E-Government in Public Procurement 2026

E-government in public procurement: electronic administration, e-procurement, legal basis and the digitalisation of public procurement processes in Germany and Austria.

Definition: E-government refers to the use of digital information and communication technologies to modernise and increase the efficiency of administrative processes; in public procurement it covers in particular the electronic handling of all phases of the procurement procedure (e-procurement).

Last updated: January 2026 · Legal basis: Art. 22 Directive 2014/24/EU, E-Government Act (EGovG), eIDAS Regulation (EU) 910/2014, BVergG 2018

What is e-government in public procurement?

E-government is the digital transformation of public administration; in the procurement context it means the fully electronic handling of the procurement process, from need identification through tendering to contract conclusion. The EU procurement directives of 2014 made electronic communication and electronic tender submission mandatory, triggering a major digitalisation push in public procurement.

Legal basis

E-government in public procurement is based on a multi-layered legal framework:

Art. 22 Directive 2014/24/EU: Requires electronic communication and tender submission
eIDAS Regulation (EU) 910/2014: Governs electronic identification, signatures and seals across the European legal area
Germany's E-Government Act (EGovG): Establishes the legal basis for electronic administrative services
Länder e-government laws: Specifications at the Länder level
Austria: E-Government Act (E-GovG): Framework for electronic communication with public authorities

E-procurement as a core area

E-procurement is the procurement-specific manifestation of e-government and covers all electronically supported processes of the procurement procedure. These include:

Electronic publication of notices (TED, national platforms)
Electronic provision of procurement documents
Electronic communication with tenderers (tenderer questions and answers)
Electronic tender submission with a qualified electronic signature
Electronic tender opening
Electronic tenderer information and award
Electronic invoicing (e-invoice)

E-invoicing

Another e-government milestone in the procurement area is the obligation to issue electronic invoices. In Germany, contractors of federal contracting authorities have been required since November 2020 to submit electronic invoices in the XRechnung format or a compatible format. Similar obligations exist in Austria and across all EU Member States.

Benefits of digitalisation

The digitalisation of the procurement process brings substantial benefits for all parties involved:

Transparency through public, machine-readable notices
Efficiency gains through automated processes
Reduction of administrative burden
Improved access for SMEs through standardised platforms
Better analysability of procurement data for policymaking and research

FAQ

Is electronic tender submission mandatory? Yes — for EU-wide procurement procedures, electronic tender submission has been mandatory since 2018. For national procedures below the thresholds, contracting authorities may continue to accept paper tenders.

What signature is required for electronic tender submission? The requirements vary depending on the procedure and platform. Generally, a qualified or advanced electronic signature is sufficient for tender submission; for certain declarations (e.g. powers of attorney) a qualified signature may be required.

Which e-procurement platforms are in use in Germany and Austria? In Germany, contracting authorities use platforms such as DTVP, Vergabe.NRW, eVergabe Bund and numerous Länder-specific solutions. In Austria, the Federal Procurement Agency (BBG) platform and the Ausschreibungsportal Wirtschaft are widely used.

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