The rules and the market
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Aanbesteden / aanbesteding | Public procurement, and a tender. |
| Aanbestedingswet 2012 | The Public Procurement Act. |
| Aanbestedingsbesluit | The implementing decree, which makes the two guides below binding (“apply or explain”). |
| Gids Proportionaliteit | The Proportionality Guide. It caps what buyers can ask: turnover at most 3× the value, guarantees at most 5%. |
| ARW 2016 | The works procurement rules, for works below the EU thresholds. |
| Aanbestedende dienst | Contracting authority. |
| Drempelwaarde | EU threshold. |
| Inkoopbeleid | A buyer’s own procurement policy. Municipalities set their own amounts. |
| PIANOo | The government’s procurement expertise centre. |
| Grensoverschrijdend belang | Cross-border interest. It brings EU principles to below-threshold contracts. |
Procedures
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Openbare procedure | Open procedure: at least 45 days above the threshold. |
| Niet-openbare procedure | Restricted procedure: 30 days to apply, 40 to bid. |
| Mededingingsprocedure met onderhandeling | Competitive procedure with negotiation. |
| Concurrentiegerichte dialoog / innovatiepartnerschap | Competitive dialogue and innovation partnership. |
| Onderhandelingsprocedure zonder aankondiging | Negotiated procedure without a notice, in listed cases (14% in 2025). |
| Nationale openbare procedure | National open tender below the threshold, published on TenderNed. |
| Meervoudig onderhands | Multiple private tender: two or more invited companies. |
| Enkelvoudig onderhands | Single private award to one company. Central government uses it up to €50,000 (supplies and services) or €150,000 (works). |
| Raamovereenkomst | Framework agreement, up to 4 years. |
| Dynamisch aankoopsysteem (DAS) | Dynamic purchasing system. |
Finding and qualifying
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| TenderNed | The national procurement platform. Foreign companies register without eHerkenning. |
| eHerkenning | The Dutch business login, for companies registered with the Chamber of Commerce. |
| Aankondiging | Notice. |
| Nota van inlichtingen | The buyer’s published answers to bidders’ questions. |
| UEA (Uniform Europees Aanbestedingsdocument) | The European Single Procurement Document. |
| Eigen Verklaring | The national self-declaration, for below-threshold tenders. |
| Gedragsverklaring Aanbesteden (GVA) | Certificate of conduct from Justis, no more than 2 years old. Foreign firms provide an equivalent. |
| KvK-uittreksel | Chamber of Commerce extract, no more than 6 months old. |
| Geschiktheidseisen / uitsluitingsgronden | Suitability requirements, and exclusion grounds. |
| Combinatie | Consortium. No legal form is needed to bid. |
| Beroep op derden | Relying on another company’s capacity. |
| Onderaanneming | Subcontracting. |
Award and after
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| EMVI / beste prijs-kwaliteitverhouding (BPKV) | Most economically advantageous tender; best price-quality ratio, the default. |
| Laagste prijs | Lowest price, allowed only with reasons (7% of tenders in 2024). |
| Abnormaal lage inschrijving | An abnormally low bid, which must be explained. |
| Social Return (SROI) | Social-return clauses, often 5% of contract value. Local policy, not law. |
| MVI (maatschappelijk verantwoord inkopen) | Socially responsible procurement criteria. |
| Gunningsbeslissing | The award decision, with reasons. |
| Opschortende termijn (Alcateltermijn) | The 20-calendar-day standstill before signing. |
| Kort geding | Summary proceedings in the civil court: the way to stop an award. |
| Klachtenmeldpunt | A buyer’s complaints desk. |
| Commissie van Aanbestedingsexperts | Procurement experts committee: free and non-binding, design complaints only since November 2025. |
| Wettelijke handelsrente | Statutory commercial interest on late payment, 10.4% from July 2026. |
Questions
What is meervoudig onderhands aanbesteden?
A multiple private tender: the buyer invites two or more companies of its choice to bid, without a public notice. It’s common below the EU thresholds; for central government, it’s used from €50,000 for supplies and services and from €150,000 to €1.5 million for works.
What is a Gedragsverklaring Aanbesteden (GVA)?
A certificate of conduct for procurement, issued by the justice agency Justis for €75, showing no relevant convictions in the past five years. It must be no more than two years old when you bid. Foreign companies provide a home-country equivalent or a sworn declaration instead.
What does EMVI mean?
Economisch meest voordelige inschrijving: the most economically advantageous tender. Its default form in Dutch law is the beste prijs-kwaliteitverhouding (best price-quality ratio); lowest price is allowed only with reasons.
Sources
- Aanbestedingswet 2012 (wetten.overheid.nl)
- Gids Proportionaliteit (3rd revision)
- TenderNed: registering as a foreign company
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.