Getting a place on a multi supplier framework can feel like winning. In practice it is often only the qualifying round. When a public buyer has signed several suppliers onto the same agreement, the real contest happens later, each time the buyer needs to actually place an order. That contest is the mini competition, and … Read more
A framework agreement and a dynamic purchasing system look similar at first. Both let a public buyer set things up once and then buy repeatedly without running a full tender every time. The difference is who can get in, and when. Short answer: A framework agreement is closed. The buyer selects the suppliers once, and … Read more
Public buyers cannot simply pick a supplier. They must run one of a small set of defined procedures, and the tender will tell you which one applies. Knowing the procedure tells you how the competition will run and how much room there is to negotiate. Short answer: Under EU rules there are a few main … Read more
Selling to the public sector follows a set path. Once you know the steps, a tender stops looking like a wall of documents and starts looking like a process you can plan around. This guide walks through that process from a supplier’s point of view. Short answer: Public procurement runs through a fixed sequence. The … Read more
If the paperwork is what puts you off bidding for public contracts, the ESPD was designed for you. It replaces a pile of certificates with a single form you fill in yourself, and you only have to prove what you declared if you are about to win. Short answer: The European Single Procurement Document, or … Read more
A framework agreement is one of the most common tools in public procurement, and one of the most misunderstood by suppliers who are new to selling to the public sector. If you have ever seen a tender that promises no guaranteed volume but a place on a supplier list for several years, you have met … Read more
