This guide is the checklist behind a bid in Bosnia and Herzegovina: every document and step in the order a tender needs it, and who may lawfully take care of it. For how procurement in the country works overall (the law, thresholds, procedures, who may bid, evaluation and complaints), see How to bid for public tenders in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Before you bid
1. Your court registration and IDB/JIB. A company from Bosnia and Herzegovina already holds its entity-level registration at a registry court (in the Federation, Republika Srpska or Brčko) and its identification number, the IDB/JIB, from the Indirect Taxation Authority (UIO). The e-Nabavke form asks for both, so the data can be checked for you before you register. Proof from a professional register may also be requested.
2. Your company’s e-Nabavke account (ejn.gov.ba). Every procedure starts here, because tender documents are downloaded only through the portal. You fill in an online form: company name, IDB/JIB, activity, seat, contacts, the details of the operator who will use the account, the responsible person, and whether you are a small or medium enterprise. The portal generates a request, which is printed, signed by your responsible person, stamped and sent with its attachments to the Public Procurement Agency (Agencija za javne nabavke BiH) for approval.
- Cost and time: no fee for registration is on record; the account works once the Agency approves it, and the approval time isn’t published. After that it stays open.
- Who does it: the form can be completed for you. Only your responsible person signs and stamps the request.
3. An electronic signature, only if a tender asks for one. The law still describes written, bound bids, and no general requirement for bidders to hold a qualified e-signature was found. Where a tender runs electronically and asks for a signature, only your authorised person signs.
With your bid
4. Downloading the tender documents. Free, and done in minutes by the registered operator account. Mind the timing: the period for complaining about the documents runs from the first download.
5. The certified statement on personal standing (Art. 45). Every procedure asks for it. On the Agency’s form, you state that the company has no convictions for organised crime, corruption, fraud or money laundering, is not bankrupt or in liquidation, and has paid its taxes and contributions. The form can be filled in for you, but your responsible person signs it in person before a notary, the municipality or a court, which certifies it the same day.
6. The bid in an official language. Bids are written in Bosnian, Croatian or Serbian; large tenders publish only a summary of the notice in English. A court interpreter (sudski tumač) translates foreign documents.
7. A group-of-bidders agreement, if you bid jointly. The members are jointly and severally liable, and the buyer can’t make you form a new legal entity to bid. The tender documents say which documents the group submits. An advokat can draft the agreement and any powers of attorney; each member signs.
8. The bid guarantee (garancija za ozbiljnost ponude), where required. Only for procurements of BAM 100,000 or more, at most 1.5% of the estimated value, in the form the Agency prescribes. It covers the bid validity of at least 30 days. A group submits a single guarantee, and a foreign bank’s guarantee can’t be turned down only because it was issued abroad. You contract it with your bank and pay the bank’s fees.
9. Submitting the sealed bid. The bid is written, bound and sealed, and must arrive by the deadline set in the tender documents. A consultant can assemble it and deliver it in person or by courier, but the bid forms are signed and stamped by your authorised person. The bid stays valid for at least 30 days.
10. The e-auction, if one is planned. Buyers must plan e-auctions in at least 60% of lowest-price procedures. You get 48 hours’ notice, and the auction lasts 10–30 minutes. Bids are placed through your company’s portal account, within the price limits you set.
Qualification evidence the tender may ask for
These depend on the tender documents, which list what each buyer wants.
| Evidence | Issued by | Who handles it | What only you do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right to perform the activity: registration in a professional or other register, or a confirmation from a competent authority, recognised across BiH at every level of government | The competent register or authority | Identified for you from the tender | Provide the extract or licence |
| Economic and financial standing: a bank document, balance sheets for up to 3 years (or a certified statement where publication isn’t mandatory) and a certified turnover statement | Your bank and accountant; statements certified by a competent authority | A certified accountant prepares the balance sheets and statements | Sign the certified statements |
| Liability insurance guarantee for performing the contract in your registered activity | Your insurer | — | Buy the policy |
| References: a list of contracts (up to 3 years for goods) with confirmations from the other party showing the parties, subject, value, time, place and proper performance; if a private client won’t confirm, a statement with proof of your attempts | Your previous customers | A consultant collects confirmations with the required content | Ask your customers |
| Quality and conformity certificates, where the specification calls for them | An accredited certification or quality-control body | The certification body issues them | Undergo the assessment |
If you win
After the award, the winner submits originals or certified copies of its exclusion evidence, not older than 3 months, along with any other qualification documents the buyer asks for.
| Document | Issued by | Who handles it | What only you do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of no conviction (organised crime, corruption, fraud, money laundering) | The competent court | A lawyer or the company requests it from the court | The responsible person requests their own personal certificate |
| No bankruptcy, liquidation or suspension of business | The registry or commercial court where you are registered | A lawyer or partner under a power of attorney where permitted, otherwise the company | — |
| Pension, disability and health contributions paid; a reprogramming agreement with confirmation of regular payment is accepted | The entity tax administrations and contribution funds | An accountant keeps the obligations settled | Request the certificates |
| Direct and indirect taxes paid | Porezna uprava FBiH or Poreska uprava RS for direct taxes; the UIO for VAT and other indirect taxes | An accountant prepares the ground | Request the certificates |
| Construction licence, for works | The Federal Ministry of Spatial Planning, the Republika Srpska ministry or a canton | An engineer prepares the file | The company applies |
Construction. Buildings in federal competence may be built only by legal persons the Federal Ministry of Spatial Planning has authorised; Republika Srpska and some cantons issue their own licences.
Before the contract
The performance guarantee, where required. At most 10% of the contract value, from a bank, for the term of the contract. You contract it and pay the bank’s fees; a foreign bank’s guarantee is allowed.
The contract. It is signed by your responsible person after the 15-day standstill.
Who does what
| Step | Who can do it | What only you do |
|---|---|---|
| Court registration and IDB/JIB | Checked for you against the portal form | — |
| e-Nabavke registration | The form is completed for you | Your responsible person signs and stamps the request |
| Downloading documents | Through your registered operator account | — |
| Art. 45 statement | The Agency’s form is filled in for you | Your responsible person signs it in person before the certifying authority |
| Translations | A court interpreter | — |
| Group agreement | An advokat drafts it | Each member signs |
| Bid guarantee | Your bank | Contract the guarantee |
| Sealed bid | A consultant assembles, binds and delivers it | Sign and stamp the bid forms |
| E-auction | Your account, within your instructions | Set the price limits |
| Qualification evidence | A consultant and an accountant | Sign certified statements; ask your customers |
| Winner’s certificates | A lawyer, partner or accountant, as above | Request personal certificates and tax and contribution certificates |
| Performance guarantee and contract | Your bank | Contract the guarantee; sign the contract |
| Complaint (žalba) | An advokat drafts and files it under a power of attorney | Grant the power of attorney; pay the fee |
The professionals involved
| Professional | Licensed or regulated by | What they do for a bidder |
|---|---|---|
| Advokat | Advokatska komora FBiH or Advokatska komora Republike Srpske | Draft and file complaints to the contracting authority and the Procurement Review Body (URŽ/KRŽ) with proof of the fee paid in time; file administrative disputes at the Court of BiH within 30 days; draft group-of-bidders agreements and powers of attorney |
| Notar (notary), or the municipality or a court | Notary chambers of the Federation of BiH and Republika Srpska | Certify the Art. 45 statement on the Agency’s form, turnover statements and statements replacing balance sheets; certify copies |
| Certified accountant (certificirani računovođa) or auditor | SRR FBiH; Savez računovođa i revizora RS | Prepare balance sheets or extracts for the last three years and turnover statements; keep taxes and pension, disability and health contributions settled, or arrange reprogrammed payment confirmed by the tax authority |
| Procurement consultant | — | Download the documents, ask for clarifications, assemble and bind the bid, deliver it sealed in person or by courier |
| Sudski tumač (court interpreter) | Entity ministries of justice and courts | Translate foreign documents into Bosnian, Croatian or Serbian |
| Bank, domestic or foreign | Banking agencies of the Federation of BiH and Republika Srpska | Issue bid guarantees (from BAM 100,000, at most 1.5%) and performance guarantees (at most 10%); issue bank documents on financial capacity |
| Certification body | Institute for Accreditation of BiH (BATA) | Issue quality and product conformity certificates where the tender requires them |
If your company is from abroad
You don’t need a company in Bosnia and Herzegovina to bid, though licences required by Bosnian law, such as a construction licence, may be needed before signing; who may bid is covered in How to bid for public tenders in Bosnia and Herzegovina. For the paperwork:
- Registration: your entry in your home business or professional register stands in for court registration. The e-Nabavke form asks for an IDB/JIB, so ask the Agency how to register before your first tender.
- Art. 45 statement: certified before a competent authority at home. Exclusion documents from foreign bidders need no special legalisation (Art. 45(12)).
- Convictions, bankruptcy, taxes and contributions: your home-country certificates or their equivalents.
- Right to perform the activity: evidence from your home register.
- Financial statements and references: your home documents, translated.
- Quality certificates: foreign accredited certificates, subject to the tender conditions.
- Guarantees: a foreign bank’s guarantee is allowed if it meets the tender conditions.
- Translations: mandatory, into Bosnian, Croatian or Serbian.
- Delivery: the sealed bid is delivered physically, so plan how it reaches the buyer before the deadline.
Pitfalls
- The signatures and stamp are yours alone. Your responsible person signs and stamps the forms and signs the certified statement in person. Never hand over your portal login, stamp or signature.
- Watch the complaint clock from the first download. The period for complaining about the documents starts the moment documents are first downloaded.
- A complaint without fee proof fails outright. The fee runs from BAM 750 to 15,000 according to the estimated value band; attach proof of payment within the deadline, or the complaint is rejected.
- Keep certificates fresh. The winner’s evidence must be originals or certified copies no older than 3 months.
- Register early. The Agency approves each request, and no approval time is published.
- Check for a domestic preference. None has applied since 1 July 2021, but the Council of Ministers can reintroduce one by decision.
Doing it with askTender
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the portal operator is the company’s own responsible person, so you log in and press submit yourself, in a guided session with askTender. Everything before that is prepared for you: the askTender Desk completes the registration form and the Art. 45 statement, assembles the qualification evidence and tracks the deadlines; because bids are written and sealed, a Partner can assemble and deliver them; and askTender Partners, such as an advokat, a notary, an accountant or a court interpreter, do the steps their licence covers. You sign only what the law reserves to you: the registration request, the certified statement, the bid forms, the guarantees and the contract.
Questions
Which documents go in with a bid in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The statement on personal standing under Art. 45, on the Agency’s form and certified before a notary, municipality or court; the qualification evidence the tender documents list, such as proof of the right to perform the activity, financial documents and references; a group-of-bidders agreement if you bid jointly; and a bid guarantee where the tender requires one. Everything is in Bosnian, Croatian or Serbian, bound and sealed, with the forms signed and stamped by your authorised person.
Do I need an electronic signature to bid in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Not in general. The law still describes written, bound bids, and no general qualified-signature requirement for bidders was found. If a tender runs electronically with a signature, only your company’s authorised person signs.
Which certificates does the winning bidder provide?
A court certificate of no conviction for organised crime, corruption, fraud or money laundering, a certificate of no bankruptcy or liquidation, and certificates that pension, disability and health contributions and direct and indirect taxes are paid. They must be originals or certified copies no older than 3 months; a foreign company gives its home-country equivalents.
When is a bid guarantee required?
Only for procurements of BAM 100,000 or more, and then at most 1.5% of the estimated value. It must cover the bid validity, at least 30 days, a group submits one guarantee, and a guarantee from a foreign bank can’t be refused only because it was issued outside BiH.
Can a consultant prepare and deliver my bid?
Yes. A consultant can download the documents, ask for clarifications, assemble and bind the bid and deliver it sealed, in person or by courier, before the deadline. What a consultant can’t do is sign for you: the bid forms are signed and stamped by your responsible or authorised person.
Sources
- Law on Public Procurement of BiH, consolidated text (Paragraf Lex)
- Instruction on the e-Nabavke portal (Službeni glasnik BiH 80/22)
- Rulebook on e-auction (Službeni glasnik BiH 80/23)
- Federal Ministry of Spatial Planning: execution of construction
This guide explains the rules in plain English; it isn’t legal advice. Procurement rules change, and each tender document sets its own conditions — it always prevails.