This guide is the checklist behind a Bulgarian bid: each document and step in the order a tender needs it, and who may lawfully handle it. For how Bulgarian procurement works as a whole (thresholds, procedures, who may bid, evaluation, appeals), see How to bid for public tenders in Bulgaria.
Before you bid
1. Confirm your company clears the offshore rule. Companies registered in preferential-tax (offshore) jurisdictions, and entities they control, are barred from Bulgarian public procurement, with exceptions; firms from countries without an EU procurement agreement are admitted only if the buyer chooses to. The check costs nothing and takes a day, but it needs your full ownership chain, which only you can disclose.
2. A qualified electronic signature (КЕП) for each person who signs. CAIS EOP needs one to register your company and to submit offers. It comes from an EU qualified trust service provider; Bulgarian ones include B-Trust (Borica), InfoNotary, Evrotrust and StampIT. It stays valid for the certificate’s term.
- Who does it: each signatory obtains their own. A partner who works on your bid signs with theirs, never with yours.
- From abroad: an EU qualified signature is valid under eIDAS.
3. Your company’s account on CAIS EOP (app.eop.bg). The central platform run by the Public Procurement Agency (AOP) is mandatory for every procedure. No fee is stated, and registration can be done the same day; the account stays in place.
- How it works: registering through the public page always requires a qualified electronic signature, and the person who registers becomes your organisation’s administrator.
- Who does it: the registration data can be prepared for you, but your representative or employee registers the company with their own КЕП and keeps the administrator role. Moving the administrator rights to someone else takes an official letter to the AOP.
- From abroad: foreign companies use CAIS EOP on the same terms, and the interface is in Bulgarian and English.
4. Your UIC in the Commercial Register. Buyers check the Registry Agency’s register themselves, and may not ask you for documents they can access ex officio, through a public register or through a free national database in any EU country. Your UIC (ЕИК) and the register links simply go into the ЕЕДОП; the public search is free.
With your bid
5. The ЕЕДОП. Your self-declaration that no exclusion ground applies and that you meet the selection criteria, completed in CAIS EOP or at espd.eop.bg. It must name the national databases that hold the facts you declare. It is free, takes about 1 day and serves one procedure. Each consortium member, subcontractor and company whose capacity you rely on files its own.
- Who does it: it can be filled in for you. The persons who represent your company sign it with their own КЕП, in the system (several signatures are allowed) or outside it, with the signed file attached.
- From abroad: the same form, naming your home-country databases and authorities.
6. The declarations every bid carries.
- Offshore companies: you declare that your company isn’t registered in an offshore jurisdiction or controlled by such a company, or that an exception applies, and your beneficial owners are entered in the Bulgarian register where that applies. The template is in the tender documents.
- EU sanctions (Regulation 833/2014, art. 5k): in procedures above the EU thresholds, you confirm there is no prohibited Russian involvement.
- Cost, time and validity: free, ready the same day, valid for that procedure.
- Who does it: both can be drafted for you; your representative signs them with a КЕП and confirms the ownership chain.
7. Bulgarian text, translations and powers of attorney. Offers are prepared in Bulgarian; another official language is used only when the contract is performed abroad. Foreign documents need Bulgarian translations, which a translator prepares in a matter of days, and non-EU public documents may need an apostille where the tender asks. Anyone acting for your company needs a power of attorney from your representative, certified by a notary if the documents require it. You sign it.
8. A consortium agreement, if you bid with others. An адвокат can draft the agreement between the members of an обединение. Each member files its own ЕЕДОП.
9. No bid bond. The Public Procurement Act has no tender or participation guarantee, so this step costs nothing.
10. Submitting in CAIS EOP. The offer is prepared and submitted on the platform, free of charge, and submission requires an electronic signature. CAIS EOP encrypts each offer: your company must keep the private encryption key and apply it after the deadline, or the offer can’t be decrypted. The offer then stands for its validity period.
- Who does it: a user working for you can submit with their own КЕП under your power of attorney. You approve the price and keep a copy of the key.
If you’re selected
Certificates come at this stage, from the bidder chosen for the contract. Small tax or social-security debts (up to 1% of turnover and about EUR 25,565) don’t exclude you.
| Document | Issued by | Who handles it | Time or validity | What only you do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Свидетелство за съдимост (criminal record certificate) for the persons representing your company, art. 54(1)(1) | The bureau of conviction status at the courts | Each person obtains their own; the buyer checks ex officio where it can | — | Obtain the certificates |
| Certificate of no tax and social-security debts | Национална агенция за приходите (NAP) | An accountant requests it through the NAP e-services, with their own КЕП as your authorised person | — | Grant the NAP authorisation |
| Municipal certificates of no local tax debts | The municipalities of the buyer’s seat and of yours | An accountant, under your authorisation | — | Grant the authorisation |
| Labour Inspectorate certificate on labour-law violations, arts. 54(1)(6) and 56(1)(4) | Изпълнителна агенция „Главна инспекция по труда“ | The request is prepared for you | Up to 15 days | Sign and submit the request |
| Insolvency and liquidation certificate, art. 55(1)(1), where the buyer applies that ground | Агенция по вписванията (Registry Agency) | Usually checked ex officio in the public register | — | — |
| Financial standing (turnover, statements, insurance), where the buyer sets financial criteria | You, your bank or insurer | An accountant compiles it in days; amounts in euro, with older lev figures shown with their euro equivalent | Days | Approve it |
| Similar contracts with certificates of good performance, where experience is asked | Your previous clients | Compiled for you; free | Days to weeks | Obtain the certificates |
| ISO quality or environmental certificates, where requested | A certification body accredited by ИА БСА or another EA member | The body audits you | Valid 3 years, with surveillance | Undergo the audit |
Buyers may ask only for the documents the Public Procurement Act lists, and should prefer documents listed in e-Certis.
Before the contract
The performance guarantee (гаранция за изпълнение), and an advance-payment guarantee, where the buyer requires them. Up to 10% of the contract value, or 2% for reserved contracts. You choose the form: cash, a bank guarantee or insurance, the last only up to about EUR 255,646. A third-party guarantor may provide it. It is issued in your company’s name for the contract and takes days to arrange; you sign and pay.
The contract is signed after the 14-day standstill, by your representative or the holder of your power of attorney.
Who does what
| Step | Who can do it | What only you do |
|---|---|---|
| Offshore and third-country check | Checked for you from the notice and your ownership chain | Disclose the ownership chain |
| Qualified electronic signature | An EU qualified trust service provider | Each signatory obtains and keeps their own |
| CAIS EOP registration | The data is prepared for you | Register with your own КЕП; keep the administrator role |
| Commercial Register entry | Recorded for you in the ЕЕДОП | — |
| ЕЕДОП | Filled in for you | Your representatives sign with their own КЕП |
| Offshore and sanctions declarations | Drafted for you | Sign; confirm the ownership chain |
| Translations and power of attorney | A translator; a notary where the documents require | Sign the power of attorney |
| Consortium agreement | An адвокат | Agree and sign it |
| Submission in CAIS EOP | A user with their own КЕП, under your power of attorney | Approve the price; keep a copy of the encryption key |
| NAP and municipal tax certificates | An accountant, under authorisation | Grant the NAP authorisation |
| Criminal record certificates | Each representative | Obtain them |
| Labour Inspectorate certificate | Prepared for you | Sign the request |
| Financial evidence and references | An accountant; compiled for you | Approve; obtain client certificates |
| ISO certificates | An accredited certification body | Undergo the audit |
| Performance guarantee | A bank or insurer | Sign and pay |
| Complaint to the KZK | An адвокат under your power of attorney | Sign the power of attorney; pay the fee |
The professionals involved
| Professional | Licensed or regulated by | What they do for a bidder |
|---|---|---|
| Адвокат (attorney) | Висш адвокатски съвет and the regional bars | Act as your упълномощено лице (authorised person) in CAIS EOP, signing with their own КЕП under a power of attorney; file complaints to the Commission for Protection of Competition (KZK) and cassation appeals; draft consortium agreements |
| Нотариус (notary) | Нотариална камара на Република България | Certify signatures on powers of attorney (нотариално заверено пълномощно); certify copies and declarations |
| Accountant, дипломиран експерт-счетоводител or регистриран одитор | Институт на дипломираните експерт-счетоводители (ИДЕС) | Obtain the NAP and municipal tax certificates under authorisation; prepare financial statements and turnover evidence; audit (auditors only) |
| Bank or insurer | Българска народна банка; Комисия за финансов надзор | Issue performance and advance-payment guarantees, insurance only up to about EUR 255,646 |
| Certification body | Изпълнителна агенция „Българска служба за акредитация“ (ИА БСА), or another EA member | Issue the ISO certificates used as evidence of technical capacity |
If your company is from abroad
You don’t need a Bulgarian company to bid; who may bid from abroad, and on what terms, is set out in How to bid for public tenders in Bulgaria. For the paperwork:
- CAIS EOP: the same registration as Bulgarian companies, with an English interface available.
- Signature: an EU qualified signature under eIDAS.
- ЕЕДОП: name your home-country databases and authorities.
- Company record: your home register instead of the Commercial Register.
- Criminal record: your home certificate; where none is issued, a declaration with legal effect, or else an official statement before a competent authority (ZOP art. 58(3)–(5)).
- Tax and labour: your home-country certificates, or a declaration; an insolvency certificate from home where the buyer asks.
- Financial evidence and references: your home documents, translated into Bulgarian.
- ISO: equivalent certificates are accepted.
- Apostille: for non-EU public documents, where the tender asks.
Pitfalls
- Back up the encryption key. If the private key is lost after the deadline, your offer can’t be decrypted, whatever it contained.
- Each user signs with their own КЕП. Every CAIS EOP user signs with the signature registered in their own profile; never share your representative’s signature.
- Check the whole ownership chain. Offshore-controlled bidders are barred unless an exception applies.
- Write in Bulgarian, price in euro. Offers are in Bulgarian, and amounts have been in euro since 1 January 2026.
- Request the Labour Inspectorate certificate early. It can take up to 15 days.
- Keep the administrator role. The person who registered your company administers the account; changing that takes a letter to the AOP.
Doing it with askTender
In Bulgaria, your askTender Partner is added as a named user on your company’s account on CAIS EOP and works under their own login. You keep your own login and sign only what the law reserves to you: registering the company with your own КЕП, the ЕЕДОП, the declarations and the power of attorney, and you approve the price. The askTender Desk prepares the ЕЕДОП, the declarations and the technical and price proposals in Bulgarian, assembles the bid and coordinates the certificates; askTender Partners, such as an адвокат, a notary or an accountant, do the steps their licence covers.
Questions
Which documents go in with a bid in Bulgaria?
The ЕЕДОП, Bulgaria’s European Single Procurement Document, with a separate one for each consortium member, subcontractor and company whose capacity you rely on; a declaration under the offshore-companies act; in procedures above the EU thresholds, an EU sanctions declaration; a power of attorney for anyone acting for your company; and your technical and price proposals in Bulgarian, with amounts in euro. No bid bond is needed.
Do I need a qualified electronic signature to bid in Bulgaria?
Yes. Registering your company in CAIS EOP always requires a qualified electronic signature (КЕП), and so does submitting an offer. The signature is personal: each person who signs uses their own, and an EU qualified signature is valid under eIDAS.
Which certificates does the winning bidder provide in Bulgaria?
The criminal record certificate (свидетелство за съдимост) for the persons who represent the company, certificates of no tax and social-security debts from the NAP and from the municipalities of the buyer’s and your seat, and the Labour Inspectorate certificate, which takes up to 15 days. Buyers check the Commercial Register themselves and can’t ask you for what they can access ex officio.
Can my accountant get the tax certificates for me?
Yes. An accountant can request the NAP and municipal certificates under your authorisation, using the NAP e-services with their own qualified signature as your authorised person.
What happens if I lose the encryption key for my CAIS EOP offer?
Your offer can’t be decrypted. CAIS EOP encrypts each offer, and the private key has to be applied after the deadline, so keep a secure backup of the key file.
Sources
- Public Procurement Act, consolidated (Public Procurement Agency)
- Public Procurement Agency: CAIS EOP questions and answers
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.