EU Policy (Brussels) Advisory Services

AI-generated analysis of the documents. Check the official notice and any amendments for current submission details.

1. At a glance

2. Scope of Work

This tender seeks specialist consultancy services based in Brussels to provide IDA Ireland with real-time visibility of key EU policy and legislative decisions impacting its strategic goals. The selected firm will deliver regular update reports, expert analysis, and strategic advice. These outputs will highlight relevant EU policy developments, assess their potential impact on IDA client companies across specified operational sectors, and align with IDA's strategic priorities.

The services encompass:

• Analysis of EU Policy Developments: Monitoring and analysing EU policy and legislative developments, including existing and proposed regulations. This analysis will focus on IDA's core operational sectors:
• Financial Services
• Medtech
• Pharmaceuticals
• Technology
• Engineering
• Growth Driver Intersection: Particular attention will be paid to how these sectors intersect with identified growth drivers:
• AI
• Digital
• Health
• Semiconductors
• Sustainability
• Financial Services (listed again for emphasis)
• Actionable Intelligence: Translating complex EU policy developments into clear, actionable intelligence to support IDA's mission and investment strategy.
• Stakeholder Mapping: Providing a live stakeholder map identifying key policymakers, influencers, and institutional contacts relevant to IDA's priority sectors.
• Advocacy Support: Supporting IDA's engagement and advocacy efforts with the European Commission, European Parliament, other relevant EU institutions, and EU Member States.
• Early Warning System: Acting as a reference resource and a mechanism for identifying urgent developments requiring IDA attention.
• Embedded Presence: The successful firm must be embedded in the EU policy environment, with a permanent Brussels office and full-time staff.
• Designated Senior Director: A designated senior director will manage the contract.

The services are intended to strengthen IDA's understanding of EU policymaking, provide timely insight into policy proposals, and leverage "eyes and ears on the ground" in Brussels through political, policy, and business networks.

3. Background & buyer context

IDA Ireland is a globally leading Investment Promotion and Development Agency (IPDA) responsible for attracting and developing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Ireland. The agency operates under the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Ireland's regulatory landscape is significantly influenced by the EU, making anticipation and response to EU regulatory and political developments increasingly critical for IDA's strategic remit of winning FDI.

This procurement follows a successful one-year EU policy consultancy pilot with a Brussels-based advisory firm. The pilot enhanced IDA's understanding of EU policymaking and provided timely insights into relevant policy proposals. Areas covered included reports like the Draghi and Letta reports, and policy proposals on AI, the Digital Services Act, the Biotech Act, semiconductors, state aid, and PFAS. The pilot confirmed the value of having an advisor with direct access to Brussels networks. The current tender seeks to formalise and continue this support.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Bidders must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered:

• Turnover requirement: The tenderer must have achieved an average annual turnover of at least €1,000,000 in three of the last four financial years. Tenderers must confirm compliance by completing a specified table. Reliance on parent company resources is permitted if demonstrable.
• Insurance:
• Employer's Liability: €13,000,000 or foreign equivalent per claim or series of claims.
• Public Liability: €6,500,000 or foreign equivalent per claim or series of claims.
• Professional Indemnity: €6,500,000 or foreign equivalent on an 'each and every claim' basis and in annual aggregate.
• Cyber Insurance: €5,000,000 or foreign equivalent on an 'each and every claim' basis. Tenderers must confirm they currently hold or undertake to obtain these insurances if successful.
• Certifications: Not specified for this tender.
• Past experience: Not specified as a distinct criterion with minimum project numbers or values in the provided extract. However, the scope implies a need for demonstrated experience in EU policy and legislative analysis.
• Personnel: Not specified with minimum years of experience for named roles in the provided extract. However, the requirement for a designated senior director implies a need for experienced personnel.
• Geographic / facility constraints: The successful firm must be based in Brussels, Belgium, have a permanent office, and employ full-time staff there.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The award criteria are not explicitly detailed with scoring weights in the provided extract. However, the tender process follows an open procedure under Directive 2014/24/EU. The objective is to identify the Tenderer that provides the most economically advantageous tender. The evaluation will assess tenders that are not eliminated for non-compliance. Presentations may be used to verify tender details and potentially moderate provisional marks, either upwards or downwards, based on clarification and demonstration of information provided. Additional marks will not be awarded for presentations.

6. Submission requirements

Tenderers must submit the following documents:

• Tender Response Document: Completed as per Appendix 1, providing all necessary details. Failure to sign the Tenderer's Statement in Section 4 will result in rejection.
• Form of Tender: Completed, signed, and returned as per Appendix 2. Failure to sign or complete in the required format will result in rejection.
• Pricing Schedule: Submitted in the format specified in the Form of Tender (Appendix 2). Prices must be all-inclusive, in Euro, and exclusive of applicable taxes.
• Declarations:
• Confirmation of meeting minimum turnover, insurance, and tax status requirements.
• Tax Clearance Access Number and Tax Reference Number.
• Compliance with Article 57 of Directive 2014/24/EU if relying on third-party resources.
• Bona Fides and Conflict of Interest declarations are standard for public tenders.
• Case Studies: Not explicitly listed as a required submission document, but implied by the need to demonstrate experience.
• CVs: Not explicitly listed as a required submission document, but implied by the need for experienced personnel and potential presentation requirements.
• Method Statement / Response Document: The Tender Response Document serves this purpose. No specific page limits are stated for the main document, but alterations are not permitted.
• Submission Portal: All documents must be submitted electronically via the eTenders postbox facility on www.etenders.gov.ie.
• Format: Documents must be in Word, Excel, or PDF portable document format. ZIP files are recommended to protect integrity.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

• Term: Initial contract duration is 36 months, commencing 1st November 2026.
• Extension: IDA Ireland reserves the right to extend the contract for up to 12 months, with a maximum of one such extension, up to a total of 4 years.
• Payment: Payment will be in accordance with IDA Ireland's Terms and Conditions. Prices tendered must be all-inclusive, in Euro, and exclusive of applicable taxes.
• SLAs/KPIs: Not specified in the provided extract.
• Liquidated Damages: Not specified in the provided extract.
• Termination: IDA Ireland reserves the right to terminate the contract if the successful tenderer cannot deliver services to satisfaction.
• IP Ownership: Not specified in the provided extract.
• Sub-contracting: Sub-contracting is at IDA Ireland's sole discretion and consent may be withheld. The entire obligations of the contractor cannot be sub-contracted. Any changes to sub-contracting arrangements must be notified in writing.
• Parent Company Guarantee/Bond: Not specified in the provided extract.
• Contract Form: Award is conditional upon acceptance of IDA Ireland’s Terms and Conditions (Appendix 3). No mark-ups or alternative terms are permitted.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Geographic Constraint: The requirement for a permanent office and full-time staff in Brussels significantly limits the bidder pool to firms already established in that location.
• Pilot Project Basis: The tender is directly informed by a successful one-year pilot. This suggests the incumbent or a firm with similar experience may have an advantage in understanding IDA's specific needs and reporting formats.
• Presentation Moderation: While presentations do not award additional marks, they can be used to moderate provisional scores downwards if information is not satisfactorily demonstrated, or upwards if clarity is achieved. This places emphasis on the presentation quality and the personnel involved.
• Contractual Terms Acceptance: Tenderers must accept IDA Ireland's Terms and Conditions without mark-ups. Any issues must be raised during the query period, as amendments will not be discussed post-submission.
• International Procurement Instrument (IPI): Tenderers must be aware of and comply with Regulation (EU) 2022/1031 concerning the access of third-country economic operators to the EU's public procurement markets.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is structured for specialist consultancies with a strong presence and network in Brussels. A credible bidder would likely be a firm that:

• Has an established physical presence (permanent office) and full-time staff in Brussels, Belgium.
• Possesses deep expertise in EU policy and legislative processes relevant to IDA's operational sectors (financial services, medtech, pharma, tech, engineering) and growth drivers (AI, Digital, Health, Semiconductors, Sustainability).
• Demonstrates an extensive network of contacts within EU institutions and Brussels-based policy and business circles.
• Has prior experience advising investment promotion agencies or similar bodies on EU policy impacts.

Consortium/Sub-contracting: Consortium bidding is permitted. Sub-contracting is allowed but requires IDA Ireland's consent, and the entire contract cannot be sub-contracted. SMEs are encouraged to form relationships with larger enterprises or other SMEs to participate.

Indicative Bid-Prep Effort: Given the need for detailed responses on policy analysis, stakeholder mapping, and demonstrating Brussels-based expertise, bid preparation could require 10-20 days of effort for a focused team, including senior personnel time for strategy and presentation.

Pwin Signal: The explicit requirement for a Brussels base and the context of a successful pilot project suggest a potential advantage for firms already operating in that specific niche and location. The tender is open, but the specific requirements naturally favour established players in the Brussels EU policy advisory space.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT Filename: IDA Ireland RFT for EU Policy (Brussels) Advisory Services Final .pdf
• eTenders CFT ID: Not specified in the provided extract.
• Contact / Clarification Portal: Queries must be submitted via the messaging functionality on www.etenders.gov.ie.
• Key Attachments:
• Appendix 1: Tender Response Document
• Appendix 2: Form of Tender (including Pricing Schedule)
• Appendix 3: IDA Ireland’s Terms and Conditions