Hong Kong at a glance
| Rules | Stores and Procurement Regulations (SPR), made under the Public Finance Ordinance, plus Financial Circulars |
| Central buyer | GLD, the Government Logistics Department; the Development Bureau (DEVB) for public works |
| Where tenders appear | The Government Gazette (Fridays) and the GLD e-Tender Box; DEVB e-TS for works |
| Open tender from | HK$1.35 million (goods, services); HK$3 million (consultancy); HK$7 million (construction services) |
| Foreign bidders | Open tenders are open to all; no country-of-origin discrimination |
| WTO GPA | A party since 1997; procurement chapters with New Zealand, Chile and Australia |
| Security | No bid bond normally; a 2% contract deposit for the winner |
| Scoring | Usually 50–70% technical, 30–50% price |
| Challenges | The department or tender board, then the Review Body on Bid Challenges |
The SPR are administrative regulations, not a statute. Their principles are:
- best value for money, judged on whole-life cost, not just price;
- open and fair competition;
- transparency;
- pro-innovation;
- integrity.
National security is part of the rules: departments must consider national-security risks at every stage, and standard contracts allow disqualification and termination on national-security grounds.
Public bodies outside the SPR, such as the Hospital Authority, Housing Authority, Airport Authority and MTR, run their own procurement. They’re still covered by the WTO GPA.
Thresholds
| Procurement | Quotations up to | Tenders above |
|---|---|---|
| Goods, general services, revenue contracts | HK$1.35 million | HK$1.35 million |
| Consultancy | HK$3 million | HK$3 million |
| Construction and engineering services | HK$7 million | HK$7 million |
WTO GPA thresholds in 2026:
| Entities | Goods and services | Construction |
|---|---|---|
| Central government | 130,000 SDR (≈HK$1.36 million) | 5 million SDR (≈HK$52.12 million) |
| Hospital Authority, Housing Authority, Airport Authority, MTR | 400,000 SDR (≈HK$4.17 million) | ≈HK$52.12 million |
Who approves tenders:
| Body | Covers |
|---|---|
| Departmental tender committees | Up to HK$10 million (non-works) |
| GLD Tender Board | Up to HK$60 million |
| Public Works Tender Board | Up to HK$200 million |
| Central Tender Board | Above those amounts |
Currency: contracts are normally priced in HK$. A foreign-currency quote may be allowed where the overseas element is significant.
Who can bid
- Open tenders are open to everyone. All interested suppliers may submit tenders, and the rules prohibit discrimination by country of origin. Specifications mustn’t create unnecessary obstacles to trade.
- For GPA-covered tenders, departments must give overseas bidders enough time, and are encouraged to notify consulates and trade commissions.
- Business registration. A tender must show a Hong Kong business registration number or evidence of exemption. For GLD’s notification lists, overseas suppliers provide a company profile or annual report instead.
- GLD notification lists are optional. They’re free mailing lists for tender notices, renamed from “supplier lists” in 2025 to make clear they’re not prequalification. You can bid on any open tender without being on one.
- Language. Gazette tender notices are published in English and Chinese. Each tender’s documents set the submission language, so check the conditions.
Public works: the Approved List
- Who gets invited. Public works tenders are normally open only to contractors on DEVB’s List of Approved Contractors for Public Works. Firms not on the list can still bid in a joint venture with a listed contractor.
- Contract-size groups:
| Group | Contract size |
|---|---|
| A | Up to HK$150 million |
| B | Up to HK$400 million |
| C | Above HK$400 million |
- Who can apply. Admission is open to local, Mainland and overseas applicants under the same rules. On admission, a contractor must have or set up a place of business in Hong Kong. New entrants are normally probationary.
- Fast-track route for international contractors: overseas experience can earn direct entry to Group C at confirmed status. You need contract(s) outside Hong Kong of more than HK$2 billion, comparable to Hong Kong public works and authenticated by the relevant government or consulate. DEVB cites about HK$120 billion of capital works a year ahead.
- Online bidding: since 1 April 2026, open public-works tenders under the Central and Public Works Tender Boards run entirely on DEVB’s e-TS(WC) platform.
Bidding, step by step
- Find tenders on the GLD e-Tender Box, in the Gazette, on department tender pages, and on DEVB e-TS for works. Notices say whether a tender is GPA-covered.
- Optionally join GLD’s notification lists for alerts.
- For works, get on the Approved List, or partner with a listed contractor.
- Set up e-tendering access on the e-Tender Box. Log in with a digital certificate or the free identification code (the “alternative authentication method”).
- Get the documents by download or in person. For GPA tenders, departments must send documents on written request.
- Prequalify if the tender requires it. GPA tenders allow at least 25 days for applications.
- Prepare your bid against the essential requirements (pass/fail) and the published marking scheme. Include your business registration number or proof of exemption.
- Submit before closing, online or in the specified tender box.
- Deadlines: at least 40 days for GPA tenders, and normally at least three weeks otherwise.
- Weather: closing is extended if Typhoon Signal No. 8 or above, a Black Rainstorm warning or “extreme conditions” are in force between 9:00 and 12:00 on closing day.
- During evaluation, for contracts above HK$15 million, expect financial vetting, direct verification of your documents with third parties, and possibly a site visit.
- On award, lodge the contract deposit or performance bond before signing.
Deposits and payment
- Tender deposits are “not normally required.”
- Contract deposit or performance bond, lodged before signing:
- 2% on non-works contracts above HK$1.35 million;
- above HK$15 million: 2% if you pass financial vetting, otherwise 5% (low risk) or 6% (high risk);
- it can be a guarantee from a bank, an insurer or a financially capable parent company.
- Works deposits and retentions follow DEVB technical circulars. Non-works retention is normally no more than 5%.
- Payment should normally be made within 30 calendar days of accepting deliverables. Since June 2025, payment is electronic only, by bank transfer or FPS, and cheques are no longer used.
How bids are evaluated
- Essential requirements come first. A tender that fails them loses even at the lowest price.
- Without a marking scheme, the lowest conforming tender wins. With one, the tender that passes the minimum marks with the highest overall score is normally recommended.
- Weighting. Under the Standard Marking Scheme, non-works tenders normally weight technical at 50–70% and price at 30–50%, and reserve some technical marks for innovation.
- Below 50% technical needs senior approval; above 70% needs tender-board approval.
- Contracts relying on non-skilled workers must give at least 25 of 100 technical marks to wages.
- Pro-innovation policy (since 2019). Scored experience is capped, and large contracts should be split to help SMEs.
- Since 1 January 2026, departments can make experience an essential requirement without prior approval in more cases.
- No domestic price preference. The government isn’t bound to accept the lowest or highest-scoring tender, and may negotiate.
Challenging a decision
- Complain to the procuring department, the tender board, or the Office of The Ombudsman. A substantive reply is due within 10 working days.
- For GPA-covered tenders, file with the Review Body on Bid Challenges. Its secretariat is at the Trade and Industry Department.
- Deadline: 10 working days from when you knew, or should have known, the basis of your challenge; the chairman can extend it to 30.
- What it does: it can recommend rapid interim measures and remedies.
- It also hears challenges under Hong Kong’s agreements with New Zealand, Chile and Australia.
- Corruption: report it to the ICAC. Offering advantages to win public contracts, or to get a rival to withdraw a tender, is an offence.
- Courts generally treat tendering as commercial and rarely review tender decisions without fraud, corruption or bad faith.
What changed in 2025–2026
- 1 June 2025: electronic payment only.
- August 2025: a bottled-water fraud case led to a government-wide procurement review. The task force reported in January 2026.
- October–November 2025:
- due-diligence guidelines, and a GLD audit section that checks about 120 tenders a year;
- revised standard terms: site visits, third-party verification, disqualification and immediate termination for misrepresentation or public interest;
- supplier lists renamed notification lists.
- November 2025: DEVB promoted the fast-track route for international contractors.
- 1 January 2026:
- financial vetting extended to goods contracts above HK$15 million;
- experience allowed more often as an essential requirement;
- updated GPA thresholds (HK$1.36 million / HK$4.17 million / HK$52.12 million).
- 1 April 2026: DEVB’s e-TS(WC) became mandatory for open public-works tenders.
Live Hong Kong tenders
See also which countries can bid on which government tenders.
Questions
Can a company with no Hong Kong office bid for Hong Kong government tenders?
Yes, for open tenders of goods and services. Anyone may tender, there’s no discrimination by country of origin, and the Government Logistics Department accepts a company profile or annual report from overseas suppliers in place of a Hong Kong business registration. Public works are different: you need a place on the Development Bureau’s Approved List, which requires a Hong Kong place of business, or a joint venture with a listed contractor.
What is the threshold for an open tender in Hong Kong?
Above HK$1.35 million for goods and general services, HK$3 million for consultancy and HK$7 million for construction and engineering services; below those, quotations are used. The WTO GPA covers central-government goods and services above about HK$1.36 million and construction above about HK$52.12 million in 2026.
Do Hong Kong government tenders need a bid bond?
Normally not: tender deposits are ‘not normally required’. The winner lodges a contract deposit or performance bond before signing, usually 2% on non-works contracts above HK$1.35 million, rising to 5–6% above HK$15 million if the bidder doesn’t pass financial vetting.
How are Hong Kong government tenders scored?
Pass/fail essential requirements come first. Under the Standard Marking Scheme, non-works tenders normally weight technical merit at 50–70% and price at 30–50%, with some technical marks reserved for innovation. Without a marking scheme, the lowest conforming tender wins.
How long do I have to bid, and can I submit online?
At least 40 days for tenders covered by the WTO GPA, and normally at least three weeks otherwise. You can submit online through the GLD e-Tender Box, logging in with a digital certificate or a free identification code. Since 1 April 2026, open public-works tenders run entirely on the Development Bureau’s e-TS(WC) system.
How do I challenge a Hong Kong government tender?
Complain first to the procuring department, the tender board or the Ombudsman; a substantive reply is due within 10 working days. For GPA-covered tenders, file with the Review Body on Bid Challenges at the Trade and Industry Department within 10 working days (extendable to 30). Report suspected corruption to the ICAC.
Sources
- Stores and Procurement Regulations, Chapter III: Tender Procedures (FSTB)
- FSTB: Guide to Procurement
- Report of Task Force on Review of Government Procurement Regime (January 2026)
- Trade and Industry Department: Government Procurement (WTO GPA)
- Trade and Industry Department: Review Body on Bid Challenges
- Development Bureau: fast-track admission to the List of Approved Contractors
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.