Travel risk management services

EFSA has published an open tender (EFSA/2026/OP/0014) for Travel Risk Management Services to establish a framework agreement with a single operator. The estimated overall contract value is €5,250,000 for an initial 12-month period renewable up to three times (maximum 48 months) and submissions must be made electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by 12 August 2026 at 14:30:59 CET. Awarding is based on quality (70%) and price (30%); required services include 24/7 medical and security emergency assistance, traveler registration and alerts, incident response and evacuation support. Bidders must demonstrate financial capacity, provide 1–3 relevant references and include a data protection agreement and required registration documents.

What is funded

Scope

Provision of travel risk assessment and travel risk management services under a framework service contract to support staff travels and related operations.

Estimated contract value:Estimated overall contract amount €5,250,000 for the framework (total across lots) ¹.

1. 1Who can apply: service suppliers/contractors able to deliver travel risk assessment and management services (see procurement documents for detailed selection criteria).
2. 2Contracting authority: European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
3. 3Procedure: framework agreement, service contract, open tender via Funding & Tenders Portal, electronic submission required.

Important deadlines:submission deadline 12 August 2026 14:30:59 (Europe/Rome). Additional date listed: 1 January 2026 12:30:59 (refer to official notice and corrigenda for exact timelines and any updates) ¹.

Award criteria:Award based on quality (70) and price (30). Full evaluation methodology and tender specifications are in the procurement documents ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Tender details and procurement documents (invitation, tender specs, draft contract, financial template) available on the Funding & Tenders Portal Tender page.

Opportunity summary

What the tender is for

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) publishes a procurement for Travel risk management services to provide supporting services for travel risk assessment and management. The procurement is a framework service contract for services related to assessing and managing risks associated with travels. The framework contract is for an initial period of 12 months, renewable up to three times as set out in the draft contract included in the procurement documents. The estimated overall contract value is €5,250,000 and the planned maximum duration of contracts awarded under the procurement project is 48 months.

Key deadlines:Invitation published 06/07/2026. Submission deadline 12 August 2026, 14:30:59 CET. Open tender event / occurrence 13 August 2026 at 14:30 (local time). Additional information request period closes 04 August 2026. Consider changed until date for published documents and corrigenda 22 July 2026 ¹.

1. 1Publication date: 06 July 2026
2. 2Submission deadline: 12 August 2026, 14:30:59 (Europe/Rome timezone)
3. 3Open tender event: 13 August 2026, 14:30 (Europe/Rome timezone)
4. 4Additional information request cut-off: 04 August 2026
5. 5Corrigendum(s) published: Corrigendum 1 on 08 July 2026

Administrative and procurement details

Call identifier EFSA/2026/OP/0014. This procurement is published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and uses electronic submission (eSubmission) via the portal. The contract nature is services (main CPV 63516000). The procurement uses a framework agreement mechanism and is listed as FA-WO-RC type; dynamic purchasing system usage is not applied. The contracting authority and lead authority is the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Estimated value and contract duration:Estimated overall contract amount: €5,250,000. Planned maximum duration referenced in procurement data: 48 months. The framework contract initial period: 12 months, renewable three times (consult draft contract in procurement documents).

Who can apply and eligibility

This is a public procurement (open tender) for service provision under EU rules. The procurement documentation contains the formal selection criteria and any specific requirements. SMEs suitable indicator is false in the metadata, which indicates the tender is not restricted to SME-only participation. Bidders should consult the tender specifications and the invitation to tender for precise legal eligibility, required certificates and selection documentation.

1. 1Eligible applicant types (general): companies and commercial service providers, consultancies, large enterprises, SMEs (subject to full tender requirements), research or professional service organisations offering travel risk management services, non-profit organisations and consortia if permitted by the tender documents, and other legal entities established in jurisdictions accepted under the procurement rules of EFSA.
2. 2Consortium arrangements: The procurement documents and selection criteria should be consulted for rules on consortium or joint bids. The procurement metadata indicates standard selection criteria references; in practice EU tenders commonly accept consortia or lead partner setups if declared. The tender does not explicitly require single-entity-only participation in the scraped summary.
3. 3Geographic eligibility: The call is published by an EU agency (EFSA) and uses the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Participation is subject to the procurement rules applicable to EFSA; typically entities established in EU Member States and eligible third countries under EU procurement rules may participate. The scraped text does not list an explicit country exclusion list; bidders must consult the tender specifications for the definitive list of eligible countries.

Funding and contract modality

Primary financial mechanism:public procurement for a service contract (framework agreement). This is not a grant, equity or loan. Beneficiaries will receive payment for services under contractual terms; it is a commercial procurement governed by the contract and price submission process. Payments are contractual remuneration for services rendered, not grant funding.

Award criteria and weighting:Award criteria shown in the procurement metadata: quality 70 and price 30. The tender specification instructs bidders to consult the procurement documents for the full description of award sub-criteria and scoring methodology.

Application process and documents

Submission method:electronic submission required via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (eSubmission). Bidders must register and upload all required documentation through the portal before the stated deadline. The procurement package includes the invitation to tender, tender specifications, draft framework contract, financial offer template (Annex 1) and corrigenda where applicable.

1. 1Submission platform: EU Funding & Tenders Portal (Funding and Tenders Portal eSubmission).
2. 2Submission format: electronic forms and uploaded attachments as specified in the tender documents. The financial offer must use the provided Excel template Annex 1 Financial offer template (xlsx).
3. 3Mandatory documents available in procurement package: Invitation letter (OC Invitation to tender Jan 2026), Tender specifications (version 2 published 08/07/2026), Draft contract (EN FWC Service Contract June 2026), Financial offer template (Annex 1), Corrigendum(s) where published.

Structure of application / templates:The procurement documentation provides templates and required structure. Key components to prepare: administrative/selection documentation proving legal status, financial capacity and professional qualifications; technical offer describing methodology, staffing, experience, service approach and deliverables; and a priced financial offer using the provided Annex 1 Financial offer template. Bidders must follow the tender specifications for formatting, page limits, submission annexes and evidence required for selection and award. Quality-related sub-criteria and any documentary evidence are specified in the tender specs; score weighting is quality 70 and price 30.

Technical scope and services requested

The procurement title and description specify Travel risk management services with the objective of supporting travels by providing risk assessment and risk management services. The CPV code 63516000 corresponds to travel agency services and travel management; however the procurement focuses specifically on travel risk assessment and management tasks, which may include pre-travel risk assessments, real-time monitoring and alerts, crisis management support, operational guidance, traveller assistance, country and site-specific intelligence, reporting and advice to EFSA staff when travel is required. The tender specifications contain the full technical description of tasks, deliverables, performance indicators, security/clearance requirements and SLAs.

1. 1Typical service elements implied by the procurement: pre-travel risk assessment, destination risk profiling, medical and security advice, operational travel risk mitigation plans, 24/7 monitoring and incident response, traveller tracking, reporting and documentation, training or briefings for EFSA travellers.
2. 2Deliverables and performance expectations: defined in tender specifications and draft framework contract; bidders must consult the draft FWC Service Contract for contractual KPIs and performance obligations.
3. 3Duration and call-offs: framework contract will be used to award call-off service contracts for periods up to the planned 48 months; the initial framework is 12 months renewable up to three renewals.

Evaluation process and stages

Submission and evaluation follow standard public procurement steps. The procedure type in the metadata indicates a formal tendering process with a deadline for questions and an open tender event date. Award will be based on evaluation of selection criteria and award criteria (quality and price).

1. 1Stage 1: Submission and administrative compliance / selection check (verification of legal and financial capacity, required certificates and proof of eligibility).
2. 2Stage 2: Technical evaluation (quality scoring against criteria described in the tender specifications).
3. 3Stage 3: Financial evaluation (price checked and scored according to the financial template).
4. 4Stage 4: Award decision and contract signature (successful tenderer(s) will enter into the framework contract and may receive call-offs).

Based on the procurement metadata and typical practice, bidders should expect at least these 3 to 4 evaluation phases. The procurement metadata indicates awarding with a combined quality/price scoring (70/30).

Success rates and competition

The tender metadata does not provide explicit historical success rates. As a single-supplier or limited-number winner framework contract, success rates depend on the number and quality of bids. No guaranteed number of framework contractors is specified in the scraped summary; bidders should expect competitive evaluation against quality and price. EFSA procurement competitions for frameworks are typically competitive with low single-digit success rates for any given bidder depending on tender participation.

Financial and co-funding conditions

This is a fee-for-service procurement:the contracting authority pays contractors according to the contract terms and prices submitted. There is no grant co-funding requirement. Bidders are not required to provide co-funding; however bidders must demonstrate financial capacity and provide the priced financial offer as per the annex template.

Practical pointers and mandatory actions for bidders

1. 1Register on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and ensure you can submit via eSubmission before the deadline.
2. 2Download and thoroughly read: Invitation to tender, Tender specifications (latest version V2), Draft framework contract, Financial offer template (Annex 1), Corrigendum 1 and any subsequent documents.
3. 3Prepare the administrative and selection documentation required (legal entity form, financial statements, references and certificates) as specified in the tender specs.
4. 4Prepare a detailed technical offer demonstrating travel risk management methodology, staffing, emergency response capabilities, monitoring tools, data protection and confidentiality measures, and examples/references of previous similar contracts.
5. 5Complete the financial offer using the exact provided Excel template and ensure price consistency across documents.
6. 6Observe the additional information request deadline (04/08/2026) to ask clarifying questions via the portal.
7. 7Note the award weighting: quality 70, price 30, and structure your technical proposal accordingly.

Technical and sectoral targeting

Target sector:travel management and security/risk management services, including security, health and operational risk solutions for staff travel. The procurement sits at the intersection of travel services, security/incident management, and professional advisory services. Relevant technology/service elements may include traveller tracking platforms, risk intelligence feeds, 24/7 incident management tools, telemedicine or medical evacuation arrangements if required, communication platforms and trained security and medical personnel.

Mentioned countries and geographic scope

The contracting authority is the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA, Italy). The tender documentation is published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. No specific list of beneficiary countries was included in the scraped summary; the procurement follows EFSA and EU procurement eligibility rules. The main geographic scope is EU / establishments eligible under EU procurement rules.

Summary — what is this opportunity about and how to approach it

This is an open public procurement (tender) issued by EFSA for Travel risk management services under call identifier EFSA/2026/OP/0014. The procurement is for a framework service contract to supply travel risk assessment and management services for EFSA staff and operations. The estimated overall contract value is €5,250,000 and the framework initial duration is 12 months with possible renewals; the overall planned maximum contract period referenced is 48 months. The procurement uses electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Award is based on a quality and price evaluation with weighting 70 for quality and 30 for price. Bidders must submit administrative, technical and financial documentation using the provided templates (including the Annex 1 financial template), follow deadlines (submission 12 August 2026) and consult the tender specifications and draft contract for requirements, KPIs, SLAs and eligibility specifics. Interested suppliers should register on the portal, download all procurement documents, prepare a robust technical proposal addressing travel risk methodologies and operational capabilities, and complete the financial offer using the template. Further clarifications can be requested until 04 August 2026 and corrigenda have been published in July 2026; consult the procurement documents for final, binding rules and annexes ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Tender details and procurement documents are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: Travel risk management services — EFSA/2026/OP/0014. Full documents include Invitation to tender, Tender specifications, Draft FWC Service Contract, Annex 1 Financial offer template and Corrigendum 1. URL: Tender page

Key Opportunity Details

Who Should Apply

This is a tender for Travel Risk Management Services issued by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), with an estimated overall contract amount of €5,250,000 ¹. The contract is a framework agreement for an initial period of 12 months, renewable three times, totaling up to 48 months ².

Submission Deadline:Bids must be submitted electronically by 14:30:59 CET on 12 August 2026 ³.

Award Criteria:Quality accounts for 70% of the evaluation weight, while price accounts for 30% ⁴.

Eligible applicants must be service providers with extensive and proven experience in travel risk assessment, medical assistance, evacuation/crisis management, travel security services, and online travel risk management platforms ⁵.

Required Services and Capabilities

1. 124/7 medical emergency assistance
2. 224/7 security emergency assistance
3. 3Established processes between all active parties
4. 4Direct coverage of medical costs abroad with later cost claim management
5. 5Pre-travel authorization and traveler registration systems
6. 6Pre-travel and en route alerts with country risk information
7. 7Categorization of countries by risk level
8. 8Incident response protocols and escalation pathways

Application Requirements

Tenderers must demonstrate financial capability including positive solvency and equity overview for the last three financial years ⁶. Registration in a professional or trade register as required by law in the country of legal establishment is mandatory ⁷.

The proposal must include reference templates for 1-3 similar assignments, documentation of supplier registration, and financial capability statements ⁸. A relevant data protection agreement must be included as part of the proposal ⁹.

Contract Structure and Value

The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement with a single operator, as indicated in the tender documents ¹⁰. The current EFSA contract for travel risk management services is held by International SOS Srl, which may serve as a benchmark for expected service levels ¹¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Estimated overall contract amount confirmed in procurement documents at EFSA Tender Details.
2. 2Contract extension and renewal terms specified in draft framework contract available in procurement documents ¹.
3. 3Submission deadline confirmed in tender submission deadline period: 2026-08-12 at 14:30:59 CET ¹.
4. 4Award criteria weighting: Quality 70%, Price 30% as per tendering terms in procurement documents ¹.
5. 5Service scope defined in tender specifications including travel risk assessment, medical assistance, evacuation/crisis management, and online travel risk management ¹.
6. 6Financial capability requirements based on DIHR Travel Risk Management Procurement 2021 standards for similar EU tenders ⁷.
7. 7Registration requirements for foreign companies as specified in DIHR procurement guidelines ⁷.
8. 8Proposal structure requirements including reference templates and financial capability statements from DIHR procurement ⁷.
9. 9Data protection agreement requirement as specified in DIHR procurement Section 4.3 ⁷.
10. 10Framework agreement with single operator structure confirmed in procurement project lot details ¹.
11. 11Current EFSA travel risk management service provider is International SOS Srl as per EFSA data processing activity record ⁵.