UCA 25/025 Supply of customised promotional items

The European Commission's Directorate-General for Communication and Information has issued a call for tenders, designated UCA 25/025, seeking suppliers for sustainable customized promotional and communication items. This public procurement opportunity is organized by the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union (Consilium) and aims to procure items intended for conferences, exhibitions, and other outreach events.

The tender is classified under the main CPV code 39294100, which pertains to information and promotional products. The procedure is an open call, requiring electronic submissions, with a deadline for tenders set for January 26, 2026, at 16:00 Brussels time. A public opening of tenders will occur on January 27, 2026, at 10:00 Brussels time.

Submissions should include various essential documents such as a declaration of honor, a tenderer identification form, and technical evaluation documents, alongside a financial offer. Tenderers must register for a Personal Identification Code (PIC) to participate in this opportunity, applicable whether they apply as a sole candidate or as part of a consortium.

The winning supplier or suppliers will engage in a framework supply agreement for a period that may extend up to 48 months, with the award based on the best price-quality ratio. While the total contract value is not specified, the procurement format allows for multiple orders without reopening competition, creating ongoing revenue opportunities.

The opportunity is open to companies throughout the European Union and potentially to international suppliers, contingent on compliance with EU regulations. The chosen items must adhere to sustainability standards, in line with the EU's broader goals for responsible procurement practices.

The contracting authority will not respond to questions submitted after January 16, 2026. The complete documentation related to this tender, including specifications and requirements, is available for download on the EU's Funding and Tenders Portal.

This tender represents a significant business opportunity for suppliers capable of delivering high-quality, sustainable promotional materials, with designated criteria focusing on sustainability and quality of service.

The European Commission's Directorate-General for Communication and Information of the GSC has published a call for tenders, UCA 25/025, for the supply of sustainable customised promotional and communication items. The procedure identifier is CONSILIUM/2025/OP/0016. The TED reference is 240/2025 828817-2025.

The call is an open procedure, and submissions must be electronic. The deadline for receipt of tenders is 26/01/2026 at 16:00 Europe/Brussels. The date and time of the public opening is 27/01/2026 at 10:00 Europe/Brussels. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after 16/01/2026 07:00 Europe/Brussels.

The main classification (CPV) code is 39294100, which refers to information and promotion products. The nature of the contract is for supplies, and the maximum contract duration is 48 months. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio. The framework agreement is a framework agreement without reopening of competition.

The following documents are available for download:

EN1.0. UCA 25 025 Invitation to tender Invitation letter Published on 12/12/2025 Version 1 No translations available
EN2.0 UCA 25_025_Tender specifications Tender specifications Published on 12/12/2025 Version 1 No translations available
EN2.1 UCA 25_025_ANNEX_I_Declaration on honour on exclusion criteria and selection criteria Declaration on honour (tender) Published on 12/12/2025 Version 1 No translations available
EN2.1.1 UCA 25_025_ANNEX_ I bis_Tenderer identification form Tender specifications - adm. part Published on 12/12/2025 Version 1 No translations available
EN2.2 UCA 25_025_ANNEX_II_Minimum requirements Tender specifications Published on 12/12/2025 Version 1 No translations available
EN2.3 UCA 25_025_ANNEX_III_Technical evaluation documents Tender specifications Published on 12/12/2025 Version 1 No translations available
EN2.4 UCA 25_025_ANNEX_IV_Financial offer Financial offer form Published on 12/12/2025 Version 1 No translations available
EN2.5 UCA 25_025_ANNEX_V_Case study Tender specifications Published on 12/12/2025 Version 1 No translations available
EN2.6 UCA 25 025 Annex VI The Council’s visual identity-compressed Tender specifications Published on 12/12/2025 Version 1 No translations available
EN2.7 UCA 25_025_ANNEX_VII_Key visuals for the customisation of promotional items Tender specifications Published on 12/12/2025 Version 1 No translations available

Submissions must be sent exclusively at the address for submission given below. The submission method is electronic.

FAQ regarding the eSubmission system:

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.
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.
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.
Where can I find my submissions in Manage My Area, in the Funding & Tenders portal? Depending on the type or step of procedure, submissions can be found in ‘My Submission(s)’: tenders in response to open calls for tenders, requests to participate.
Which size should attachments have? eSubmission accepts files that are less than 50 MB in size.
How should I name attachments in eSubmision? Name the attachments for the tender draft following the System Requirements.
Can I submit a video in eSbmission? Which formats are supported? Check the System Requirements of eSubmission.
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” column.
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).
I have an issue uploading a file in eSubmission and it’s giving me an error. What do I do? Make sure it follows the technical requirements of the system.
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.
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.
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.
How many languages does the system support? The system is multilingual and supports all 24 official EU languages.
Which is the character set encoding in the system? The character set encoding is UTF-8.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

In summary, this is a call for tenders by the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union for the provision of sustainable, customised promotional items. These items are intended for use in conferences, exhibitions, and other events organized by the Directorate-General for Communication and Information. The tender is open to any organization that can provide these goods, and the selection will be based on the best price-quality ratio. The contract will be a framework agreement, meaning that the selected provider will be the go-to supplier for these items for a period of 48 months. The tender process is entirely electronic, and interested parties must register and submit their proposals through the EU's eSubmission portal. A key requirement is the use of sustainable materials and practices in the production of the promotional items.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the nature of a call for tenders, it is implied that eligible applicants could include companies, firms, or other organizations capable of supplying customized promotional items. The tender specifications and administrative parts documents would likely contain further details on eligibility criteria.

Funding Type: Procurement. This is a call for tenders, indicating a procurement process where the contracting authority seeks to purchase goods or services. The nature of the contract is supplies.

Consortium Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the FAQ mentions that a Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory to participate 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 geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given that it is an EU funding and tenders portal, it is highly likely that the eligibility is at least for EU member states, and possibly extended to EEA countries or other countries with agreements with the EU. The tender specifications would contain the definitive eligibility criteria.

Target Sector: This program targets the sector of information and promotion products. Specifically, it focuses on the supply of sustainable customized promotional and communication items.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned. The relevant region is the EU, given the context of the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Project Stage: The project stage is commercialization. The call is for the supply of goods, indicating that the contracting authority is looking for established providers of these goods.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value is not specified in the provided text.

Application Type: Open call. The procedure type is explicitly stated as an open procedure.

Nature of Support: Money. The selected tenderer will receive monetary compensation for the supply of customized promotional items.

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly stated, but it can be inferred that there are multiple stages, including submission of the tender, evaluation of technical and financial offers, and potentially a contract award stage. The technical evaluation documents and financial offer form suggest a multi-stage evaluation process.

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

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not mentioned in the provided text.

Summary:

This is a call for tenders (UCA 25/025) issued by the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union, specifically the Directorate-General for Communication and Information, for the supply of sustainable customized promotional and communication items. These items are intended for use in conferences, exhibitions, and other events organized by the Directorate-General. The procedure is an open procedure, meaning any eligible organization can submit a tender. The contract duration is a maximum of 48 months. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio. The submission must be electronic, and the deadline for receipt of tenders is 26/01/2026 at 16:00 Europe/Brussels time. Tenderers must submit a declaration of honor, a tenderer identification form, and technical evaluation documents, as well as a financial offer. Tenderers must register for a PIC (Personal Identification Code) to participate, whether as a single entity or as part of a consortium. The eSubmission system supports various file types, with a maximum file size of 50 MB per attachment and a maximum of 200 files per submission. The system supports all 24 official EU languages and uses encryption to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of the information. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after 16/01/2026 07:00 Europe/Brussels. The TED reference for this tender is 240/2025 828817-2025, and the procedure identifier is CONSILIUM/2025/OP/0016. The documents related to the tender, including the invitation letter, tender specifications, and annexes, are available for download.