Eligibility and award criteria

Eligibility: can you carry out the contract?

The contracting authority sets out the eligibility criteria in full in the tender or in the documents. They must be objectively necessary and verifiable for the contract (PPA Art. 27 para. 1).

They may concern professional, financial, economic, technical and organisational capacity as well as experience (PPA Art. 27 para. 2), for example references for comparable contracts or details of key staff.

What may not be required

The contracting authority may not require that you have already won a public contract from a contracting authority subject to the law (PPA Art. 27 para. 4). If it keeps a list of qualified bidders, you are admitted without being listed if you prove your eligibility (PPA Art. 28 para. 4).

Participation conditions and evidence

On top come the participation conditions: among other things, you must comply with occupational safety provisions, working conditions and equal pay (PPA Art. 12), have paid the taxes and social security contributions due and refrain from unlawful agreements affecting competition (PPA Art. 26 para. 1). This may be requested, for example, as a self-declaration (PPA Art. 26 para. 2).

When each piece of evidence must be submitted is stated in the tender or in the documents (PPA Art. 26 para. 3 and Art. 27 para. 3). Keep the commercial register extract, confirmations on taxes and social security and proof of insurance ready.

Award: which bid wins?

Bids are evaluated against performance-related award criteria. Besides price and quality, the contracting authority may consider, for example, timeframes, technical value, life cycle costs, sustainability, customer service or expertise (PPA Art. 29 para. 1).

The criteria and their weighting are stated in the tender or in the documents (PPA Art. 29 para. 3). For standardised services, the lowest total price alone may decide if the specification ensures high sustainability requirements (PPA Art. 29 para. 4).

Outside the scope of international treaties, it may also count whether you offer apprenticeships, jobs for older workers or reintegration for the long-term unemployed (PPA Art. 29 para. 2).

Tips for your bid

• Check eligibility first: anyone who does not meet the requirements can be excluded from the procedure (PPA Art. 44 para. 1 let. a).
• Read the weighting: if quality weighs heavily, a detailed concept pays off; if price counts most, a precise calculation.
• Answer every criterion in the order of the documents and enclose the evidence requested.
• TEXFY shows the eligibility and award criteria on the detail page, as far as simap provides them.