Technical Assistance in support of Chapter 22 and Cohesion Policy in Albania

Restricted EU service contract under IPA III estimated at €1,750,000 for a 24 month implementation period. The contract will provide technical assistance to help Albanian authorities meet Chapter 22 closing benchmarks and build institutional, administrative and operational capacity for future management of EU Cohesion Policy. Requests to participate must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal by 26 October 2026 at 16:00 Europe Tirane. Eligible applicants are natural or legal persons established in EU Member States or eligible IPA III countries including consortia; selection requires minimum average turnover €1,400,000, at least two completed contracts of €500,000 each in relevant cohesion policy work, and award will be by best price quality ratio.

What it funds

Scope summary

Procurement of technical assistance services to support Albanian authorities in meeting Chapter 22 closing benchmarks and to build institutional, administrative and strategic capacity for future management and implementation of EU Cohesion Policy after accession ¹.

Estimated value and duration:€1 750 000 (estimated total); maximum contract duration 24 months.

1. 1Procurement type: Restricted tender (two-stage) for services
2. 2Award method: best price-quality ratio
3. 3Place of performance: Albania

Who can apply:natural persons and legal entities established in EU Member States, eligible countries listed under IPA III, and international or regional organisations; consortia are allowed. Selection criteria include financial thresholds (minimum average turnover €1 400 000), relevant technical experience and staff capacity.

Submission and documentation:electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission. Candidates must use the Request to Participate form and provide declarations and evidence as set out in the procurement documents ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement documents and submission portal: Tender page.

Tender summary

This is a restricted procedure tender launched by the European Union, represented by the European Commission on behalf of and for the account of Albania, to provide fee-based technical assistance to Albanian authorities in support of the timely fulfilment of Chapter 22 Closing Benchmarks and to prepare institutional, administrative and strategic capacities for the future management and implementation of EU Cohesion Policy after accession.

Procedure identifier:EC-ENEST/TIA/2026/EA-RP/0100

TED reference and publication:TED reference 651299-2026; TED publication date 22/09/2026 ¹

Estimated total value:€1 750 000 (estimated overall contract amount)

Maximum contract duration:24 months (period of implementation of tasks), provisional commencement May 2027

Place(s) of performance:Albania (Extra-Regio NUTS 3 ALZZZ), working closely with relevant Albanian public authorities

Eligibility and participation

Legal basis and eligibility:the procurement is financed under IPA III and the Multi-annual action plan in favour of Albania for 2025-2027 (European Union Integration Facility). Participation is open to natural persons who are nationals of, and legal persons effectively established in, EU Member States or eligible countries/territories as defined in Article 11 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1529. Participation is also open to international and regional organisations.

Eligible Applicant Types:Open to legal entities and natural persons from eligible countries: consult Annex and IPA III rules. Eligible applicant types include: consulting firms (large enterprises), SMEs, consortia led by legal entities, research organisations and universities, NGOs and non-profit organisations, international and regional organisations. Public bodies may participate but must submit equivalent financial information where requested. Subcontracting and reliance on capacity‑providing entities are allowed subject to documentation and eligibility rules.

Consortium requirement:Procedure: restricted. Participation may be by single entity or by consortium. If a consortium participates, all members are jointly and severally liable. Short-listed candidates must keep the same consortium composition for the tender stage unless prior written authorisation is granted under PRAG rules.

Beneficiary scope (geographic eligibility):Eligible organisations established in EU Member States or eligible IPA III countries and territories as defined in Article 11 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1529. The contract will be performed in Albania; contracting authority: European Commission for the account of Albania.

Target sector:Public administration and governance support for EU Cohesion Policy implementation and accession negotiations: public sector institutional development, Chapter 22 (regional policy and cohesion), strategic planning, programming and project pipelines, administrative capacity, financial management, control and audit, transparency and communications, digital systems for management and implementation of cohesion funds.

Mentioned country:Albania

Scope of work and objectives

Objective:provide technical assistance to relevant Albanian authorities to: (i) ensure timely fulfilment of Chapter 22 Closing Benchmarks; (ii) implement measures of the Chapter 22 Action Plan with a forward-looking approach; (iii) strengthen institutional, administrative and strategic capacities for future management and implementation of EU Cohesion Policy after accession. Services are advisory and capacity-building, including diagnostics, strategic planning, organisational development, support to programming and pipeline development, design of financial management and control arrangements, audit support, transparency and communications, and digital system recommendations and training.

Main CPV classifications:75130000 Supporting services for the government; additional CPV 75100000 Administration services

Procurement procedure and timelines

Procedure type:restricted tender (two-stage). Stage 1: request to participate; contracting authority will short-list between 4 and 8 candidates. Stage 2: invited tenderers submit full tenders. Award method: best price-quality ratio (weighting and detailed award criteria in procurement documents).

1. 1Call start / publication date: 22/09/2026
2. 2Deadline for receipt of requests to participate (stage 1): 26/10/2026 16:00 Europe/Tirane (UTC+01:00)
3. 3Provisional date of invitation to tender (stage 2): November 2026
4. 4Provisional contract commencement: May 2027
5. 5Contract implementation period: 24 months

Submission method:Electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission system is required. A EU Login account and a Participant Identification Code (PIC) are mandatory. Address for submission: eSubmission link in the procurement notice.

Selection and award criteria

Selection criteria combine economic and financial capacity, professional capacity, and technical capacity. Award is based on best price-quality ratio; the procurement documents provide full details and weightings for technical vs price evaluation.

Key selection thresholds and requirements:Economic and financial: average annual turnover for the last 3 closed financial years must be at least €1 400 000; current ratio (current assets/current liabilities) in the last closed year must be at least 1 (for consortia this must be met by each member). Professional capacity: on average at least 3 personnel in relevant specialist areas during the current and previous two years. Technical capacity: at least 2 contracts completed during the last 4 years, each with value not less than €500 000, in domains covering preparation, management and/or support in implementation of EU Cohesion policy (Chapter 22 governance, programming, institutional building, administrative capacity and digital systems, financial management, control and audit, transparency and communication).

Short-listing and limits:Between 4 and 8 candidates will be short-listed to submit tenders. If fewer than 4 eligible candidates meet the selection criteria the authority may proceed with those who meet the criteria; if more than 8 meet criteria, the authority will rank requests using additional comparative criteria (highest number of qualifying contracts, then highest cumulative value of qualifying contracts).

Administrative and compliance requirements

Candidates must submit a signed request to participate form and a declaration on honour on exclusion and selection criteria. If relying on capacity-providing entities, commitments and separate documentation are required. Candidates must declare any foreign financial contributions when applicable (Form FS-PP) and comply with EU restrictive measures. Subcontracting is allowed but main subcontractors may have to provide declarations and may be considered for eligibility/selection.

Language of procedure:English for all written communications and submissions.

Templates and application form structure:Requests to participate must use the provided Request to participate form (document b3_req_part_form_en). Required sections and structure include: 1. Submitted by (legal entity details and PIC), 2. Contact person, 3. Economic and financial capacity (table of financial data for last closed years and projections), 3bis. Notification of foreign contributions where applicable (Form FS-PP), 4. Personnel statistics (overall and relevant fields for current and two previous years), 5. Areas of specialisation matrix (up to 10 specialisations), 6. Experience references (up to 15 references covering last 4 years; required evidence for value and role), 7. Declarations (signed declaration on exclusion and selection criteria), 8. Statement of intent and signature. Additional supporting commitments must be provided when relying on other entities. Declarations must be submitted in the dedicated eSubmission attachment sections: Request to participate form under Other documents; Declaration referred to in Point 7 under Other documents; Declaration on Honour under Declaration on Honour.

Financial and contractual details

Nature of contract:services, fee-based. Award method: best price-quality ratio. Framework agreement: contracting system information indicates framework usage may be possible; options allow repeated similar services up to 100% by negotiated procedure without prior publication under conditions described in procurement documents. Electronic ordering and payment will be used.

Funding and programme:Funded under Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III) and the Multi-annual action plan in favour of Albania for 2025-2027 (European Union Integration Facility ACT-63254). Commission Implementing Decision referenced in a5f document.

Application mechanics and lifecycle

This is a two-stage restricted procurement:stage 1 request to participate, stage 2 invitation to tender for shortlisted candidates. Candidates must register in the Participant Register to obtain a PIC. Submission is electronic via the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission. Clarifications must be requested through the Portal no later than 21 days before the submission deadline; answers will be published at latest 8 days before the deadline. Candidates may withdraw and replace requests before the deadline via eSubmission.

1. 1Stage 1: Submit Request to participate via eSubmission by 26/10/2026 16:00 (Europe/Tirane).
2. 2Short-listing: contracting authority selects between 4 and 8 candidates based on selection criteria.
3. 3Stage 2: Invited candidates receive tender dossier and submit full tenders (provisional invitation November 2026).
4. 4Evaluation and award: best price-quality ratio; successful tender leads to contract expected to start May 2027 and run for 24 months.

Success rates, co-funding and other practicalities

Success rates:not specified in the procurement documents. As a restricted tender, short-listing will be limited to between 4 and 8 candidates; assuming maximum competition, chance to be shortlisted depends on number of eligible applicants and quality of request to participate. Co-funding: not required; contract is fee-based and funded by the referenced EU programme. VAT and taxation: follow rules in procurement documents and local law; financial figures must be provided in EUR using InforEuro conversion where necessary.

How evaluation and selection are reassessed if over-subscribed:If more than 8 eligible candidates meet selection criteria, additional comparative criteria applied in order are: 1) highest number of contracts meeting technical capacity criterion, 2) highest cumulated value of completed services meeting that criterion.

Key documents and access

Primary procurement documents available on the Funding & Tenders Portal include:Invitation to submit a request to participate (Request to participate form b3) and Additional information about the contract notice (a5f). All submissions and Q&A take place via the Portal. Official download links are provided in the procurement notice and via the portal Funding & Tenders Portal. ¹

Practical checklist for interested applicants

1. 1Ensure your organisation is eligible under IPA III rules and obtain/register PIC in the Participant Register.
2. 2Create EU Login account and familiarise with eSubmission system and technical requirements (file sizes, formats).
3. 3Download and complete the Request to participate form (b3) and the Declaration on Honour templates; gather financial statements for last 3 closed years and personnel statistics.
4. 4Prepare documentary evidence for at least two technical references (contracts >= €500 000 each) with supporting certificates or reports.
5. 5If relying on other entities, obtain signed commitments and include separate documentation for those entities.
6. 6Submit the request to participate via eSubmission before 26/10/2026 16:00 (Europe/Tirane).
7. 7Monitor the Funding & Tenders Portal for clarifications, updates and invitation to tender if short-listed.

Clarifications and Q&A must be submitted through the Funding & Tenders Portal. System and submission technical support is available through the portal helpdesk. Candidates must ensure declarations are signed and retained in originals if invited to tender, as originals may be requested by the contracting authority.

Summary and recommendation

This restricted tender seeks an experienced service provider or consortium to deliver technical assistance to Albania in the area of Chapter 22 and Cohesion Policy preparedness and future management capacity. The contract is funded under IPA III with an estimated value of €1.75 million and a 24-month implementation period. Eligible applicants must meet clear financial, professional and technical thresholds, demonstrate relevant completed contracts in cohesion policy support, and be prepared to submit a complete Request to participate via the Funding & Tenders Portal by the stated deadline. Short-listed candidates will be invited to tender and evaluated on best price-quality ratio. Interested organisations should prioritise assembling evidence of past cohesion policy support, ensure financial thresholds are met or covered via consortium composition or capacity-providing entities, and register and submit through the eSubmission system in English.

Footnotes

1. 1Tender details and documents on the Funding & Tenders Portal: Tender details

This is a restricted EU service contract under IPA III with an estimated value of €1,750,000 and a planned implementation period of 24 months. It supports Albania's accession preparations by strengthening the institutions responsible for Chapter 22 and future Cohesion Policy management.[4][6][10][11][13]

What the assignment is about

The assignment is designed to help the relevant Albanian authorities meet the Chapter 22 closing benchmarks and implement remaining actions in the Chapter 22 Action Plan. It also aims to strengthen institutional, administrative, strategic, and operational capacity for the future management and implementation of EU Cohesion Policy after accession.[4][6][10][11][13]

Chapter 22 concerns regional policy and coordination of structural instruments, so the work is focused on governance, programming, partnerships, project pipeline preparation, institutional building, administrative capacity, financial management and control, audit, transparency, and communication.[6][10][11][13]

Who can apply

• Eligible natural persons and legal persons that are effectively established in a Member State of the European Union or in an eligible country or territory under Article 11 of the IPA III Regulation may participate, either individually or in a consortium.[4]
• International and regional organisations may also participate.[4]
• All consortium members, including the leader, are jointly and severally liable to the contracting authority.[4]
• Each natural or legal person may submit only one request to participate for this contract, and duplicate participation leads to exclusion.[4]
• Subcontracting is allowed, but shortlisted candidates may not form alliances with or subcontract to each other for the contract unless prior authorisation is granted.[4]

Selection criteria and shortlist mechanics

The award criterion is the best price-quality ratio, and the tender documents indicate a weighting of 80 for quality and 20 for price.[4]

Submission and procedural requirements

1. 1Requests to participate must be submitted electronically through the Funding and Tenders Portal eSubmission system and must be in English.[4]
2. 2EU Login is required, and a Participant Identification Code is needed for each organisation involved in the submission.[4]
3. 3The request to participate form, the declaration referred to in point 7 of the form, and the declaration on honour on exclusion and selection criteria must be uploaded in the correct attachment sections.[4]
4. 4The deadline for requests to participate is 26 October 2026 at 16:00 Europe/Tirane, and late submissions are rejected.[4]
5. 5Clarification questions must be submitted through the portal at least 21 days before the deadline, and answers are published no later than 8 days before the deadline.[4]
6. 6The provisional invitation to tender is planned for November 2026, and the provisional contract commencement date is May 2027.[4]

The opportunity is not a framework agreement in practical effect, and the portal shows a single lot for Albania.[4]

Official portal:EU Funding and Tenders Portal

What applicants should pay close attention to

• The technical experience threshold is demanding, so bids should show direct and well documented experience in EU Cohesion Policy, accession support, governance, institutional strengthening, financial control, or related reform work.[4][10][11][13]
• For consortium bids, the financial ratio requirement applies to each member, so weak balance sheets in one member can disqualify the group.[4]
• Experience evidence must clearly show the value of the completed part of each reference contract, especially where work was done in a consortium.[4]
• The documents indicate that foreign financial contribution notifications apply only to procedures with values at or above €250 million, so that obligation does not appear to be triggered here.[4]
• Candidates should avoid proposing experts who were involved in preparing the project, as this can create an exclusion risk.[4]

Overall, this is a specialist pre-accession technical assistance opportunity for organisations with proven public-sector reform capacity and a strong record in EU cohesion policy support. The strongest bids will likely combine Albanian or Western Balkans accession experience, institutional strengthening expertise, and evidence of successfully delivered contracts of at least €500,000 each.[4][10][11][13]