Prize Competition Procedure in Procurement Law 2026

Definition: The prize competition procedure (also: planning competition or design contest) is a special procurement procedure used by public contracting authorities to procure plans or designs in the fields of spatial planning, urban development, architecture and engineering, in order to identify the best creative solution through a competition among planners.

Last updated: January 2026 · Legal status: Directive 2014/24/EU Art. 78–82, BVergG 2018 §§ 166–176, GWB § 103 para. 6, VgV §§ 69–79, RPW 2013

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What is the prize competition procedure?

The prize competition procedure is the procurement-law-regulated form of a planning or ideas competition and constitutes an independent procurement procedure alongside the classic procedures (open procedure, negotiated procedure, etc.). It is specifically tailored to the particularities of creative planning services, where the quality of the solution and not price alone is the decisive factor.

In contrast to other procurement procedures, the prize competition procedure does not necessarily end with the award of a follow-up contract. The competition participants submit anonymous designs, which are evaluated by an independent jury (jury members). Prize winners receive remuneration (prize money), and the contracting authority typically reserves the right to award one or more prize winners a follow-up contract in a negotiated procedure without prior publication of a notice.

Types of prize competition procedure

Procurement law distinguishes between the open and the restricted prize competition procedure.

• Open prize competition procedure: Any interested company may participate. The contracting authority must publish a notice. The number of participants is not limited.
• Restricted prize competition procedure: The contracting authority selects a limited number of participants in advance (at least five in the above-threshold area). The preselection takes place on the basis of transparent and non-discriminatory criteria.

Jury members and the panel

The evaluation of the submitted competition entries is carried out by an independent jury panel, whose composition and independence are subject to particular rules in the prize competition procedure. At least one third of the jury members must possess the same or an equivalent qualification as the competition participants. The jury members must have no conflicts of interest and are bound by confidentiality.

The jury evaluates the submitted entries anonymously – the identity of the participants is only revealed after the evaluation has been completed. This safeguards the objectivity of the assessment.

Notice and deadlines

In the above-threshold area, the prize competition procedure must be published on TED. The estimated total value of the prizes and payments to participants to be awarded must be stated. After the competition has been concluded, a competition result notice must be published.

In Austria, ÖNORM A 7706 (competitions for architects and engineers) applies in addition. In Germany, the Guidelines for Planning Competitions (RPW 2013) of the BMWSB are the authoritative reference.

Relationship with follow-up contracts

A key advantage of the prize competition procedure is the possibility, following the competition, of awarding one or more prize winners a follow-up contract in a negotiated procedure without a notice. However, this possibility must be announced in the competition notice. Without such an announcement, a direct award is not permissible.

FAQ

Is the prize competition procedure suitable for all planning services? No. The prize competition procedure is particularly suitable for services with a strong creative or conceptual component, e.g. architectural services for significant public buildings. Routine planning services are generally awarded in a negotiated procedure.

From what contract value must the prize competition procedure be published EU-wide? The threshold for competitions is governed by the threshold for service contracts (EUR 143,000 for central government authorities, EUR 221,000 for other public contracting authorities, as of 2024).

Are all competition participants entitled to prize money? As a rule, only the prize winners (first, second, third places) receive prize money. All other participants are merely entitled to compensation for expenses, provided this has been promised in the competition notice.

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