How to bid for government tenders in Georgia

Georgia at a glance

This guide is about Georgia, the country in the Caucasus, not the US state.


Law in force	Law on State Procurement of 2005, as amended
Next law	2023 Law on Public Procurement, postponed to 1 January 2030
Regulator	State Procurement Agency (SPA)
Portal	tenders.procurement.gov.ge, the single official e-system
E-tender required from	GEL 10,000 (goods, services); GEL 20,000 (works)
Foreign bidders	Eligible directly; no domestic price preference
Language and currency	Georgian (or translated); prices in GEL
Bid security	1% electronic guarantee
Award	Lowest compliant price, by reverse auction
Challenges	Dispute Resolution Council, within 10 days

Where tenders appear

One e-system. Notices, bids, guarantees, fees and complaints all go through the Unified Electronic System of State Procurement at tenders.procurement.gov.ge. Each notice has a number and a tender-type code (SPA, NAT, DAP, MEP or CON).
Language. Notices are in Georgian. An English notice is mandatory at or above EU thresholds and optional below.
The regulator. The State Procurement Agency (SPA) issues the detailed rules and keeps the supplier Blacklist and Whitelist.
Central purchasing. A separate Central Purchasing Body has run consolidated (framework-type) tenders since 1 June 2026.
Donor projects. World Bank, UN, EBRD, ADB, KfW and EIB rules can apply when those organisations take part.
Trade agreements. The EU–Georgia DCFTA, fully in force since 2016, reportedly phases in procurement market opening as Georgia aligns with EU rules. We couldn’t confirm which phase is complete in 2026. A US government statement says Georgia isn’t a party to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement.

Thresholds and procedures

Buyers use simplified procurement, electronic tenders, consolidated tenders, design contests or two-stage e-tenders.

Contract	Rule
Below GEL 10,000 (goods, services) or GEL 20,000 (works)	Simplified procurement allowed
From GEL 10,000 (goods, services) or GEL 20,000 (works)	Electronic tender required
Georgian missions abroad	Simplified up to GEL 50,000
Defence and security buyers	Simplified up to GEL 20,000 (GEL 50,000 per case abroad)

Above these limits, simplified procurement is still allowed in listed cases, such as an exclusive right, urgency or continuity with the same supplier. Exclusive-right and continuity cases need the SPA’s prior agreement.
E-tender types: SPA (standard, reverse auction with extra rounds), NAT (bids hidden, one price cut), DAP (works with a bill of quantities, one price cut) and MEP (two-stage, quality plus price).

Minimum bid periods (calendar days from the day after publication):

Contract	Minimum period
Goods and services below GEL 150,000	7 days (5 to study, 2 to submit)
Goods and services from GEL 150,000	10 days (7 + 3)
Works below GEL 300,000	10 days (7 + 3)
Works from GEL 300,000	20 days (15 + 5)
At or above EU thresholds	30 days (25 + 5), plus an English notice

Study first, then submit. The study period can’t be shortened, and grows if the documents change.
Translation trap. The official English translation of the law shows some of these figures wrongly. The Georgian text governs, and our figures follow it.
EU thresholds in lari are set by an SPA act. We couldn’t confirm the current GEL amounts.
From 1 December 2026, framework agreements (up to 4 years) and e-catalogues become available.

Who can bid

Foreign firms bid directly. The law covers persons “of Georgia or of a foreign country” and has no general requirement to set up a Georgian company.
No home preference. We found no domestic price preference or local-content margin in the current law.
Registration. Register in the e-system as a “supplier”: fill in the online form, accept the terms of use and click the email activation link. Non-residents need full registration to bid; a simplified option only allows market research. We couldn’t confirm any extra identity checks for non-residents.
Language. Bids may be in a foreign language, but each document needs a Georgian translation made under Georgian law. The tender committee decides which version prevails.
Currency. Enter your price in GEL, at or below the estimated value. If you aren’t VAT-registered, bid without VAT.
Winner’s documents. Registration papers are asked for only from the winner, within 5 working days. A non-resident’s documents must be dated no earlier than 30 days before the announcement (or bid opening, for study periods of 15 days or more). Missing papers mean disqualification, with no chance to fix them, so prepare them early.
Consortia need a written joint-activity agreement signed by all members. Members can’t change until the contract is performed.
Subcontractors doing 10% or more of the contract must be named in the bid (since 1 September 2026).
Blacklist and Whitelist. Blacklisted firms are barred for 1 year. Whitelisted suppliers lodge only 50% of the performance or advance guarantee.
Paperwork. US Commerce reportedly finds the documents, including translations, onerous for foreign firms, and says buying is often driven by lowest bid rather than best value.

Bidding, step by step

Find tenders on tenders.procurement.gov.ge.
Register as a supplier, activate by email and add your authorised representatives.
Study the documents and ask questions through the system. Complaints about the documents must come before bid acceptance opens.
Arrange the 1% bid guarantee: a bank or insurer e-guarantee from the system’s register, valid at least 120 days (160 if the bid period is 20 days or more), or a card payment to the SPA.
Submit in order: accept the affidavit, lodge the e-guarantee, pay the bid fee.
Upload your technical documents, then enter your price in GEL. Once the price is in, the documents are locked.
Bid in the reverse auction, cutting your price in steps of 0.4–2% of the estimated value. SPA tenders add extra rounds; NAT and DAP allow one cut.
If you rank first, provide any samples or price justification requested, then your registration documents within 5 working days.
Sign and lodge any performance guarantee within 4–10 working days of the invitation. Signing can’t happen within 3 working days of the “contract being prepared” status.
Get your bid guarantee back within 10 days of the final status, unless you were disqualified for refusing to sign, missing documents or bad faith.

Securities and payment

Bid fee. The law sets GEL 100, but SPA Order No 12 still says GEL 50. We couldn’t confirm what the system actually charges.
Bid security. An e-guarantee of 1% of the estimated value, payable to the SPA.
Performance guarantee. Mandatory from GEL 200,000; below that, only with a stated reason. It’s 2%–5% of the contract value, or up to 10% if the winning price is at least 20% below the estimate, and is lodged on paper before signing.
Advance payments need a guarantee equal to the advance, with some exemptions.
Consolidated tenders. The winner pays the Central Purchasing Body up to 1% of the contract value.
Payment terms are set in each contract. We found no statutory payment deadline.
Price changes. Changes can’t raise the price except for changed circumstances, capped at +10%. Price indexation has been allowed since 1 June 2026.

How bids are evaluated

Lowest price wins. In SPA, NAT and DAP tenders, the lowest bidder whose technical documents comply wins. Ties go to whoever entered the price first.
Quality counts only in MEP two-stage tenders.
Anonymous auction. Bidders and prices are hidden during the main auction. Identities and documents are revealed after closing.
Low prices. A price 20% or more below the estimate may need justifying, if the documents require it. Failing that means disqualification.
Next in line. If the leader is disqualified, the next lowest is evaluated within 5 working days, or the tender may be ended.

Challenging a decision

Where. The Dispute Resolution Council, through a module inside the e-system. You can also go directly to court.
Deadlines.
- Notice or documents: before bid acceptance opens. Anyone interested can complain.
- Later decisions: within 10 days, and before signing. Only bidders can complain.
Limits. The choice of procurement method can’t be challenged. Simplified procurement can be challenged only at or above EU thresholds.
Process. Once a complaint is admitted, the procedure is suspended automatically. The Council decides within 10 working days, extendable by up to 10, after a public hearing. Decisions are binding and published.
Fee. 2% of the estimated value, between GEL 500 and GEL 1,000. Complaints about the notice or documents carry no fee. The fee is refunded if you win, or in full if you withdraw before the hearing.
Court. Council decisions can be appealed to court, but the appeal doesn’t suspend them.

What changed in 2025–2026

12 November 2025: a law created the Central Purchasing Body and made market research mandatory from 1 January 2026.
28 May 2026: a major amendment package. Price indexation took effect on 1 June.
1 June 2026: consolidated tenders moved to the Central Purchasing Body, under the GEL 100 bid-fee rules.
10 June 2026: the 2023 law was postponed to 2030.
- The EU-aligned Law on Public Procurement was due in 2025, then 2027. Parliament has now moved its main body to 1 January 2030, and only procurements announced from then fall under it.
- It will bring “most economically advantageous” award, notarised translations and a bank guarantee from GEL 200,000. Certified procurement specialists follow in 2032.
25 June 2026: bidders and suppliers must give the State Audit Office any procurement document on request.
From about 27 August 2026: tenders can be reserved for firms where at least 30% of staff are disabled or from vulnerable groups.
1 September 2026: new subcontractor rules, and new conviction-based exclusions in central purchasing.
1 December 2026 (coming): framework agreements, e-catalogues, and a 2-year Blacklist bar for bad faith.

Live Georgian tenders

Questions

Do I need a Georgian company or branch to bid in Georgia?

No. Foreign natural and legal persons are eligible bidders, and the law has no general Georgian-registration requirement. You register online in the e-system as a supplier. Individual tenders may still ask for specific documents.

Which procurement law applies in Georgia in 2026?

The 2005 Law on State Procurement, as amended. The EU-aligned 2023 Law on Public Procurement applies only to procurements announced from 1 January 2030.

Can I bid in English in Georgia?

Your documents may be in English, but each needs a Georgian translation made under Georgian law. Prices must be in lari (GEL). An English notice is required only at or above EU thresholds.

What does it cost to bid in Georgia?

A bid fee, set by law at GEL 100, and a 1% electronic bid guarantee. If you win a contract of GEL 200,000 or more, you also lodge a 2–5% performance guarantee (up to 10% if your price is at least 20% below the estimate).

Do Georgian firms get a price preference?

No domestic price preference appears in the current law. Standard e-tenders go to the lowest compliant price; quality counts only in two-stage MEP tenders.

How do I challenge a tender decision in Georgia?

File online with the Dispute Resolution Council: before bid acceptance opens for the documents, within 10 days for other decisions. Admission suspends the procedure, and the Council decides within 10 working days (extendable). You can also go directly to court.

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.