Deadlines in Public Procurement Law

Procurement deadlines govern offer, application, standstill, and binding periods in the procurement procedure. An overview of EU minimum periods under Directive 2014/24/EU.

Definition: Procurement deadlines are the statutorily prescribed minimum periods for individual phases of the procurement procedure – in particular for the submission of applications and offers, and for standstill and appeal periods – the undercutting of which constitutes a breach of procurement law.

Last updated: January 2026 · Legal basis: Art. 27–29 Directive 2014/24/EU, BVergG 2018, GWB/VgV

What are procurement deadlines?

Procurement deadlines are binding periods that bidders and candidates need in order to prepare for a procurement procedure, prepare an offer, or lodge legal remedies. They serve to protect competition and equal treatment: sufficiently long periods ensure that all interested undertakings – not just large and well-resourced ones – have real chances of submitting a high-quality offer.

The EU lays down minimum periods that may not be undercut by the Member States. National rules may provide for longer, but not shorter, periods.

Significance and function

A breach of minimum periods is a serious procedural defect that can lead to the cancellation of the procurement procedure or the declaration of ineffectiveness of the award made.

Overview of the most important procurement deadlines

Type of deadline	Procedure	EU minimum period	Reduction possible to
Offer period (open procedure)	Open procedure	35 days	15 days (with buyer profile + prior information notice)
Offer period (electronic)	Open procedure	30 days	15 days (with prior information notice)
Application period	Restricted procedure, negotiated procedure	30 days	15 days (in urgency)
Offer period (2nd stage)	Restricted procedure	30 days	10 days (in urgency)
Standstill period	All EU-wide procedures	15 days (electronic)	–
Binding period	All procedures	According to procurement documents	–

Periods apply to EU-wide procedures under Directive 2014/24/EU. Sub-threshold periods are governed by national law.

Offer period

The offer period is the period between publication of the contract notice and the final date for the submission of offers. It must give all potential bidders sufficient time to review the procurement documents and prepare a carefully calculated offer.

Art. 27 of Directive 2014/24/EU sets a minimum offer period of 35 days for the open procedure, which can be reduced to 30 days for fully electronic submission. Where a prior information notice has been published in the buyer profile in advance (at least 35 days before the contract notice), a further reduction to 15 days is possible.

In Austria, corresponding periods apply pursuant to §§ 63 et seq. BVergG 2018. In Germany, §§ 15–16 VgV and § 12 VOB/A govern offer periods.

Application period

The application period applies, in two-stage procedures (restricted procedure, negotiated procedure with prior call for competition), to the submission of requests to participate. It is at least 30 days from dispatch of the contract notice (Art. 28(1) Directive 2014/24/EU) and can be reduced to 15 days in sufficiently justified urgency.

Standstill period

The standstill period is the period between the bidder notification of the intended award decision and the earliest possible conclusion of the contract. During this period, unsuccessful bidders can challenge the award decision without the contract having already been concluded. The minimum duration is 15 days for electronic notification pursuant to Art. 2a Directive 89/665/EEC.

In Austria, § 132 BVergG 2018 lays down a 15-day standstill period. In Germany, it follows from § 134 GWB in conjunction with § 135 GWB.

Binding period

The binding period denotes the period during which the bidder is bound by its offer. It begins at the end of the offer period and ends on the date set in the procurement documents. During the binding period, the bidder may not withdraw its offer; an extension of the binding period requires its consent.

Appeal periods (review periods)

Appeal periods govern the periods within which bidders must complain of procurement breaches and submit review applications. In Austria, complaints and review applications are subject to time limits pursuant to §§ 160, 169 et seq. BVergG 2018. In Germany, strict complaint periods apply pursuant to § 160(3) GWB (10 days from awareness of the breach; 15 days following written notification; award and appeal periods under § 134 GWB).

Calculation of periods

For the calculation of procurement deadlines, the general rules of Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No. 1182/71 apply at EU level. Periods begin on the day following dispatch of the notice and end at the expiry of the last day. Where the last day falls on a public holiday, Saturday, or Sunday, the period is extended to the next working day.

Legal basis

Procurement deadlines are bindingly regulated at EU and national level.

EU: Art. 27–29 Directive 2014/24/EU; Art. 2a Directive 89/665/EEC; Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No. 1182/71 (calculation of periods)
Austria: §§ 63–72, 132 BVergG 2018; §§ 160, 169 et seq. BVergG 2018 (review periods)
Germany: §§ 15, 16 VgV; §§ 10a–12 VOB/A; §§ 134, 135, 160 GWB

Related terms

FAQ

What happens if the contracting authority sets a period shorter than the statutory minimum? Undercutting a minimum period is a breach of procurement law. Bidders can complain of it and – where still possible – challenge it before the competent procurement supervisory authority. Where an award has already been made, it may be declared ineffective where the breach of the deadline was causal for the outcome.

Can the offer period be extended? Yes. The contracting authority can extend the offer period where it substantially amends the procurement documents or, in response to bidder queries, makes clarifications that are relevant to the preparation of offers. The extension must be communicated to all bidders simultaneously and must be documented.

When does the standstill period begin to run? The standstill period begins with the dispatch of the bidder information (§ 132 BVergG 2018; § 134 GWB) – that is, the moment at which the contracting authority informs all bidders of the intended award decision. The time of receipt by the bidder is not decisive where the information was sent by fax or electronically.

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