RPW 2013 – Design Competition Guidelines in Procurement Law 2026

RPW 2013: German guidelines for design competitions in architecture and urban planning – scope, procedure and procurement law classification.

Definition: The RPW 2013 (Guidelines for Design Competitions 2013) is a German set of rules for the conduct of design and ideas competitions in the fields of architecture, urban planning, landscape architecture and interior design, establishing the framework for fair, transparent and professionally conducted competitions.

Last updated: January 2026 · Legal basis: RPW 2013 (2013 edition), GWB §§ 69 et seq., VgV §§ 69 et seq., Directive 2014/24/EU Art. 78 et seq.

What is the RPW 2013?

The RPW 2013 is the central set of rules for design competitions in Germany and was developed by the Federal Chamber of Architects, the Association of German Architects and other professional associations, and recommended as a model guideline by the Conference of Construction Ministers. It replaced the former GRW (Principles and Guidelines for Competitions) and is addressed to organisers (contracting authorities), competition participants and juries.

The RPW 2013 is not a law, but a recognised rule of the art for design competitions. For public contracting authorities in Germany, it is generally binding insofar as the applicable state law refers to it or insofar as it has been agreed as a competition basis.

Scope of Application

The RPW 2013 applies to design competitions in the fields of architecture, urban planning, landscape architecture and interior design – i.e. wherever creative and planning services are to be determined through an open or restricted competition. It applies to both EU-wide and national competitions, provided the parties agree to it as a basis.

Competition Types Under RPW 2013

The RPW 2013 distinguishes several competition forms:

Open competition: all interested participants can take part without prior selection. Maximum openness, but high evaluation effort.
Restricted competition: participants are invited following a selection procedure. More efficient review, but limited competition.
Single-phase and two-phase competitions: in two-phase procedures, a preselection is first made before the final competition work is submitted.
Ideas competition: the aim is the development of ideas without immediate award.
Realisation competition: the aim is the selection of a design that is actually to be implemented.

The Jury

The jury is the heart of the RPW competition and must, under RPW 2013, consist of at least half of expert jurors belonging to the same or related professions as the competition participants. The jury decides independently and is free in its assessment of the competition works. Its decision is binding on the organiser regarding the award of prizes, but not necessarily for the award of the subsequent contract.

Procurement Law Classification

Design competitions are regulated under procurement law as an independent procedure type and are subject in the above-threshold range to §§ 69 et seq. VgV and Art. 78 et seq. Directive 2014/24/EU. The competition itself is not a contract award procedure; the award of the design contract to the winner takes place in a subsequent procedure, typically in the negotiated procedure without prior publication.

Austrian Equivalent

Austria has no direct equivalent to the RPW 2013; design competitions are conducted there according to the provisions of the BVergG 2018 (§§ 156 et seq.) and on the basis of ÖNORM A 2050 and the professional rules of the Chambers of Architects. For the realisation competition, the Architecture Competition Code (WOA) applies in Austria.

Related Terms

FAQ

Is the RPW 2013 binding on private contracting authorities? No. The RPW 2013 is not binding on private contracting authorities; however, they can voluntarily agree on it as a basis for their competition.

Must the organiser commission the competition winner? In principle no, but the RPW 2013 provides that the competition documents must contain clear information on the intention to award. If no award is intended, this must be announced in advance.

How high must prize money be in RPW competitions? The RPW 2013 contains recommendations on the amount of prize money, which are based on the complexity of the task and the scope of the competition works. Binding minimum amounts are not specified.

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