What does GAEB mean?
GAEB stands for Gemeinsamer Ausschuss Elektronik im Bauwesen (Joint Committee for Electronics in Construction) and refers both to the committee of that name and to the standardized data exchange format it developed for the construction industry. The GAEB format allows the electronic exchange of bills of quantities, bids, contract awards, measurements and invoices between contracting authorities, planners and contractors. It is the authoritative standard for digital communication in public construction tenders in Germany.
The GAEB format exists in several versions. The older version GAEB 90 is based on a fixed-format text format, while the newer versions GAEB XML 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 are based on XML and offer many more options for structure and information. GAEB data is divided into different phases: phase 81 (tender text), phase 83 (bid prices), phase 84 (contract award), phase 85 (measurement/quantity determination), phase 86 (invoicing) and phase 89 (cost summary).
In public construction tenders, the contracting authority often provides the bill of quantities in GAEB format, and bidders return their calculated unit prices in the same format. This allows the prices to be transferred automatically into the contracting authority's pricing software and the bids to be evaluated efficiently. Using the GAEB format reduces transfer errors and speeds up the entire procurement process.
Relevance for bidders
For construction companies and trade businesses that take part in public tenders, the ability to process GAEB files is a basic requirement. Most public construction tenders provide the bill of quantities in GAEB format and expect the calculated prices to be returned in the same format. Bidders therefore need AVA software (Ausschreibung, Vergabe, Abrechnung, meaning tendering, awarding, invoicing) that can import and export GAEB files.
Bidders should make sure their software supports the GAEB version used by the contracting authority. Incompatibilities between different GAEB versions can lead to data loss or formatting problems. It is advisable to validate the exported GAEB file before submission and to check the prices again to rule out transfer errors.
Legal framework
The VOB/A (Construction Contract Procedures, Part A) does not expressly require the use of the GAEB format, but it has become established as the industry standard. VOB/A Sections 1 and 2 require bills of quantities to be designed in a uniform and machine-readable way, which suggests the use of standardized formats. The GAEB standard is developed and maintained by the Gemeinsamer Ausschuss Elektronik im Bauwesen. Using the GAEB format is free of charge, although license costs may apply for the software used to process it.