Bidder Conference in Public Procurement 2026

Bidder conference in public procurement: purpose, conduct, legal requirements and documentation duties for information events held for prospective bidders.

Definition: A bidder conference is an information event organised by the contracting authority to which all interested operators are invited in order to clarify questions about the call for tenders, resolve ambiguities in the procurement documents and, where appropriate, carry out a site visit.

Last updated: January 2026 · Legal basis: Art. 22, 53 Directive 2014/24/EU, § 51 VgV, BVergG 2018

What is a bidder conference?

The bidder conference is a well-established tool for making complex calls for tenders comprehensible to prospective bidders and for bundling enquiries efficiently. Instead of answering individual queries from bidders separately, the contracting authority invites all interested operators to a joint event at which questions are raised and answered. This saves resources on both sides and ensures equal treatment of all bidders.

Bidder conferences typically take place after the procurement documents have been published but before the tender deadline expires. They are particularly common for complex works, IT or service contracts.

Legal requirements

Bidder conferences must be run in a way that respects the principle of equal treatment. This means:

The invitation to the bidder conference must be accessible to all interested operators (public announcement or distribution to all registered interested operators)
The date must be communicated to all potential bidders sufficiently in advance
Attendance must not be made mandatory; non-attendance must not lead to exclusion
All information and answers given during the conference must be put in writing and made available to all interested operators — including those who did not attend

Content and conduct

A typical bidder conference comprises:

Presentation of the project and procurement objectives by the contracting authority
Explanation of the procurement documents and the technical specifications
Q&A session: bidders ask questions and the contracting authority answers them
If applicable, a tour of the site or project location
Minuting of all questions and answers

Site visit (bidder inspection)

A bidder conference is frequently combined with a site visit, which gives bidders the opportunity to inspect local conditions in person. For works contracts, facility management services or similar site-specific contracts a site visit is often essential for realistic costing.

Documentation

The outcome of the bidder conference (minutes containing questions and answers) is an integral part of the procurement documents. It is distributed to all registered interested operators and published on the e-procurement platform. Answers given at the bidder conference have the same binding effect as answers to written bidder questions.

FAQ

Is a bidder conference mandatory? No. Holding a bidder conference is a matter for the contracting authority's discretion. For complex projects it is, however, strongly recommended.

Can a bidder be disadvantaged by not attending the bidder conference? No. Attendance is voluntary; all information from the bidder conference must also be made available to those who did not attend.

May the contracting authority give oral commitments at the bidder conference that are not minuted? No. All binding statements must be put in writing and distributed. Oral commitments without written record are not binding under procurement law.

Last updated: January 2026 Information provided without warranty. For legally binding advice, please consult a law firm specialising in public procurement.