Bid Opening Results in Procurement Law 2026

Bid Opening Results: The outcome of the bid opening in a procurement procedure – content, disclosure and legal significance.

Definition: The bid opening results are the outcome of the bid opening (submission) in a procurement procedure and comprise the list of all bids received on time, together with the essential details (bidder name, price offered, completeness), as recorded after the opening act.

Last updated: January 2026 · Legal status: BVergG 2018 §§ 118 et seq., VOB/A § 14, VgV § 55

What are the bid opening results?

The bid opening results are the formal documentation of all key bid data established during the bid opening and form the basis for the subsequent bid examination and evaluation. They are produced immediately after the opening act and provide an initial overview of competition in the specific procurement procedure.

Content of the bid opening results

The bid opening results typically contain:

Names and addresses of all bidders
Bid totals (overall and, where applicable, partial sums)
References to alternative bids
Completeness of documents (formal check)
Date and time of receipt

In electronic procurement procedures, the bid opening results are generated automatically by the procurement system.

Disclosure of the bid opening results

The disclosure of the bid opening results is regulated differently in Austria and Germany. In Austria (§ 118 BVergG 2018), bidders present at the bid opening are entitled to be informed of the bid totals and bidder names. In Germany (§ 14 (3) VOB/A), bidders present at the opening may learn the unit sums or total sums of the bids.

As a rule, confidential pricing and calculation details that constitute trade secrets are not disclosed.

Significance for the procurement procedure

The bid opening results are not a final decision on contract award, but only the first step of the bid examination. After the opening, the formal check, the suitability check, the substantive bid examination and finally the evaluation follow. Only then is the award decision taken.

Related terms

FAQ

Do all bidders have the right to inspect the complete bid opening results? No. Bidders have the right to disclosure of the key bid data (name, total price), but not to full inspection of other bidders' bids (protection of trade secrets).

What happens if the bid opening results are made public? Unauthorised full publication may infringe confidential bidder information and is problematic under procurement law.

When are the bid opening results produced? Immediately after the opening act of the bids.

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