Guide
What you should know about public tenders in Switzerland, explained simply and backed by the articles of the law.
Thresholds and procedures
From which contract value the Confederation, cantons and municipalities must tender publicly: the thresholds under the PPA and the IAPP, the four procedures and the minimum deadlines, with sources.
Read moreSubmitting a bid, step by step
From publication on simap.ch to the award: getting the documents, asking questions, submitting the bid, opening, award and appeal, with the articles of the PPA.
Read moreSetting up a supplier account on simap.ch, step by step
How to set up a supplier account on simap.ch: personal login, registering your company with its UID or requesting to join, registering interest, documents, questions and costs.
Read moreThe four types of procedure
The four types of procedure in Swiss public procurement and what they mean for bidders: when there is a public tender and when there is not, with the articles of the PPA.
Read moreThe invitation procedure: contracts without a public tender
How the invitation procedure works under the PPA and the IAPP, which contract values it covers, why nobody has a right to an invitation and how to make yourself known to contracting authorities.
Read moreDeadlines in the procedure
The deadlines that apply to public tenders: minimum deadlines for bids under the PPA, shortened deadlines, questions on the tender and the 20-day appeal period.
Read moreAsking questions about a tender
How to ask questions about a public tender: the question deadline, the simap.ch forum, anonymised answers for everyone, the language, and what needs an appeal instead.
Read moreEligibility and award criteria
What eligibility and award criteria mean in a public tender, what evidence can be requested and how bids are evaluated.
Read morePrice scoring: how a price becomes points
How the price is scored in a Swiss public tender: weighting, three formulas with a worked example, the minimum weight and what to check before you calculate your price.
Read moreProving eligibility: proofs, references, self-declaration
Which proofs a contracting authority can ask for on eligibility and participation conditions, what makes a reference and when to submit them, with the articles of the PPA and PPO.
Read moreBidding consortia and subcontractors
When businesses may team up for a public tender, what applies to subcontractors and what a bidding consortium should watch out for, with the articles of the PPA.
Read moreAvoiding exclusion: how bids are checked
How the contracting authority checks bids: form and deadline, arithmetic errors, explanations, abnormally low prices, adjustment and the grounds for exclusion under PPA Art. 44.
Read moreAward, reasons and appeal
What happens after the evaluation: award to the most advantageous bid, reasons, debriefing, appeal within 20 days, suspensive effect, the contract and abandonment.
Read moreDirect award
When the Confederation, cantons and municipalities may award a contract directly without a tender, which exceptions the law provides and what bidders can do about it.
Read moreCPV and BKP codes
What CPV, BKP, eBKP and NPK codes mean in Swiss public tenders and how they help you find the right contracts.
Read moreGlossary
The terms of public tenders from A to Z, explained in short and with the article of the law.
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