General Presentation
Working as a consultant through DIGIT TM II contract
Hello and welcome to this presentation about the DIGIT TM II framework contract. If you're an IT professional looking to work with the European Commission, you'll want to pay attention to this as it's a key opportunity for you to get involved in exciting and meaningful projects.
You may be wondering what this contract is and how it might apply to you. In this document, we'll explain the basics of the DIGIT TM II framework contract and how it works.
What is a framework contract?
Essentially, it's an agreement between the European Commission and a group of companies that sets out the terms and conditions under which the companies can be contracted to provide specific services. The DIGIT TM II framework contract is specifically for the provision of IT services to the Commission.
Now, the reason why framework contracts like DIGIT TM II are so useful is that they allow the Commission to quickly and easily contract companies to provide the IT services it needs without having to go through the full tendering process each time. This saves time and resources, and allows the Commission to get the services it needs in a more flexible and agile way.
As an IT professional, this means that if you work for a company that is part of the DIGIT TM II framework contract, you'll have the opportunity to work on a variety of different projects for the Commission. You'll be able to use your skills and expertise to make a real difference, and you'll be able to be a part of some of the most interesting and innovative projects in Europe.
How does it work?
Well, the DIGIT TM II framework contract is divided into lots, with each lot covering a specific area of IT services. Companies can bid to be part of one or more lots, and if they are successful, they can then be contracted to provide the services within that lot.
As an IT professional, you'll need to ensure that you're working for a company that is part of the DIGIT TM II framework contract if you want to be able to work on Commission projects. You can do this by checking the list of companies that are part of the contract on the Commission's website, and then applying for a job with one of those companies. Or by working as a freelancer through those consortiums or companies.
So, as I mentioned earlier, the DIGIT TM II framework contract is used by the European Commission to hire external IT professionals to work on various projects. One way that these professionals can be hired is through a consortium, which is essentially a group of companies that come together to bid on a project and then work together to complete it.
Consortiums and Service providers
Consortiums can be organized in a number of different ways, but one common structure is for one company to act as the lead partner and coordinate the work of the other companies in the consortium. This lead partner is responsible for managing the candidates pipeline and ensuring that all requests from the Commission are answered by providing CVs in due time.
It's important to note that all of the companies in a consortium are typically contracted directly with the European Commission, rather than with the lead partner. This means that each company is responsible for delivering its own consultants and meeting the terms of the contract.
Working as a freelance
A freelancer can work as an IT consultant for the European Commission through a company belonging to a consortium in the following way:
An awarded consortium can engage the services of the freelancer as an IT consultant, either as an employee of one of the companies of the consortium or as a subcontractor.
The freelancer will work on IT projects for the Commission as needed, under the supervision of the EU manager.
The consortium will invoice the Commission for the services provided by the freelancer, and the freelancer will be paid by the consortium according to the terms of their contract.
It is important to note that the freelancer will not be an employee of the Commission and will not have the same rights and obligations as permanent staff or temporary agents. They will be subject to the terms of their contract with the consortium and will not be covered by the Staff Regulations of Officials or the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union.
Invoicing process
The process for a freelancer working as an IT consultant for the European Commission through a company belonging to a consortium:
The freelancer carries out the agreed-upon work for the Commission as outlined in their contract.
The freelancer submits a timesheet to the Commission manager as well as a report detailing the work completed for the month.
The Commission manager reviews and signs the timesheet, indicating that the work has been completed to their satisfaction.
The freelancer sends the signed timesheet and an invoice for their work to the company.
The company reviews the timesheet and invoice and, if everything is in order, pays the freelancer according to the payment terms agreed upon in their contract (usually within 30 days).
The company then prepares an invoice to the Commission for the work completed by the freelancer.
The company submits the invoice to the Commission for payment, typically on a quarterly basis.
Official Documentation
All documents can be found here, under Tender reference number DIGIT/2021/OP/0006.
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