What is Bid Opening?
Bid opening (German: Angebotsöffnung) is the formal process of opening submitted bids after the submission deadline and documenting their contents.
Legal Framework
- Section 55 VgV: Bid opening for supplies/services
- Section 14 VOB/A: Opening for construction
- Section 40 UVgO: Opening below thresholds
Principles
- Simultaneity: all bids opened at the same time
- Integrity: bids sealed/encrypted until opening
- Four-eyes principle: at least two persons present
- Documentation: complete recording
- Confidentiality: no premature access
Construction (VOB/A)
Public event where bidder names and amounts are read aloud. Late bids are marked but not opened. Bidders may attend and inspect the protocol.
Supplies/Services (VgV)
Non-public, four-eyes principle, documentation of receipt time and completeness, contents remain confidential.
Electronic Opening
End-to-end encryption until opening, two-key decryption, complete audit trail, and cryptographic integrity protection.
How Patterno Helps
Patterno helps you track submission deadlines and opening dates with automatic reminders to ensure timely, complete bid submissions.