Correction in Procurement Law 2026

Correction in procurement law: subsequent correction of errors in procurement documents or notices. Admissibility, form and deadlines.

Definition: A correction in procurement law refers to the subsequent correction of errors, ambiguities or amendments in the procurement documents or the contract notice by the contracting authority, which must be communicated to all bidders simultaneously.

Last updated: January 2026 · Legal basis: Art. 79 Directive 2014/24/EU, § 132 GWB, § 97 BVergG 2018

What is a correction?

A correction enables the contracting authority to subsequently correct errors or incompleteness in the procurement documents without having to restart the entire procedure.

In the course of a procurement procedure, errors may emerge in the specifications, the contractual terms or the notice – whether through the contracting authority's own observation or through bidder questions. As long as no tenders have yet been received and the correction is made equally accessible to all bidders, a correction is in principle permissible.

Types of Correction

A distinction must be made between corrections of the procurement documents and corrections of the notice.

Correction of the Procurement Documents

Corrections to the specifications, suitability requirements or contractual terms are made by sending an addendum (amendment letter) to all bidders that have downloaded the documents. Via the procurement platform, the addendum is made automatically available to all registered interested parties.

Correction of the Notice (Corrigendum)

Errors in the published contract notice are corrected by means of a corrigendum (correction notice), which must likewise be published on TED (above-threshold range) or on the national platform. (See also: Correction of a Notice)

Limits of the Correction

Not every amendment of the procurement documents is permissible as a correction – substantial amendments can require the procedure to be cancelled and restarted.

Corrections are not permissible if they:

Fundamentally alter the subject matter of the contract
Change suitability requirements in such a way that they distort competition
Confer an advantage or disadvantage on tenders already received
Violate the equal treatment of bidders

Obligation to Extend the Deadline

For substantial corrections, the tender deadline must be extended in such a way that all bidders have sufficient time to take the corrected documents into account in their calculations.

The extension of the deadline must be reasonable and ensure that no bidder is disadvantaged by the late amendment. Art. 79 Directive 2014/24/EU and § 20 VgV regulate the conditions for the extension of deadlines.

FAQ

Can bidders demand a correction? Bidders cannot compel a correction. They can, however, point out ambiguities or errors via bidder questions and thereby prompt the contracting authority to make a correction.

Is a correction also possible after the submission of tenders? After expiry of the tender deadline, corrections of the procurement documents are in principle no longer possible, as the tenders have already been prepared on the basis of the original documents. Corrections at this stage would violate the principle of equal treatment.

How is the correction communicated? Via the procurement platform on which the documents were made available. In EU-wide procedures, additionally by means of a corrigendum on TED.

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