The Association for Internet Development in the Czech Republic (SPIR) announced this week a public tender seeking a developer for a centralized political advertising transparency notification system. The project aims to create a web application enabling political parties, agencies, and media outlets to comply with the European Union's Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising regulation, which took effect across all 27 member states on October 10, 2025.

SPIR published the tender specifications on February 10, 2026, setting a deadline of February 28 for bid submissions. According to the tender documents, the association expects project commencement in March 2026 with completion scheduled for the end of April 2026. The estimated budget allocates 200,000 Czech korunas (approximately 8,000 euros) excluding VAT for development in the first year, plus a maximum of 50,000 korunas annually for operational expenses.

Filip Dotlačil, who serves as SPIR's contact person for the initiative, will coordinate the tender process through the organization's data mailbox. The compressed timeline reflects the urgency of implementing transparency infrastructure ahead of the European Commission's April 10, 2026 deadline for establishing the European repository for political advertising disclosures.

System architecture targets simplicity over complexity

The proposed system diverges sharply from typical enterprise infrastructure approaches by prioritizing simplicity and minimal operational costs. SPIR's tender specifications characterize the platform as explicitly not critical infrastructure, stating that service outages would not prove fatal to operations. This design philosophy contrasts with the technical complexity that drove major platforms including Google and Meta to withdraw entirely from EU political advertising markets.

The cloud-based web application will serve three distinct user categories with specific functional requirements. Political advertising sponsors - primarily political parties but also advocacy agencies - will create and manage transparency notices, upload creative materials, and assign notices to publishers. The system generates unique identifiers including URLs, QR codes, and short string codes for embedding in advertisements. Multiple accounts can be associated with a single organization or company.

Publishers - media outlets and platforms distributing political advertisements - receive assigned notices and may supplement information initially provided by sponsors. Publishers can modify notice status, including unlocking records for additional sponsor edits, marking publication dates, and manually submitting records to the European repository. The system supports bulk status changes and includes mechanisms for publishers to dispute notices they claim do not belong to them.

Administrators manage user accounts, reset passwords, allocate permissions, access audit logs, and execute manual data exports with filtering capabilities. An optional superadministrator role provides SPIR with comprehensive technical configuration access and system-wide visibility.

Compliance framework implements fifteen mandatory fields

Users will complete approximately fifteen mandatory data fields prescribed by EU Regulation 2024/900, according to requirements detailed in SPIR's specification spreadsheet. Input mechanisms include contextual menus, text entry fields, and link placement. The system implements four distinct status states tracking notice progression: draft, sent to publisher (sponsor editing locked), published (with publisher-entered date), and sent to EU (automatically or manually).

Additional non-public, non-exported fields capture the medium where advertising will appear and identify the person responsible for political advertisement targeting. Validation encompasses data type checking and mandatory field completion. The interface incorporates tooltips displaying instructional information on cursor hover. Duplicate notice detection prevents redundant entries, while existing notices can be copied to streamline data entry when single campaigns span multiple publishers.

Each notice receives a unique identifier alongside public URL, QR code, and string code. Public-facing pages must implement responsive design and accessibility standards. The system archives notices indefinitely and displays links to privacy policies.

Creative materials storage prioritizes preview quality

The platform supports image, audio, video, and text format uploads for creative materials, though storage focuses on preview quality rather than archiving full-resolution originals. Video uploads accept direct file submission with data limits set at approximately 100 MB. Preview playback functionality depends on available technology; otherwise downloads enable viewing. Single notices can contain multiple creative assets.

Archive retention spans seven years from the specified end date of advertising campaigns. This duration aligns with record-keeping obligations under the TTPA regulation, which requires providers to maintain comprehensive documentation for seven years after service provision ends.

Notification mechanisms coordinate multi-party workflows

Email notifications trigger when relevant data fields change, alerting publishers, providers, or sponsors as appropriate. After sponsors lock submissions by advancing status to "sent to publisher," subsequent sponsor modifications require publishers to unlock records. The system maintains audit logs for seven years, capturing who made changes, when modifications occurred, what fields changed, and original values before alterations.

This workflow structure addresses collaboration requirements where sponsors initially complete known information, publishers supplement missing details, and both parties coordinate through status changes rather than simultaneous editing.

Export capabilities serve multiple stakeholder needs

User exports generate XLSX or CSV files containing textual portions of notices. The European Commission export function targets notices in published status, outputting JSON or XML formats with JSON preferred. Execution occurs either manually by administrators or automatically according to scheduled intervals, such as daily batch processing. Successfully transmitted notices transition to "sent to EU" status.

The export structure will adapt once the European Commission publishes final repository specifications. The Commission announced plans for implementing acts establishing the European repository by April 10, 2026, creating tight coordination timelines for national systems like SPIR's platform.

Administrator exports enable filtering by publisher, generating XLSX or CSV outputs limited to textual content. All export types include options for temporal filtering and invariably include submission timestamps.

Performance specifications accommodate modest scale

Expected volumes project thousands of notices annually, serving dozens of users processing average data volumes of several megabytes per notice based on creative material file sizes. Creative materials from the first operational year should remain directly accessible online within the system. Materials associated with notices older than one year may migrate to less expensive, slower-response storage infrastructure, accepting delayed retrieval times.

Response time requirements notably lack strict service level agreements, with functionality restoration by the following business day deemed acceptable. This tolerance for temporary unavailability contrasts sharply with enterprise advertising infrastructure standards but aligns with SPIR's characterization of the system as non-critical.

Backup and security implement baseline protections

Daily backup processes retain copies for at least the most recent calendar year. Recovery time objectives target restoration within two business days, while recovery point objectives accept maximum data loss of one day. Basic distributed denial of service protection, secure authentication, and password management establish security foundations.

Audit logs retain activity records for one year. Data storage must occur within EU jurisdictions under GDPR-compliant environments. The architecture should enable future multilingual interface additions, though Czech serves as the initial default language.

Support obligations define vendor responsibilities

The successful bidder will provide comprehensive operational support including user account management - creating, recovering, deleting accounts and resetting passwords for sponsors, publishers, and administrative users. Client services address inquiries from system users through email or potentially an integrated contact form. Response times for email inquiries extend to three business days.

Technical functionality monitoring, incident response within the next business day, and incident resolution within two business days establish service expectations. The vendor must maintain operational collaboration with SPIR and accept orders for development work beyond the initial tender scope.

Testing protocols balance functionality and practicality

Acceptance testing encompasses functional verification including proper completion of all notice fields, URL and QR code generation, notice copying functionality, creative material uploads respecting size limits, CSV and XLSX export operations, public notice display, and email notifications.

User testing evaluates form simplicity and comprehensibility, user authentication procedures, and access permission enforcement. Symbolic load testing confirms the system handles tens of parallel user sessions. Basic security assessment includes automated penetration testing and file storage validation.

Acceptance protocol signature follows successful test completion. Documentation requirements include user guides for sponsors, providers, publishers, and administrators; technical documentation covering architecture, database models, deployment procedures, and recovery processes; and configuration documentation addressing user management, export administration, and creative material handling.

Procurement evaluation weighs cost and capability

SPIR established five evaluation criteria with assigned weightings: price (40 percent), technical solution (30 percent), user friendliness (10 percent), flexibility and future expansion potential (10 percent), and vendor references and experience (10 percent). Bidders must submit technical solution proposals, architecture and technology specifications, UI/UX designs or wireframes, and pricing breakdowns distinguishing one-time development costs, ongoing operational expenses (monthly or annual), and hourly rates for potential additional development.

Project timeline proposals, references for similar projects, service level agreement and data processing agreement drafts, and identified risk mitigation strategies complete the required submission package. Data controller responsibilities rest with publishers, SPIR, or agencies, while the successful vendor operates as a data processor or subprocessor.

Czech implementation amid platform withdrawals

SPIR's initiative emerges against a backdrop of major platform exits from European political advertising. Google announced its withdrawal from EU political advertising in November 2024, citing difficulties reliably identifying political content at scale and lacking consistent election data across 27 member states. Meta ceased political advertising on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp effective October 6, 2025, characterizing TTPA requirements as creating "an untenable level of complexity."

Both companies identified specific technical obstacles including the regulation's broad definition extending to issue-based advertising, verification requirements across multiple jurisdictions with varying election schedules, and compressed implementation timelines between final guidance and enforcement. Google particularly emphasized "the lack of reliable local election data permitting consistent and accurate identification of all ads related to any local, regional or national election" as a primary compliance barrier.

The Czech system's design acknowledges these implementation challenges by focusing exclusively on disclosure rather than automated identification. Sponsors and publishers manually declare political advertising status rather than relying on platform detection algorithms. This human-in-the-loop approach sidesteps the scalability problems that proved insurmountable for automated systems processing millions of advertisements daily.

European repository deadline drives coordination

The April 2026 launch timeline for SPIR's system directly supports the European Commission's repository implementation schedule. The Commission must establish implementing acts for the European repository by April 10, 2026, creating interdependencies between national transparency systems and EU-level aggregation infrastructure.

Publishers of online political advertising must coordinate with the repository, submitting transparency notices for centralized public access. SPIR's platform will export data in formats compatible with repository specifications once the Commission publishes final technical requirements. This delayed specification release - occurring mere weeks before required implementation - mirrors the compressed timelines that contributed to major platform withdrawal decisions.

The Czech approach represents one national implementation pathway addressing TTPA obligations. Ten major Czech media associations announced comprehensive self-regulatory frameworks on August 8, 2025, coinciding with the European Media Freedom Act entering force. That coalition included SPIR alongside Czech Radio, Czech Television, and various commercial broadcasting and publishing associations, demonstrating coordinated industry responses to overlapping transparency regulations.

Platform landscape reveals compliance divide

While major technology platforms abandoned European political advertising markets, smaller specialized providers including Azerion maintained operations. Azerion committed to contextual targeting without personal data manipulation, maintaining publicly searchable advertisement repositories and working closely with European Commission bodies and national regulators.

This bifurcation suggests compliance feasibility varies with business model and scale. Platforms processing vast advertisement volumes across automated auction systems encountered insurmountable identification and verification challenges. Smaller platforms accepting manual declaration and operating at reduced scale found compliance achievable, particularly when prioritizing transparency over sophisticated targeting.

SPIR's proposed system aligns with the latter approach - human-declared notices, manual publisher coordination, and straightforward disclosure without complex algorithmic targeting analysis. The budget allocation of approximately 8,000 euros for development plus 2,000 euros annual operations reflects dramatically different cost structures compared to enterprise advertising technology infrastructure.

Record-keeping drives long-term operational requirements

Seven-year retention requirements for creative materials and audit logs create sustained storage obligations extending well beyond initial deployment. The TTPA regulation mandates providers maintain records for seven years after service provision ends, encompassing details about political advertisements, services provided, amounts invoiced, sponsor identification, and election connections.

SPIR's specifications accommodate these requirements through indefinite notice archiving and creative material retention spanning seven years from campaign end dates. The tiered storage approach - immediate accessibility for first-year materials, slower retrieval for older content - balances compliance obligations against operational costs for a non-profit industry association.

Audit log retention of seven years creates evidentiary trails demonstrating who modified what information and when changes occurred. This accountability framework addresses regulatory oversight needs while supporting dispute resolution between sponsors, publishers, and other stakeholders.

Technical standards emphasize accessibility

The tender specifications mandate responsive design and accessibility compliance for public-facing notice pages, ensuring citizens can view political advertising disclosures across devices including smartphones and tablets. This requirement reflects the TTPA regulation's emphasis on transparency notices serving public accountability functions rather than merely satisfying bureaucratic documentation requirements.

QR code generation enables offline-to-online transitions, allowing billboard or print advertisements to link to detailed digital disclosures. String codes provide simple text alternatives for contexts where QR scanning proves impractical. URL generation supports direct web access and social media sharing of transparency information.

The European Commission's implementation guidance emphasizes transparency notices must provide comprehensive information about advertisement funding, targeting methods, and dissemination periods. SPIR's system addresses these requirements through structured data fields accessible via multiple identifier formats.

Multilingual considerations await future development

While Czech serves as the initial interface language, the architecture should enable additional language versions if required. This forward-looking specification acknowledges potential expansion needs as political campaigns increasingly span linguistic communities within member states or address multilingual constituencies.

IAB Europe's development of standardized DSA transparency text templates in 24 EU languages demonstrates industry recognition that transparency obligations require multilingual support across diverse European markets. SPIR's approach defers immediate multilingual implementation while ensuring technical architecture accommodates future additions.

The distinction between interface language and notice content language remains significant. Political advertisements naturally appear in languages targeting intended audiences, while the transparency system interface might require translations supporting users across different linguistic backgrounds.

Data protection frameworks constrain processing

GDPR compliance requirements pervade system design decisions, from EU-based data storage to privacy policy displays and data processing agreement specifications. The designation of publishers, SPIR, and agencies as data controllers while vendors serve as processors or subprocessors establishes clear accountability chains for personal information handling.

The tender requires successful bidders submit data processing agreement proposals clarifying roles, responsibilities, and safeguards. European data protection authorities have emphasized coordination between TTPA obligations and GDPR requirements, particularly regarding advertising transparency disclosures and prior consent requirements.

Notice content includes sponsor identification, contact details, and potentially sensitive political affiliation information. Secure authentication, password management, and access controls protect this data from unauthorized disclosure while enabling legitimate transparency access for public accountability.

Political advertising spans media channels

Although primarily designed for online political advertising, SPIR's specifications note the system must function for print publications and billboards. This cross-channel applicability addresses the TTPA regulation's coverage of both online and offline political advertising services within the internal market.

Print advertisements can incorporate QR codes linking to transparency notices, while billboards might display short string codes enabling mobile device lookups. The URL, QR, and string code triumvirate provides flexibility across diverse media contexts and audience technical capabilities.

This channel-agnostic approach contrasts with digital platforms' automated insertion of transparency labels and notices alongside online advertisements. Offline media requires manual sponsor and publisher coordination to ensure appropriate identifier placement and transparency information accessibility.

Implementation timeline compresses delivery schedule

The February 28 submission deadline, March 2026 project start, and April 2026 completion target create approximately six weeks for development, testing, deployment, and acceptance. This aggressive schedule reflects the imminent April 10, 2026 European repository deadline and stakeholder needs to begin populating transparency systems ahead of upcoming election cycles.

Czech political calendars include municipal, regional, and national elections occurring on varying schedules. Parliamentary elections for the Chamber of Deputies occur at four-year intervals, while Senate elections happen biennially for one-third of seats. Presidential elections follow five-year cycles. Political parties and advocacy organizations require functional transparency infrastructure supporting campaigns across these electoral timelines.

The compressed delivery schedule mirrors broader European implementation pressures. Google cited "key technical guidance may not be finalized until just months before the regulation comes into effect" as a primary withdrawal justification, highlighting regulatory timeline challenges.

Civil society monitoring depends on public access

Public searchable access to transparency notices enables journalists, researchers, and civil society organizations to analyze political advertising patterns, funding sources, and targeting strategies. This oversight function represents a core TTPA regulation objective - illuminating political communication financing and techniques to support informed democratic participation.

The system's public-facing pages must balance transparency against privacy, displaying sponsor identities and funding amounts while protecting personal data of individuals involved in campaign operations. The fifteen mandatory fields likely include sponsor names, amounts paid, advertisement dissemination periods, and targeting technique disclosures as prescribed by EU requirements.

Repository functionality creates datasets for academic research on political communication, campaign finance trends, and advertising market dynamics. Temporal filtering and export capabilities support longitudinal studies tracking changes across election cycles or comparing approaches among political parties.

Cost structure reflects nonprofit service model

The estimated 200,000 koruna development budget and 50,000 koruna maximum annual operating expenses suggest a lean implementation appropriate for serving Czech political advertising transparency needs. For context, this represents approximately one-hundredth the annual operational costs of enterprise advertising technology platforms serving millions of users.

SPIR operates as a nonprofit public benefit organization focused on internet development in the Czech Republic. The association's engagement with political advertising transparency reflects its broader mandate supporting responsible digital ecosystem evolution. SPIR's participation in the ten-association Czech media coalition addressing European Media Freedom Act compliance demonstrates systematic industry collaboration on regulatory implementation.

The pricing evaluation's 40 percent weighting balances cost consciousness against technical quality, user experience, and future adaptability factors. This allocation suggests SPIR prioritizes sustainable operations over feature maximization, consistent with the "simple, robust, and low-cost architecture" specification.

Vendor selection emphasizes relevant experience

References for similar projects receive 10 percent evaluation weight, indicating SPIR values demonstrated capability delivering comparable transparency, compliance, or multi-stakeholder coordination systems. Vendors might reference work on media registries, advertising disclosure platforms, regulatory reporting systems, or public accountability databases.

The technical solution evaluation (30 percent) assesses proposed architectures, technology choices, and implementation approaches. User friendliness scoring (10 percent) likely examines wireframes and UX designs for form simplicity, navigation clarity, and workflow efficiency across sponsor, publisher, and administrator roles.

Flexibility and expansion potential (10 percent) becomes significant given uncertain future requirements. Repository specifications remain undefined, multilingual needs may emerge, and regulatory frameworks continue evolving. Architectural choices supporting adaptability without major redevelopment prove valuable for long-term sustainability.

Timeline

Summary

Who: The Association for Internet Development in the Czech Republic (SPIR) announced the tender, with Filip Dotlačil serving as contact person. The system will serve political advertising sponsors (political parties and agencies), publishers (media outlets), and administrators, while the European Commission will receive exported data for the centralized repository.

What: SPIR seeks a developer to create a centralized web application for managing political advertising transparency notices complying with EU Regulation 2024/900. The system enables users to complete approximately fifteen mandatory data fields, upload creative materials, generate unique identifiers (URL, QR codes, string codes), and export data to the European repository. The platform implements four status states (draft, sent to publisher, published, sent to EU), maintains seven-year audit logs and creative archives, and provides public access to transparency information.

When: SPIR published the tender on February 10, 2026, with bid submissions due February 28, 2026. Project commencement is expected in March 2026 with completion scheduled for the end of April 2026. This timeline supports the European Commission's April 10, 2026 deadline for establishing the European repository and precedes upcoming Czech election cycles requiring transparency infrastructure.

Where: The system will serve the Czech Republic's political advertising ecosystem, including sponsors, publishers, and agencies operating within Czech jurisdiction. Data storage must occur within EU territories under GDPR-compliant environments. The platform connects to the European repository serving all 27 member states.

Why: The TTPA regulation, which took effect on October 10, 2025, mandates detailed transparency notices for all political advertising across the European Union. After major platforms including Google and Meta withdrew from EU political advertising citing compliance complexity, national systems like SPIR's platform became essential for political parties, agencies, and media outlets to meet regulatory obligations. The system enables manual declaration and coordination between sponsors and publishers, avoiding the automated identification challenges that proved insurmountable for large-scale platforms while providing required transparency for democratic accountability.

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