How to bid for public tenders in Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein at a glance


Main law	Public Procurement Act (ÖAWG) and Ordinance (ÖAWV); a separate act for utilities
Portal	vergaben.llv.li; national notices also in the electronic Official Gazette
Supplier register	None; home-country evidence and the ESPD
E-signature	Advanced electronic signature under eIDAS
EEA thresholds (from 21 March 2026)	Goods and services CHF 132,849 (Government), CHF 204,967 (other buyers); works CHF 5,127,994
Language	German
Foreign bidders	EEA by treaty; WTO GPA on covered contracts; reciprocity for everyone else
Challenges	Appeal within 10 / 14 days; no automatic suspension

Where tenders appear

The portal. The State’s e-tendering portal is vergaben.llv.li, which runs on ANKÖ, an Austrian e-procurement provider. 2026 TED notices link to it for both documents and submission.
The Official Gazette. All tenders, above and below the thresholds, must be published in German nationally. The electronic Official Gazette (Amtsblatt) carries works, supply and service tenders.
TED. Above EEA thresholds, notices go to TED first. The national notice can’t appear earlier, unless the EU confirmation takes over 48 hours.
Volume. Up to 5 October 2026, Liechtenstein buyers published 175 notices on TED. The busiest were the State Property Unit (SSL) and the Office of Informatics.
Who’s covered. The State, the municipalities (Gemeinden), public-law bodies, some subsidised private bodies, and groupings at least 50% publicly owned.
Central support. The Specialized Unit for Public Procurement handles State procurement.
Unconfirmed. We couldn’t confirm whether the portal needs an account or charges fees, or whether every municipality uses it.

Thresholds and procedures

Amounts are in Swiss francs (CHF), with euro values from the threshold notice.

Contract value	Rule
Up to CHF 100,000	Direct award allowed, on market terms
Below CHF 132,849	Negotiated procedure without a notice allowed
Other contracts below EEA thresholds	Open or restricted procedure is the norm
Government goods and services from CHF 132,849 (EUR 140,000)	Full EEA procedures, on TED
Other buyers’ goods and services from CHF 204,967 (EUR 216,000)	Full EEA procedures
Works and concessions from CHF 5,127,994 (EUR 5,404,000)	Full EEA procedures
Social and specific services from CHF 711,694 (EUR 750,000)	Full EEA procedures

Utilities (water, energy, transport, postal) have their own act: CHF 409,935 (EUR 432,000) for goods and services, the same works threshold, and CHF 948,925 for social and specific services.
WTO GPA thresholds are separate, for example CHF 230,000 for Government goods and services and CHF 8,700,000 for works.
Valuing works. All works contracts in one project are added up. Goods and services use the single contract’s value.
Procedures. Above EEA thresholds, the buyer picks open or restricted; negotiation and dialogue are exceptions. In practice, 162 of 175 TED notices in 2026 were open.
Minimum periods above EEA thresholds.
- Open: 35 days from dispatch, 30 with e-submission, 15 with a prior information notice or if urgent.
- Restricted: 30 days to ask to take part, then 30 to bid, with shorter options.
- Questions: answered at least 6 days before the deadline.
Below EEA thresholds: at least 17 days for an open procedure, and per stage of a restricted one.
Deadline time. Bids must arrive by 17:00 on the last day.
Bid validity. 3 months unless the notice says otherwise; many 2026 notices asked for 6.

Who can bid

Where you’re from	Basis	Position
EEA (EU, Iceland, Norway)	EEA Agreement	Equal treatment by treaty
Switzerland	Reportedly the WTO GPA, the EFTA Convention and reciprocity	Largest group of foreign winners
Other WTO GPA parties (e.g. US, UK, Japan, Korea)	WTO GPA	Covered at or above GPA thresholds; reciprocity below
Everyone else (e.g. India, China, Brazil)	Reciprocity only	Admitted only as far as your home country admits Liechtenstein firms

Reciprocity. Without a treaty right, you’re admitted to the extent Liechtenstein firms are admitted, in law and in fact, in your home country. The buyer can ask for proof.
Who wins. One official summary reports that in 2025 the State made 353 awards worth CHF 108 million: 52% to Liechtenstein firms and 44% to Swiss firms.
No local registration. The buyer may ask for proof you’re authorised in your home country, such as a register extract, plus financial and technical evidence.
ESPD. Buyers must accept the European Single Procurement Document as preliminary proof.
Language. Notices and documents are in German. Every 2026 TED notice that named a bid language specified German.
Consortia are allowed, with joint and several liability. A legal form can be required only after award.
Subcontractors need the buyer’s approval and must be named. The main contractor stays liable.
Exclusion follows insolvency, collusion, serious misconduct or unpaid taxes and contributions. Self-cleaning is possible.
Local rules. Contracts must include Liechtenstein rules on safety, pay, rest and holidays, gender equality, immigration of third-country nationals, the environment, and taxes and social contributions.
Unconfirmed. We couldn’t confirm extra steps for foreign firms working on site, such as posted-worker notifications or trade permits.

Bidding, step by step

Find tenders on TED above EEA thresholds, and in the Official Gazette and on vergaben.llv.li at all values.
Check your eligibility. Without a treaty right, be ready to prove reciprocity.
Get the documents from the vergaben.llv.li link in the notice, or the address a municipality gives.
Ask questions early. Above EEA thresholds, answers come at least 6 days before the deadline.
Prepare the bid in German, with the ESPD, a home-country register extract, financial evidence, and references: 5 years for works, 3 years for goods and services. Add consortium and subcontractor details.
Sign and submit. Above EEA thresholds, submit electronically with an advanced eIDAS signature. Below them, hand, post or fax delivery is also allowed. Arrive by 17:00.
Keep the bid valid for 3 months, or the period in the notice.
After the award note, ask in writing for a formal award decision within 10 days if you may challenge.
Sign the contract after the standstill: 10 days (electronic or fax) or 15 (post).
Perform under local rules, get subcontractors approved, and send European-standard e-invoices above EEA thresholds.

Securities and payment

No statutory bid bond. The law sets no bid or performance security; each tender sets its own.
In practice. Most 2026 Liechtenstein TED notices asked for no guarantee. Three from the municipality of Mauren required a bank guarantee of 10% of the final account sum. We couldn’t confirm typical levels or retention practice beyond these.
Payment. Terms can be at most 30 days, or the clause is void. Up to 60 days is allowed only if objectively justified, or for healthcare bodies.
Acceptance should take at most 30 days after delivery, unless the documents say otherwise and this isn’t grossly unfair.
Late payment. Interest below the statutory rate is void.
E-invoicing. Above EEA thresholds, buyers must accept e-invoices to the European standard (EN 16931).

How bids are evaluated

Best value. The award goes to the most economically advantageous tender, on price, cost (such as life-cycle costing) or price and quality. Weightings, or a ranked order, must be published.
In practice. Of 2026 TED contract notices stating criteria, 12 were price-only and 19 combined quality with price or cost.
No price-cut rounds. Post-bid rounds to push prices down (Abgebotsrunden) are prohibited.
Abnormally low bids must be explained.
No home preference. There’s no price preference for domestic bidders. Contracts can be reserved only for sheltered workshops or social enterprises with at least 30% disabled or disadvantaged workers.
Unconfirmed. We couldn’t confirm how far municipalities favour local firms when inviting bidders directly.

Challenging a decision

Step one. Ask in writing for a formal award decision within 10 days of the award note.
Where. Appeals against contracting authorities go to the Administrative Appeals Commission (VBK). Government decisions, and VBK decisions, go to the Administrative Court (VGH).
Deadline. 10 days from service by electronic means or fax, 14 days by post.
What you can challenge. Selection, exclusion, award, cancellation, and framework or dynamic purchasing decisions.
Value limit. No appeal for contracts up to CHF 200,000 excluding VAT, unless above EEA thresholds.
No automatic suspension. Request interim measures with your appeal. They’re decided within 14 days and may need a security of 5% of the contract value, at least CHF 10,000.
Standstill. 10 days (electronic or fax) or 15 days (post); earlier contracts are void.
Void contracts. Challenge an illegal direct award within 30 days of the award note, and at most 6 months after signature.
Limits. You must risk harm, and can argue only illegality. Damages cover only bid and review costs.
Fees. Review bodies can ask for advance payments. We couldn’t find a fee schedule.

What changed in 2025–2026

1 February 2025: contracts mainly for public communications networks or services left the Act’s scope.
14 November 2025: the US, Switzerland and Liechtenstein issued a non-binding joint statement saying states outside the GPA or similar agreements shouldn’t get non-discriminatory treatment in covered central-government procurement. We couldn’t confirm whether it has led to a signed agreement or any legal change.
21 March 2026:
- New thresholds took effect, lower in francs: Government goods and services fell from CHF 143,923 to CHF 132,849, and works from CHF 5,573,777 to CHF 5,127,994.
- Ordinance update: the negotiated-procedure limit below the thresholds moved to CHF 132,849.
2026: the State reportedly published 2025 statistics showing 52% of awards to domestic and 44% to Swiss firms.

Live Liechtenstein tenders

Questions

Can a company from outside Europe bid on Liechtenstein tenders?

Yes, but its rights depend on its home country. EEA firms have equal treatment by treaty, and WTO GPA firms are covered for in-scope contracts. Others are admitted only as far as their home country admits Liechtenstein firms, and may have to prove it.

Do I need to register in Liechtenstein before bidding?

No. You may be asked for a home-country register extract, financial and technical evidence, and the ESPD. We couldn’t confirm whether the vergaben.llv.li portal needs a user account.

Can I bid in English in Liechtenstein?

Plan on German. Notices and tender documents are in German, and every 2026 TED notice from Liechtenstein that named a submission language specified German.

How long do I get to prepare a bid in Liechtenstein?

Above EEA thresholds, at least 35 days in an open procedure, or 30 with electronic submission. Below them, at least 17 days. Bids must arrive by 17:00 on the last day.

Is a bid bond required in Liechtenstein?

Not by law; each tender sets its own securities. Most 2026 TED notices asked for none, while some municipal works tenders required a 10% bank guarantee.

How do I challenge a Liechtenstein tender award?

Ask in writing for a formal award decision within 10 days of the award note. Then appeal within 10 days (electronic or fax service) or 14 (post) to the VBK, or to the Administrative Court for Government contracts. Appeals don’t suspend the procedure, so request interim measures.

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.