Upgrading National Excise application into fully functional EU Excise Movement and Control System (EMCS)

The European Commission, through the Ministry of Finance of Montenegro, has announced a call for tenders to upgrade the National Excise application into a fully functional EU Excise Movement and Control System (EMCS). This initiative aims to fulfill EU accession requirements under Chapter 16 Taxation, specifically by digitalizing excise processes to align with EU excise legislation. The project has a total estimated value of 600,000 EUR and a duration of 30 months.

The submission method for this tender is non-electronic, requiring submissions

The European Commission, specifically the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, has announced a call for tenders to upgrade the National Excise application in Montenegro into a fully functional EU Excise Movement and Control System (EMCS). The project aims to further fulfill EU accession requirements in Chapter 16 Taxation by digitalizing excise processes, aligning with EU excise legislation.

The procedure identifier for this call is EC-ENEST/TGD/2025/EA-RP/0098. The TED reference is 187/2025 638837-2025.

The submission method is non-electronic. Submissions must be sent exclusively to the address provided in the procurement documents.

The overall objective is to develop and implement an Excise Movement and Control System (EMCS) by upgrading the existing national excise application (EMCS version 3.2) to the latest EU EMCS version (phase 4.1 or the latest phase available at the EU level during the project).

The project activities include:

Analysis of the current national excise application and business processes.
Development of a project management plan for the upgrade.
Upgrade design, including analyzing the existing excise application architecture and processes.
Addressing connectivity with external systems like EU SEED, AES, and CIS.
Integrating the MSA&AU system for managing authorizations and authentications of external and internal users.
Ensuring compliance with updated EU excise laws and bylaws.
Detailed functionality specifications.
Testing and validation scenarios.
Software upgrade implementation.
Training materials and sessions.

This is a restricted procedure. The estimated total value of the contract is 600,000 EUR. The TED publication date is 30/09/2025. The lead contracting authority is the Ministry of Finance of Montenegro, Directorate for Finance, Contracting and Implementation of the EU.

The main classification (CPV) code is 72232000 Development of transaction processing and custom software. The nature of the contract is for services. The maximum contract duration is 30 months. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio. No framework agreement is associated with this tender.

The place of delivery or performance is Montenegro, specifically identified by the code 20001058. The project is funded by the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance, program code 42921320.

Key milestones include the TED publication date of 30/09/2025 and the deadline for receipt of requests to participate, which is 31/10/2025 at 14:30 Europe/Podgorica time.

One document is available for download: ENa5f additional information contract notice en UC EMCS DELMNE CLEAN Invitation to submit a request to participate, published on 30/09/2025, Version 1. No translations are available.

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This tender is an invitation to submit a request to participate in a restricted procedure for upgrading Montenegro's National Excise application to align with the EU's EMCS. The project aims to modernize and digitalize excise processes to meet EU accession requirements. The tender involves a comprehensive upgrade of the existing system, ensuring connectivity with EU systems and compliance with EU legislation. The Ministry of Finance of Montenegro is the lead contracting authority. Interested parties must submit their requests to participate by the specified deadline, following the non-electronic submission method. The project is funded under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance and has an estimated total value of 600,000 EUR.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given that this is a call for tenders for software development and implementation services related to taxation, it is likely that eligible applicants would include companies, IT service providers, and potentially research institutions with expertise in relevant areas such as software development, IT systems, and taxation.

Funding Type: This is a procurement opportunity, specifically a call for tenders. The nature of the contract is for services.

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the FAQ section 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 potentially eligible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The place of delivery or performance is Montenegro. The project is funded by the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance. This suggests that the primary beneficiary is Montenegro, but the geographic eligibility of the applicants is not explicitly stated. It is likely open to entities from EU member states and potentially other countries eligible for pre-accession assistance, but this needs to be confirmed in the official documentation.

Target Sector: The target sector is ICT, specifically software development and implementation related to taxation and customs. It also touches upon finance and government services.

Mentioned Countries: Montenegro is explicitly mentioned as the place of delivery or performance. The European Union is also mentioned in the context of EU excise legislation and the EU Excise Movement and Control System (EMCS).

Project Stage: The project is at the implementation stage, involving the upgrading of an existing national excise application to align with the latest EU EMCS version. This includes analysis, design, specification, testing, implementation, and training.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the contract is 600,000 EUR.

Application Type: The application type is a call for tenders. The submission method is non-electronic. It is an open call for submission.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for services rendered, specifically the development and implementation of the EMCS system upgrade.

Application Stages: The procedure type is a restricted procedure, implying at least two stages: a request to participate and a full proposal submission for those who are shortlisted.

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

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required.

Summary: This opportunity is a call for tenders issued by the Ministry of Finance of Montenegro for upgrading the national excise application to be fully compliant with the EU Excise Movement and Control System (EMCS). The project aims to fulfill EU accession requirements related to taxation by digitalizing excise processes. The selected contractor will be responsible for analyzing the existing system, designing and implementing the upgrade, ensuring connectivity with relevant EU systems, conducting testing and validation, and providing training. The estimated value of the contract is 600,000 EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 30 months. Submissions must be sent via non-electronic means, and the deadline for receipt of requests to participate is October 31, 2025. The tender is funded through the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance. The procedure is a restricted procedure, meaning there will be an initial selection phase based on requests to participate, followed by a full proposal submission from shortlisted candidates. A Participant Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation, whether as a single applicant or as part of a consortium. The tender is focused on software development and IT services within the taxation sector, specifically related to excise processes.