Procurement Office (VSt) in Procurement Law 2026 – Tasks and Duties

Definition: The procurement office (VSt) is the organisational unit within a public body that is responsible for conducting procurement procedures – from needs assessment, through the tender, to contract award and contract management.

Last updated: January 2026 · Legal status: BVergG 2018 (Austria), GWB/VgV (Germany), Directive 2014/24/EU

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What is a procurement office?

The procurement office is the institutional heart of the public procurement system – it bears the operational and legal responsibility for a properly conducted procurement procedure. Depending on the size and structure of the public contracting authority, the procurement office may be a dedicated department, a central purchasing unit or an individual commissioned person. In small municipalities, this function is often performed by the municipal administration; in large federal authorities, dedicated procurement departments exist.

The term "procurement office" is not a rigidly defined legal term but is used in practice to distinguish the acting unit from the legal concept of the "public contracting authority". The public contracting authority is the legal person (e.g. the federal government, a Land, a municipality); the procurement office is the organisational unit acting on its behalf.

Tasks of the procurement office

The procurement office is responsible for the entire procurement process, from the initial requirement to performance of the contract.

The principal tasks include:

• Needs assessment: Clarification of the specific procurement requirement in coordination with the relevant departments
• Market analysis: Preliminary market screening and estimation of contract value
• Choice of procedure: Decision on the appropriate type of procedure (open procedure, negotiated procedure, etc.)
• Preparation of the procurement documents: Specifications, suitability and award criteria
• Notice publication: Publication of the tender on the prescribed platforms
• Communication with bidders: Answering bidder questions, dealing with complaints
• Bid examination and evaluation: Formal and substantive examination, evaluation against the award criteria
• Contract award: Informing all bidders, observing the standstill period
• Procurement documentation: Keeping the procurement record

Requirements for the procurement office

Procurement offices must demonstrate both legal and technical expertise, as errors in the procedure can lead to review proceedings and damages claims. Staff must be familiar with the relevant legal bases and must be regularly trained. In Austria, the Federal Procurement Office and various Länder offer training programmes; in Germany, procurement competence centres at the Land level promote qualification.

Procurement office vs. contracting authority

The distinction is significant: where procurement law refers to obligations of the "public contracting authority", what is legally meant is the organisation as a whole. The procurement office acts in the name and on behalf of the contracting authority. Errors by the procurement office are attributed to the public contracting authority.

FAQ

Must every public authority have its own procurement office? No. Several contracting authorities may set up joint procurement offices or use central purchasing bodies (such as the BBG in Austria or the BeschA in Germany).

Who oversees the procurement office? In review proceedings, procurement-law bodies (procurement control senate, procurement chamber) review decisions of the procurement office. Internally, the four-eyes principle and internal audit are often in place.

What happens in the case of errors by the procurement office? Bidders may lodge complaints and applications for review. The contracting authority may be required to correct or repeat the procedure.

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