GAEB in Procurement Law 2026

Definition: GAEB (Gemeinsamer Ausschuss Elektronik im Bauwesen – Joint Committee for Electronics in Construction) refers both to the committee of that name and to the data exchange standard it has developed for bills of quantities in construction procurement law, enabling structured, software-independent electronic data exchange between contracting authorities, bidders and contractors.

Last updated: January 2026 · Legal basis: VOB/A; BVergG 2018; GAEB DA XML 3.3

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What is GAEB?

The GAEB standard is the central data standard for the electronic handling of construction tenders in Germany and Austria and ensures that bills of quantities can be read, edited and returned across software systems. The Joint Committee for Electronics in Construction was founded in 1971 and is jointly supported by public contracting authorities, construction associations and the software industry. For decades, the GAEB standard has been the de facto mandatory standard for public construction procurement.

The current format is GAEB DA XML, which transports structured bill-of-quantities data on an XML basis and, since version 3.3 (2023), represents the state of the art.

GAEB data exchange phases

The GAEB standard defines various data exchange phases (DA phases) that map the entire procurement and billing process.

Phase	Designation	Use
DA 81	Tender	Contracting authority issues the BoQ
DA 83	Bid	Bidder returns prices
DA 84	Alternative bid	Bidder submits an alternative offer
DA 85	Award	Awarded BoQ is transmitted
DA 86	Supplementary offer	Additional services are offered

Significance for procurement law

In public construction procurement law, providing bills of quantities in the GAEB format is not only customary but, in many procedural rules, mandatory. VOB/A and the BVB (special contract terms) for construction services refer to electronic data exchange; most procurement platforms support GAEB formats by default. Bidders who use cost-calculation software without a GAEB interface are at a significant disadvantage in the modern tender market.

FAQ

Is GAEB a legally prescribed format? There is no statutory obligation to use the GAEB format, but it is the de facto standard in public construction procurement law; most tender platforms and procurement documents use GAEB DA XML.

What is the difference between GAEB 90 and GAEB DA XML? GAEB 90 is the older, character-based format; GAEB DA XML is the more modern, XML-based successor and offers greater flexibility and structural depth.

Must a bidder use GAEB-capable software? It is not strictly required by law, but in practice GAEB-compatible cost-calculation software is the standard in public construction procurement; on some platforms, bids without a GAEB return file cannot be submitted electronically.

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