Award Decision Notice in Public Procurement Law

The award decision notice is the notification of the award decision to bidders before the contract is concluded, enabling the initiation of review proceedings.

Definition: The award decision notice ("Vorabinformation") is the information about the award decision that the contracting authority must send to all bidders before concluding the procurement contract, including the reasons, and triggers the standstill period during which unsuccessful bidders can initiate review proceedings.

Last updated: January 2026 · Legal basis: Art. 2a Directive 89/665/EEC; AT: § 132 BVergG 2018; DE: § 134 GWB

What is the award decision notice?

The award decision notice is a central instrument of procurement-law remedies: it informs all bidders of the outcome of the evaluation and gives unsuccessful bidders the opportunity to challenge the decision before the contract is concluded. The award decision notice ("Vorabinformation") must not be confused with the prior information notice ("Vorinformation", the advance announcement of planned contracts) – both terms denote entirely different procurement-law institutions.

The award decision notice is addressed to all bidders involved in the procedure, i.e. both the successful and all unsuccessful bidders. It is actively sent out by the contracting authority and must contain certain minimum information.

Significance and function

The award decision notice is what makes primary legal protection in procurement law practically effective: bidders who suspect an error in the procedure after the award decision can lodge a review application within the following standstill period and so prevent the contract from being concluded before the lawfulness of the decision has been reviewed.

Mandatory content of the notice

Under Art. 2a Directive 89/665/EEC the notice must contain at least:

The name of the successful bidder (the company to which the contract is to be awarded)
Reasons for the award decision (specific characteristics and advantages of the selected tender compared to the recipient's tender)
A statement of the standstill period and a reference to the possibility of initiating review proceedings

Insufficient reasoning means that the standstill period does not start to run effectively.

Relationship to the standstill period

The sending of the award decision notice starts the standstill period (§ 132 BVergG 2018; § 134 GWB): the contracting authority must refrain from concluding the contract for a minimum of 15 calendar days (in the case of electronic transmission). Only after this period has expired – and provided no review application has been filed – may the contract be signed.

Possibility to shorten tender deadlines

In a different context, advance information (here in the form of a prior information notice under Art. 48 Directive 2014/24/EU) can be used to shorten the tender deadline in the subsequent procedure. This is, however, a different legal institution and should not be confused with the award decision notice described here.

Legal basis

The award decision notice is regulated at EU level by the Remedies Directive and by its national implementing law.

EU: Art. 2a Directive 89/665/EEC as amended by Directive 2007/66/EC
Austria: § 132 BVergG 2018 (notification of the award decision); §§ 168a et seq. (review proceedings)
Germany: § 134 GWB (duty to inform and to wait)

Related terms

FAQ

What is the difference between the award decision notice and a prior information notice? The award decision notice informs all bidders of the award decision after the evaluation and triggers the standstill period. The prior information notice ("Vorinformation"), by contrast, is a voluntary announcement of planned contracts at the start of the budget year that informs the market early and may shorten time limits. Both terms denote different procurement-law instruments.

Must the award decision notice be sent electronically? The directive does not prescribe a particular form but sets different standstill periods depending on the means of transmission: for electronic transmission (email, procurement platform) a period of 15 calendar days applies; for other means the period may be longer. Electronic transmission is therefore the rule.

Last updated: January 2026 All information is provided without guarantee. For legally binding advice please consult a law firm specialising in public procurement law.