Buyer Profile in Procurement Law

The buyer profile is the online profile of a contracting authority containing tender information, enabling shortened deadlines and promoting transparency.

Definition: A buyer profile is a publicly accessible electronic platform or website of a contracting authority on which procurement-relevant information such as prior information notices, contract notices and procurement documents is centrally provided.

Last updated: January 2026 · Legal basis: Art. 48 para. 1 Directive 2014/24/EU, BVergG 2018, GWB/VgV

What is a buyer profile?

The buyer profile – also referred to in EU law as the "purchaser profile" – is the digital shop window of a contracting authority in the field of procurement. It serves as a central point of contact where companies can find all key information about a contracting authority's current and forthcoming procurement procedures.

Art. 48 para. 1 of Directive 2014/24/EU permits the publication of prior information notices on a buyer profile as an alternative to publication in the EU Official Journal. By means of such publication, the contracting authority can, under certain conditions, shorten the minimum deadlines for the submission of tenders.

Significance and Function

The buyer profile is a central instrument of digitalisation in public procurement and increases both transparency for bidders and efficiency for contracting authorities.

Content of a Buyer Profile

A buyer profile may contain the following information and documents:

Prior Information Notice (PIN): announcement of planned procurement procedures for the coming budget year; enables companies to conduct early market analysis
Contract notices: publication of ongoing tenders
Procurement documents: complete documents for download
Contract award notices: information on awarded contracts
General information: contact details, organisational profile, procurement strategy of the contracting authority

Shortening of Deadlines via the Buyer Profile

One of the most important practical advantages of the buyer profile is the possibility of shortening minimum deadlines. Pursuant to Art. 27 para. 3 and Art. 28 para. 4 of Directive 2014/24/EU, the tender deadline in the open procedure can be shortened from 35 days to 15 days if the contracting authority has published a prior information notice on the buyer profile and at least 35 days but no more than 12 months have passed since publication.

This option enables contracting authorities to handle procurement projects more swiftly without abandoning compliance with the transparency principle.

Voluntary and Mandatory Use

The establishment of a buyer profile is in principle voluntary, but its use for certain purposes can lead to procedural advantages. In Austria, public contracting authorities use national procurement platforms such as the Austrian Official Gazette (Statistik Austria) or the federal e-procurement system. In Germany, platforms such as DTVP, cosinex or the individual procurement platforms of the federal states function as buyer profiles within the meaning of the Directive.

Legal Basis

The legal basis for the buyer profile is anchored both in EU law and in the national implementing acts.

EU: Art. 48 para. 1 Directive 2014/24/EU; recitals 52 and 53; Annex VIII of the Directive (technical requirements for notices)
Austria: § 56 BVergG 2018 (prior information notices); §§ 59 ff. BVergG 2018 (notices); procurement platforms under BVergG 2018
Germany: § 38 VgV (prior information notice); § 37 VgV (contract notice); obligation to communicate electronically under §§ 9–10 VgV

Related Terms

FAQ

Must a buyer profile meet technical requirements? Yes. The information on the buyer profile must be electronically accessible and permanently retrievable. Annex VIII of Directive 2014/24/EU lays down technical standards for publication in the EU Official Journal and on buyer profiles. For the shortening of deadlines, the time of publication of the prior information notice on the buyer profile must be verifiable.

Can small contracting authorities without their own website also use a buyer profile? Yes. Small contracting authorities can resort to existing procurement platforms that function as a buyer profile. In Austria, for example, the Austrian Official Gazette is open; in Germany, the central procurement platforms of the federal states provide corresponding infrastructure. A separate website is not strictly required.

What are the consequences for bidders of the publication of a prior information notice on the buyer profile? Bidders are informed early on of planned projects and can adjust their resource planning accordingly. At the same time, they must expect the contracting authority to set shortened tender deadlines, provided it has met the statutory conditions for doing so.

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