Wastewater collection and treatment investment project in the Municipality of Stip

This EU-funded public procurement (Call ID EC-ENEST/SKP/2026/EA-OP/0051) issued by the Government of North Macedonia Central Financing and Contracting Department (CFCD) is for wastewater infrastructure in the Municipality of Stip. The procurement is divided into Lot 1 — design and construction of a 50,000 PE WWTP with secondary treatment and phosphorus removal implemented under FIDIC Yellow Book — and Lot 2 — rehabilitation of approximately 33 km of sewer network, construction of four pumping stations and supply of sewer cleaning equipment implemented under FIDIC Red Book. The submission deadline is 17 September 2026 at 12:00:59 (Europe/Skopje), clarifications close 27 August 2026, the planned contract duration is approximately 1,095 days, and the award criterion is lowest price (100% weight). Tender documents and technical volumes are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and bidders must comply with the qualification, CPV and environmental requirements set out in the procurement dossier.

Opportunity type and timeline

Tender (works) — Open call

Procurement notice EC-ENEST/SKP/2026/EA-OP/0051. Publication date 2026-06-18. Tender closing date 17 September 2026 at 12:00:59 CET. Planned contract execution period approx 1,095 days (3 years).

What is funded:Lot 1: design and construction of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) sized for 50,000 population equivalent with secondary treatment and phosphorus removal under FIDIC Yellow Book (1999). Lot 2: rehabilitation/replacement/reconstruction of ~33 km sewer network, construction of 4 pumping stations and supply of sewer cleaning equipment under FIDIC Red Book (1999). ¹

1. 1Who can apply: contractors capable of delivering large civil and M&E works (consult tender documents for selection criteria and required qualifications).
2. 2Contract type: works contracts (separate lots).
3. 3Funding source: EU funds (pre-accession / new member states programmes implemented by North Macedonian authorities).

Tender documents, technical specifications and invitation to tender are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: Tender page.

Footnotes

1. 1Bidders must consult the published tender specifications and information for candidates and tenderers for full eligibility, qualification, submission method and contract conditions.

Basic facts and timeline

Opportunity Title:Wastewater collection and treatment investment project in the Municipality of Stip. Tender type: Works procurement (public contract). Call Identifier: EC-ENEST/SKP/2026/EA-OP/0051. Publication date: 18 June 2026. Submission deadline: 17 September 2026, 12:00:59 (CFT timezone Europe/Skopje). Open tender event (information session or opening): 24 September 2026 at 10:00 (local). Start date indicated in portal: 18 June 2026. Planned contract execution period: 1095 days (3 years) per lot.

Opportunity structure (lots):This procurement is published in two distinct lots. LOT 1 covers design and construction of a wastewater treatment plant with capacity 50 000 population equivalent (PE), providing secondary treatment and phosphorus removal and implemented under FIDIC Yellow Book 1999. LOT 2 covers rehabilitation/replacement/reconstruction of approximately 33 km of sewer network, construction of four pumping stations, and procurement of sewer water cleaning equipment, implemented under FIDIC Red Book 1999.

Full description of works by lot

LOT 1:Design and construction of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) sized for 50 000 PE. Plant scope requires secondary treatment and phosphorus removal. Contract conditions: FIDIC Conditions of Contract for Plant and Design-Build (Yellow Book), 1999 edition. CPV classification associated with LOT 1 includes 45252127 and related CPV codes listed in the tender metadata.

LOT 2:Works on the sewerage network including approximately 33 km of rehabilitation, replacement or reconstruction; construction of four pumping stations; and supply/procurement of sewer water cleaning equipment. Contract conditions: FIDIC Conditions of Contract for Construction (Red Book), 1999 edition. CPV classification associated with LOT 2 includes 45232410, 45232423, 45232431, 45232440 and related CPV codes in the metadata.

Who can apply and eligible applicant types

Eligible applicants:entities allowed to bid for public works contracts in this procurement. Typical eligible applicant types are construction and civil engineering companies, design-build contractors, engineering and construction joint ventures or consortia, large enterprises with relevant works experience, international contractors, and public-private consortia where allowed by procurement rules. The procurement metadata explicitly indicates SME suitability flag = false, meaning the contract is not considered SME-suitable and is aimed at larger contractors or consortia. The lead contracting authority is the Government of North Macedonia, Ministry of Finance, Central Financing and Contracting Department (CFCD).

Geographic / beneficiary scope:Benefitting zone explicitly: North Macedonia. The procurement is published under a programme category PreAccession Countries / New Member States and is EU-funded. Bidders must comply with the national and donor procurement rules and any eligibility conditions in the tender documents. Consult the procurement documents for detailed eligible nationality or exclusion rules.

Funding and contract modality

Primary funding type:Procurement of works (public contract) financed from EU funds (programme codes indicate eu-funds and pre-accession / RELEX context). The contract nature: works. The procurement is not a grant; it is a tender for the award of contracts under FIDIC standard conditions. The tender metadata does not show a requested tender total in the published summary; financial ceilings or estimated contract values should be taken from the tender dossier (tender volumes) and contracting authority documents.

Consortium requirement and participation form

Consortiums and joint ventures:The procurement documentation generally allows combinations of economic operators (consortia or joint ventures) to submit bids for large infrastructure contracts. The portal metadata does not enforce single-entity-only bids; however bidders must check the Instructions to Tenderers (ITTs) and Information for Candidates and Tenderers (d4b_itt_en_V1.pdf and a5f additional information) for precise rules on joint bids, lead partner designation, liability, and required certifications. Because SME suitability is false and the works are large, formation of a consortium or permanent joint venture is commonly used for eligibility and capacity reasons.

Procurement process, submission method and stages

Submission method:Portal metadata indicates submission method code PAPER_COPY for some records and shows electronic submission references in other fields. The tenderingProcess section includes access tools and eforms but also indicates submissionMethodCode = not-allowed in one section. The CFT top-level Closing Date and Tender Submission Deadline Period show an end date of 17 September 2026, 12:00:59. The procurement documentation must be consulted to confirm whether submissions are physical paper copies, electronic submissions, or both. Additional information request period ends on 27 August 2026. Open tender event (possibly opening or clarification session) is on 24 September 2026.

Application stages:Single-stage open tender procedure appears to apply. Standard stages for such tenders are: (1) invitation and submission of tender documentation by candidate or consortium, (2) administrative and technical evaluation and qualification (selection stage), (3) price evaluation and award decision, and (4) contract signature and post-award processes. The portal lists tender validity period 90 days and a planned implementation period of 1095 days.

Selection, award criteria and evaluation

Awarding criteria:The portal metadata indicates price as the awarding criterion and a subordinate awarding criterion weight of 100 (price). However, the awarding description says Please consult the procurement documents. Bidders must examine d4b_itt_en_V1.pdf (Information to tenderers), the tender specifications (VOL1-VOL4 without itt_V1.zip), and Volume 5 parts (technical specifications) for exact evaluation methodology, minimum technical/financial capacity requirements, required certificates, experience thresholds, and any quality or lifecycle cost criteria. Selection criteria source indicated as procurement documents; the tender dossier will specify required evidence of financial capacity, turnover, experience in WWTP and sewer works, key personnel, and equipment lists.

Technical standards and contractual conditions

Contracts will be implemented under FIDIC conditions of contract. LOT 1 uses FIDIC Yellow Book 1999 (Design-Build / Plant), appropriate for design-and-build WWTP works. LOT 2 uses FIDIC Red Book 1999 (Construction), appropriate for construction of sewer networks and pumping stations. Tender technical specifications are provided in multiple Volume 5 part files and VOL1-VOL4 tender specifications. Bidders must comply with the technical requirements in those volumes and with CPV-coded categories for construction and mechanical/electrical installations.

Key procurement documents provided

The procurement dossier includes the following documents published on 18 June 2026:Invitation letter (d4a_invit_en_V1.pdf), Information for candidates and tenderers (d4b_itt_en_V1.pdf), a5f additional information contract notice (a5f_additional_information_contract_notice_en_MoEPP_V1.pdf), VOL1-VOL4 without ITT (VOL1-VOL4 without itt_V1.zip), and technical specification parts Volume 5 part01 through Volume 5 part12 (multiple archived files). All these documents are attached to the tender notice and listed as new in the portal. Bidders must download and study these to prepare compliant bids. The portal entry for the tender is available here Tender details Access to documents. ¹

1. 1d4a_invit_en_V1.pdf — Invitation letter (English)
2. 2d4b_itt_en_V1.pdf — Information to candidates and tenderers (English) (contains instructions on submission, required documents, selection and award criteria)
3. 3a5f_additional_information_contract_notice_en_MoEPP_V1.pdf — Additional information to contract notice (English)
4. 4VOL1-VOL4 without itt_V1.zip — Tender specifications and likely contract forms/conditions
5. 5Volume 5.part01_V1.rar through Volume 5.part12_V1.rar — Technical specifications in multiple parts covering both LOT 1 and LOT 2

CPV codes and technical classification

Administrative, legal and contact information

Lead contracting authority:Government of North Macedonia, Ministry of Finance, Central Financing and Contracting Department (CFCD) — link in portal. The programme context: PreAccession Countries / New Member States (RELEX code A50PCNMS). Tender procedure type: The portal reports a standard open procedure for works; bidders must follow the instructions in the Information for Tenderers document for submission venue, required copies, signature rules, and language (English documents are provided). Tender validity period stated: 90 days. Post-award electronic order/payment indicators show electronic order and payment usage enabled.

Project stage and expected deliverables

Project maturity:Implementation (construction) stage. Deliverables will include design documentation, constructed WWTP with secondary treatment and phosphorus removal (LOT 1), rehabilitated and extended sewer network of approx. 33 km, four operational pumping stations, and supplied sewer cleaning equipment (LOT 2). Contractors will be required to deliver works in compliance with contract technical specifications, commissioning tests, handover documentation and warranty/defects liability obligations as specified in FIDIC contracts.

Financial details, co-funding and contract price

Funding source:EU funds under a pre-accession assistance context and national contracting authority; procurement metadata lists fundingProgramCode eu-funds. The portal listing does not publish an estimated tender total or contract ceiling in the summary (requestedTenderTotal empty). Co-funding requirement: Not specified in the summary metadata. Bidders must consult the tender documents for budgetary/financing details, contract price rules, tax and duties, currency, and payment schedule. The portal indicates electronic payment usage is available for post-award payments.

Application requirements and templates

Application forms and templates:The tender dossier includes standard tender documents and templates in the VOL1-VOL4 and ITT documents. These typically contain: bid submission form, pricing schedule, form of tender, EU declarations (grounds for exclusion and selection), candidate information forms, statements of experience and references, forms for technical staff and equipment, financial capacity statements, and joint venture/consortium agreements templates if applicable. The portal attachments explicitly list an Invitation letter, Information for candidates and tenderers (d4b_itt_en_V1.pdf), and VOL1-VOL4 (which normally includes contract forms and model schedules). The technical specifications are in Volume 5 parts. Bidders must use the provided submission templates in the tender volumes for all statements and fillable forms and must follow packaging/number of copies rules if PAPER_COPY submission is required.

1. 1Follow the forms in VOL1-VOL4 for bid forms (form of tender, price schedule, performance security, etc.).
2. 2Complete candidate/tenderer information forms in d4b_itt_en_V1.pdf (identification, legal status, grounds for exclusion, selection criteria).
3. 3Provide references and experience certificates demonstrating works of similar size and complexity (WWTP, sewer networks, pumping stations), as required in technical specifications (Volume 5).
4. 4If bidding as a consortium/joint venture, submit the consortium agreement or power of attorney and clarify lead partner responsibilities per ITT.
5. 5Provide required financial statements, turnover evidence, key personnel CVs and equipment lists as laid out in the technical and tender volumes.

Evaluation of chances, stages and success rates

Number of application stages:The published information suggests a standard single-stage tender submission followed by evaluation and award (administrative/technical selection then price evaluation). Therefore practical stages for bidders are likely 3: pre-bid clarifications and requests, single submission of tender, evaluation and award. Success rates: Not published. Typical open public works tenders have a variable number of bidders; success rates depend on market competition, but the portal does not provide historical chance data. Bidders should assume competitive process with multiple experienced contractors given scale and EU funding.

Risks, compliance and important notes

Key compliance points:The contract will be governed by FIDIC conditions applicable to each lot; bidders must be fully familiar with FIDIC Yellow Book (1999) for design-build LOT 1 and FIDIC Red Book (1999) for LOT 2. Ensure conformity with environmental, health and safety, and EU procurement rules specified in tender documents. Timeframes and milestones in the tender volumes apply. The SME suitability flag false indicates expected scale beyond SME capacity; ensure financial and technical capacity documents meet thresholds. Clarification requests must be submitted by 27 August 2026 according to the portal. Failure to follow submission format, required forms or to provide requested proofs will lead to disqualification.

Mentioned countries and geographic references

The procurement explicitly mentions North Macedonia as the benefitting country and the contracting authority is a North Macedonian government department. Programme classification references PreAccession Countries / New Member States in the RELEX context. No other countries are explicitly mentioned in the tender summary; bidders may be from any nationality permitted by the tender documents and national procurement rules.

What is not specified in the public summary

The public portal summary does not publish an estimated contract value or tender budget figure (requestedTenderTotal is empty). It does not display detailed selection criterion thresholds (e.g., minimum turnover or number of projects), nor the exact submission format rules (portal shows mixed indicators PAPER_COPY and eSubmission references). For all unspecified points bidders must consult the full tender dossier (VOL1-VOL5 parts, invitation and ITT) and contact the contracting authority through the portal contact channels if clarifications are required. The additional information request period ends on 27 August 2026.

Summary — what this opportunity is about and how to approach it:This is an EU-funded public procurement for major wastewater infrastructure in the Municipality of Stip, North Macedonia, issued by the Central Financing and Contracting Department of the Government of North Macedonia. It is split into two lots: (1) design and build of a 50 000 PE WWTP with secondary treatment and phosphorus removal under FIDIC Yellow Book 1999, and (2) rehabilitation/reconstruction of approximately 33 km of sewer network, construction of four pumping stations and supply of sewer cleaning equipment under FIDIC Red Book 1999. The procurement is intended for large contractors or consortia with experience in wastewater treatment and sewer network works. Tender documents (Invitation, ITT, VOL1-VOL4 and Volume 5 technical parts) were published 18 June 2026 and must be consulted in full to prepare compliant bids. Key dates: clarifications by 27 August 2026, tender submission deadline 17 September 2026 12:00:59, and an open tender event on 24 September 2026. Price is indicated as the awarding criterion in the summary but bidders should consult the tender dossier for full evaluation rules, selection criteria, and submission modalities. All bidders should download the full tender dossier and templates from the portal and follow the instructions precisely to ensure eligibility and avoid disqualification ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Full tender dossier and all referenced documents available from the EU Funding & Tenders Portal tender details page: ec.europa.eu and the documents access page: ec.europa.eu

Opportunity Overview

This is an EU-funded public procurement tender for the design and construction of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and the rehabilitation of sewerage infrastructure in the Municipality of Stip, North Macedonia ¹. The project is divided into two lots: LOT 1 covers the WWTP for 50,000 equivalent inhabitants (PE) with secondary treatment and phosphorus removal, while LOT 2 includes the rehabilitation of approximately 33 km of network, construction of 4 pumping stations, and procurement of cleaning equipment ².

Contracting Authority:Government of North Macedonia, Ministry of Finance, Central Financing and Contracting Department (CFCD) ³.

Funding Source:EU Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) under the Pre-Accession Countries / New Member States programme ⁴.

Key Tender Details

Lot Specifications and Contract Conditions

1. 1LOT 1: Design and construction of WWTP for 50,000 PE with secondary treatment and Ph removal. Contract type: FIDIC Yellow Book (1999 edition) – Design-Build model where the Contractor is responsible for both design and construction ⁵.
2. 2LOT 2: Rehabilitation/replacement of approx. 33 km network, construction of 4 pumping stations, and procurement of sewer water cleaning equipment. Contract type: FIDIC Red Book (1999 edition) – Employer-designed model where the Contractor executes works based on provided design ⁶.

Who Should Apply:Construction companies, engineering firms, and contractors with proven experience in wastewater infrastructure, specifically in WWTP design-build (for LOT 1) and sewerage network rehabilitation (for LOT 2). SMEs are not explicitly excluded, but the project complexity suggests a need for significant technical and financial capacity ⁷.

Eligibility Requirements:Tenderers must meet the specific qualification requests detailed in the procurement documents, including relevant CPV codes (e.g., 45252127 for WWTP, 45232410 for sewerage work) and compliance with EU and North Macedonian environmental standards ⁸.

Important Information for Applicants

All tender documents, including technical specifications (Volume 5 parts 1-12), tender specifications (VOL1-VOL4), and information for candidates (ITT), are available via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal ⁹. The submission method is electronic (esubmission), and paper copies are not accepted ¹⁰.

Applicants should note that the award is based solely on the lowest price, meaning competitive bidding is critical. The project aligns with the EU Green Agenda for the Western Balkans and aims to improve wastewater quality to comply with EU Directives ¹¹.

For further details or clarifications, contact the CFCD Helpdesk or refer to the official procurement documents on the portal EU Funding Portal ¹².

Footnotes

1. 1Official Tender Details: EU Funding & Tenders Portal
2. 2Lot Descriptions: Tender Details Page
3. 3Contracting Authority: CFCD Website
4. 4Funding Programme: IPA North Macedonia
5. 5FIDIC Yellow Book Overview: FIDIC Contract Guide
6. 6FIDIC Red Book Overview: FIDIC Red Book 2017
7. 7CPV Codes: CPV Classification
8. 8Eligibility Criteria: Procurement Documents
9. 9Technical Specifications: Volume 5 Documents
10. 10Submission Method: eSubmission Guidelines
11. 11Green Agenda Alignment: WBIF North Macedonia
12. 12Contact Information: CFCD Helpdesk