Procurement Glossary

A bid so cheap the buyer must ask the supplier to explain the price before it can reject it.

Contracts large enough to trigger the full Procurement Act 2023 rules, with formal notices, scored bids and a standstill period.

A Swedish rule keeping all bid information secret until the award decision is made.

A Norwegian must-meet requirement – if a bid falls short, it can't be evaluated.

The Swedish requirement to publish procurements in a registered notice database so suppliers can find them.

Bidders with the right to be told about the award, get reasons and challenge the decision in Norway.

A UK rule stopping buyers from splitting one requirement into smaller contracts to avoid the full rules.

The fixed rule deciding which framework supplier gets each order, such as ranking or rotation.

An offer that proposes a different solution from the one requested – only allowed when the buyer says alternatives are welcome.

A German bill-of-quantities item offered as an option, only ordered if needed.

Norway's go-to site for procurement guidance, templates and tools, run by DFØ.

Keeping public contracts free from bribery and favouritism.

Taking a Finnish procurement decision to the Market Court when you think it's wrong.

The Finnish deadline, usually 14 days, for appealing a procurement decision to the Market Court.

What a company must do and provide when applying to join a German procedure.

When your German application to take part must be in.

Asking a German procurement chamber to check whether a procedure broke the rules.

A Norwegian requirement that suppliers on certain contracts use apprentices.

How the buyer will score each tender and turn the marks into a final result, published before bids are submitted.

The written feedback every bidder receives explaining their scores and how they compared with the winning tender.

Another organisation, such as a parent company, whose capacity a supplier relies on to qualify for a contract.

The moment the buyer decides which supplier wins, based on the published award criteria.

Splitting a German contract into lots by trade, such as electrical or plumbing work.

The factors, such as price, quality and social value, that decide which tender wins and how much each one counts.

The German period within which the buyer must award the contract.

The buyer's formal choice of winner, shared with all bidders before the contract can be signed.

The German letter telling the successful bidder that its bid has been accepted.

Statistics a German buyer must report once a procedure is finished.

German contracts that have already been awarded – useful market intelligence.

Selling to the public sector, as opposed to selling to other businesses or consumers.

The Norwegian rule that open and restricted tender competitions can't include negotiation.

A lower-value public contract that follows lighter rules but can still be advertised and competed.

A German contract value below the EU thresholds, where national rules apply.

The UK notice used to advertise lower-value contracts under the lighter Part 6 rules.

A supplier's formal offer to win a contract, covering its solution, price and terms.

An external expert who helps companies write and improve bids for public contracts.

The German formal letter accompanying a bid, confirming its total price and validity.

How the buyer reviews and compares the bids it receives to find the one that best meets the need.

The person who runs a company's bids from start to finish.

When the buyer opens the bids received after the deadline, with their contents kept confidential until the award.

The German date when the submitted bids are opened.

The official German minutes showing who bid and at what price.

The German outcome of the bid opening, showing who bid and at what price.

How long a supplier must stand by its bid after the deadline while the buyer evaluates and awards.

A company's decision on whether a tender is worth bidding for.

A supplier that has submitted a bid and gains rights to feedback and to challenge the outcome.

A German Q&A session where bidders hear about the contract before submitting.

Several suppliers bidding together, combining capacity to win contracts none could win alone.

The German itemised list of every work item and quantity in a contract.

An organisation serving the public interest and mainly funded or controlled by the state, which must follow procurement rules.

German public finance law – the historic root of procurement rules.

A German DVA subcommittee working on building construction rules.

How buyers actually order from a framework – by picking a supplier directly or running a quick mini-competition.

A system that helps manage and track orders placed under framework agreements.

When a Norwegian buyer stops a competition without signing a contract, which needs an objective reason.

Ending a German procurement procedure without awarding a contract.

A Swedish procurement ended without a contract – allowed only on objective grounds and open to challenge.

A supplier that has asked to take part in a two-stage procedure and is waiting to be invited to bid.

The German procurement rules in the GWB that apply above the EU thresholds.

The German hierarchy of procurement rules, from the GWB down to the VOB.

Grouping public purchases into categories, such as IT or vehicles, so each can be bought more strategically.

The UK's central system where suppliers register once and buyers publish procurement notices.

German purchasing bundled through a central procurement body.

One buyer acting for many: win its framework and you can sell to hundreds of public bodies.

Buying that keeps products in use longer through reuse and repair.

A German DVA subcommittee working on civil engineering rules.

Your chance to clear up anything unclear in the tender documents before you submit.

Limited German discussions to clarify a bid's content, without negotiating.

Why public tenders for cars, vans, trucks and buses increasingly require clean or zero-emission vehicles.

The Norwegian rule that climate and environment should normally count for at least 30% in tender evaluations.

A UK framework that's fixed once set up, with no new suppliers allowed to join.

A Finnish e-tendering platform many public buyers use to publish documents and receive bids.

EU-wide codes that describe what a contract covers, making tenders easy to find in any language.

Finnish compensation for a bidder who would have had a real chance of winning if the rules had been followed.

Germany's basic rule that public work goes to whoever wins a fair contest.

The online system Norwegian buyers use to run competitions and collect bids.

Rules that keep markets fair, including a ban on bidders colluding.

Norwegian purchases should, as far as possible, be exposed to real market competition.

A procedure for complex needs where the buyer develops solutions together with suppliers before final bids.

The UK procedure that lets buyers design their own process, including negotiation or several rounds.

A two-stage route where bids can still be improved through negotiation before the award.

The two routes for a competitive award under the Procurement Act 2023: the open or competitive flexible procedure.

A complaint to Norway's procurement complaints board about how a procurement was run.

In Norway, the first step when you disagree with a decision: ask the buyer to think again.

A contract where the supplier earns mainly by running the works or service, and carries the commercial risk.

The operator who earns from running a German concession – and carries the risk if it doesn't pay off.

The EU rules for awarding concessions, where the supplier earns by running a service or works and carries the risk.

The minimum legal, financial and technical requirements a supplier must meet to take part.

A German declaration committing to keep procurement information confidential.

Keeping sensitive information from a German procedure under wraps.

Flagging which parts of your German bid are business secrets.

The check a Swedish authority makes before releasing a requested document, to protect confidential information.

Personal or business ties that could make a procurement unfair, which buyers must identify and manage.

A German public works contract for building or planning and building a structure.

A specialist area of German construction work, such as electrics or plumbing.

A German bill-of-quantities item only carried out if a specific need arises.

Tells the market who is set to win – and starts the clock for any challenge.

Public notice that a UK contract is being changed, so others can check the change is allowed.

The UK notice confirming a public contract has been signed, with its key details.

A German contract with payment in return for performance – a requirement for a public contract.

Everything that happens after award: tracking delivery, managing change and keeping the contract on course.

Changing a signed public contract, allowed only within limits and often needing a published notice.

Public reporting on how well a UK supplier is delivering, which can count in future bids.

A court remedy that can cancel a contract awarded in breach of the procurement rules.

The UK notice published when a public contract ends, for whatever reason.

The rules of delivery – price, deadlines, liability and more – set by the buyer.

Germany's three categories of public contracts: supplies, services and works.

What a German contract is worth in total – the figure that decides which rules apply.

The public body that runs the procurement and signs the contract with the winning supplier.

The Swedish term for buyers in the water, energy, transport and postal sectors under LUF.

The UK government service for lower-value opportunities in England, now mainly used for legacy procurements.

A Finnish notice correcting or adding to an earlier procurement notice.

Taking a Norwegian procurement dispute to the courts, for example to claim damages.

The UK's largest central purchasing body, running frameworks the whole public sector can use.

Compensation a supplier can claim when a buyer breaks the procurement rules and causes a loss.

The many statutory and buyer-set deadlines in a German procurement procedure.

Being shut out of German public contracts for a period after serious misconduct.

The UK government's blacklist of suppliers that can be kept out of public contracts.

A German third party's promise to make its resources available to a bidder.

Separate Norwegian rules for buying military and security-sensitive goods and services.

The EU rules for buying military and security-sensitive equipment, works and services.

When goods under a contract must arrive.

A competition where a jury picks the best design or plan, common in architecture and urban planning.

A Swedish 'nice to have' requirement that earns extra points in the evaluation.

A part of a Norwegian bid that departs from the requirements, which can lead to rejection.

Skipping competition altogether, which buyers can only do with a clear legal justification.

The Swedish value limit below which public buyers can purchase without a formal competition.

A German national procedure where the buyer negotiates with selected companies.

Effort that's out of proportion to the benefit, a concept used to justify simpler German procedures.

The German deadline for requesting tender documents, now rare thanks to e-procurement.

Norway's national database where public procurement notices are published.

The contract you'll sign if you win, shared with the Finnish tender documents.

Tendering the same German contract more than once at the same time.

In Norway, buyers must actively check that workers on their contracts get fair pay and conditions.

In Germany, spot a breach and you must object straight away – or lose the right to challenge.

The Finnish requirement that public bodies put their purchases out to competitive tender.

The German pause before a contract can be signed, giving losing bidders time to act.

A UK supplier list that stays open for new entrants, replacing the old dynamic purchasing system.

An electronic system for routine purchases that new suppliers can join at any time.

Why public buyers in the EU must accept electronic invoices in a standard format.

Running German procurement procedures fully online, from notice to bid submission.

Uploading your bid through the buyer's online portal – leave time for technical hiccups.

A Norwegian service that lets buyers fetch supplier documentation, such as tax certificates, directly from public registers.

An EU tool showing which certificates and documents each member state accepts as evidence in tenders.

A UK check on whether a supplier is financially strong enough to deliver the contract.

The standard EU format for procurement notices, giving more structured and searchable tender data.

A live online round where suppliers improve their prices or terms in real time to win the contract.

A digital signature that proves who signed a document and that it hasn't changed.

A Finnish Market Court order stopping a buyer from signing a contract while an appeal is heard.

A public body named in a framework agreement as allowed to place orders under it.

Demands like lower emissions or energy use that make a purchase greener.

Every supplier gets the same information, deadlines and assessment – a cornerstone of public procurement.

The online tool that makes filling in the European self-declaration form quicker.

The buyer's estimate of a contract's total worth, which decides which procurement rules apply.

Contract terms requiring suppliers to respect human rights and decent work in their supply chain.

The EU directives that Finnish and other national procurement laws are based on.

The core EU principles behind every public procurement: equal treatment, non-discrimination, transparency, proportionality and mutual recognition.

The EU's official publication space for Europe-wide tenders, now online as TED.

The contract values above which full EU procurement rules and EU-wide advertising in TED apply.

A standard EU self-declaration where suppliers confirm they qualify and aren't excluded, with evidence provided later.

A German contract big enough to be advertised to suppliers across Europe.

What a German buyer scores bids on, from price to quality.

The German internal record of how all bids were assessed and why the winner was chosen.

The German step-by-step bid review, from formal checks and suitability to price and value.

Standard German contract terms for public sector IT purchases.

In Germany, a heads-up that the buyer plans to award a contract directly, protecting it against later challenge.

In Germany, the public announcement of who won a contract.

A UK supplier the buyer may exclude because of past issues, such as poor performance.

A UK supplier the buyer must keep out because of serious issues, such as fraud or corruption.

The reasons a supplier can or must be barred from a procurement, from fraud to poor past performance.

Telling a German buyer you're interested, without committing to bid.

A German pre-procedure where the buyer tests market interest before tendering.

Norwegian purchases from a company the buyer controls, exempt from procurement rules under strict conditions.

An automatic extension of the Swedish standstill period when a supplier asks the court to review the award.

When the buyer moves the bid deadline to a later date.

Unusually high effort in a German procedure or contract that may justify extra pay.

The UK's central service for publishing and searching public procurement notices.

Finland's main public procurement law, covering public contracts and concessions.

Finland's freedom of information law, which makes most procurement documents public.

The Finnish authority that supervises compliance with the procurement rules.

The Finnish law for buying defence and security-sensitive goods and services.

Where Finnish procurement disputes end up when suppliers appeal.

The Finnish law for procurement in the water, energy, transport and postal sectors.

The EU rule that makes bidders on very large tenders declare subsidies from non-EU governments.

The German form construction companies use to declare they're suitable for public works.

In Germany, the official objection you must raise before taking a procurement to review.

Germany's VOL: the retired rules for supplies and services, now replaced by the VgV and UVgO.

Germany's old rules for architects, engineers and consultants, now folded into the VgV.

An agreement that fixes terms with one or more suppliers for future orders over a set period.

The cap on how much can be bought through a framework, which shows the real size of the opportunity.

A Swedish model where individuals choose their own provider from a list of approved suppliers.

A requirement describing the result needed rather than the exact solution.

A German specification that defines the result needed, leaving the solution to the bidder.

The part of Germany's construction-rules committee that handles general VOB issues.

Standard German terms for public construction contracts that supplement the VOB/B.

In Germany, one company handling the whole build, often with subcontractors.

In Germany, one planner handling the whole design of a building project.

The German technical rules for how each construction trade is carried out and billed.

Norwegian collective agreements made binding across an industry, setting minimum pay on public contracts.

The German law containing the core procurement rules above the EU thresholds.

Germany's main rulebook for smaller supply and service contracts.

The German body that writes and updates the VOB construction rules.

Germany's rulebook for awarding concessions.

Germany's core rulebook for construction contracts, from award to delivery.

The German federal budget law, one of the historical foundations of procurement law.

Germany's top civil court, which only weighs in on procurement when lower courts disagree.

The German regulation that guides fees for architects and engineers.

The German regulation with the detailed rules for supply and service contracts above the EU thresholds.

Germany's rulebook for buyers in water, energy and transport.

The WTO agreement giving suppliers from member countries access to each other's public contracts.

In Germany, the public body handing out a concession.

Using public purchasing power to cut climate and environmental impact.

Finland's official service for publishing public procurement notices.

Mapping and managing the risk of human rights abuses in your supply chain.

The German appeal against a procurement chamber decision, heard by the Higher Regional Court.

Bidders secretly coordinating in Germany, for example on price – grounds for exclusion.

A Finnish purchase from a body the buyer controls, made without competitive tendering.

The public sector doing a job itself, which means there's no tender for suppliers.

A German bid with documents or details missing, which risks exclusion.

A Norwegian fine imposed on buyers for serious breaches, such as unlawful direct awards.

A procedure for developing and then buying a solution that doesn't yet exist, without a second competition.

A procurement that seeks a new or significantly better solution than the market already offers.

A temporary Norwegian court order that stops a contract from being signed while a dispute is decided.

The EU tool that can shut suppliers from certain countries out of EU tenders, used first for Chinese medical devices.

The document pack suppliers use to prepare their bid: specification, terms, questions and scoring method.

A German IT tender document describing the bidder's information security measures.

The German body setting standards for exchanging construction data electronically.

A supplier's request to a Swedish court to review a procurement it believes went wrong.

Measures that track whether a public contract is delivering, mandatory for larger UK contracts.

Exploiting workers through wage, tax or employment fraud – something Norwegian buyers actively fight.

A German organisation that can be a contracting authority when it's closely tied to the state.

The German procedures for challenging decisions in a procurement.

Written confirmation that another company will make its capacity available to a supplier for the contract.

Comparing offers on their total cost of ownership, not just the purchase price.

Health, social care and similar services, bought under more flexible rules and a higher threshold.

A fixed daily penalty for late delivery that the buyer can claim without proving its loss.

The German list of every document and proof the buyer requires.

A separately awarded part of a larger contract, often split by region or service type.

Dividing a procurement into lots so smaller and specialist suppliers can compete.

The German bid that follows the solution the buyer has specified.

A Swedish must-have requirement – a bid that doesn't meet it is rejected.

A Finnish buyer's research into what the market offers before launching a tender.

A quick competition among framework suppliers when the buyer places a specific order.

The Finnish must-meet requirements a bid has to satisfy to be evaluated.

Required information left out of a German bid, which can lead to exclusion.

Shifting costs between line items in a German bid, which can lead to exclusion.

The winning tender under the Procurement Act 2023: the one that best meets the published award criteria.

The UK's original route for suppliers to report poor procurement practice, since replaced.

The German national procedure where any company can submit a bid.

The UK government's priorities for public buying, which shape what buyers ask for in tenders.

A German national procedure open only to invited companies.

The Norwegian value limit that decides when a purchase must be advertised in Doffin.

The buyer's groundwork before a procurement to define exactly what problem the purchase must solve.

Norwegian damages covering a supplier's bidding costs when the buyer broke the rules.

A procedure where the buyer negotiates the contract terms with selected suppliers.

Sweden's exception for awarding contracts without advertising, such as when only one company can deliver.

A Swedish procedure where the buyer negotiates improvements to bids with selected suppliers.

The EU rule that adds sustainability and resilience requirements when public buyers purchase net-zero technologies.

Suppliers must not be treated differently because of their nationality or where they are based.

The Norwegian agency that runs Doffin and guides public buyers on procurement.

Norway's independent board for complaints about public procurement.

Norway's rules for contracts where suppliers earn by running a service or facility.

The e-invoice format suppliers must use when billing the Norwegian public sector.

Norway's main public procurement law, setting the basic principles and duties.

The Norwegian regulation with the detailed rules for running public procurements.

Ready-made Norwegian contract templates for public IT purchases.

The Norwegian law making larger companies check their supply chains for human rights risks.

Norway's procurement rules for water, energy, transport and postal services.

The content of a German procurement notice, with the key facts about the contract.

EU codes that identify regions, used in notices to show where a contract will be delivered.

The German deadline for objecting to a decision in a procurement.

A long-running UK framework with regular chances for new suppliers to get on board.

A single-stage competition where any supplier can submit a tender, with no shortlisting.

A German model where the buyer signs contracts on fixed terms with every suitable provider.

Swedish procurements must be predictable and open, with rules and criteria known in advance.

The commercial risk a German concessionaire carries when running a service or works.

A right the buyer can choose to use, typically to extend the contract or buy more.

In Germany, running several procedures for the same need at once.

A bid for only some of the lots in a Finnish procurement.

In Germany, dropping part of a procedure, such as a single lot, while the rest continues.

When German requests to take part must be submitted.

The optional shortlisting stage of the competitive flexible procedure.

Norwegian requirements ensuring workers on public contracts get fair pay and conditions.

The rules on when suppliers are paid, with a 30-day standard in UK public contracts.

The international network for sending electronic invoices and orders to public buyers.

When work under a German contract has to be completed.

A UK notice where larger buyers flag contracts they expect to advertise over the coming 18 months.

An early heads-up that a buyer intends to run a procurement, giving suppliers time to prepare.

Compensation for the profit you'd have made if the Norwegian buyer had chosen correctly.

Norwegian competitions must be predictable, with rules and criteria known in advance.

The buyer's early dialogue with suppliers – a chance to influence the tender before it's written.

The UK notice telling the market a buyer is engaging with suppliers before a tender.

Selecting which suppliers go through to the bidding stage of a two-stage procedure.

The German prequalification system for construction companies.

A German pre-approval scheme for supply and service companies.

A contract clause that lets prices change over time, for example in line with inflation.

The German side-by-side table of all bid prices.

Where you fill in your prices in a German bid.

The split between price and quality marks, for example 40/60, that shows what really decides the tender.

Certificates issued in one EU or EEA country must be accepted in the others.

The Swedish principle that anyone can request public documents, including bids, unless confidential.

An early German notice about contracts a buyer plans to award.

A German contest where the best idea or solution wins a prize.

How organisations buy goods, services or works from external suppliers, following set rules in the public sector.

The UK's new procurement rulebook for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, replacing the old regulations.

A way to keep track of Finnish tenders, upcoming and open, in one view.

The German first-instance body that reviews complaints about procurement decisions.

The German requirement that a contract meets a specific need of the buyer to count as procurement.

An earlier EU directive harmonising procurement procedures across member states.

In Germany, the person keeping an organisation's procurements on track.

A Finnish procedure that lets the buyer correct its own mistaken procurement decision.

A fine a Swedish court can impose on a public body that breaks the procurement rules.

All the documents a buyer provides to describe the procurement, its requirements and its terms.

The German buyer's running record of how a procedure was run and decided.

German federal and state handbooks with guidance and standard forms for procurement.

All the rules governing how public contracts are awarded.

Ongoing changes to German procurement law aimed at simplifying and speeding up procedures.

A German online platform where buyers publish tenders and suppliers submit bids.

In Germany, a public announcement about a procurement, whether running or finished.

The four principles UK buyers must follow: value for money, public benefit, transparency and integrity.

The unit within a German public body that runs its procurement procedures.

A buyer-side professional who plans and runs procurements for a public body.

Cabinet Office guidance on applying procurement policy, mandatory for central government.

A German website where tenders are published and bids handled.

The journey from identifying a need, through the competition, to delivering and evaluating the contract.

The Norwegian buyer's written record of key decisions made during a procurement.

In Germany, the collective name for the rulebooks that govern procurement.

The UK body that oversees how buyers apply the Procurement Act 2023 and investigates concerns.

The German appeal court chamber that rules on procurement chamber decisions.

An organisation's plan for how it buys, setting priorities and balancing cost, risk and sustainability.

The value line that decides whether a UK contract follows the full rules or the lighter ones.

The electronic system Swedish buyers use to publish documents, communicate with suppliers and receive bids.

In Germany, whoever drew up a project's plans – who may face limits if they later bid.

Evidence of a German bidder's insurance cover, often required to prove suitability.

The evidence you submit in Germany to show you're qualified for the contract.

Requirements must be reasonable and in line with the size and nature of the contract.

The separate rules for choosing NHS health care providers in England.

The person at a supplier who leads the company's bids for public contracts.

What you sign after winning an above-threshold UK competition for goods, services or works.

The UK's previous procurement rules, still governing tenders started before February 2025.

How the public sector buys goods, services and works under regulated, competitive rules.

The core EU rulebook behind national procurement laws like LOU, LOA, Hankintalaki and GWB.

State, municipal and regional organisations funded mainly by taxes – the customers in public procurement.

Basic public services everyone relies on, such as water, waste and transport.

The everyday name for the competitions public bodies run when they want to buy something.

In Norway, contracts above the threshold must be advertised publicly.

The organisation or person buying in a public procurement, usually the contracting authority.

German public bodies joining forces to buy together and get better terms.

The practical act of ordering and receiving goods or services.

A Norwegian scheme where suppliers are pre-approved, mainly used in the utilities sectors.

When everything is in place to start a German procurement procedure.

The German check that a bid's price fits the service and isn't suspiciously low.

A previous, comparable project a supplier uses to prove its experience.

A list of comparable completed projects proving a German bidder's capability.

A German directory of companies already checked as suitable.

A Swedish notice database registered with the authorities, where public procurements must be published.

The letter telling an unsuccessful bidder why it lost, sent before the contract is signed.

Excluding a supplier or bid from a Norwegian competition because requirements aren't met.

The EU rules that let suppliers challenge procurement decisions – and the reason standstill periods exist.

An early request asking suppliers what the market can offer, before any formal tender.

An invitation for detailed proposals explaining how a supplier would meet a requirement.

A request for prices on a clearly defined, usually simple requirement.

A formal invitation to submit priced bids against a defined specification.

Your application to be shortlisted, the first step before you're allowed to bid.

The German department that defines what needs to be bought.

A supplier's objection to a term in the tender documents, which can lead to rejection.

A two-stage procedure where anyone can apply but only shortlisted candidates may bid.

Money a buyer holds back until work is finished or defects are fixed, common in construction.

How long German buyers have to keep procurement files.

In Germany, the chamber or court that checks procurement decisions when challenged.

How German bidders challenge a procurement decision before a procurement chamber.

The Norwegian right to see procurement documents, with exceptions for confidential information.

The buyer's assessment of what could go wrong with a procurement and the resulting contract.

A Finnish fine imposed on a buyer, for example for an unlawful direct award.

Set it once and get matching tenders delivered automatically.

Scotland's own procurement laws, separate from the Procurement Act 2023.

A Swedish mini-competition where all framework suppliers bid again for a specific order.

In Germany, bids must stay secret and independent of each other until they're opened.

A second chance: show the problem is fixed and you can avoid being excluded.

In Germany, confirming in writing that you meet requirements, with proof provided later if asked.

Finding relevant tenders by meaning, even when they use different words than you'd search for.

Norwegian contract terms that fight labour-market crime and social dumping.

A German concession giving a company the right to run and earn from a service.

A public contract for services rather than goods or works.

The part of a contract defining service quality, such as availability and response times.

A former EU procurement information system, now largely replaced by TED.

A Swedish below-threshold procedure still often referred to, although the law stopped requiring it in 2022.

A German procedure where all interested companies bid directly, without shortlisting.

Smaller businesses that public buyers must actively help to compete for public contracts.

When workers get pay and conditions far below what's acceptable.

Requirements in a procurement that promote fair working conditions, human rights or employment.

Local jobs, lower carbon and other wider benefits that now earn real marks in tenders.

The UK government's scoring framework that turns social value commitments into tender marks.

In Germany, contract terms written specifically for one contract.

In Germany, a ring-fenced pot of public money that can buy as a contracting authority in its own right.

A detailed German specification listing every item and quantity.

In Germany, a specification that sets the goal and lets the bidder choose how to reach it.

The standard UK questionnaire used to check whether a supplier qualifies to go forward.

A minimum eight-working-day pause before a contract is signed, giving bidders time to challenge.

When the main supplier passes part of a public contract to other companies.

A company hired by the main supplier to deliver part of a public contract.

A German notice correcting or adding to an earlier published notice.

A German buyer's request for missing documents within a deadline.

You, if you sell goods, services or works to a public or private buyer.

A record of an organisation's supplier invoices – in the public sector, a source of spending data.

Set up your company profile once and reuse it every time you bid for UK public contracts.

Everyone involved in a delivery, from raw materials and subcontractors to the main supplier.

A public contract to buy, rent or lease physical products.

A German guarantee, usually from a bank, that the contractor will fulfil the contract.

Building environmental, social and economic considerations into how the public sector buys.

Sweden's procurement watchdog, which can take public bodies to court for breaking the rules.

The Swedish law for awarding concessions, where the supplier is paid through the right to run a service or works.

The Swedish law for buying defence and security equipment and related services.

The Swedish law that lets municipalities and regions set up freedom-of-choice systems.

The Swedish government agency that guides buyers and suppliers on public procurement.

Sweden's main procurement law, governing how public authorities buy goods, services and works.

The Swedish law for procurement in the water, energy, transport and postal sectors.

Evidence that your company is up to date with its taxes, often required to bid.

Proof that you can actually deliver, usually through references from similar contracts.

The requirements describing the characteristics of what's being bought, such as performance or quality.

The EU's online database where tenders above the EU thresholds are published.

Your formal offer to deliver the contract – binding once the deadline has passed.

The Finnish document showing how each bid was scored against the award criteria.

A Norwegian competition where suppliers submit bids and no negotiation is allowed.

The cut-off for submitting your bid – miss it by a minute and you're usually out.

Tracking relevant public tenders from many sources in one place, so no opportunity is missed.

The announcement that a competition is open, telling you what's being bought and how to take part.

In Germany, the point when a project is ready to be put out to tender.

Exactly what the buyer needs, and the benchmark every bid is judged against.

Keeping track of new and relevant German tenders across many sources.

An online system through which buyers share tender documents and suppliers submit bids.

A German contract for repeat work over a set period.

Ending a public contract early, for example after a serious breach.

Germany's federal, state and local governments, the biggest public buyers.

A Norwegian set of contract requirements to fight labour-market crime and social dumping.

Jumping between disconnected portals and tools to find and respond to tenders.

Openness throughout the procurement process, so decisions can be understood and checked.

An advance warning that a contract will be awarded without competition – and the reasons why.

The German principle that buyers must make their decisions traceable and open.

The value above which Norway's Public Procurement Act applies at all.

A German company that manages an entire project without doing the construction work itself.

In Germany, a procedure where you apply first and only bid if you're shortlisted.

The German menu of procedures, from open to negotiated.

The different routes a German buyer can use to put a contract out to tender.

A German bid priced so low it distorts competition.

Making sure what's bought works for everyone, including people with disabilities.

A contract awarded without advertising when the law required a competition.

Work in sectors like water, energy or transport that brings German utilities rules into play.

A German buyer operating in the water, energy or transport sectors.

The EU rules for buying in water, energy, transport and postal services – more flexible than the main directive.

The balance of price, quality and outcomes that UK buyers are legally required to aim for.

An outdated German word for today's procurement rulebooks.

An outdated German word for today's tender documents.

Norwegian buyers must document their assessments so they can be checked afterwards.

A former German committee that oversaw professional services procurement.

A Norwegian requirement that isn't mandatory but earns points in the evaluation.

How much each award criterion counts in the final score, usually shown as a percentage.

A Norwegian contract for construction and civil engineering, with its own threshold.

The German data standard that lets procurement platforms talk to each other.