Germany - Business travel services - Provision of Travel services

The European Central Bank (ECB) is seeking suitable candidates through this Call for Applications (CfA) that will be invited to participate in the negotiated procedure and to submit a tender for the Contract on the provision of Travel Services. It is the intention of the ECB to award a contract to one provider. The Contract is envisaged to start on 1 August 2026 and shall remain in force for a period of 4 years. Since a (potential) implementation and handover period from the current service provider to the new contractor is foreseen, the actual service provision is envisaged to start on 15th December 2026. The ECB may request an extension of the Contract, but the total duration of the Contract shall not exceed 5 years. The main language of service delivery will be English. The contract duration is set on exceptional basis to 5 years. This exception is based on the current implementation of the SAP Concur travel system for ECB business travel. It can be envisaged that the integration of a new travel agency into SAP Concur will require the set-up of all relevant technical configurations and respective testing. As a result, an extended transition phase is to be planned which is reflected in the extended contract duration. Travel Volumes The past travel volume of the ECB has been as follows: ? The ECB had approximately 3,300 travellers in Frankfurt am Main and over 39,000 transactions were booked in 2024. The total business travel spent in 2024, excluding post-paid reimbursements (e.g. meals and local transportation), was approximately over ? 16 million. ? 91% of air travel was to main European cities, e.g. London, Madrid, Lisbon, Vienna, Rome and Milan. Intercontinental destinations amounted to 9%. ? 42% of the total business travel transactions were by Air, Rail accounted for 31%, Hotels 27% and Car Rental less than 1%. ? 56% of travel was booked online via the Online Booking Engine and 44% offline via the Travel Services provider in 2024. ? 3% of ECB business travel were related to long term mission travel, with an average travel duration of 34 days. The numbers above should serve for orientation only, they are non-binding and without prejudice to future developments. Travel Services The below list contains an overview of the work packages to be delivered, including a brief description of the package service content. 1. Resources for travel service delivery Provision of a key account manager and dedicated travel agents for standard, mission and VIP business travel. 2. Travel services offline/online booking Travel Services include offline and online bookings for Air, Rail, Hotels and Car Rental. The tenderer should be working with a Global Distribution System (GDS). The Online Booking Engine (OBE) provider is directly contracted by the ECB. The services provided should be aligned to the travel rules of the ECB. Provision of first level support might be required. 3. Mission travel Provision of dedicated mission travel agents, mainly handling the reservations for mission travellers, including booking of long-term accommodation, e.g., apartments provided by commercial hosts. 4. VIP services Provision of a dedicated VIP travel agent team, mainly handling the reservations for VIP travellers, including e.g., VIP hotel notification, Meet and Greet Airports and limousine service. 5. 24/7 services 24/7 services are to be delivered after working hours, on the weekend and on holidays. 6. Hotel direct payment Facilitate accommodation bookings and generate virtual credit cards using the platform provided by the ECB?s hotel direct payment supplier. 7. Visa services Providing information, checklists and assistance on visa requirements. Supporting visa applications for travellers located across Europe. 8. Group bookings Providing offers and performing bookings for groups (>10 travellers) for flights, train travel and accommodation. 9. Reporting Providing monthly, cumulated reporting based on data captured at the time of booking and/or ticket issuance and/or logs, including full-year analysis in accordance to the ECB?s specifications and requirements. 10. Invoicing Providing monthly invoices for the transaction fees, including respective reports. 11. Green Travel Providing guidance and expertise on sustainable business travel topics. 12. Quality Assurance During the entire duration of the contract, the supplier shall ensure that the services are provided following the highest standards of quality. The scope of the contract may be subject to change, depending on the ECB?s business requirements, in line with the main scope, objectives and the spirit of the contract.