Time Limit for Requests to Participate

Time limit for requests to participate: the minimum period for submitting requests in a two-stage procedure. Minimum of 30 days under Art. 29 Directive 2014/24/EU.

Definition: The time limit for requests to participate is the statutory minimum period within which economic operators must submit their request to participate in a two-stage procurement procedure to the contracting authority, starting on the date the contract notice is published.

Last updated: January 2026 · Legal basis: Art. 29 Directive 2014/24/EU, BVergG 2018, VgV

What is the time limit for requests to participate?

The time limit for requests to participate denotes the period within which economic operators may submit a request to participate to a contracting authority in order to be admitted to the second stage of a multi-stage procurement procedure. It is distinct from the time limit for tenders, which applies to the later submission of the tender itself.

The time limit for requests to participate is characteristic of procedures with an upstream call for competition:

Restricted procedure (above-threshold)
Competitive procedure with negotiation
Competitive dialogue
Innovation partnership

Under Art. 29 (1) Directive 2014/24/EU the minimum time limit is 30 days from the date on which the contract notice is sent to the Publications Office of the EU.

Significance in the procurement procedure

The time limit for requests to participate safeguards effective access to competition for operators by giving them sufficient time to prepare a complete request to participate.

Options for reducing the time limit

Under certain conditions the time limit may be shortened:

To 15 days where a prior information notice has been published that was sent at least 35 days and not more than 12 months before the contract notice (Art. 29 (4) Directive 2014/24/EU).
In cases of duly substantiated urgency in the restricted procedure and the competitive procedure with negotiation, to at least 15 days (Art. 27 (3) and Art. 29 (1) Directive 2014/24/EU).

Duty to extend

The contracting authority is required to extend the time limit for requests to participate if material changes are made to the procurement documents and participants need adequate time to take those changes into account. Any extension must be proportionate to the significance of the change.

Distinction from the time limit for tenders

The time limit for requests to participate and the time limit for tenders denote two different deadlines at different procedural stages. The first relates to the submission of the request to participate (stage one), the second to the submission of the actual tender (stage two). In the open procedure there is no time limit for requests to participate because there is no upstream call for competition.

Related terms

Last updated: January 2026 Information provided without warranty. For legally binding advice, please consult a law firm specialising in public procurement.