Directorate-General for Translation

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Tendering for EU projectsTendering for EU projects––

Why and how?Why and how?

London, 25 September 2008

Klaus Ahrend Head of Unit S.2 – External translation

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Summary

EU procurement – rules and procedures

Evaluation of tenders:• Exclusion• Selection• Award

Figures and trends

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Legal basis

• EU Financial Regulation

• Implementing Rules

General principles

• Increased choice => better value for money

• Developing market opportunities for suppliers

• Transparency

• Fair and equal treatment

• Consistency, integrity and accountability

EU procurement – rules and procedures (1)

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Three main award procedures

• Open procedure (independent of contract value)

• Restricted procedure following call for expression of interest (value over 60,000 €)

• Negotiated procedure (60,000 € max. value)

applicable to Service contracts

Example

• Open call for tenders for translation services …

EU procurement – rules and procedures (2)

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Main steps

• Contract notice (publication)

• Deadline for submission of tenders (usually 52 days)

• Opening (public)

• Evaluation of tenders

• Award decision

• Notification of tenderers

• Signature of contract(s)

• Contract execution

• Award notice (publication)

EU procurement – rules and procedures (3)

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Exclusion criteria

• FR - Article 93 // possible grounds for exclusion

Bankruptcy

Grave professional misconduct

No payment of social security contributions or taxes

Fraud, corruption, etc.

…

Required document upon submission of tender

• Declaration on honour(evidence to be provided before signature – successful tenderers only)

Evaluation of tenders - Exclusion

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Selection criteria

• Economic/financial, technical and professional capacity to execute the contract

Required evidence upon submission of tender

‼ Always follow Specifications closely

‼ Criteria and required evidence are always specific to the respective procedure

! e.g. diplomas to prove specific qualification and references, invoices, worksheets to prove relevant experience

Evaluation of tenders - Selection

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Award criteria

• Typically Quality and Price – in recent DGT calls with a weighing of 60 : 40

How quality is determined

‼ Again: everything is clearly defined in the Specifications, e.g.

! Working methods (i.e. recruitment of staff, assignment of jobs, consistency assurance, quality control cycle, etc.)

! Team composition

‼ 70% threshold

Evaluation of tenders – Award

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► 42 staff

► 2 teams – Brussels and Luxembourg

► Annual budget of some 13 M€

► Outsourcing rate approx. 23 % in 2007, and

increasing (almost 28 % as of 31 August 2008)

DGT’s External Translation unit

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Trends in translation at the Commission

Note: Some source texts are in more than one language.

1997 2004 2007

Total output in pages 1,125,709 1,270,586 1,747,276

Proportion outsourcing 16 % 23 % 23 %

Source text written in English

45 % 62 % 72.5 %

- in French 40 % 26 % 12.2 %

- in German 5 % 3.1 % 2.6 %

- in other EU languages8 % 9 % 12.7 %

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Breakdown by target language (2007)

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

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Our website:

Many thanks for your attention!!!

http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/translation/