The rules and the market
| Term |
Meaning |
| Codice dei contratti pubblici |
The Public Contracts Code (D.Lgs. 36/2023), effective July 2023. |
| Correttivo |
The corrective decree (D.Lgs. 209/2024), in force since 31 December 2024. |
| Appalto |
A public contract for works, supplies or services. |
| Stazione appaltante (qualificata) |
Contracting authority. Only qualified authorities can run larger tenders (3,680 at the end of 2025). |
| ANAC |
The National Anti-Corruption Authority, which supervises procurement and runs the national database. |
| BDNCP |
ANAC’s national public contracts database. |
| CIG |
The unique code for each procurement. |
| Soglie europee |
EU thresholds, applied automatically: €140,000 / €216,000 (supplies and services), €5,404,000 (works). |
| Principio di rotazione |
The rotation principle: buyers generally can’t re-award the next contract in the same category to the outgoing supplier. |
Procedures
| Term |
Meaning |
| Affidamento diretto |
Direct award: under €150,000 (works) or €140,000 (supplies and services). |
| Procedura negoziata senza bando |
Negotiated procedure without a notice: at least 5 invitees (works €150k–€1m; supplies and services €140k to the EU threshold), or 10 invitees (works €1m to the EU threshold). |
| Procedura aperta |
Open procedure: at least 30 days. |
| Procedura ristretta |
Restricted procedure. |
| Procedura competitiva con negoziazione |
Competitive procedure with negotiation. |
| Dialogo competitivo / partenariato per l’innovazione |
Competitive dialogue and innovation partnership. |
| Accordo quadro |
Framework agreement. |
| Sistema dinamico di acquisizione (SDA / SDAPA) |
Dynamic purchasing system. Consip’s is SDAPA. |
Finding and reading tenders
| Term |
Meaning |
| PVL (Piattaforma per la pubblicità legale) |
ANAC’s legal-publicity platform, which replaced the Official Gazette from 2024. |
| Piattaforma di approvvigionamento digitale certificata |
A certified e-procurement platform, where tenders run. |
| Bando / disciplinare di gara |
Tender notice / the detailed tender rules. |
| Capitolato |
Specifications. |
| Consip / MePA |
The national central purchasing body, and its electronic marketplace for smaller purchases. |
| acquistinretepa.it |
Consip’s platform. Foreign suppliers can register with an ID equivalent and a video interview. |
Qualifying and bidding
| Term |
Meaning |
| DGUE |
Italy’s version of the European Single Procurement Document. |
| FVOE (fascicolo virtuale dell’operatore economico) |
ANAC’s virtual company file, which buyers use to check your requirements. |
| DURC |
Certificate of paid social contributions. |
| SOA |
Qualification required for works of €150,000 or more, by category (OG general, OS specialist) and value class. Valid 5 years. |
| RTI (raggruppamento temporaneo di imprese) |
Temporary grouping (consortium), with a mandate to the lead member (mandataria). Members are jointly liable. |
| Consorzio stabile |
A permanent consortium of companies. |
| Avvalimento |
Relying on another company’s capacity (including its SOA), under a written contract. |
| Subappalto |
Subcontracting. No percentage cap, but not the whole contract, and at least 20% of it should go to SMEs. |
| Garanzia provvisoria |
Bid security, 2% (1–4%). SMEs get 50% off. |
| Garanzia definitiva |
Performance security, 10%, rising with deep discounts. |
| Soccorso istruttorio |
5–10 days to fix missing application documents. |
| Offerta economicamente più vantaggiosa (OEPV) |
Best price-quality ratio, mandatory for many services. |
| Minor prezzo |
Lowest price, allowed only for standardised supplies and services. |
| Offerta anomala |
An abnormally low bid, which must be explained within 15 days. |
| Firma digitale |
Qualified electronic signature. |
| CCNL |
National collective labour agreement. The buyer names one, and alternatives must be equivalent. |
After the award
| Term |
Meaning |
| Aggiudicazione |
Award. |
| Stand still |
32 days before signing above the EU thresholds. |
| TAR |
Regional administrative court. Challenges within 30 days, with a court fee of €2,000 / €4,000 / €6,000 by value. |
| Anticipazione del prezzo |
Advance payment of 20% (up to 30%) against a guarantee. |
| SAL (stato di avanzamento lavori) |
Progress statement, followed by a payment certificate and payment within 30 days. |
| Revisione prezzi |
Mandatory price revision: works past a 3% cost change (90% of the excess), supplies and services past 5% (80%). |
Questions
What is affidamento diretto?
A direct award without a tender: under €150,000 for works and under €140,000 for supplies and services. The buyer chooses a company with relevant documented experience, and must generally rotate suppliers. Direct awards are 55% of Italian procedures of €40,000 or more by number.
What is a CIG?
The Codice Identificativo Gara: a unique code assigned to each procurement through ANAC’s national database, which follows the tender through every stage, from notice to payment.
What is soccorso istruttorio?
The buyer’s duty to let you fix missing or irregular documents in your application, giving you 5 to 10 days, rather than excluding you. It doesn’t apply to your technical or price offer.
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.
