Quantity Lot in Procurement Law 2026
Quantity lot in procurement law: lot created by dividing a contract by quantity or volume, to promote competition and SMEs.
Definition: A quantity lot is a part-lot of a publicly tendered contract created by quantitatively dividing the total requirement by quantities or volumes, enabling several bidders to take on a defined share of the overall contract.
Last updated: January 2026 · Legal basis: Art. 46 Directive 2014/24/EU, § 97(4) GWB, § 58 BVergG 2018
What is a quantity lot?
A quantity lot arises when a contracting authority divides a contract not by specialist disciplines (specialist lot) but by the quantity to be delivered or the volume to be performed. This form of lot division is particularly common in supply contracts and standardised services, where the overall requirement comprises homogeneous performances that can be divided by quantity without qualitative differences.
Examples of application
Quantity lots are typical for standardised procurements with large volumes.
Typical use cases:
- Food procurement: Supply of several schools or canteens; the overall volume is divided into regional quantity lots
- Office supplies: Division by supply quantities for different agency locations
- Electricity and gas procurement: Division of the total requirement across several suppliers
- Cleaning services: Division by square-metre volumes of different properties
- Vehicle procurement: Division of a larger vehicle fleet across several lots
Distinction from the specialist lot
Whereas the specialist lot divides by trade or craft, the quantity lot divides by quantity.
| Feature | Specialist lot | Quantity lot |
|---|---|---|
| Division criterion | Trade/craft | Quantity/volume |
| Typical context | Works tenders | Supplies and services |
| Type of performance | Different per lot | Homogeneous per lot |
Procurement-law specifics for quantity lots
With quantity lots, the homogeneity of the performances to be delivered must be observed: since all lots describe essentially the same performance, the award criteria are generally identical.
Important points:
- Threshold calculation is based on the total contract value of all quantity lots
- Selection requirements can be adjusted to the lot volume (proportional requirements)
- Combination bids for several quantity lots are often permissible and useful
FAQ
Can a single bidder receive all the quantity lots of a contract? Yes, provided the contracting authority has not specified a lot-group restriction. If multiple awards to one bidder are to be prevented, this must be stated in advance in the notice.
How does a quantity lot differ from a part-lot? The terms are often used synonymously. In procurement practice, "part-lot" frequently denotes any form of quantitative or geographical division, while "quantity lot" focuses on the division of homogeneous performances by quantity.
Last updated: January 2026 All information without guarantee. For legally binding advice, please contact a law firm specialising in procurement law.
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