How to read a tender notice and its deadlines
A tender notice is long and formal, but you can decide whether to bid in a few minutes if you know where to look. Here is the order to read it in, and the deadlines worth knowing.
Updated 11 November 2026 · 6 min read
Five things to check first
- Subject and lots. What exactly is being bought, and whether you can bid for a single lot.
- Bid deadline. Date and time. With less than a week left, judge honestly whether you can make it.
- Estimated value. If published, it shows the size at once. For a framework agreement it is usually the maximum over the whole term, not a guaranteed order.
- Selection criteria. Turnover, references, key staff, licences.
- Award criteria. Lowest price, or price and quality.
Only when none of these rules you out is it worth reading the full documents: technical specification, draft contract and forms.
Procedure type
Since 1 November 2026 Estonia has two levels. The simplified procurement (lihthange) runs from the national threshold (€50,000 for supplies and services, €100,000 for works) up to the EU threshold, and the buyer has more freedom to design it. Tenders above the EU threshold follow EU rules and also appear in TED. The most common EU procedure is the open procedure, where any company may bid. In a restricted procedure you first apply and only selected candidates bid. In a negotiated procedure the buyer can refine terms with bidders.
Selection and exclusion
Exclusion grounds are reasons a bidder must or may be excluded, such as tax arrears, bankruptcy or serious past misconduct. Check that you have no tax debt before bidding; it is the most common and most avoidable problem. Selection criteria test whether you can deliver: turnover, references for similar work, experience of key people. You may rely on a partner's or subcontractor's capacity where allowed. In EU procedures compliance is often declared with the European Single Procurement Document (ESPD).
Award criteria
Bids are scored on price alone or on price and quality. When quality counts, the documents state what earns points and how many. This section shows what the buyer really values; with a high quality weighting, a more expensive bid can win.
Deadlines
Every tender has at least two key dates: the bid deadline and the deadline for questions. Ask early; a question sent on the last day may not be answered in time.
| Estonia, since 1 Nov 2026 | Minimum time for bids |
|---|---|
| Simplified procurement, supplies and services | at least 15 days |
| Simplified procurement, works | at least 25 days |
| EU open procedure | usually at least 30 days, shorter in exceptional cases |
These are minimums; buyers often give more time for larger tenders. After the award decision there is a standstill period before the contract is signed: 7 working days in a simplified procurement and 14 days in an EU procedure.
Deadlines changed with the amendments to the Public Procurement Act in force since 1 November 2026. What is written in the notice and documents always applies to the specific tender.
Time zones
The Estonian register uses Estonian time; TED shows the time zone with each deadline. Finland, Latvia and Lithuania share Estonia's time. Sweden is one hour behind: a 10:00 deadline in Stockholm is 11:00 in Tallinn. Electronic systems will not accept a bid even one minute late.
Common mistakes
- Starting in the last week and discovering a certificate or signature takes longer.
- Treating a framework's maximum value as a firm order.
- Not reading the buyer's clarifications, which can change requirements.
- Submitting in the last hour with no time to fix a technical problem.
The safest approach is to see a suitable tender on the day it is published. Hangete emails you matching tenders every working day at 7:00 with the deadline and days left. Browse what is open now on Open public tenders.