USCS EU Tenders Database
The U.S. Commercial Service has developed a database which
gathers all public procurement tenders that are open to
U.S.-based firms in particular. Our database is based on the
Tenders Electronic Daily (TED), which is the online version of
the Official Journal of the European Union. Tenders published in
the TED include public purchases of supplies, works and services
by European governments at the national and sub-central levels.
Since January 1st, 1996, the United States and the European Union
have been party to the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA),
signed under the auspices of the WTO, which allows U.S.-based
firms to bid on certain EU contracts above established
thresholds. Our database is updated twice a week.
USCS Database Website
The European public procurement market for US firms established in the EU
U.S. firms legally established (ongoing business, paying local
taxes) in a Member State of the European Union are accountable as
a European company. Those firms may bid on EU public procurement
contracts advertised on the TED database just as any other
European firm. For public contracts with an estimated value above
certain thresholds, European directives establish common rules
for advertising, invitations to tender and contract award.
TED Website
The National Electronic Procurement Databases
Electronic public procurement is already in place in most EU Member States. The best way to find out about those electronic databases is to enter the SIMAP website, which offers a list of 'national' e-procurement databases per country: go to 'Public Procurement Opportunities', then to 'Procurement Databases and choose 'EU'.
The SIMAP website also leads to the main public procurement
database in Europe, TED (Tenders Electronic Daily), published in
the Official Journal of the European Union. This database can be
used by all firms legally established in the EU, and is free of
charge. All large public supply, works and services procurement
contracts, above certain thresholds decided in accordance with
the European Directives, must be published in TED.
SIMAP Website