European Single Procurement Document (ESPD) in Public Procurement 2026

Definition: The European Single Procurement Document (ESPD) is a standardised self-declaration form with which candidates and bidders in EU-wide procurement procedures declare in advance that they meet the required suitability conditions and that no grounds for exclusion apply – without having to provide all evidence in the original from the outset.

Last updated: January 2026 · Legal basis: Art. 59 Directive 2014/24/EU, § 50 VgV, § 79a BVergG 2018

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What is the European Single Procurement Document?

The ESPD is a standard form regulated under EU law that significantly reduces the bureaucratic burden for bidders in EU-wide procurement procedures. Instead of providing all suitability evidence in full with the bid or request to participate – criminal record extracts, certificates of good standing, balance sheets, reference lists – a structured self-declaration initially suffices. Only the bidder to whom the contract is to be awarded must provide the actual supporting documents.

The legal basis is Art. 59 of Directive 2014/24/EU. The form is uniformly set out across the EU by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/7 and is available in all EU official languages. In Germany, the ESPD is implemented by § 50 VgV, and in Austria by § 79a BVergG 2018.

Content and structure

The ESPD is divided into several parts covering different aspects of suitability and exclusion.

• Part I – Information on the procedure and the public contracting authority
• Part II – Information on the economic operator (identity, reliance on capacities, subcontractors)
• Part III – Grounds for exclusion (mandatory and optional under Art. 57 Directive 2014/24/EU)
• Part IV – Suitability criteria (capability, economic and financial as well as technical ability)
• Part V – Reduction of the number of suitable candidates
• Part VI – Concluding declarations

In Part IV, bidders may make a global statement if the contracting authority permits this – i.e. they declare in summary that they meet all suitability criteria without filling in each point individually.

Electronic format (eESPD)

Since 18 April 2018, the ESPD may be required to be produced electronically via the European Commission's ESPD service. The ESPD service is a web-based tool at https://espd.eu that allows bidders to complete the ESPD in a structured way, export it as XML or PDF, and upload it to procurement platforms. Austria and Germany have integrated the ESPD service into their national e-procurement platforms.

Significance for bidders

For companies – especially SMEs – the ESPD represents significant relief when compiling procurement documents. Since evidence only has to be presented in the original at the request of the contracting authority, the administrative burden is considerably reduced in procedures where one does not receive the contract. False declarations in the ESPD may, however, be regarded as a serious professional misconduct and lead to exclusion from ongoing as well as future procedures.

FAQ

Must the ESPD be used? Above the EU thresholds, the ESPD must be used at the request of the contracting authority. Many contracting authorities provide a pre-filled ESPD in the procurement documents.

What happens if declarations in the ESPD are incorrect? Incorrect or incomplete declarations can lead to the bidder's exclusion and may have criminal consequences due to false statements to public authorities.

Does the ESPD also apply below the EU thresholds? No, the ESPD is an instrument of EU procurement law and is in principle only provided for above the thresholds. National procedures may use their own self-declaration forms.

Can an ESPD from an earlier procedure be reused? Yes, provided the information is still up to date. Bidders must confirm that the information still applies.

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