What is a Tender?
A tender (German: Ausschreibung) is a formal procurement procedure where a public or private contracting authority publicly announces a contract and invites companies to submit bids.
Types of Tenders
- Open tender: Any interested company can submit a bid
- Restricted tender: Only selected companies are invited to submit bids
- Direct award: Direct contract award without formal procedure (for small contracts)
Tender Process
- Publication: Announcement of the tender
- Bidding phase: Companies prepare and submit bids
- Evaluation: Review and assessment of submitted bids
- Award: Contract awarded to the best bid
Where to Find Tenders
Public tenders are published on various platforms:
- TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) for EU-wide tenders
- State procurement platforms
- service.bund.de for federal tenders