UfAB – Document for Tendering and Evaluation of IT Services 2026

Definition: UfAB (Unterlage für Ausschreibung und Bewertung von IT-Leistungen – Document for Tendering and Evaluation of IT Services) is a guide issued by the IT Planning Council of the German public administration that supports public contracting authorities in procuring IT products and IT services and provides a structured evaluation model.

Last updated: January 2026 · Legal status: GWB, VgV; UfAB in its current version (most recently UfAB 2018 with updates)

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What is UfAB?

UfAB is the recognised practical guide for the procurement of IT services by German authorities and public bodies. It is issued by the IT Planning Council and continuously updated. The aim of UfAB is to standardise the procurement process for IT services, to improve the quality and comparability of bids and to enable legally robust procurement procedures.

UfAB is not a binding law, but a widely recognised set of rules frequently applied in practice. Many public contracting authorities – in particular federal and state authorities – use UfAB as the basis for their IT tenders.

Structure and content

UfAB is divided into several parts that cover the entire procurement process:

• Description of the IT service: Systematic recording and description of the subject of procurement (hardware, software, IT services)
• Performance requirements: Formulation of mandatory requirements (must criteria) and optional requirements (can criteria / desired requirements)
• Evaluation model: Points-based system for evaluating qualitative bid features
• Model contracts: Recommendations for contractual provisions for IT procurements (EVB-IT)

The UfAB evaluation model

The core of UfAB is a transparent, traceable points system for evaluating IT bids on the basis of criteria established in advance. The model distinguishes between:

• Must criteria: Minimum requirements whose non-fulfilment leads to exclusion of the bid (pass/fail)
• Desired requirements (can criteria): Qualitative requirements whose degree of fulfilment is scored with points
• Weighting: Each criterion is assigned a weighting that determines its influence on the overall result

The price is included as a separate criterion in the overall evaluation; UfAB recommends typical weightings for price and quality but leaves room for the contracting authority.

Application in practice

In practice, contracting authorities frequently use the UfAB templates as a starting point, which they adapt to their specific procurement need. Standardisation also makes bid preparation easier for bidders, as they are familiar with the UfAB scheme and can structure their bid documents accordingly.

UfAB is supplemented by the EVB-IT (Supplementary Contract Conditions for the Procurement of IT Services), which provide standard contract modules for different types of IT services.

FAQ

Is the use of UfAB legally mandatory? No. UfAB is a guide, not a legal norm. Its application is voluntary, but it is used as a standard by many procurement offices.

For which IT services is UfAB suitable? UfAB is suitable for the procurement of hardware, standard software, custom software and IT services. For very complex IT projects, more specific evaluation concepts are recommended as a supplement.

Where can the current UfAB be downloaded? The current version of UfAB is made available on the IT Planning Council's website and on the federal and state procurement portals.

Does UfAB also apply in Austria? UfAB is a German instrument. In Austria, the Federal Procurement Agency (BBG) has its own guides for IT procurements that fulfil similar functions.

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