HomeGlossaryEU Procurement

EU Procurement

Plain-language definitions of every EU Procurement term that shows up in government tender work.


EU Procurement

Abnormally Low Tender (EU)

The EU procurement term for a submitted tender whose price appears too low to cover costs, requiring the contracting authority to seek a written explanation before deciding whether to accept or reject it.

Read definition
EU Procurement

Above-Threshold Contract

An EU public contract whose estimated value exceeds the relevant EU procurement threshold, triggering full directive compliance including mandatory TED publication and structured competitive procedures.

Read definition
EU Procurement

Award Criteria (EU)

The published criteria and weightings that EU contracting authorities use to compare compliant tenders from qualified suppliers and identify the most economically advantageous offer for contract award.

Read definition
EU Procurement

Award Criteria (EU)

The published criteria and weightings that EU contracting authorities use to evaluate compliant tenders from qualified suppliers and select the most economically advantageous tender for contract award.

Read definition
EU Procurement

Below-Threshold Contract

A public contract in the EU whose estimated value falls below the applicable EU procurement directive threshold, meaning it is governed by national rules and general EU principles rather than the full directive procedures.

Read definition
EU Procurement

Competitive Dialogue

An EU procurement procedure for complex contracts where the authority engages in structured dialogue with shortlisted candidates to develop workable solutions before inviting final bids.

Read definition
EU Procurement

Competitive Procedure with Negotiation

An EU procurement method that shortlists candidates, invites initial tenders, and then allows negotiation with shortlisted suppliers to refine and improve those tenders before final submission.

Read definition
EU Procurement

Concession Contract

An EU contract under which a contracting authority grants an operator the right to exploit a works or services concession, with the operator taking on the substantial operating risk in exchange for revenue from users or the authority.

Read definition
EU ProcurementCAN

Contract Award Notice (CAN)

The mandatory EU publication that a contracting authority dispatches to the OJEU within 30 days of signing a contract, identifying the winning supplier, the contract value, and the procedure used.

Read definition
EU ProcurementCN

Contract Notice (CN)

The mandatory EU publication that formally opens an above-threshold procurement competition, setting out the contracting authority's requirements, selection criteria, award criteria, and submission deadline.

Read definition
EU ProcurementCN

Contract Notice (CN)

The mandatory EU publication that formally opens an above-threshold procurement competition, setting out the contracting authority's requirements, selection criteria, award criteria, and submission deadline.

Read definition
EU Procurement

Defence Procurement Directive

EU Directive 2009/81/EC establishing a harmonised procurement framework for defence and sensitive security contracts, balancing open competition with member states' rights to protect national security interests.

Read definition
EU ProcurementDPS

Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS)

An EU electronic purchasing arrangement open throughout its duration to any qualified supplier, used for commonly available goods and services and operated entirely online through successive mini-competitions.

Read definition
EU ProcurementDPS

Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS)

An EU electronic purchasing arrangement open throughout its duration to any qualified supplier, used for commonly available goods and services and operated entirely online through successive mini-competitions.

Read definition
EU Procurement

eForms (EU Electronic Forms)

The structured XML notice format mandated for all EU above-threshold procurement publications since 2023, replacing free-text notices with machine-readable data fields covering 40 notice subtypes.

Read definition
EU Procurement

eForms (EU Electronic Forms)

The structured XML notice format mandated for all EU above-threshold procurement publications since 2023, replacing free-text notices with machine-readable data fields covering 40 notice subtypes.

Read definition
EU ProcurementESPD

European Single Procurement Document (ESPD)

A standardised self-declaration form used across the EU that allows suppliers to assert they meet selection criteria and exclusion grounds without submitting full supporting documents at bid stage.

Read definition
EU Procurement

Exclusion Grounds

The categories of misconduct or circumstance under the EU Procurement Directive that require or permit a contracting authority to exclude a supplier from participating in a public procurement procedure.

Read definition
EU Procurement

Framework Agreement (EU)

A pre-negotiated EU procurement arrangement that sets agreed terms and prices with one or more suppliers for a fixed period of up to four years, allowing call-off orders to be placed without a full re-tender each time.

Read definition
EU ProcurementGPA

GPA (Government Procurement Agreement, WTO)

The WTO plurilateral agreement that opens signatories' above-threshold public procurement markets to suppliers from all other signatory countries, covering roughly USD 1.7 trillion in annual government spending.

Read definition
EU ProcurementGPA

GPA (Government Procurement Agreement, WTO)

The WTO plurilateral agreement that opens signatories' above-threshold public procurement markets to suppliers from all other signatory countries, covering roughly USD 1.7 trillion in annual government spending.

Read definition
EU Procurement

Innovation Partnership

An EU procurement procedure that combines research and development with the subsequent purchase of the resulting innovative product or service in a single structured process without reopening competition.

Read definition
EU Procurement

Light-Touch Regime

A simplified EU procurement regime for certain social, health, education, and cultural services above EUR 750,000, applying fewer procedural requirements than the full directive while still requiring TED publication.

Read definition
EU Procurement

Lots Division

The EU practice of splitting a procurement into separate lots to allow small and medium-sized suppliers to bid for parts of a contract that would be too large or complex to win as a single package.

Read definition
EU ProcurementMEAT

MEAT (Most Economically Advantageous Tender)

The EU procurement evaluation standard that selects the winning tender on a combination of price and quality criteria rather than price alone, with each criterion's weighting published in advance so bidders know how the score is calculated.

Read definition
EU ProcurementOJEU

OJEU (Official Journal of the European Union)

The EU's official legal gazette in which all above-threshold public procurement notices must be published before they carry binding legal force, with the searchable online supplement called TED providing API access to those notices.

Read definition
EU ProcurementOJEU

OJEU (Official Journal of the European Union)

The official legal gazette of the European Union in which all above-threshold public procurement notices must be published, giving them their binding legal force under EU directives.

Read definition
EU Procurement

Open Procedure (EU)

The default EU procurement method in which any interested supplier may obtain the tender documents and submit a full bid, with a minimum response period of 35 days from the date of notice dispatch.

Read definition
EU Procurement

Open Procedure (EU)

The default EU procurement method in which any interested supplier may obtain the tender documents and submit a full bid, with a minimum response period of 35 days from the date of notice dispatch.

Read definition
EU ProcurementPIN

Prior Information Notice (PIN)

An optional advance notice that EU contracting authorities publish to signal upcoming procurement, which can reduce mandatory tendering deadlines and, in some cases, act as a call for competition itself.

Read definition
EU ProcurementPIN

Prior Information Notice (PIN)

An optional advance notice that EU contracting authorities publish to signal upcoming procurement, which can reduce mandatory tendering deadlines and, in some cases, act as a call for competition itself.

Read definition
EU Procurement

Procurement Threshold (EU)

The estimated contract value above which EU member states must follow the full EU procurement directives and publish notices on TED, with separate thresholds applying to goods and services, works, and utilities contracts.

Read definition
EU Procurement

Procurement Threshold (EU)

The estimated contract value above which EU member states must follow the full EU procurement directives and publish notices on TED, with separate thresholds applying to goods and services, works, and utilities.

Read definition
EU Procurement

Restricted Procedure (EU)

A two-stage EU procurement method where a contracting authority first shortlists candidates based on qualification evidence, then invites only those shortlisted firms to submit a full tender.

Read definition
EU Procurement

Restricted Procedure (EU)

A two-stage EU procurement method where a contracting authority first shortlists candidates based on qualification evidence, then invites only those shortlisted firms to submit a full tender.

Read definition
EU Procurement

Selection Criteria (EU)

The minimum standards of financial standing, technical capacity, and professional suitability that suppliers must satisfy before an EU contracting authority will evaluate their tender on merit.

Read definition
EU Procurement

Selection Criteria (EU)

The minimum standards of financial standing, technical capacity, and professional suitability that suppliers must meet to be eligible to participate in an EU procurement procedure, assessed before evaluating tenders.

Read definition
EU Procurement

Subcontracting Rules (EU)

The EU framework requirements governing how prime contractors disclose, manage, and remain legally responsible for subcontractors on public contracts, including direct payment rights available in some member states.

Read definition
EU Procurement

Subcontracting Rules (EU)

The EU procurement framework requirements governing how prime contractors disclose, manage, and remain responsible for subcontractors on public contracts, including direct payment rights in certain member states.

Read definition
EU ProcurementTED

TED (Tenders Electronic Daily)

The official online supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union where all above-threshold public contracts in Europe are published, covering roughly 750,000 notices each year.

Read definition
EU ProcurementTED

TED (Tenders Electronic Daily)

The official online supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union where all above-threshold public contracts in Europe are published, covering roughly 750,000 notices each year.

Read definition
EU Procurement

Utilities Directive

The EU procurement directive that governs contracting by entities operating in the water, energy, transport, and postal services sectors, applying higher thresholds and more flexible procedures than the standard public sector directive.

Read definition
EU ProcurementVEAT

Voluntary Ex-Ante Transparency Notice (VEAT)

A notice published voluntarily by an EU contracting authority before awarding a contract without a prior competition, giving potential challengers a 30-day window to contest the decision before the contract is signed.

Read definition

Put EU Procurement to work

See how Bidovate turns these government tender terms into pipeline. Explore the platform or book a 15-minute demo.