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Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

EU law sets minimum harmonised rules for tenders whose monetary value exceeds a certain amount and which are presumed to be of cross-border interest. The European rules ensure that the award of contracts of higher value for the provision of public goods and services must be fair, equitable, transparent and non-discriminatory. For tenders of lower value however, national rules apply, which nevertheless have to respect general principles of EU law. 

Thresholds for Defence Directive 2009/81/EC

Directive 2009/81/EC on the coordination of procedures for the award of certain works contracts, supply contracts and service contracts by contracting authorities or entities in the fields of defence and security.

  • Works contracts: €5,538,000
  • All supplies and services contracts: €443 000

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2510 of 15 November 2023 amending Directive 2009/81/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council in respect of the thresholds for supply, service and works contracts

Thresholds according to type of procurement under the 2014 directives on concessions, general procurement and utilities

Concessions Directive 2014/23/EU

Directive 2014/23/EU on the award of concession contracts.

  • All works or services concessions: €5,538,000

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2497 of 15 November 2023 amending Directive 2014/23/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council in respect of the thresholds for concessions

Classical Directive 2014/24/EU

Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement:

Central Government authorities

Works contracts, subsidised works contracts

€5,538,000

All services concerning social and other specific services listed in Annex XIV

€750 000

All subsidised services

€221 000

All other service contracts and all design contests

€143 000

All supplies contracts awarded by contracting authorities not operating in the field of defence

€143 000

Supplies contracts awarded by contracting authorities operating in the field of defence

Concerning products listed in Annex III

€143 000

Concerning other products

€221 000

Sub-central contracting authorities

Works contracts, subsidised works contracts

€5,538,000

All services concerning social and other specific services listed in Annex XIV

€750 000

All other service contracts, all design contests, subsidised service contracts, all supplies contracts

€221 000

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2495 of 15 November 2023 amending Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council in respect of the thresholds for public supply, service and works contracts, and design contests

Utilities (Sectors) Directive 2014/25/EU

Directive 2014/25/EU on procurement by entities operating in the water, energy, transport and postal services sectors:

  • Works contracts: €5,538,000
  • All services concerning social and other specific services listed in Annex XVII: €1,000,000
  • All other service contracts, all design contests, all supplies contracts: €443 000

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2496 of 15 November 2023 amending Directive 2014/25/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council in respect of the thresholds for supply, service and works contracts, and design contests

Which thresholds apply to which type of contract

Threshold / applicable to Directive

€143 000

€221 000

€443 000

€750 000

€1,000,000

€5,538,000

2009/81/EC Defence

2014/24/EU General Procurement

2014/25/EU Utilities

         

All works contracts, all subsidised works contracts

2014/23/EU Concessions

         

All works or services concessions

2014/25/EU

       

Services listed in Annex XVII

 

2014/24/EU

     

Services listed in Annex XIV

   

2009/81/EC

   

All supplies contracts, all service contracts, all design contests

     

2014/25/EU

   

All supplies contracts, all service contracts (except for services listed in Annex XVII), all design contests

     

2014/24/EU

All service contracts other than those listed in Annex XIV and awarded by central government authorities (cga), all design contests organised by cga; all supplies contracts awarded by cga not operating in the field of defence; supplies contracts concerning products listed in Annex III awarded by contracting authorities operating in the field of defence

All subsidised services, all supplies contracts and all design contests awarded by sub-centrals contracting authorities (sc); all services other than those listed in Annex XIV awarded by sc; supplies contracts for products not listed in Annex III awarded by contracting authorities in the defence field

       

Thresholds in currencies other than euro: Communication from the Commission on corresponding values of the thresholds in Directives 2014/23/EU, 2014/24/EU, 2014/25/EU and 2009/81/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council