The rules and the market
| Term |
Meaning |
| Commande publique |
Public procurement as a whole: public contracts and concessions. |
| Code de la commande publique (CCP) |
The French procurement code, in force since 1 April 2019. |
| Marché public |
A public contract. |
| Acheteur / pouvoir adjudicateur / entité adjudicatrice |
Buyer; a contracting authority; a contracting entity (utilities). |
| Seuils européens |
EU thresholds. In 2026: €140,000 (the State), €216,000 (local authorities) and €5,404,000 (works). |
| Marché sans publicité ni mise en concurrence |
A contract without advertising or competition. Allowed below €60,000 (supplies and services) or €100,000 (works) in 2026. |
| DAJ |
The Ministry of the Economy’s legal directorate, which publishes procurement guidance. |
Procedures
| Term |
Meaning |
| MAPA (marché à procédure adaptée) |
The adapted procedure below the EU thresholds. The buyer sets the rules and can negotiate. |
| Procédure formalisée |
A formal procedure, above the EU thresholds. |
| Appel d’offres ouvert |
Open tender: anyone can bid. At least 35 days (30 electronically). |
| Appel d’offres restreint |
Restricted tender: candidates apply first, and those selected bid. |
| Procédure avec négociation |
Competitive procedure with negotiation. |
| Dialogue compétitif |
Competitive dialogue. |
| Accord-cadre |
Framework agreement, up to 4 years (8 for utilities). It accounts for 74% of French contract value. |
| Bon de commande / marché subséquent |
An order under a framework, or a follow-on contract competed among framework holders. |
| Système d’acquisition dynamique (SAD) |
Dynamic purchasing system. |
| Allotissement / lot |
Division into lots. |
| Variante |
An alternative solution. Allowed by default since the May 2026 simplification law, unless excluded. |
Finding and reading tenders
| Term |
Meaning |
| BOAMP |
The official bulletin of public contract notices. Free search and alerts. |
| JOUE / TED |
The EU’s Official Journal and its online supplement, TED, for above-threshold notices. |
| JAL (journal d’annonces légales) |
A legal-notice newspaper, an alternative to BOAMP for mid-sized contracts. |
| Profil d’acheteur |
The buyer’s online platform, where you download documents and bid. |
| PLACE |
The State’s procurement platform (marches-publics.gouv.fr). |
| Avis de marché / avis d’appel public à la concurrence |
Contract notice. |
| DCE (dossier de consultation des entreprises) |
The full tender file, free online from €60,000 when a notice is published. |
| RC (règlement de la consultation) |
The rules of the consultation: deadlines, criteria, documents to supply. |
| CCAP / CCTP |
Special administrative and technical specifications. |
| BPU / DPGF / DQE |
Unit-price schedule, lump-sum price breakdown, and estimated quantities schedule. |
| Mémoire technique |
Your technical proposal. |
| DECP |
The open data on awarded contracts of €40,000 or more, published on data.gouv.fr. |
Applying and bidding
| Term |
Meaning |
| Candidature / offre |
Your application (capacity and eligibility), and your bid. |
| DUME |
France’s version of the European Single Procurement Document, which buyers must accept at any value. |
| DC1 / DC2 |
French forms for the application letter and the candidate’s declaration. |
| DC4 |
Declaration of a subcontractor, for the buyer’s acceptance. |
| Attestation de vigilance (URSSAF) |
Proof of paid social contributions, renewed every 6 months. Required from the winner. |
| Kbis |
The French company-register extract. Foreign firms provide the equivalent. |
| Groupement (conjoint / solidaire) |
Consortium: each member liable for its own share, or all liable for the whole. |
| Mandataire |
The consortium’s lead member, mandatory in both forms. |
| Sous-traitance |
Subcontracting. You can’t subcontract the whole contract. |
| Offre économiquement la plus avantageuse |
The most economically advantageous tender. |
| Offre anormalement basse |
An abnormally low bid, which must be explained. |
| Signature électronique |
Usually required only from the winner. It must be advanced with a qualified certificate, or qualified. |
After the award
| Term |
Meaning |
| Lettre de rejet |
Rejection letter. Losing bidders can ask for the reasons. |
| Délai de standstill |
The wait before signing on formal procedures: 11 days electronic, 16 otherwise. |
| Référé précontractuel |
An urgent court challenge before the contract is signed. |
| Recours Tarn-et-Garonne |
A challenge to the signed contract by a harmed third party, within 2 months. |
| Avance |
Advance payment: mandatory over €50,000 and two months, at least 30% for SMEs on State contracts. |
| Retenue de garantie |
A retention guarantee, capped at 3% for SMEs with large buyers. |
| Délai global de paiement |
Payment deadline: 30 days (State and local authorities), 50 (hospitals), 60 (public enterprises). |
| Intérêts moratoires / indemnité forfaitaire |
Late-payment interest (ECB rate + 8 points) and a €40 collection fee. |
| Chorus Pro |
The State’s e-invoicing portal, mandatory for invoices to public buyers. Foreign suppliers can register without a SIRET. |
| SIRET |
The French establishment number. Not needed to bid. |
Questions
What is a MAPA in French procurement?
A marché à procédure adaptée: the adapted procedure French buyers use below the EU thresholds, and for social and specific services at any value. The buyer designs the process, which may include negotiation, as long as it’s proportionate and announced. Just over half of French contracts of €40,000 or more are MAPAs.
What is the DCE?
The dossier de consultation des entreprises: the complete tender file, including the rules of the consultation (RC), the specifications (CCAP and CCTP) and price schedules. From €60,000, when a notice is published, it must be available online free of charge.
What is the difference between a groupement conjoint and solidaire?
Both are consortia. In a groupement solidaire, every member is liable for the whole contract; in a groupement conjoint, each member answers only for its own share, though the lead member (mandataire) may be made jointly liable if the contract says so.
Sources
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.
