Technical assistance in the implementation of Article 6(7) of the Digital Markets Act (DMA)

The European Commission DG Competition plans a negotiated procurement to obtain specialised software and technological expertise to support implementation and monitoring of Article 6(7) of the Digital Markets Act, covering two specification decisions relating to Apple iOS and Google Android. The contract is for services (CPV 72221000) with an estimated total value of €139,000 and a maximum duration of 13 months. This publication is an advance notice (planned negotiated procedure for a low/middle value contract) and full tender documents, award criteria and contractual terms will be published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal when the procedure is launched. Expressions of interest must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal by 3 November 2026 at 22:59 Brussels time.

Tender at a glance

Essential facts

The European Commission (DG COMP) plans a negotiated low/middle value procedure to procure technical software and technological expertise to support implementation and monitoring of Article 6(7) DMA for specified cases (Apple iOS and Alphabet Android). The contract is services, main CPV 72221000 (business analysis consultancy).

Submissions of interest must be sent electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal using an EU Login account. The notice is a planned publication announcing intent to launch the procedure; full tender documents will be published at launch.

Footnotes

1. 1Tender details and future documents will appear on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Tender page.

Basic opportunity facts

What the Commission is buying

Scope and deliverables (summary from notice)

Eligibility and applicant requirements

Eligible applicants and geographic scope are defined by standard rules for the negotiated procedure and by an explicit exceptional clause in the notice. The Commission states the call for tenders will, on an exceptional basis, be open to economic operators established in a EU Member State or in a third country which has a special agreement with the European Union in the field of public procurement, under the conditions of that agreement. Applicants must therefore be established either in an EU Member State or in a listed third country that benefits from a procurement agreement with the EU (such as EEA/EFTA or other countries where a specific public procurement agreement applies) as set out in the future tender documents.

Administrative and technical classification

Submission logistics and portal requirements

What is not specified in the ExA notice (items to expect in the actual tender documents)

Practical advice for potential bidders

Contact and reference links

Primary opportunity page and future tender documentation will be available on the European Commission Funding & Tenders Portal. The Commission’s DG Competition site is referenced as the lead authority link in the notice. For electronic submissions and Q&A the Funding & Tenders Portal (EU Login) is mandatory 1.

Concluding summary

This ExA notice announces the European Commission’s intention to procure specialised technical assistance to support implementation and monitoring of Article 6(7) DMA obligations for two specific specification decisions involving large platform operators (Apple iOS and Alphabet Google Android). The action is a service procurement under DG Competition, planned as a negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract with an estimated budget of €139,000 and a maximum duration of 13 months. Eligible bidders are economic operators established in EU Member States or, exceptionally, in third countries covered by EU public procurement agreements, and submissions must be made electronically through the Funding & Tenders Portal using an EU Login account. The notice does not include detailed tender documents, award criteria or templates; these will be published when the negotiated procedure is launched. Potential bidders should prepare corporate, technical and legal documentation demonstrating relevant software and monitoring expertise and be ready for a two-stage application process (expression of interest then participation in the negotiated procurement) 1.

Footnotes

1. 1Official opportunity page on the European Commission Funding & Tenders Portal: ec.europa.eu

Opportunity classification

This is a planned European Commission procurement opportunity for specialised technical assistance. It is not a grant scheme or an open call for proposals. The contracting authority has announced its intention to launch a future negotiated procedure for a low or middle value services contract. The opportunity is managed through the European Commission Funding and Tenders Portal, which provides access to EU institutional procurement opportunities 1.

The current publication is an advance notice rather than a call for tenders. Procurement documents, final technical specifications, award criteria, contractual terms and the formal invitation to tender are expected to become available only when the negotiated procedure is launched.

Key opportunity facts

Contract purpose and technical scope

The European Commission intends to procure software and technological expertise to support the implementation of Article 6(7) of the Digital Markets Act. The work is expected to provide comprehensive technical assistance and monitoring support in relation to the implementation of specification decisions adopted in two Digital Markets Act cases.

The identified cases concern Apple iOS features for connected physical devices and Alphabet Google Android features relating to artificial intelligence. The contractor is therefore expected to support technically informed monitoring of how the relevant specification decisions are implemented and to provide the Commission with analysis, evidence and technological expertise relevant to its Digital Markets Act enforcement responsibilities.

The wording of the advance notice does not define the precise work packages, deliverables, service levels, reporting format, technical architecture, testing methodology, access arrangements or required staffing profile. These matters should be treated as unresolved until the formal procurement documents are published.

Who can apply

The opportunity is directed at economic operators with relevant software, technology and business analysis consultancy capabilities. Potential bidders may include specialist technology consultancies, software engineering firms, digital investigation providers, technical testing organisations and larger multidisciplinary firms, provided that they can satisfy the final selection and exclusion requirements in the negotiated procedure.

The notice states that, on an exceptional basis, participation may be open to economic operators established in an EU Member State or in a third country that has a special agreement with the European Union in the field of public procurement. Participation by third country operators is therefore conditional and depends on the applicable agreement and its terms. The notice does not establish unrestricted global eligibility.

The publication does not provide detailed minimum turnover requirements, professional capacity thresholds, technical references, security requirements, conflict of interest rules, exclusion grounds, subcontracting rules or consortium conditions. Applicants should not assume that meeting the general description alone will establish eligibility.

Funding and commercial conditions

This is a procurement contract rather than non repayable funding. The successful contractor will be paid under the resulting service contract for accepted services and deliverables. There is no grant funding rate, co financing percentage, reimbursement model or applicant contribution requirement stated in the advance notice.

The estimated total contract value is €139,000 for the planned contract. The notice does not clarify whether this amount includes or excludes value added tax, nor does it state the detailed payment schedule, price structure, budget ceilings for tasks, options or reimbursable expenses. These points must be verified in the formal tender documents.

The contract has a maximum duration of 13 months. No renewal period, extension option, phased implementation structure or framework call off mechanism is indicated in the published information.

Important dates and process

An expression of interest is not the same as submitting a complete tender. The advance notice indicates the Commission's intention to invite or conduct a future negotiated procurement process. Applicants should monitor the portal for the formal procedure, invitation documents and any changes to the indicative timetable.

Applicant requirements and likely evidence

Although the detailed procurement documents are not yet available, a credible response is likely to require evidence of the following capabilities, subject to confirmation in the final invitation and specifications:

These points are analytical indicators derived from the stated scope and CPV classification. They are not confirmed minimum selection criteria and should not replace review of the final tender specifications.

Strategic relevance of the assignment

The assignment is closely connected to the Commission's practical enforcement of the Digital Markets Act. Its focus is not general digital transformation, software development for an internal Commission system or research funding. It is intended to give DG Competition access to independent technical expertise for monitoring implementation of specific Digital Markets Act specification decisions involving major platform ecosystems.

The opportunity is particularly relevant to providers that combine technical platform expertise with regulatory, competition, compliance or digital market analysis. Firms offering only general management consultancy, without demonstrable software and technology capability, may be less well aligned with the stated requirement.

Key risks and uncertainties

Recommended preparation for interested bidders

Overall assessment

This is a specialised, strategically relevant Commission services procurement with an estimated value of €139,000 and a maximum duration of 13 months. It is best suited to an established technology or consultancy provider able to combine software engineering, platform testing, technical monitoring and clear regulatory reporting.

The immediate opportunity is to express interest before 3 November 2026 at 22:59 Brussels time. However, the commercial and technical decision to bid should be made only after the formal negotiated procedure is published, because the current notice does not contain enough information to confirm precise eligibility, evaluation criteria, deliverables, payment terms or the treatment of confidential technical information.

Sources and limitations

The analysis relies on the official EU Funding and Tenders Portal opportunity record supplied for this procurement. The search index confirmed the Funding and Tenders Portal as the European Commission platform for procurement opportunities 1. Information not stated in the advance notice, including detailed award criteria, VAT treatment, minimum financial capacity, technical thresholds and contractual deliverables, has been identified as pending rather than inferred.

1

Official opportunity record: EU Funding and Tenders Portal opportunity

Footnotes

1. 1The official Funding and Tenders Portal is the European Commission platform used to publish and manage EU procurement and funding opportunities.