What does main bid mean?
The main bid (Hauptangebot) is a bidder's bid that fully meets the requirements of the procurement documents and the bill of quantities. It is prepared on the basis of the specification defined by the contracting authority and contains the required prices, declarations and evidence without any deviations in content. Every bidder must submit a main bid if it wants to take part in the tender.
The main bid must price all items listed in the bill of quantities and contain all declarations and evidence required in the procurement documents. Incomplete main bids or those that deviate from the requirements can be excluded by the contracting authority. In certain cases, the contracting authority can request missing documents later, but it is not obliged to do so for missing prices or deviations in content.
In addition to the main bid, bidders can submit so-called variant bids (Nebenangebote, alternative bids) if the contracting authority has expressly allowed this in the notice or the procurement documents. Variant bids deviate from the requirements of the bill of quantities and propose alternative solutions. A variant bid can only be evaluated if there is also an eligible main bid, unless the procurement documents provide otherwise.
Facts & figures
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Grounds for excluding bids | Section 57 VgV |
| Requesting missing documents later | Section 56 VgV (prices usually cannot be requested later) |
| Minimum deadline, EU open procedure | 35 days from the notice (Section 15 VgV) |
| Minimum deadline, accelerated | 15 days (Section 15(3) VgV) |
| Typical bid validity period | 30–90 days depending on the procedure |
| Legal basis for variant bids | Section 35 VgV |
Relevance for bidders
For bidders, preparing the main bid carefully is essential, because it forms the basis for the bid evaluation. All items in the bill of quantities must be priced completely and correctly. Pricing errors, missing prices or deviations in content can lead to exclusion of the entire bid.
Before submitting the main bid, bidders should carry out a thorough plausibility check and make sure all required forms are filled in, declarations made and evidence attached. Many tender portals offer checklists or completeness checks that can help with this. If anything about the required content is unclear, bidders should ask bidder questions in good time instead of making their own interpretations.
Legal framework
The requirements for the main bid follow from the respective procurement documents and the bill of quantities. Section 57 VgV (Public Procurement Ordinance) governs the grounds for excluding bids that do not meet the requirements. The option to request missing documents later is governed by Section 56 VgV, although missing prices generally may not be requested later. Below the thresholds, corresponding rules are in the UVgO (Sub-Threshold Procurement Rules) and the VOB/A (Construction Contract Procedures, Part A). Allowing variant bids alongside the main bid is governed by Section 35 VgV.