Award Period in Procurement Law
The award period is the timeframe within which the contracting authority must grant the award – once it expires, bidders are no longer bound by their tender.
Definition: The award period (Zuschlagsfrist) is the period defined in the procurement documents within which the contracting authority must grant the award; it mirrors the bidders' binding period and ends with its expiry, unless extended by mutual agreement.
Last updated: January 2026 · Legal basis: § 108 BVergG 2018, § 10 VOB/A
What is the award period?
The award period determines the latest point at which the contracting authority must grant the award – it is the mirror image of the binding period to which the bidder is bound. Both periods run in parallel: as long as the award period is running, the bidder is bound by their tender and cannot unilaterally withdraw it. If the award period expires without an award being granted, the binding effect of the tender also ends automatically.
The award period must be clearly defined by the contracting authority in the procurement documents. It must be sufficiently long to allow the entire tender review, evaluation and – following the expiry of the standstill period – the award to take place.
Significance in the procurement procedure
The award period protects bidders from an unlimited binding to their tender and compels contracting authorities to make a timely award decision.
For bidders, the expiry of the award period without an award means that they are released from their tender and are no longer obliged to provide the offered performance under the original conditions. In Austria, the award period is regulated in § 108 BVergG 2018; in Germany, § 10 VOB/A refers to the binding period, which serves the same purpose.
An extension of the award period is possible but requires the bidder's express consent. The contracting authority cannot order the extension unilaterally. If a bidder does not consent to the extension, they are no longer bound by their tender after the period expires.
Related terms
Last updated: January 2026 All information without warranty. For legally binding advice, please consult a law firm specialising in procurement law.
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