Tendering for Government Contracts

EC procurement directives

An EC treaty covers all public-sector procurement contracts within the European Community, no matter what their value. The treaty sets down principles to prevent discrimination against firms from any member state. The principles of the treaty are backed up by a series of EC procurement directives. The directives have been included in UK law as a number of regulations. The directives and regulations set down procedures and standards (based on openness, non-discrimination and competition) for choosing tenderers and awarding contracts with an estimated value above a set limit. You can find information about the EC procurement directives and regulations on the OGC website or from your nearest Euro Information Centre.