Standard Forms in Procurement Law 2026

Definition: Standard forms in procurement law are standardised, legally prescribed or recommended forms used by public contracting authorities for notices, tender documents and other procurement-related communications, to ensure uniformity, transparency and comparability in European and national procurement.

Last updated: January 2026 · Legal basis: Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1780 (eForms), BVergG 2018, VgV

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Significance of standard forms

Standard forms are the indispensable tool of every procurement practitioner and ensure that notices and tender documents contain the minimum legally required information. Without standardised forms, EU-wide comparability of tender notices would be impossible, and the database function of the TED system (Tenders Electronic Daily) would be considerably impaired. Standard forms thus serve not only to simplify procurement practice but also to enforce the transparency obligations under EU law.

EU standard forms and eForms

With Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1780, the European Commission replaced the previous standard forms with the new eForms system. eForms are machine-readable, structured data forms that have been mandatory for all EU-wide notices since 25 October 2023. They differ fundamentally from the previous PDF-based forms:

• Machine readability: eForms allow the automated processing and analysis of procurement data.
• Structured data fields: Instead of free-text fields, structured, validatable fields are used.
• New form categories: eForms encompass 40 different forms for various types of notice (prior information, contract notice, award notice, etc.).

National standard forms

In addition to the EU standard forms, there are national standard forms in Austria and Germany for tender procedures below the EU thresholds. In Austria, the Federal Procurement Agency (Bundesbeschaffung GmbH, BBG) and the procurement review bodies provide model documents. In Germany, the federal and state governments have developed their own model bills of quantities, model contracts and standard forms for awards under UVgO and VOB/A. These national forms are not always legally mandatory but are strongly recommended for reasons of legal certainty.

Related terms

• Notice
• TED database
• Specifications
• Electronic procurement

FAQ

Are eForms mandatory for all tenders? eForms have been mandatory for EU-wide notices (above-threshold range) since 25 October 2023. For national procedures in the sub-threshold range, the respective national rules apply.

Where can eForms be filled in? eForms can be created and submitted via national procurement platforms or the EU Commission's TED notice system (eNotices2).

What happens if the wrong form is used? The use of an incorrect or incomplete form can render the notice and therefore the entire tender procedure unlawful.

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