price-quality ratio. Shortlisting requires average annual turnover >= €1,537,500, an average of at least 5 relevant personnel, and at least three completed contracts each >= €820,000 covering forestry-climate-biodiversity, WaSH and transparent governance domains. Submissions must be made electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (EU Login and PIC required) and the deadline for requests to participate is 18 May 2026 23:59 Port Moresby time.

Opportunity summary

What is funded

A restricted-call service contract to provide a Cooperation Facility team of experts to support the EU Delegation in Papua New Guinea with programme identification, design, implementation, monitoring, review and evaluation, integration of cross-cutting issues (human rights, gender, environment/climate, youth), policy dialogue and visibility/communication support coordination.

Estimated contract value:€2 050 000 (total, estimated). Maximum duration 24 months.

Who can apply:Natural persons and legal entities (including consortia) established in EU Member States or eligible third countries under NDICI Regulation. Shortlisting will invite 4 to 8 candidates to tender.

Key administrative facts

Contracting authority:European Commission DG INTPA (EU Delegation to Papua New Guinea). Procedure: restricted. Submission: electronic via the Funding & Tenders Portal (eSubmission). Language: English.

1. 1Deadline for requests to participate: 18/05/2026, 23:59 (Port Moresby / UTC+10).
2. 2TED publication date: 16/04/2026.
3. 3Provisional invitation to tender: 30/06/2026; provisional contract start 01/02/2027.
4. 4Submission requires EU Login account and PIC registration; 2-factor authentication will be mandatory in 2026.

Main selection and award points

Selection includes minimum average annual turnover and demonstrated technical experience. Award is by best price-quality ratio.

1. 1Financial: average annual turnover (last 3 closed years) must be at least €1 537 500.
2. 2Professional: on average at least 5 staff with relevant specialist knowledge over the last 3 years.
3. 3Technical: evidence of at least 3 contracts in last 4 years, each valued at least €820 000, covering the domains Forestry-Climate-Biodiversity, WaSH, and Transparent Governance (all domains must be covered across referenced projects).

Procurement documents, submission portal and downloads are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Opportunity page.

Opportunity summary

Type:Tender (Restricted procedure). Lead contracting authority: European Commission, Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA). Title: Technical assistance for Support Measures – Cooperation Facility for Papua New Guinea 2025-2027. TED reference: 260369-2026. Procedure identifier: 4c52ce9b-f126-48cb-8997-2f4c6cbfba31. Estimated total value: €2 050 000 (excluding VAT). Nature of contract: Services (development consultancy services, CPV 73220000). Maximum contract duration: 24 months. Place of performance: Papua New Guinea. Programme: Asia and the Pacific (NDICI/Global Europe financing).

Objective and scope of services

Overall objective:facilitate the implementation of EU-funded programmes in Papua New Guinea by providing necessary support to the EU Delegation (EUD) for its operations through a Cooperation Facility team of experts. Core service areas (non-exhaustive):

1. 1Provision of technical advice to support identification, design, implementation, monitoring, review and evaluation of EU-financed programmes/projects with a focus on the Multiannual Indicative Programme (MIP). This includes alignment with Global Gateway, Joint Programming/Team Europe, GAP III, Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA), and coordination of EU Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities commitments at country level.
2. 2Technical advice and recommendations on integrating cross-cutting issues across all cooperation actions: human rights and gender, environment and climate change, and youth engagement.
3. 3High-quality support to enhance bilateral relations between the EU and Papua New Guinea in cooperation policy dialogues and, when necessary, public diplomacy.
4. 4Support to increase awareness of EU priorities and EU contributions to citizens, in coordination with any concurrent Communication and Visibility support services contract(s).

Key dates:TED publication date: 16/04/2026. Deadline for receipt of requests to participate: 18/05/2026 23:59 (Pacific/Port Moresby; UTC+10). Provisional date of invitation to tender (if shortlisted): 30/06/2026. Provisional contract commencement: 01/02/2027. Maximum contract duration: 24 months.

Submission method and language:Submissions must be made electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission module. EU Login account (with upcoming mandatory 2-factor authentication during 2026 rollout) and valid Participant Identification Code (PIC) are required. All communications and submissions must be in English Funding & Tenders Portal. ¹

Eligibility and participation

Legal basis and eligibility:procedure financed under NDICI Global Europe (Regulation (EU) 2021/947). Participation is open to natural persons who are nationals of, and legal persons effectively established in, an EU Member State or in eligible third countries/territories as per Article 28 of Regulation (EU) 2021/947. Candidates may apply individually or as part of a consortium (permanent legally-established grouping or ad-hoc consortium).

Eligible applicant types:Eligible applicants: private sector companies (SMEs and large enterprises), consultancies, research institutes, universities, nonprofit organisations, NGOs, public bodies established in eligible countries, consortia/partnerships. Sub-contracting is allowed. Capacity-providing entities may be relied upon but must meet eligibility and nationality rules and supply commitments documenting resource availability.

Consortium requirement:Either single legal entity or consortium permitted for submission. If submitting as a consortium, all members are jointly and severally liable. Short-listed candidates must preserve the consortium composition; changes require prior written authorisation as per PRAG rules.

Geographic (beneficiary) scope:Target geography for contract execution: Papua New Guinea. Eligibility for participation: EU Member States and eligible countries under NDICI Article 28. Programme region: Asia and the Pacific.

Financials and award

Estimated total contract value:€2 050 000 (excluding VAT). The contract is fee-based. The contract award method: best price-quality ratio. The contracting authority reserves the right to entrust repeat/extension services up to 50% of the initial contract value by negotiated procedure without prior publication, provided they conform to the basic project.

Funding type:Primary financial mechanism: procurement contract for services (fee-based). This is not a grant, loan or equity instrument.

Co-funding:No co-funding from applicants is required or indicated in the procurement documents; the contract is fully financed under the NDICI geographic programme for Papua New Guinea.

Selection and award criteria

The procedure is a two-stage restricted tender:shortlisting (requests to participate) followed by invitation to submit full tenders (4 to 8 candidates will be invited). Award is based on best price-quality ratio; specific weights will be provided in the tender dossier. Selection criteria and minimum requirements summarized below are applied at the shortlist stage.

If more than 8 eligible candidates meet selection criteria, additional comparative criteria will be used to rank requests to participate: 1) highest number of contracts meeting the technical criterion; 2) highest cumulative value of those services.

Success rates:Shortlisting: between 4 and 8 candidates will be invited to stage 2. Exact success probability depends on number of eligible applicants; no historical success rate is provided. Typical restricted procedures shortlist 4–8 from all compliant requests; expect competitive selection given specialized technical criteria.

Application and submission details

Requests to participate must be submitted electronically through the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission system. A completed and signed request to participate form (specific MEU/EDF template) must be attached. Declarations on honour for exclusion and selection criteria (form a14a) are required for each legal entity and any capacity-providing entities or subcontractors. Supporting documents must be uploaded to the correct attachment tabs. Additional documentation beyond the requested forms will not be considered.

Application type:Type: open call for submissions to the restricted tender; first stage is request to participate (electronic) which, if shortlisted, leads to invitation to tender. The process is not invitation-only; any eligible entity may submit a request to participate during the published submission window.

Templates and application structure:Applicants must use the official 'request to participate' form available from the EU Annexes page and follow the structure strictly. Required sections and suggested contents (based on provided request to participate template):

1. 11. Submitted by: identity of legal entity/entities (name, nationality, PIC number), role (leader/member).
2. 22. Contact person: name, organisation, address, telephone, e-mail.
3. 33. Economic and financial capacity: table of financial data for the last three closed accounts and latest projections (annual turnover excluding this contract, current assets, current liabilities, current ratio if applicable). All figures in EUR; conversion per InforEuro April 2026 if necessary.
4. 44. Personnel: statistics on manpower for current year and two previous years (permanent and other personnel; overall and relevant fields).
5. 55. Areas of specialisation: matrix indicating up to 10 specialisations relevant to the contract for each legal entity (tick boxes).
6. 66. Experience: up to 15 project references covering the last 4 years; include project title, entity, country, overall contract value, part carried out by the entity, number of personnel provided, client, funding origin, dates, consortium members if any, detailed description, type and scope of services provided, documentary evidence of the part implemented during the reference period.
7. 77. Declarations: signed declaration on non-exclusion and conformity with selection criteria (template included in the request to participate form), plus Declaration on Honour on Exclusion and Selection criteria (form a14a).
8. 88. Statement: authorized signatory statement declaring intent to submit full tender if shortlisted, acknowledgement of PRAG ethics clauses, joint and several liability for consortium members, and commitments regarding experts and subcontracting.

Practical notes on attachments and submission:upload request to participate under 'Other documents', the declaration referred to in the form under 'Other documents', and Declaration on Honour under the 'Declaration on Honour' tab. Use only eSubmission; submissions by email or paper will be disregarded. Ensure PIC registration for each organisation and group submission for consortia.

Technical and thematic requirements

The contract requires multidisciplinary development consultancy expertise. Expected expertise areas include programme cycle management (identification, formulation, implementation, monitoring, evaluation), sectoral expertise across forestry, climate change, biodiversity, water and sanitation (WaSH), governance and transparency, human rights and gender mainstreaming, disability inclusion, youth engagement, environment and climate integration, communications and visibility, and public diplomacy. Key and non-key experts to be proposed at tender stage will need documented experience; experts involved in project preparation are disallowed from participating in tenders per PRAG rules.

Project stage and expected maturity:Expected maturity: operational implementation and technical assistance across project cycle (identification, design, implementation, monitoring, review, evaluation), i.e., development, validation, demonstration and implementation support. The contractor will provide hands-on advisory and coordination support to the EUD rather than pure research or start-up support.

Administrative, legal and IT requirements

Language:English. Electronic submission requires EU Login account and PIC. As of 2026 rolling implementation, two-factor authentication will be mandatory for EU Login access; candidates should prepare by registering 2FA methods. System technical notes: eSubmission accepts up to 200 attachments, individual files must be <50 MB, follow attachment naming rules per System Requirements. The contracting authority may request legal/financial validation of PIC data (handled by EU Validation Services).

Documents provided by contracting authority:Procurement documents available on the Funding & Tenders Portal include: request to participate form (b3 req part form en), Additional information about the Contract Notice (a5e), and other tender dossier documents to be published. Candidates must consult the procurement documents for full details and scoring weights.

Practical tips and risks

1. 1Ensure PIC registration and that PIC data are up-to-date and can be validated; prepare required company financial statements in EUR and convert using InforEuro (April 2026 rate if needed).
2. 2Prepare documentary evidence for technical capacity references (approval of deliverables, proof of payment, client certificates) showing the portion of work performed during the reference period and contract values >= €820 000 per reference.
3. 3Assemble a minimum core team (or consortium members) to demonstrate at least 5 relevant personnel on average over the last three years.
4. 4Use only the official request to participate template and upload documents in the correct eSubmission tabs; additional unsolicited brochures or letters will not be considered.
5. 5Plan for the 2-stage restricted procurement timetable; shortlisted candidates must be ready to develop a full tender by the provisional invitation date.
6. 6Avoid proposing experts who participated in project preparation to prevent exclusion under PRAG/ethics clauses.

Quick facts table

Contacts and review

Contact email for procedural and procurement clarifications:delegation-papua-new-guinea-cris-fwc-offers@eeas.europa.eu. Review organisation: Court of Justice of the European Union. For procurement documents and downloads consult the Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page. Clarification questions must be submitted through the Portal Questions & Answers tab no later than 21 days before the requests-to-participate deadline; clarifications will be published at the latest 8 days before the deadline.

Final summary

This restricted tender seeks a consultancy contractor or consortium to operate a Cooperation Facility supporting the EU Delegation in Papua New Guinea from 2025 to 2027. The awarded contractor will provide a team of experts to advise on the full project cycle of EU-funded programmes (with emphasis on the Multiannual Indicative Programme), mainstream cross-cutting issues (human rights, gender, environment/climate, youth), support EU-PNG policy dialogue and public diplomacy, and assist visibility activities. Applicants must meet strict financial, professional and technical capacity thresholds (turnover and project reference minima) and submit a compliant request to participate via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Shortlisted candidates (4–8) will be invited to tender; the contract will be awarded on best price-quality ratio and executed in Papua New Guinea over up to 24 months, with an estimated contract value of €2 050 000. Candidates should prepare validated PIC registration, documentary evidence for references, and ensure compliance with PRAG and ethics requirements. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement documents and request to participate form are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page: ec.europa.eu. See also Annex templates and form a14a on the EU External Action Wiki Annexes page.

Opportunity Overview

This is a restricted tender procedure (EC-INTPA/POM/2026/EA-RP/0018) for development consultancy services (CPV 73220000) to provide technical assistance to the EU Delegation in Papua New Guinea (EUD PNG). The contract supports the implementation of EU-funded programmes under the Support Measures and Cooperation Facility for Papua New Guinea (ref. ACT 62794), financed by the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI-GE). The estimated total value is €2,050,000 for a maximum duration of 24 months, with performance in Papua New Guinea under the Asia and the Pacific programme.

The overall objective is to facilitate EU programme implementation by providing technical advice on identification, design, implementation, monitoring, review, and evaluation, with focus on the Multiannual Indicative Programme (MIP), Global Gateway, Joint Programming, Team Europe, GAP III, HRBA, and EU Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Services include integrating cross-cutting issues (human rights, gender, environment, climate change, youth engagement), supporting bilateral EU-PNG relations in policy dialogues and public diplomacy, and raising awareness of EU priorities.

Key Dates and Procedure

• TED publication date: 16 April 2026
• Deadline for requests to participate: 18 May 2026, 23:59 Pacific/Port Moresby time (UTC+10)
• Provisional invitation to tender: 30 June 2026
• Provisional contract commencement: 1 February 2027
• Period of implementation: 24 months

This is a two-stage restricted procedure. Between 4 and 8 candidates will be short-listed based on requests to participate to submit detailed tenders. Award criterion is best price-quality ratio. Short-list alliances are prohibited, and consortium composition cannot change without prior authorisation.

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) 2021/947. Consortia are allowed (permanent or informal), with all members jointly and severally liable. No more than one request per person/entity regardless of participation form. Sub-contracting is permitted. Capacity-providing entities may be relied upon, subject to eligibility and criteria.

Exclusion Grounds

Candidates must declare they are not in exclusion situations per Section 2.4.2.1 of the Practical Guide (PRAG), including EU restrictive measures. Declarations required from all entities, including capacity providers and subcontractors.

Selection Criteria

Economic and Financial Capacity (last 3 years closed accounts)

Average annual turnover >= €1,537,500.

Professional Capacity (last 3 years)

• Average of at least 5 personnel in relevant specialist areas.
• No professional conflicting interests.

Technical Capacity (last 4 years)

At least 3 contracts, each with services completed valued at >= €820,000, covering all three domains: (1) Forestry-Climate Change-Biodiversity (FCCB) nexus, (2) Water/Sanitation/Hygiene (WaSH) for human development, health and education, (3) Transparent and accountable Governance.

If >8 eligible candidates, ranked by:(1) highest number of qualifying contracts, (2) highest cumulated value of qualifying services. Previous experience causing contract breach/termination cannot be used.

Submission Requirements

Electronic submission via EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission (EU Login required, PIC mandatory). Use official Request to Participate form (b3_req_part_form_en), Declaration per point 7, and Declaration on Honour on Exclusion/Selection (form A14a). All in English. Financial data in EUR (InforEuro April 2026 rates). No additional documents considered. Questions via Portal Q&A (min 21 days before deadline).

• Register in Participant Register for PIC.
• Upload: Request form under Other documents; Point 7 declaration under Other documents; DoH under Declaration on Honour.
• 2-factor authentication required from 30 June 2026.

Procurement Documents and Resources

Available on EU Funding & Tenders Portal: Request to Participate form, Additional Information (a5e), TED Notice. Practical Guide (PRAG) and forms at EXACT Wiki.

Contracting Authority and Contact

European Commission, INTPA - International Partnerships (DG INTPA.C.3 - East Asia and the Pacific). EU Delegation Papua New Guinea: BSP Haus, 6th Floor, Harbour City, P.O. Box 76. Email: delegation-papua-new-guinea-cris-fwc-offers@eeas.europa.eu.

Footnotes

1. 1All details from official procurement documents on EU Funding & Tenders Portal and TED Notice 260369-2026.