Open Procedure

The open procedure is the default competitive procurement method for public contracts above threshold values in the EU and many other regulatory frameworks. A contract notice is published openly, and any supplier — regardless of prior relationship with the authority — may obtain the tender documents and submit a complete bid. The authority evaluates all submissions simultaneously against selection and award criteria.

Because there is no pre-qualification gate before submission, the open procedure can generate high numbers of responses on well-known portals, which increases evaluation workload. However, it offers the widest competitive market and is the preferred method for promoting SME access. Some authorities mitigate volume by including a selection questionnaire as part of the single tender package, evaluated before award criteria.

For vendors, the open procedure represents the broadest opportunity surface. There is no shortlisting barrier to overcome; any sufficiently capable company can submit a bid. The challenge is that competition is often fierce — particularly for widely published tenders — and bid investment must be weighed against realistic win probability. Vendors new to a sector or geography often prefer open procedures as a market entry route precisely because there is no pre-existing approved list to get onto.