Training for ENP East and Central Asia countries

European Commission (Eurostat) is procuring an external contractor to design, organise and deliver seven statistical training courses for ENP East and Central Asia under a maximum 36‑month contract. The contract requires five on-site and two online courses with bilingual English/Russian delivery, simultaneous interpretation, course materials, logistics and participant travel and accommodation, and has a maximum budget of €290,000. The procedure is an open procurement awarded on the best price-quality ratio (quality 60%, price 40%) and tenders must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by 14 December 2026 at 16:00 Europe/Luxembourg time.

What it funds

Scope

Organisation, delivery and logistical support for 7 training courses (5 on-site, 2 online) for ENP-East and Central Asia/EECCA statistical administrations. Courses average 3 working days each (21 training days total) and include trainers, course materials, translation/interpretation, venue and IT platform, travel, accommodation and per diems for participants, evaluation and reporting.

Who can apply

Key eligibility and minimums

What the contractor must deliver

Footnotes

1. 1All procurement documents (Invitation to tender, Tender specifications, Annexes, Draft contract and Financial offer form) are available on the F&T Portal tender page linked above.

Quick facts

What Eurostat is buying

Services and deliverables (summary)

Detailed requirements for trainers and team

Participants and course formats

Logistics, travel and per diems

The contractor is responsible for booking and paying travel (economy flights, first-class international rail where relevant), assisting with visas and travel insurance (reimbursed on receipts), providing accommodation (single room, en-suite, minimum 3-star) from evening before to morning after the course, and paying EC-aligned per diems (Annex 8 lists EC rates by country). Meals provided directly by the contractor must be deducted from the daily allowance (maximum 25% per lunch/dinner provided). Invoicing must reflect the physical participation numbers (signed participant lists are the basis for invoicing). All travel and accommodation costs for participants, trainers and interpreters are covered by the contractor within the tender price.

Online platform and accessibility

For online delivery the contractor must provide a professional platform (license fees included), support interpretation (English–Russian), enable live broadcast of speaker and materials, chat, polls, Q&A, breakout rooms, allow downloads via CIRCABC, test trainers and equipment before sessions (one week prior), and provide technical support during live sessions. Courses are normally not recorded; if recording or reuse is necessary the contractor must obtain consent and comply with data protection and copyright clauses.

Security, confidentiality and data protection

Contractor and all personnel must comply with Eurostat and Commission security rules. Confidential statistical data may be provided and can only be used for tasks under the contract; all staff handling such data must sign Annex IV Commitment on statistical confidentiality. Personal data processing must comply with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725; data processing locations are restricted to the EU/EEA unless prior written authorisation is granted and adequate safeguards are in place.

Procurement, eligibility and participation

Eligible applicant types

Funding Type

This is a procurement service contract (direct contract for services). The selected contractor will be paid for services delivered under the contract (procurement, not grant/loan/equity).

Consortium requirement

A single tenderer may submit or a consortium/joint tender may be submitted. The contracting authority allows sole tenderers and joint tenders; no mandatory consortium is imposed. Joint tenders must include an Agreement/Power of Attorney (Annex 3 model).

Beneficiary scope (geographic eligibility)

Participation is open to economic operators established in Member States and in third countries covered by procurement access rules (including WTO Government Procurement Agreement signatories). The target beneficiaries for the training activity are EECCA and ENP-East partner countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus (as applicable), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Target sector

Mentioned countries

Project stage

Funding amount and financial model

Evaluation and award

Selection and exclusion criteria (summary)

Consortia, subcontracting and templates

Application stages, success rate and co‑funding

Co-funding requirement

No co-funding by the contractor is required. The contractor is paid under the service contract. For participants, Eurostat does not fund travel for ESTP courses normally; under this contract the contractor covers travel, accommodation and per diems as part of the tender price (i.e., costs borne by contractor and included in the financial offer).

Templates and application form structure (how to prepare the tender)

Key risks and evaluation tips for applicants

Final summary — what is this opportunity about and how to explain it

Eurostat is procuring a three-year service contract (maximum 36 months, estimated value €290,000) to prepare and deliver seven statistical training courses tailored to the needs of ENP-East and Central Asia / EECCA countries. The contract covers all activities required end-to-end: design and adaptation of ESTP-style training, sourcing and approval of expert trainers, translation and bilingual materials, simultaneous interpretation, on-site logistics (venue, IT, interpretation booths, participant support), travel and accommodation arrangements and payments, online platform delivery for virtual sessions with interpretation and accessibility, participant administration, evaluation of courses and reporting. Tenders are submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal in a single-stage open procedure where quality (60%) and price (40%) are evaluated to award the contract to the most economically advantageous tender. Eligibility is broad (economic operators, consortia and subcontractors allowed) but tenderers must satisfy exclusion and selection criteria, provide the mandatory Annex 6 financial offer and the technical evidence required in the Tender Specifications. This is a procurement opportunity for experienced training organisers and agencies with statistical training, multilingual delivery and international logistics capabilities. For submission applicants must register in the Participant Register, prepare the technical and financial tenders according to Annex 1 and Annex 6 and submit via eSubmission before the deadline.

This summary is based entirely on the published call documentation (Tender Specifications and Draft Service Contract) and the Annexes provided on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. For operational details and exact wording always refer to the official procurement documents on the tender page.

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement file set and templates are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal tender page for EC-ESTAT/2026/OP/0034. Use the Annex 6 Excel financial model for the price submission and Annex 2 Declaration on Honour for exclusion and selection statements.

Executive summary

This is a European Commission public procurement opportunity, not a grant scheme. Eurostat is seeking one external contractor to design, organise and deliver seven statistical training courses for Eastern European, Caucasus and Central Asian countries over a maximum contract period of 36 months. The requirement comprises five on site courses and two online courses, normally lasting an average of three working days each. The estimated maximum contract value is €290,000. 1

The contract is intended to strengthen statistical capacity and support the practical application of European Union and international standards in statistical production, quality, harmonisation, dissemination, modernisation and related fields. The successful contractor will be responsible for technical content, trainers, translation, interpretation, participant administration, travel, accommodation, venues, online delivery, evaluation and reporting.

The procedure is an open procedure for services. Any eligible economic operator may submit a tender independently, as a consortium or with subcontractors, subject to access, exclusion, financial, technical and professional capacity requirements.

Opportunity profile

Contracting authority

European Commission, Directorate General for Eurostat, Unit B3, Enlargement, Neighbourhood and Development Cooperation.

Procedure identifier

EC ESTAT/2026/OP/0034.

TED reference

198/2026, 705273 2026.

Contract nature

Services, with CPV classification 79951000 for seminar organisation services and an additional classification in the 79000000 professional services category.

Procedure and award method

The procedure is an open procedure resulting in a direct contract. The award method is the best price quality ratio, with quality weighted at 60 percent and price at 40 percent. The opportunity is not divided into lots and is not a framework agreement.

Key dates and duration

The portal records publication on 13 October 2026. The deadline for receipt of tenders is 14 December 2026 at 16:00 Central European time, using the Europe Luxembourg time zone. The public opening is scheduled for 16 December 2026 at 10:00 Central European time. Questions submitted after 4 December 2026 at 23:59 may not receive a response.

The maximum contract duration is 36 months. The first training course must be delivered within six months after the start of contract execution. A kick off meeting is expected within one month after contract signature. The indicative implementation plan must distribute the seven courses across the three years, with at least two courses linked to the first twelve month period, at least two further courses linked to the second twelve month period and the remaining three courses linked to the final twelve month period.

The tender information contains an additional deadline entry of 1 January 2026. This is inconsistent with the detailed call notice, which identifies 14 December 2026 at 16:00 as the tender submission deadline. Applicants should treat the detailed portal deadline and any subsequent corrigendum as controlling.

Financial parameters

The estimated total value and maximum overall contract amount are €290,000 for the entire contract period. This is a procurement budget paid to the successful contractor for the complete service package. It is not a fixed grant awarded to applicants and there is no stated percentage funding rate.

The price tender must cover all requirements in the specifications, including personnel, course preparation, translation, interpretation, venues, equipment, online platforms, travel, visas, insurance, accommodation, per diems, administrative support, reporting and other delivery costs. Tenderers should therefore price the full cost of performance rather than only trainer or event management fees.

The specifications indicate that the number of participants attending an event may be lower than expected. Certain travel, accommodation and per diem costs can therefore be adjusted to reflect the number of people physically participating. Applicants should build a transparent cost model that separates fixed preparation and management costs from variable participant related costs.

Scope of the required services

The contractor must organise seven courses based on recent or current European Statistical Training Programme material or other relevant statistical courses, adapted to the needs of the beneficiary countries. The final topics will be communicated by Eurostat and may change in response to identified needs.

Potential subject areas include quality of statistics, statistical modernisation and innovation, Statistical Data and Metadata eXchange, new data sources, administrative and privately held data, efficiency of statistical production, artificial intelligence, harmonisation, national accounts, enterprise statistics, social statistics, business statistics, sampling, visibility, dissemination and communication with users.

The training objective is to transfer practical skills and theoretical knowledge that statistical offices can apply in daily data production and dissemination. Courses should also help participants understand the European Statistical System and produce reliable, comparable data in line with European and international norms.

Delivery model

Five courses must be delivered on site and two online. On site courses have an average duration of three working days, equivalent to 15 training days in total. Online courses comprise six half day sessions each, equivalent to six training days in total. The overall expected training volume is 21 training days.

On site courses will normally have up to nine participants, generally one participant from each partner country. If a course takes place in an ENP East country, up to four additional participants from that country may attend without additional per diem or accommodation costs under the contract. Online courses may accommodate approximately 30 to 40 participants where the subject permits.

Courses may be organised in European Union Member States, European Free Trade Association countries, Western Balkan countries or ENP East countries. Locations must provide suitable security conditions for participants and staff.

Language and interpretation

Courses must be delivered in English or Russian, with simultaneous interpretation into the other language. At least two interpreters are required for each course. Interpreters must have at least five years of proven experience in simultaneous English and Russian interpretation and appropriate statistical terminology knowledge.

Course materials must be made available in both English and Russian. The contractor is responsible for translation quality, proofreading and timely distribution. Artificial intelligence interpretation may be used only if Eurostat requests or approves it as a backup solution and the contractor demonstrates its quality and reliability.

Main tasks and deliverables

Trainer requirements

Each proposed trainer must generally have a postgraduate university degree in statistics, economics, information technology or another relevant field. Trainers must have recent experience, normally not older than five years, in an EU or EFTA national statistical institute or another relevant official statistics body.

Each trainer must have at least five years of recent professional experience in the relevant field. At least one of the two trainers delivering each course must have at least three years of experience delivering statistical training. Trainers must be fluent in written and spoken English at approximately C1 level under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Preference may be given to trainers working in national statistical institutes or other national authorities producing official statistics within the European Statistical System. Trainers cannot be Eurostat staff or nationals of countries benefiting from the assistance. Trainers from Western Balkan countries or Türkiye may be used in relevant cases, subject to Eurostat approval and justification.

Eligibility and access to procurement

Eligible tenderers may be natural persons, legal entities, groups of economic operators or international organisations, subject to the applicable EU procurement access rules. Participation is open to entities established in EU Member States and other countries covered by applicable agreements, including relevant World Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement rules.

A tenderer may submit as a sole operator, as a joint tender with other economic operators or with subcontractors. Joint tender members have joint and several liability for contract performance and must appoint a group leader. Each participant must have a Participant Identification Code and be registered in the European Commission Participant Register before submission.

A tenderer may rely on the capacities of other entities where it demonstrates that the necessary resources will be available. For technical and professional capacity, the entity relied upon must perform the services for which that capacity is required. Identified subcontractors whose individual share is above 15 percent, or on whose capacity the tenderer relies, must generally be identified and provide the required commitment documentation.

An entity may not participate simultaneously as a sole tenderer and as a member of another group, or as a member of more than one group, in the same procedure. Cross subcontracting arrangements between competing tenders are also restricted and may result in rejection.

Selection criteria

Economic and financial capacity

The tenderer, assessed on a consolidated basis across relevant involved entities, must have an average annual turnover above €100,000 over the last two financial years. Evidence may include profit and loss accounts and balance sheets or, where appropriate, bank statements. The most recent closed financial year must normally be within the last 18 months.

Technical experience of the organisation

The tenderer must demonstrate that it has organised at least two on site and two online training courses on statistics or related subjects during the five years before the tender deadline. The combined experience must represent at least 12 training days. The evidence should state dates, topics, participant numbers, language of instruction and organisational arrangements.

Project management experience

The proposed project manager must have at least two years of experience organising multinational and multilingual training courses involving several countries, including travel and accommodation arrangements.

Language capability

All proposed team members must have experience working in English, particularly in written and oral professional communication, normally at native speaker level or at least B2 level. At least one team member must be able to communicate in Russian at least at B1 level.

Exclusion, integrity and compliance requirements

Tenderers and relevant involved entities must not be in an exclusion situation under the EU Financial Regulation. A signed Declaration on Honour is required, and the contracting authority may request supporting evidence during the procedure, particularly from the tenderer proposed for award.

Tenderers, group members, subcontractors and other involved entities must not be subject to applicable EU restrictive measures that would prevent performance of the contract. Tenderers must also ensure that their proposed arrangements do not create professional conflicts of interest.

The contractor must comply with applicable data protection, environmental, social and labour law requirements, EU visibility rules, equality and diversity requirements, fraud prevention obligations and Commission security requirements.

Confidential statistical information may be made available only within Eurostat premises and only for the contractual tasks. The contractor and every relevant employee, consortium member and subcontractor must sign the required commitment on statistical confidentiality. These obligations continue after contract termination.

Award criteria and tender strategy

Price represents 40 percent of the award assessment and quality represents 60 percent. Quality is assessed through three principal areas: technical approach and methodology, work plan and timetable, and management arrangements, each carrying 25 maximum quality points before application of the overall weighting.

Minimum quality thresholds apply to the technical approach and methodology and to the work plan and timetable. A tender that fails mandatory requirements or minimum thresholds may be rejected before price comparison is decisive.

A competitive tender should demonstrate a credible method for adapting European Statistical Training Programme materials to beneficiary needs, a rapid mobilisation plan, reliable bilingual delivery, robust interpretation and translation controls, participant data protection, realistic logistics, contingency arrangements and clear responsibility allocation across the contractor, trainers and subcontractors.

The work plan should include a detailed timetable for all seven courses, proposed sequencing over 36 months, dependencies, approval points, trainer mobilisation, translation lead times, venue and travel planning, online testing, reporting deadlines and risk mitigation. Applicants should explicitly show how the first course can be delivered within six months of contract execution.

Submission requirements

Tenders must be submitted electronically through the European Commission Funding and Tenders Portal using the designated eSubmission address. An EU Login account is required for electronic submission, questions and access to procurement functions. A valid Participant Identification Code is mandatory for the tenderer and consortium members.

The tender package should be prepared using the official invitation, tender specifications, financial offer form, draft service contract and relevant annexes. The tender should include the technical offer, financial offer, proposed timetable, organisational and management arrangements, evidence of technical and professional capacity, required declarations, team CVs and subcontractor or capacity commitment documents where applicable.

The portal information states that eSubmission accepts individual attachments below 50 megabytes and permits up to 200 files per submission. Tenderers should verify the latest system requirements, file naming rules, accepted formats and electronic signature requirements before uploading.

A draft submission can normally be edited before the deadline. Tenderers should submit well in advance because encrypted attachments cannot be accessed after submission and technical problems close to the deadline may not justify late submission.

Key risks and practical considerations

The budget is relatively limited for seven multilingual courses involving international travel, accommodation, per diems, interpretation, translation, venues and online delivery. A tenderer must demonstrate cost control without reducing mandatory service quality or participant support.

The topics are not fully fixed at tender stage. The successful contractor must be able to mobilise trainers and adapt content after the kick off meeting, while avoiding overlap with other regional and national projects. A broad trainer network and access to recent official statistics expertise will therefore be valuable.

The contractor bears substantial operational responsibility. This includes ticketing, visa support, insurance, hotel reservations, per diem payments, venue security, technical equipment, interpretation systems, participant communications and troubleshooting. These functions should be covered by named roles and documented procedures.

Eurostat approval points create schedule dependencies. Materials require approval eight weeks before each course, bilingual materials must be available two weeks beforehand, participant lists require approval, and alternative trainers may need to be identified quickly. The work plan should include sufficient contingency time.

Confidentiality and personal data compliance are significant evaluation and delivery issues. The tender should explain participant database controls, consent management, handling of photographs and recordings, access controls, confidentiality commitments, subcontractor controls and procedures for any online collection of personal data.

Overall assessment

This opportunity is best suited to an established training, conference management, professional services or statistical capacity building organisation with proven international logistics capability and access to official statistics experts. A specialist training provider may participate successfully with experienced logistics partners, interpreters, travel providers and statistical institutions, provided the consortium structure clearly satisfies the selection criteria.

The strongest bids will combine credible statistical expertise with disciplined programme management. Technical quality is more important than price in the scoring structure, but the financial offer must remain realistic because the €290,000 ceiling must cover the complete seven course service package.

The official procurement documents should be treated as legally controlling, particularly the tender specifications, financial offer form, draft contract, annexes and any later portal clarification or corrigendum. 1

Source

Footnotes

1. 1Official source consulted for the opportunity details and procurement documents: Training for ENP East and Central Asia countries. The official tender specifications and subsequent portal updates prevail over summaries or extracted metadata.