IPOS Communications Agency
Q&A
A. Contract and eligibility
1. What is the duration of the assignment?
The assignment covers 13 months. The reference to a “total 12-month price” in section 6.5 of the Rules of Consultation is a clerical error. Candidates should therefore provide:
the total price for the full 13-month assignment; and
the corresponding monthly price.
The EUR 48,320 budget ceiling applies to the full 13-month period.
2. Are providers established outside the European Union eligible to apply?
Yes. Providers legally established outside the European Union are eligible, provided that they:
can legally contract with and invoice Fondation CNRS;
comply with applicable legal, tax and sanctions requirements; and
meet the requirements set out in the consultation documents.
3. May the proposal include a multidisciplinary team?
Yes. Candidates may propose a multidisciplinary team under a single contracting entity. The proposal must identify:
one contracting entity;
one reference contact person; and
the roles of the main team members.
B. Financial proposal and VAT
4. Which entity will sign the contract and receive the invoices?
Fondation CNRS will be both:
the contracting entity; and
the entity to which invoices must be addressed.
The Ocean Sustainability Foundation and IPOS are hosted by Fondation CNRS but are not separate invoicing entities.
5. What is Fondation CNRS’s VAT status for this contract?
For this assignment, Fondation CNRS is acting as a non-taxable customer for VAT purposes. It:
does not recover VAT;
does not apply the reverse-charge mechanism; and
will not provide an intra-Community VAT number for use in connection with this transaction.
The relationship must therefore be treated under the VAT rules applicable to supplies to a non-taxable customer.
6. How is the EUR 48,320 ceiling assessed?
The ceiling of EUR 48,320 includes VAT and all applicable taxes and costs. It applies to the final total amount payable or borne by Fondation CNRS, including:
professional fees;
VAT or equivalent sales taxes;
any applicable withholding taxes or mandatory charges;
external costs; and
any other costs included in the proposal.
Candidates must clearly present:
the professional fee excluding taxes;
the applicable VAT or tax treatment;
the amount of any applicable taxes; and
the final total amount payable by Fondation CNRS.
The final total must not exceed EUR 48,320.
7. How should a provider established in an EU Member State treat VAT?
As Fondation CNRS is acting as a non-taxable customer, has no VAT identification number for this transaction and will not apply the reverse-charge mechanism, the service is treated under the general B2C VAT rules.
A provider established in an EU Member State should therefore normally invoice the service with the VAT applicable in its own Member State, at the relevant national rate.
This VAT must be included within the EUR 48,320 ceiling.
8. How should a provider established outside the European Union calculate and invoice VAT?
For the communication, graphic-design and editorial services covered by this consultation, supplied to Fondation CNRS and used in France, the service is subject to French VAT at the standard rate of 20%.
The provider should therefore present and invoice:
the professional fee excluding VAT;
French VAT calculated at 20%; and
the total amount including VAT.
Fondation CNRS will pay the VAT-inclusive invoice. It will not apply the reverse-charge mechanism and will not recover the VAT.
The non-EU provider is responsible for declaring and paying the French VAT. It may normally do so through the non-Union OSS scheme, or through the applicable French VAT registration procedure.
The total amount, including French VAT and any other applicable taxes or costs, must not exceed EUR 48,320.
C. Production capacity and working arrangements
9. How does IPOS distinguish between simple, intermediate and complex deliverables?
The classification is indicative and will depend on the amount of content, editorial work, original design and number of formats required.
Simple deliverable
A straightforward creation or adaptation, usually based on an existing template. Examples:
one social-media visual;
one banner, cover or thumbnail;
resizing an existing visual;
minor adaptation of a small number of slides.
Intermediate deliverable
A deliverable requiring an original layout, some content structuring or several connected pages or formats. Examples:
a social-media carousel;
a simple infographic;
a short briefing document;
a short presentation;
a coordinated set of event visuals.
Complex deliverable
A deliverable requiring substantial content structuring, original information design, data visualisation or a multi-page layout. Examples:
a detailed infographic;
a substantial policy or institutional report;
a full presentation deck requiring visual restructuring;
a multi-format package associated with a major report or institutional event.
The final classification will be agreed when each brief is validated.
The Terms of Reference indicate an expected monthly capacity equivalent to approximately 8–12 simple materials, 4–6 more complex materials, or a combination of formats.
10. How many revision rounds should be included?
The consultation does not impose a fixed number of revision rounds. Candidates should indicate in their proposal:
the number of revision rounds included in the fixed fee;
how consolidated feedback will be managed; and
how substantial changes to an already validated brief would be treated.
Reasonable revisions remaining within the approved brief should be included in the normal production process. Major changes of scope may require reprioritisation or a separate quotation.
11. What turnaround time is expected for urgent requests?
No mandatory turnaround time is imposed. Candidates should specify:
their normal turnaround times for simple, intermediate and complex deliverables;
their proposed turnaround time for urgent requests; and
any limits or conditions applying to urgent work.
Urgent requests will remain subject to available monthly capacity and may require reprioritisation of other tasks.
