Electronic Bid in Public Procurement 2026

Electronic bid in public procurement: bid submitted digitally via e-procurement platforms. Requirements, validity, and difference from paper bids.

Definition: An electronic bid is a bid submitted digitally in a procurement procedure via an authorised e-procurement platform that contains all information and declarations required under the procurement documents and is provided with an electronic signature or another authorised authentication method.

Last updated: January 2026 · Legal basis: Directive 2014/24/EU Art. 22, BVergG 2018 §§ 83–89, VgV §§ 11, 53

What is an electronic bid?

Since the 2014/2018 procurement law reform, the electronic bid has completely replaced the paper-based bid above the EU thresholds and is the legally prescribed form of bid submission in EU-wide procurement procedures. An electronic bid is identical in content to a written bid – it contains all information on price, performance, suitability evidence (or the ESPD), and the required declarations – but is submitted fully digitally via the e-procurement platform designated by the contracting authority.

Legal requirements

An electronic bid must meet the same content requirements as a written bid but additionally specific technical requirements for electronic submission.

Formal requirements:

Completeness: All mandatory information and required documents must be included
Meeting the deadline: The bid must be fully received before the bid submission deadline expires
Authenticity: Evidence of the bidder's identity by electronic signature or platform login
Integrity: No possibility of subsequent tampering

Confidentiality until bid opening

A key feature of the electronic bid is the guaranteed confidentiality until the opening date. The e-procurement platform must technically ensure that no party to the procedure can view the submitted bids before the opening date. Only at that time are the bids electronically opened and recorded. This corresponds to the requirement of sealed delivery in the paper-based procedure.

Signature requirements

The required signature level depends on national rules and the contracting authority's requirements. In practice, an advanced electronic signature (AES) under Art. 26 eIDAS is often required for electronic bids; for declarations subject to special formal requirements, a qualified electronic signature (QES) may be necessary.

Subsequent submission and requests for completion

Missing components of the electronic bid may be requested by the contracting authority under certain conditions. Under § 56 VgV and the national equivalents, contracting authorities are required to request missing, incomplete, or erroneous company-related documents, provided that this does not lead to a substantive change to the bid. A request for completion is excluded if the missing component is mandatorily part of the bid content.

Related terms

FAQ

Is an electronic bid legally binding? Yes. A properly submitted electronic bid has the same legally binding effect as a written bid.

What happens if the electronic bid cannot be submitted in time due to technical problems? Technical problems on the bidder's side do not, in principle, exempt them from meeting the bid submission deadline. Bidders should therefore submit bids well before the deadline expires. In case of demonstrable platform outages on the contracting authority's side, the contracting authority can extend the deadline.

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