Technical Assistance for the Vanuatu Sustainable and Inclusive Rural Development Programme (VaVaC II)

The European Commission has issued a call for tenders for Technical Assistance under the Vanuatu Sustainable and Inclusive Rural Development Programme (VaVaC II). The aim is to allocate €2.7 million to support climate-resilient rural development in Vanuatu, with a contract duration of up to 60 months. The tender is open to larger enterprises and specialized consultancies with relevant expertise, although it does not explicitly prioritize small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The funding is classified as a grant under the EU public procurement framework. The primary geographic focus is on Vanuatu, with potential eligibility for organizations from EU member states and possibly partner countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

The target sectors include agriculture, climate resilience, public finance management, and trade. The project is currently in the implementation stage, focusing on enhancing capacity in various ministries including Agriculture, Trade, Finance, and the Prime Minister's office.

The application process is a restricted procedure, meaning interested parties must first submit a request to participate, after which shortlisted candidates will be invited to submit full tenders. The evaluation will assess submissions based on an 80% weight on quality and 20% on price. The deadline for submitting participation requests is June 25, 2025, at 16:00 Pacific/Fiji time, with electronic submissions required.

Selection criteria include suitability for the professional activity, economic and financial standing, and technical and professional ability. A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is necessary for participation, and organizations must ensure that submissions are under the specified size limits for electronic filing.

Overall, this opportunity is designed to enhance Vanuatu's capacity for sustainable rural development, focusing on improving food systems, public finance reforms, and macro-economic stability through technical expertise and consultancy services.

The European Commission is offering a call for tenders for Technical Assistance for the Vanuatu Sustainable and Inclusive Rural Development Programme (VaVaC II). The procedure identifier is EC-INTPA/SUV/2025/EA-RP/0080. The submission method is electronic and the call is currently open for submission. The TED reference is 97/2025 328613-2025.

The Technical Assistance will support the Government of Vanuatu in implementing the Vanuatu Sustainable and Inclusive Rural Development Programme (VaVaC II), which is a Budget Support Programme. The overall objective of VaVaC II is to contribute to climate-resilient rural development that enables opportunities for rural communities. The specific objective is to promote climate-resilient food systems including production, value addition, safety and quality, and trade.

The expected outputs of VaVaC II will contribute to:
(i) enhanced capacity to implement and monitor climate-resilient rural development policies,
(ii) the delivery of stability-orientated macro-economic policies,
(iii) public finance management (PFM) reforms, and
(iv) improvements in budget oversight and transparency.

Technical Assistance will provide support for the productive sector line ministries, notably the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Trade, along with the Ministry of Finance for its leading role in PFM reforms, and the Ministry of the Prime Minister for its central position in the overall coordination of development assistance.

This is a restricted procedure. The estimated total value is 2,700,000 EUR. The TED publication date is 21/05/2025. The lead contracting authority is the European Union, represented by the European Commission on behalf of and for the account of Vanuatu. The main classification (CPV) is 79411100 - Business development consultancy services. The nature of the contract is for services. The maximum contract duration is 60 months. The award method is best price-quality ratio. There is no framework agreement.

The selection criteria include:
Suitability to pursue the professional activity (consult the procurement documents).
Economic and financial standing (consult the procurement documents).
Technical and professional ability (consult the procurement documents).

The place of delivery or performance is Vanuatu (20001043). The programme is Asia and the Pacific (44995882).

Key milestones include the TED publication date of 21/05/2025 and the deadline for receipt of requests to participate on 25/06/2025 at 16:00 Pacific/Fiji time.

Two documents are available for download:
EN3. Request to Participate (Invitation to submit a request to participate), published on 21/05/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
EN2. Additional Information to the Contract Notice rev (Invitation to submit a request to participate), published on 21/05/2025, Version 1, no translations available.

Submissions must be sent exclusively at the address for submission given below, using the electronic submission method.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

How to proceed if the system is slow or doesn’t work while uploading/downloading documents?
Use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. If the issue persists, clear the cache and cookies on the Internet browser. Published on 13/02/2025 20:52

Which Internet browsers does eSubmission support?
Use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. For the most up-to-date technical recommendations, click on the link System Requirements. You can access this link. Published on 13/02/2025 20:52

Is it possible to view the details of the submission after the deadline?
No, the content of the submission is not accessible after submitting the tender as the system encrypts all attachments upon upload. Thus, the system will not allow decryption after the upload. Published on 13/02/2025 20:50

Where can I find my submissions in Manage My Area, in the Funding & Tenders portal?
Depending on the type or step of procedure, you can find the submissions in one of these sections: In ‘My Submission(s)’: tenders in response to open calls for tenders, requests to. Published on 17/10/2024 20:40

Which size should attachments have?
For attaching files to your tender submission, eSubmission accepts files that are less than 50 MB in size. Any larger sizes will not be accepted by the system. For the latest information. Published on 17/10/2024 20:36

How should I name attachments in eSubmission?
In eSubmission, you must name the attachments for your tender draft following the System Requirements. With regards to all attachment names, please see the following conditions: The. Published on 03/10/2024 16:39

Can I submit a video in eSubmission? Which formats are supported?
You can check the System Requirements of eSubmission. Published on 03/10/2024 16:37

I received an invitation from the F&T Portal but cannot view the procurement documents.
Invited candidates can only see the procurement documents after having selected an organisation. Go to F&T Portal, “My Invitations”. Click on “Select Organisation” from the “Action”. Published on 03/10/2024 16:37

Do I need to validate my PIC in order to submit a tender in eSubmission?
The Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory to participate in a call for tenders as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium). For subcontractors PIC. Published on 03/10/2024 16:36

I have an issue uploading a file in eSubmission and it’s giving me an error. What do I do?
When uploading a file in eSubmission, you must first make sure it follows the technical requirements of the system, which are as shown below. A) For procurement procedures: B) For req. Published on 03/10/2024 16:36

How many attachments can I upload per submission?
The maximum number of documents the system will allow you to upload per tender is 200 files. You are able to check the eSubmission System Requirements in the documentation by clicking. Published on 03/10/2024 16:35

Why do tenderers need a PIC?
It is mandatory to register for a PIC if you intend to submit a tender or a request to participate. Only one PIC per organisation must be used. Therefore, if your organisation already. Published on 23/04/2024 17:14

How do I register my organisation and get a Participant Identification Code (PIC)?
First, check if the organisation is already registered using the Search PIC tool under 'How to Participate' > Participant Register. If your organisation is a bigger. Published on 23/04/2024 16:07

What is the validity period of a PIC?
A PIC is unique and its validity is not limited in time. Published on 22/04/2024 22:55

How many languages does the system support?
The system is multilingual and supports all 24 official EU languages. Published on 01/04/2024 19:56

Which is the character set encoding in the system?
The character set encoding is UTF-8. Published on 22/02/2024 23:58

Does the system use encryption to ensure the integrity and the confidentiality of the information?
Yes, the system encrypts all uploaded documents, using an asymmetric key as an encryption mechanism. Published on 22/02/2024 23:57

Which file types does the system support?
The supported file types depend on the type of submission you want to make. The allowed file types are specified within the system requirements linked to the procedure in question. M. Published on 21/02/2024 23:55

Can I view and edit my draft submission?
Until the deadline for the submission has been reached, submissions in the draft status can be edited, viewed and deleted. Published on 24/03/2023 21:32

In the submission report, under the name of our entity, "Legal form: UNKNOWN" is displayed while in the system, our legal form was correctly displayed. Is this a problem for the submission?
No, it is just a display issue. This is not blocking for you: you can submit. Published on 03/08/2021 22:07

I sent my submission on time and a few days later, I received an automatic email informing me that the deadline for the reception of submissions had been reached. Does this mean that my submission was not correctly sent?
No, this is an auto-generated notification sent when the time limit of receipt defined for the call for tenders has been reached. Until then, you had the possibility of withdrawing. Published on 03/08/2021 22:05

In summary, this call for tenders seeks a qualified organization to provide technical assistance to the Government of Vanuatu for the implementation of the Vanuatu Sustainable and Inclusive Rural Development Programme (VaVaC II). This program aims to foster climate-resilient rural development and promote sustainable food systems. The selected organization will support various ministries in Vanuatu, including Agriculture, Trade, and Finance, to enhance their capacity in policy implementation, macroeconomic stability, public finance management, and budget oversight. The tender is a restricted procedure with an estimated value of 2.7 million EUR and a maximum contract duration of 60 months. Interested parties must submit their requests to participate electronically by June 25, 2025, at 16:00 Pacific/Fiji time. The selection will be based on the best price-quality ratio, considering the applicant's professional suitability, economic and financial standing, and technical and professional ability.

Eligible Applicant Types: The call for tenders seeks applicants capable of providing technical assistance. The specific types of eligible applicants are not explicitly stated in the provided text but can be inferred to include organizations with expertise in business development consultancy services, climate-resilient rural development, macro-economic policies, public finance management, and development assistance coordination. Consulting firms, research institutes, NGOs, and other organizations with relevant experience could be eligible. The selection criteria mention "Suitability to pursue the professional activity," "Economic and financial standing," and "Technical and professional ability," suggesting that applicants will be evaluated based on their capacity to deliver the required services.

Funding Type: Procurement. This is a call for tenders, indicating a procurement process where the contracting authority (European Union, represented by the European Commission) is seeking to purchase services. The "Nature of the contract" is explicitly stated as "services."

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required or if a single applicant is sufficient. However, the FAQ section mentions that a Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory to participate in a call for tenders as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium). This suggests that both single applicants and consortia are eligible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary place of performance is Vanuatu. The program focuses on the Asia and Pacific region. The lead contracting authority is the European Union, represented by the European Commission on behalf of and for the account of Vanuatu. The geographic eligibility for applicants is not explicitly stated, but it can be inferred that organizations from the EU, Vanuatu, and potentially other countries in the Asia and Pacific region are eligible, provided they meet the selection criteria.

Target Sector: The program targets several interconnected sectors: climate-resilient rural development, agriculture/food (specifically climate-resilient food systems), trade, public finance management, and development assistance coordination. The main classification (CPV) code provided, 79411100, corresponds to business development consultancy services.

Mentioned Countries: Vanuatu.

Project Stage: The project is in the implementation phase. The Technical Assistance is intended to assist the Government of Vanuatu with the implementation of the Vanuatu Sustainable and Inclusive Rural Development Programme (VaVaC II).

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the contract is 2,700,000 EUR.

Application Type: Restricted procedure. The submission method is electronic. The call is open for submission. The process involves submitting a request to participate.

Nature of Support: Non-monetary services. The selected applicant will provide technical assistance to the Government of Vanuatu. The nature of the contract is explicitly stated as "services," indicating that the support will be in the form of expertise, advice, and capacity building rather than direct financial grants.

Application Stages: The procedure type is "Restricted procedure," which typically involves at least two stages: a request to participate (shortlisting) and a full tender submission for those shortlisted. Therefore, there are at least 2 stages.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This is a call for tenders from the European Commission, acting on behalf of Vanuatu, for Technical Assistance to support the Vanuatu Sustainable and Inclusive Rural Development Programme (VaVaC II). The program aims to contribute to climate-resilient rural development by enhancing food systems, promoting macro-economic stability, improving public finance management, and increasing budget oversight and transparency. The selected tenderer will provide consultancy services to the productive sector line ministries, including the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of the Prime Minister. The estimated value of the contract is 2.7 million EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 60 months. The procedure is a restricted procedure, meaning that applicants must first submit a request to participate, and only those shortlisted will be invited to submit a full tender. Submissions must be made electronically, and the deadline for receipt of requests to participate is June 25, 2025, at 16:00 Pacific/Fiji time. The award method will be based on the best price-quality ratio. Applicants must demonstrate their suitability to pursue the professional activity, their economic and financial standing, and their technical and professional ability. A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation, whether as a sole candidate or as part of a consortium. The eSubmission system supports various file types and requires attachments to be less than 50 MB in size, with a maximum of 200 files per tender. The system also supports all 24 official EU languages and uses encryption to ensure the confidentiality of the information.