What does tender portal mean?
A tender portal, also called an e-procurement platform, is a web-based application that maps the entire procurement process digitally. Contracting authorities use tender portals to publish notices, provide tender documents, answer bidder questions and receive bids. Since e-procurement became mandatory, almost all public contracts have to be handled through such platforms.
In Germany, there are many tender portals at different levels. The federal government's e-procurement platform (Vergabeplattform des Bundes) is run by the Procurement Office of the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI). There are also state-specific portals such as the procurement marketplace (Vergabemarktplatz) of each federal state, as well as municipal and privately run platforms. Well-known tender portals include the Vergabeplattform des Bundes, DTVP (Deutsches Vergabeportal), subreport, AI Vergabemanager and the various state portals such as Vergabeportal NRW or Vergabeplattform Bayern.
The functions of tender portals typically include searching for tenders, downloading the tender documents, communicating with the awarding office through a messaging system, submitting bids electronically with encryption and signature, and documenting the entire procedure. Many portals also offer email notifications about new tenders in certain industries or regions.
Relevance for bidders
For bidders, tender portals are the primary tool for taking part in public tenders. Registering on the relevant platforms is usually free and should be done early, so you do not run into technical hurdles when submitting a bid. Bidders should get familiar with the most common platforms and search regularly for new tenders.
Registering in time and setting up the technical requirements for electronic bid submission is especially important. This includes installing any required software components, setting up digital signatures and testing the upload process. Technical problems when submitting a bid are generally the bidder's responsibility and, if the deadline is missed, lead to the bid being excluded.
Legal framework
Above the EU thresholds, the duty to use e-procurement follows from Section 97(5) GWB (German Act against Restraints of Competition) together with Section 9 VgV (Public Procurement Ordinance). For construction work, Section 11 VOB/A-EU governs electronic communication. Below the thresholds, Section 7 UVgO (Sub-Threshold Procurement Ordinance) provides for electronic communication. In Article 22, EU Procurement Directive 2014/24/EU requires fully electronic communication. Tender portals must meet certain technical and security requirements to guarantee the integrity and confidentiality of the bids.