This guide is the checklist behind a Cypriot bid: each document and step in the order a tender asks for it, and who can lawfully handle it. For how Cypriot procurement works overall (thresholds, procedures, who may bid, how bids are assessed, payment and recourse), see How to bid for public tenders in Cyprus.
Before you bid
1. Your company’s Economic Operator account on eProcurement. Every step of a Cypriot tender, from downloading the documents to asking questions and submitting, runs through the national e-procurement system at eprocurement.gov.cy. The Treasury’s Public Procurement Directorate runs it, and a new version has been live since 3 February 2026 at the same address and with the same credentials. Companies from any country can register.
- What the form asks: your country, a VAT number (looked up in VIES), the organisation’s name and legal form, its company registration number or another business ID, an address, email and phone, its SME classification and its activities. A sole trader also gives an ID or passport number.
- Who does it: the data can be filled in for you. Your company creates the account, confirms the data and keeps the credentials.
2. A VAT number or Tax Identification Code. Registration asks for a unique VAT number. A Cypriot company holds a Tax Identification Code (TIC) and a VAT number from the Tax Department (Τμήμα Φορολογίας); both are free and permanent.
- Who does it: an accountant registers a Cypriot entity for TIC and VAT once you authorise them.
- From abroad: use your home VAT number (EU numbers are checked in VIES) or your company or business ID.
3. Contractor registration, for building and civil-engineering works. Under Law 29(I)/2001 (arts. 25 and 52), only a contractor on the Contractors Register, holding the annual licence for the right class and category, may execute works. The Council for the Registration and Control of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors issues it. It is formally needed before the contract, but confirm it before you bid to win.
- Who does it: an engineer or an advocate prepares the application with your technical staff and financial evidence; your company’s representative signs it.
- From abroad: companies incorporated in the EU, the EEA or Switzerland can apply for registration. Other foreign contractors of recognised standing apply for a special licence from the Council of Ministers, valid for one specific project; an advocate files it on your instructions and you sign the application.
4. Greek translations and the apostille, for a foreign company. Most tenders accept Greek only, so plan certified Greek translations of your foreign documents early. Originals also need an apostille, unless EU Regulation 2016/1191 covers them.
- Who does it: a certified translator translates and your home-state authority apostilles the originals, which you provide.
- Cost and time: market price; days.
5. Clarification questions, and checking the terms. Questions go to the buyer through eProcurement. If a term of the tender looks unlawful, a recourse against it must reach the Tender Review Authority within 10 days.
- Who does it: the questions can be drafted for you and you submit them from your account; an advocate files any recourse.
With your bid
6. The ESPD (ΕΕΕΣ). The European Single Procurement Document is your self-declaration, and buyers must accept it as preliminary evidence instead of certificates (Law 73(I)/2016, art. 59). It is free and made for each tender.
- Who does it: it can be completed for you; your representative confirms it and signs or submits it.
7. The tender guarantee or non-withdrawal commitment, when the tender asks. The standard templates provide for either a tender guarantee or a commitment not to withdraw your offer, and each tender sets the amount. A bank or insurer issues the guarantee on the tender’s template, within days, for its market commission; it stays valid as the tender sets.
- Who does it: the bank or insurer; you sign the facility, or you sign the non-withdrawal declaration yourself.
8. The consortium agreement, for a joint bid. Groups may bid together, and a legal form may be required only after award. An advocate drafts the agreement, which runs for the contract, and every member signs it.
9. Electronic submission on eProcurement. Your technical and financial offers, the ESPD and any guarantee go in electronically before the deadline.
- Who does it: all the files can be prepared for you. Your representative logs into your company’s own account, uploads them and submits; the credentials are never shared.
If you become the preferred bidder
The buyer asks the preferred bidder for the evidence behind its ESPD, uploaded on eProcurement.
| Document | Issued by | Who handles it | Valid for | What only you do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registrar of Companies certificates (incorporation, registered office, directors and secretary, shareholders) | Department of Registrar of Companies and Intellectual Property (DRCIP) | Ordered for you online from the public register | Recent, as the tender documents usually require | — |
| Tax compliance certificate (fulfilment of tax obligations) | Tax Department | An accountant or tax agent, where you authorise them | — | Authorise them, or request it yourself |
| Social Insurance certificate (contributions paid) | Social Insurance Services (Υπηρεσίες Κοινωνικών Ασφαλίσεων) | An accountant or representative requests it for you as employer | — | Authorise them |
| Criminal record certificates of the directors and representatives | Cyprus Police | Each person requests their own | — | Each director obtains their own |
| Economic and financial standing (audited accounts, turnover, bank letters, insurance), if the tender asks | Your auditor, bank or insurer | An ICPAC accountant prepares it | — | Sign the statements |
| Technical ability (similar contracts with certificates, CVs), if the tender asks | Your previous clients | Collected for you; free; takes weeks | — | — |
Before the contract and the first invoice
The performance guarantee. Lodged at contract signature in most contracts, together with an advance-payment guarantee where the contract provides for one. On works, no payment is certified until the performance guarantee has been approved. A bank or insurer issues it on the standard template for its market commission, within days, and it covers the contract. You sign the facility, and your authorised signatory signs the contract after the standstill.
The contractor licence, for works. The Contractors Register licence, or the special licence, has to be in place: see step 3.
Invoicing. An accountant issues the invoices as the contract sets out. No payment is made before the award results are recorded in eProcurement.
Who does what
| Step | Who can do it | What only you do |
|---|---|---|
| eProcurement registration | The data is filled in for you | Create the account, confirm the data and keep the credentials |
| VAT number or TIC | An accountant, for a Cypriot entity | Authorise the accountant |
| Contractor registration | An engineer or an advocate prepares the application | Your representative signs |
| Special licence for a foreign works contractor | An advocate files it | Sign the application |
| Greek translations and apostille | A certified translator; your home authority apostilles | Provide the originals |
| Clarification questions | Drafted for you | Submit them from your account |
| ESPD | Completed for you | Confirm and sign it |
| Tender guarantee | A bank or insurer | Sign the facility, or the non-withdrawal declaration |
| Consortium agreement | An advocate drafts | Each member signs |
| Submission | Files prepared for you | Log in and submit |
| Registrar of Companies certificates | Ordered for you | — |
| Tax and Social Insurance certificates | An accountant, where authorised | Authorise them, or request them yourself |
| Criminal record certificates | — | Each director requests their own |
| Financial and technical evidence | An ICPAC accountant; references collected for you | Sign the statements |
| Performance guarantee | A bank or insurer | Sign the facility and the contract |
| Recourse to the Tender Review Authority | An advocate files it | Instruct the advocate and sign the solemn declaration |
The professionals involved
| Professional | Licensed or regulated by | What they do for a bidder |
|---|---|---|
| Bank or insurer | Central Bank of Cyprus (banks); Insurance Companies Control Service (insurers) | Issue tender guarantees or back non-withdrawal commitments, and issue performance and advance-payment guarantees on the standard templates; provide the guarantee for interim measures before the Tender Review Authority (1% of the estimated value, capped at €50,000) |
| Tender consultant | Unregulated | Follow eProcurement; prepare the ESPD and the offer documents in Greek or English for you to submit |
If your company is from abroad
You don’t need a Cypriot company, branch or agent to register on eProcurement and bid, although building and civil-engineering works can only be carried out by a registered contractor or under a special licence; who may bid from abroad, and on what terms, is explained in How to bid for public tenders in Cyprus. For the paperwork:
- eProcurement: enter your home VAT number (EU numbers via VIES) or your company or business ID.
- Company record: your home-country registry extract instead of the Registrar of Companies certificates, apostilled and translated into Greek, or into English if the tender accepts it.
- Tax: a home-state certificate, or a sworn declaration, with a Greek translation.
- Social insurance: the home-state equivalent; workers posted to Cyprus need an A1.
- Criminal records: home-state certificates or a sworn declaration, apostilled and translated.
- Financial and experience evidence: your home audited accounts and references, translated.
- Works: EU, EEA and Swiss companies apply for registration; other foreign contractors apply for the project’s special licence.
Pitfalls
- Never share your eProcurement credentials. The account belongs to your company, and only your company logs in with them.
- Order translations early. Most tenders accept Greek only, and certified translations take days.
- Check the contractor licence before you bid for works, or the special licence if your firm is from outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland.
- Count the days. A recourse runs 15 days from the decision, or 10 days against the terms. Interim measures need a solemn declaration that you will provide a guarantee, and if they are granted over the buyer’s objection you lodge 1% of the estimated value, up to €50,000, within 5 working days.
- Start criminal records first. They are identity-bound, so each director has to request their own.
Doing it with askTender
In Cyprus, the account belongs to your company and extra named users aren’t confirmed, so you log in and press submit yourself, in a guided session with askTender. Everything before that is prepared for you. You sign only what the law reserves to you: the eProcurement registration and submission, the ESPD, the guarantee facilities or non-withdrawal declaration, any contractor-licence application and the contract, while your directors obtain their own criminal records. The askTender Desk prepares the ESPD, the offers and the bid files and coordinates the certificates; askTender Partners, such as an advocate or an accountant, do the steps their licence covers.
Questions
Which documents do I submit with a bid in Cyprus?
The ESPD (ΕΕΕΣ), which buyers must accept as preliminary evidence instead of certificates, and your technical and financial offers, usually in Greek. Depending on the tender you add a tender guarantee or a non-withdrawal commitment, and for a joint bid the consortium agreement. Certificates come later, and only from the preferred bidder.
What does the preferred bidder have to provide in Cyprus?
Evidence uploaded on eProcurement: Registrar of Companies certificates, a tax compliance certificate from the Tax Department, a Social Insurance Services certificate and the criminal record certificates of the directors and representatives, plus any financial or technical evidence the tender lists. A foreign company gives its home-country equivalents, apostilled and translated into Greek.
Do I need a Cypriot VAT number to register on eProcurement?
No. Registration is open to companies from any country. You enter your home VAT number, which is checked in VIES for EU companies, or your company registration number or business ID.
Who can submit the bid for my company?
Your company, from its own eProcurement account. The account and its credentials belong to the company and are never shared, so your representative logs in, uploads and submits. Everything up to that point can be prepared for you.
Do I need a contractor licence to bid for works in Cyprus?
Building and civil-engineering works may only be carried out by a contractor on the Contractors Register with the annual licence for the right class and category. Companies incorporated in the EU, the EEA or Switzerland can apply for registration; other foreign firms of recognised standing need a special licence for the specific project from the Council of Ministers. Confirm it before you bid to win.
Sources
- eProcurement: Economic Operator registration form
- Law 73(I)/2016 on public procurement, consolidated (CyLaw)
- Law 104(I)/2010 on remedies, consolidated (CyLaw)
- Amending Law 189(I)/2025 (CyLaw)
- Law 29(I)/2001 on the registration of contractors (CyLaw)
- Treasury Best Practices Guide: payment procedures
- US Commercial Service: Cyprus, selling to the public sector
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.