See II.2.4).

ACE is required to use the services of a tour operator to manage the logistical organization of missions / state visits. The purpose of each market is the organization of a tailor-made trip, with a variable number of participants and a specific program.

In principle, 2 missions are organized each year. The agency also contributes to the logistical organization and economic aspects of state visits. Annually, 2 state visits are planned.

The Agency has its cruising pace of four visits of the highest level on the year. The annual action plan is subject to change, depending on political and factual circumstances.

ACE will award the logistics organization contract for each mission by negotiated procedure to one of the five pre-selected tour operators. The purpose of this consultation is to establish a shortlist of these 5 travel offices.

Attention is drawn to the fact that the contract is limited for ACE only to expenses related to the organization of the mission / state visit, travel and stay for its own staff (3 to 4 more). Supplies of benefits to other participants must be processed directly with the participating companies and the official bodies, which however are not obliged to use the designated travel agency.

The complexity of missions / state visits requires a great deal of flexibility on the part of tour operators. They must be able to provide extremely demanding services with respect to the wishes of each participant and be able to deal with requests from the 3 regions indifferently. In addition, they must have sufficient means to be able to block the necessary reservations before all registrations of participants are closed.

Each mission / state visit has variable organizational conditions and award criteria. For this reason, ACE writes separate procedures on the basis of a special specifications for each assignment.

Preselection does not result in automatic selection for future markets.