How to take part in a public tender: a step-by-step guide

1. Find a suitable tender

Estonian tenders are published in the public procurement register (riigihanked.riik.ee) and larger ones also in TED. Latvia uses EIS and Lithuania CVP IS. See How to find public tenders that suit your company. Before going deeper, check three things: does the subject match what you actually do, is the estimated value sensible for you, and is there enough time before the deadline.

2. Read the documents

The notice is only a summary. What matters are the procurement documents: technical specification, draft contract, award criteria and bid forms. Read the draft contract, because payment terms, penalties and liability affect the price as much as the work itself. Note every deadline: for questions, for bids (date and time) and how long the bid must stay valid. See How to read a tender notice and its deadlines.

3. Ask questions early

If something is unclear or a requirement unduly limits competition, ask the buyer through the register. Answers are visible to all interested companies. Questions have their own deadline, earlier than the bid deadline.

4. Check the qualification criteria

Buyers may require a minimum turnover, similar past contracts, qualified specialists or a quality certificate. Check these before pricing. If you do not meet all of them alone, you may rely on another company's capacity or bid jointly. In EU-level procedures compliance is usually declared with the European Single Procurement Document (ESPD). Buyers also check exclusion grounds such as tax arrears, and under the new rules your tax account must stay clean throughout the procedure.

5. Prepare the bid

• Use the buyer's forms and answer every requirement in the order of the documents.
• Where quality is scored, be specific: who does what, when and how. Generic company descriptions earn no points.
• Price the whole contract term, including penalty risk and cost changes if there is no price adjustment clause.
• Have someone else check the bid against the requirements before you submit.

6. Submit in the register

In Estonia bids are submitted electronically in the procurement register, with ID card, Mobile-ID or Smart-ID. Do not leave it to the last hour: uploading and signing large files takes time and late bids are rejected. Until the deadline you can change or withdraw a submitted bid.

7. After the deadline

The buyer opens the bids, checks qualification and compliance, and evaluates. It may ask for clarifications with a set reply time. Decisions are communicated through the register. If you disagree, you may file a challenge with the review committee within short deadlines. After a lost tender, ask for the evaluation reasons and look at who won and at what price.

Common mistakes

• A required document or form is missing or unsigned.
• The bid adds conditions the buyer did not allow, such as different payment terms.
• References do not match the required volume or period.
• The bid arrives late because submission started at the last minute.

The first step is always the same: hear about the right tender in time. Hangete emails you new tenders in your field from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland and Sweden every working day at 7:00. See the tenders open now on the open tenders page.