Consultancy services for strengthening the capacities of national and local actors for EU accession and alignment

The Republic of Moldova is undergoing an accelerated and complex European Union accession process following the opening of accession negotiations with the EU in 2024. The accession process requires comprehensive alignment of Moldova's legal, institutional and policy framework with the EU acquis, as well as strengthened governance structures, institutional coordination mechanisms and implementation capacities at national and local level. In September 2025, Moldova successfully completed the screening process for all chapters of the EU acquis, enabling the transition to structured technical negotiations and implementation of opening benchmarks and subsequent requirements identified during the screening process. These developments generate increasing demand for specialised expertise, institutional capacity development and practical support for the implementation of EU-related reforms. Particular importance is attached to reforms related to rule of law, democratic governance, public administration, justice and internal security, especially under Cluster I "Fundamentals", including Chapter 23 (Judiciary and Fundamental Rights) and Chapter 24 (Justice, Freedom and Security). At the same time, Moldova's EU accession process also requires stronger local governance capacities, improved multi-level coordination and increased participation of civil society, diaspora organisations and other stakeholders in EU-related reform processes. In this context, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH implements the projects "EU Integration Support Project" (EUISP), financed by the German Federal Foreign Office (FFO), and "Facilitating the EU Accession process through Coordination and Engagement in Moldova" (FACE), financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). To support the implementation of these projects, GIZ foresees the establishment of a comprehensive Short-Term Expert Pool (STEP), enabling flexible and demand-driven mobilisation of national and international expertise. The STEP will support activities related to legislative and policy approximation to the EU acquis, negotiation preparation and benchmark fulfilment, institutional and organisational capacity development, strategic planning and coordination, strengthening local governance capacities, facilitation of international cooperation and peer-to-peer exchange, as well as structured stakeholder engagement and support for local initiatives. The contractor implementing the STEP will provide technical advisory services, analytical support, capacity development measures, international exchange formats and implementation support in close cooperation with GIZ and Moldovan partner institutions. The overall objective is to strengthen the capacities of national and local actors to effectively coordinate, implement and support Moldova's EU accession and alignment process. The procurement concerns the establishment and operation of a comprehensive Short-Term Expert Pool (STEP) supporting the implementation of activities under the GIZ projects "EU Integration Support Project" (EUISP) and "Facilitating the EU Accession process through Coordination and Engagement in Moldova" (FACE), both contributing to the Republic of Moldova's EU accession and alignment process. The contractor will provide flexible, demand-driven and results-oriented consultancy and implementation support services aimed at strengthening the capacities of national and local actors involved in Moldova's EU accession process. The services will combine technical advisory support, institutional and organisational capacity development, international experience exchange, stakeholder engagement and support for local initiatives. The contractor will be responsible for identifying, mobilising, coordinating and managing national and international experts and support measures in close cooperation with GIZ and Moldovan partner institutions. The assignment may include the following services and activities: - technical, legal and methodological advisory services related to EU acquis alignment, policy development and implementation of EU-related reforms; - preparation and revision of draft laws, regulations, strategies, methodologies, guidelines and analytical documents; - institutional, legislative and implementation gap analyses, including assessment of institutional capacities and implementation readiness; - support for negotiation process, fulfilment of opening and closing benchmarks and related monitoring and reporting processes; - development and strengthening of strategic planning, coordination, monitoring and reporting mechanisms related to EU accession and EU-aligned reforms; - provision of thematic expertise related to rule of law, democratic governance, justice, internal security, public administration reform and local governance; - design and delivery of trainings, workshops, mentoring, coaching and institutional learning activities for representatives of public institutions and other stakeholders; - organisation and facilitation of international peer-to-peer exchange, study visits, policy dialogues, expert discussions and cooperation formats involving EU Member States, accession countries and international experts; - support for strengthening coordination, cooperation and communication mechanisms between national institutions, local public authorities and other stakeholders involved in the accession process; - support for participatory and stakeholder engagement processes involving civil society organisations, diaspora representatives, women"s organisations and organisations representing vulnerable groups; - support for strengthening local governance capacities and practical application of EU-related planning, implementation and monitoring approaches at local level; - support for the conceptualisation, management and implementation of small-scale support initiatives and local contributions linked to EU accession-related objectives; - facilitation of innovative cooperation, consultation and policy development formats, including policy labs, simulation exercises and practical learning approaches; - monitoring, reporting, documentation and knowledge management activities related to the implementation of the assignment. The contractor will ensure process-oriented and implementation-oriented delivery of services, including quality assurance, operational coordination, backstopping and effective mobilisation of expertise throughout the contract period. Particular emphasis will be placed on ensuring the practical applicability of delivered support, strengthening institutional ownership and supporting sustainable implementation of EU-related reforms at both national and local level. Services will be implemented in close coordination with GIZ and relevant Moldovan partner institutions, including the Bureau for European Integration within the State Chancellery, line ministries, local public authorities, civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders. Given the dynamic nature of the EU accession process, the assignment requires a high degree of flexibility and responsiveness in order to address evolving priorities, reform needs and operational requirements related to Moldova's EU accession and alignment process.