Every step to bid in Poland: the documents, who handles each one…

This guide is the checklist behind a Polish bid: each account, signature, declaration and certificate a tender can ask for, the order they come in, and who is allowed to handle each one. For how Polish procurement works overall (thresholds, procedures, how bids are assessed, getting paid), see How to bid for public contracts in Poland.

Before you bid

1. Get a qualified electronic signature (kwalifikowany podpis elektroniczny). Above the EU thresholds an offer that isn’t signed this way is void. Below them, the Polish podpis zaufany and podpis osobisty are also accepted, but both need a PESEL number. You will use the signature on the offer, the JEDZ, the statements and any power of attorney.

Who issues it: qualified trust service providers on the EU Trusted List; in Poland, for example, Certum, KIR Szafir, EuroCert, CenCert and PWPW Sigillum.
Who does it: each certificate is issued personally, after identity verification, to your representative or to a pełnomocnik for their own use. Only that person ever uses it.
From abroad: any eIDAS qualified signature from another EU or EEA provider is valid. Certificates from outside the EU are not qualified under eIDAS.

2. Register on e-Zamówienia. Most procedures run on the free national platform of the Public Procurement Office (UZP), in its MOW module. A simplified user account lets you browse; to bid, you need a full organisation (podmiot) account with a Supervisor. Registration is free (Regulamin §2.2).

How: fill in the Supervisor and company data, download the XML application the platform generates, have one representative of your company sign it outside the platform (XAdES enveloped) with a qualified e-signature, a qualified e-seal, podpis zaufany or podpis osobisty, and upload it through Prześlij podpisany wniosek. The account works the same day the signed XML is uploaded.
Who does it: the form can be filled in for you; only your representative signs the XML. The Supervisor should be one of your own employees. The Supervisor can then add further named users, each working under their own login. Sharing a login is forbidden (Regulamin §3.6).

3. An account on the buyer’s own platform, if the SWZ names one. Some buyers run the procedure on a commercial platform such as platformazakupowa.pl, Marketplanet/Open Nexus or SmartPZP, and you must submit there. It is usually free for bidders; check that platform’s own terms. Register your company with a named personal account for whoever works on the bid, never a shared login.

4. Your company identifiers. The offer form asks for your NIP (tax ID) and REGON (statistical number). Polish companies receive both on KRS registration, at no cost, and they don’t expire. A foreign bidder uses its home VAT or tax number (see below).

5. Optional: a contractor certificate (certyfikat wykonawcy). Under the Act of 5 August 2025, in force since 12 July 2026, a certifying entity can confirm that certain exclusion grounds don’t apply to you and/or that you have certain capacity levels, to shorten qualification. It is voluntary and aimed at frequent bidders. Your representative signs the application.

With your offer

6. The JEDZ or the art. 125 statement. Your self-declaration that no exclusion grounds apply and that you meet the conditions: the JEDZ (the ESPD) above the EU thresholds, or the statement form the buyer sets below them. Each consortium member and each company lending you capacity files its own. It is free, takes about a day and covers one procedure.

Who does it: a bid writer can fill it in from your company data. Your representative, or a pełnomocnik under a power of attorney, signs it with a qualified signature.

7. Sanctions declarations. At every contract value, you declare that neither you, your beneficial owners, your parent company nor subcontractors or suppliers above 10% are linked to listed Russian or Belarusian persons, under art. 7 of the Polish act of 13 April 2022 and art. 5k of EU Regulation 833/2014. The buyer provides the template in the SWZ. You confirm your ownership chain and sign with a qualified signature.

8. Proof of representation. The buyer needs to see who may represent you: an extract from the KRS (National Court Register) for companies or CEIDG for sole traders. The electronic current extract is free online and can be downloaded the same day; often it is enough to give the buyer your KRS or CEIDG number so it fetches the extract itself (§13(2) of the evidence regulation). When it is required as evidence, it must be issued no more than 3 months before submission.

9. Power of attorney (pełnomocnictwo). Needed whenever the offer or statements are signed by someone not shown as a representative in KRS or CEIDG, such as an employee, a lawyer or a consortium leader. It must be an electronic document with a qualified signature (or a trusted or personal signature below the EU thresholds), or a digital copy of a paper original certified by you or a notary. A procedure-specific pełnomocnictwo can be drafted for you; your representatives sign it, and the pełnomocnik then signs the offer with their own qualified signature.

10. The wadium (bid security), where the SWZ requires it. The buyer sets the amount: up to 3% of the contract value above the EU thresholds, up to 1.5% below. It can be cash, a bank guarantee, an insurance guarantee or a poręczenie. A guarantee is issued in your name to the buyer, signed electronically by the guarantor, and must reach the buyer as an electronic original before the deadline. Guarantees usually take 1–5 business days; the guarantor charges a market fee. Cash is returned with interest. The wadium must cover the whole bid validity period.

11. When you rely on others or name key staff.

Third-party capacity commitment (zobowiązanie podmiotu udostępniającego zasoby): if you rely on another company’s experience or finances, it commits its resources to you and files its own JEDZ and exclusion evidence. Its representatives sign with a qualified signature.
Building licences (uprawnienia budowlane): works and design tenders ask for named site or works managers and designers with Polish building licences and current membership of the PIIB or the Chamber of Architects. The licensed engineers are listed in the wykaz osób, which you sign. A licence is permanent; chamber membership runs for a year at a time.

12. Sign, then upload and submit. Offer files are signed before upload, then encrypted by the platform and submitted before the deadline. Until the deadline you can still withdraw the offer. Submission is free.

Who does it: a named user on your account can upload the already-signed files. Signing stays with your representative or the pełnomocnik.

If your offer ranks best

The buyer now asks for the evidence (podmiotowe środki dowodowe) and sets a deadline.

Certificate	Issued by	Who can get it for you	Valid for	What only you do
Criminal-record information (KRK), for the company and each management member	Krajowy Rejestr Karny, e-KRK	Each person requests their own; a pełnomocnik can file the request	Issued no more than 6 months before submission	Each manager requests or authorises their own
ZAS-W tax certificate (zaświadczenie o niezaleganiu w podatkach)	Head of your tax office (KAS)	A tax adviser or accountant with a registered tax power of attorney	Issued no more than 3 months before submission	Grant the tax power of attorney or log in to e-Urząd Skarbowy
ZUS (or KRUS) certificate of no social-security arrears	ZUS via PUE/eZUS, or KRUS	Your accountant with a ZUS-PEL authorisation	Issued no more than 3 months before submission	Grant the ZUS-PEL authorisation
CRBR extract (beneficial owners), where requested	Minister of Finance (crbr.podatki.gov.pl)	The extract is public and can be downloaded for you	Issued no more than 3 months before submission	A representative signs any CRBR notification
Bank information on funds or creditworthiness	Your bank or credit union (SKOK)	Only you, as account holder	Issued no more than 3 months before submission	Request it from your bank

Costs and timing. KRK information costs PLN 20 per person or company through e-KRK, usually the same day, or PLN 30 on paper; a request through a pełnomocnik carries PLN 17 stamp duty on the power of attorney. The ZAS-W takes minutes online through e-Urząd Skarbowy, where it is reported to be free, or up to 7 days on a paper application costing PLN 21. The ZUS certificate is free and takes up to 7 days, often less online. The CRBR extract is free and available the same day.

Also asked in most procedures, or where the SWZ sets a condition:

Capital-group statement under art. 108(1)(5): whether you belong to the same capital group as another bidder, and if so, proof that your offer was prepared independently. Signed with a qualified signature.
Financial statements and turnover for up to the last 3 financial years, audited by a biegły rewident where the Accounting Act requires it. Your accountant extracts the figures; management signs the statements and the turnover declaration.
Liability insurance (OC) for the sum the buyer sets, common in works, design and many services. The policy is in your name for its term.
Experience lists with references (wykaz robót, dostaw lub usług): works from the last 5 years, supplies or services from the last 3, with values, dates, places and clients, plus proof such as references (referencje). For ongoing services, references must be issued within 3 months. If you can’t obtain references for objective reasons, for supplies or services your own declaration can be used. You ask your customers for the references and sign the list.
ISO 9001, 14001 or EMAS, from a body accredited by the Polish Centre for Accreditation (PCA) or another EA-member accreditor. Equivalent certificates from the EEA must be accepted.
Sector licences and register entries named in the SWZ, such as a BDO waste-register entry, a security-services licence or an energy concession.

Buyers may also ask for explanations or supplements to your offer. A lawyer or bid writer can draft them; your representative or pełnomocnik signs.

Before the contract

Performance security (zabezpieczenie należytego wykonania umowy), where the SWZ requires it: usually up to 5% of the price (10% if justified), in cash or as a guarantee issued in your name, and returned within 30 days of completion.
Staff on employment contracts: in works and services the buyer specifies tasks that must be done by people on contracts of employment (Pzp art. 95), and checks it during the contract. You provide anonymised contracts or declarations when it audits.
Signing the contract: by your representatives or a pełnomocnik.

Who does what

Step	Who can do it	What only you do
Qualified e-signature	A trust service provider issues it personally	Complete identity verification; keep sole control
e-Zamówienia registration	The form is filled in for you; named users added later	One representative signs the XML; keep the Supervisor role
JEDZ, sanctions and capital-group statements	Drafted for you from your data	Confirm them; sign, or have your pełnomocnik sign
Power of attorney	Drafted for you, or by a lawyer; a notary can certify a digital copy	Your representatives sign
Wadium and performance security	A bank, insurer or guarantor	Sign the guarantee application, or transfer cash
Upload and submission	A named user on your account uploads signed files	Sign the offer, or have your pełnomocnik sign
KRK information	A pełnomocnik can file the request	Each manager requests or authorises their own
ZAS-W and ZUS certificates	A tax adviser or accountant with your authorisation	Grant the authorisations
Financial statements	An accountant; audit by a biegły rewident	Management signs
Bank information and OC insurance	Your bank; an insurer or broker	Request it; sign the insurance contract
References and experience lists	The list is compiled for you	Ask customers for references; sign the list
Polish translations	A sworn translator	—

The professionals involved

Professional	Licensed or regulated by	What they do for a bidder
Radca prawny or adwokat	Krajowa Izba Radców Prawnych; Naczelna Rada Adwokacka	Act as pełnomocnik and sign the offer, statements and correspondence with their own qualified signature; review the SWZ, consortium and subcontracting agreements; draft explanations and self-cleaning submissions; file appeals (odwołanie) to the KIO and represent you there
Notariusz	Minister of Justice; Krajowa Rada Notarialna	Certify that a digital copy of a paper document or power of attorney matches the original; notarise powers of attorney and consortium agreements; take a declaration where a foreign bidder’s home country issues no equivalent certificate
Tłumacz przysięgły (sworn translator)	Minister of Justice (Act on the profession of sworn translator)	Certified Polish translations of foreign certificates, register extracts, financial statements and references, including as electronic documents signed with the translator’s own qualified signature
Biegły rewident, doradca podatkowy or biuro rachunkowe	Polska Agencja Nadzoru Audytowego and PIBR (auditors); Krajowa Izba Doradców Podatkowych (tax advisers)	Audit financial statements where the Accounting Act requires (auditors only); prepare turnover statements and financial data; obtain the ZAS-W as your tax pełnomocnik
Bank, insurer or guarantee provider	Komisja Nadzoru Finansowego	Issue the wadium as an electronic-original guarantee, performance security and bank information on funds or creditworthiness
Certification body	Polskie Centrum Akredytacji (PCA)	ISO 9001, 14001, 45001 and 27001 certificates and EMAS registration evidence
Licensed engineer or architect	PIIB; Izba Architektów RP; GUNB	Be named as key personnel (kierownik budowy/robót, projektant) whose licence and chamber membership meet the professional-capacity condition
Procurement consultant or bid writer	No statutory licence	Prepare the offer form, JEDZ, statements, experience lists and evidence pack for you to sign; work in your e-Zamówienia account as a named user

Appeals to the KIO and legal advice on your case belong to a radca prawny or adwokat.

If your company is from abroad

You don’t need a Polish company to bid. Who may bid from abroad, and on what terms, is explained in How to bid for public contracts in Poland. For the paperwork:

Register extract: your home-country register extract (such as Companies House or the Handelsregister), no older than 3 months, with a Polish translation, or a link to a free database.
Tax identifiers: your home VAT or tax number. A Polish NIP is needed only if performing the contract creates Polish tax obligations; then an accountant or tax adviser files NIP-2 or VAT-R under a tax power of attorney (UPL-1/PPS-1), which you sign.
Criminal records: home-country extracts for the company (where they exist) and for managers, no older than 6 months, translated.
Tax and social security: certificates from your home authorities, no older than 3 months, translated.
Where your country issues no such document: a sworn declaration, or one made before a notary.
Financial statements: your home-country statements, translated, with currency converted at the rate the SWZ specifies.
Bank letter and insurance: a home bank letter, translated; a foreign liability policy counts if it covers Poland and the required sum.
Wadium: foreign bank guarantees are accepted if they meet the SWZ wording and are electronic originals.
References and certificates: foreign references with a Polish translation; ISO certificates from accredited bodies in other countries count as equivalent.
Translations: every foreign-language document needs a Polish translation unless the buyer agreed otherwise, and many SWZ ask for a sworn one.
Apostille: public documents from EU countries are exempt under Regulation 2016/1191; buyers may still ask for authenticated documents from outside the EU, which you obtain in your home country.
Engineers: foreign engineers need recognition of their professional qualifications in Poland, or you team up with Polish licensed staff.
Posted workers: posted-worker rules apply, including notification to the labour inspectorate (PIP).

Pitfalls

Sign before you upload. Files are encrypted on submission, so an unsigned or wrongly signed file can’t be fixed afterwards; check every signature first.
Never hand over your signature. Your qualified certificate stays under your sole control; a pełnomocnik signs with their own.
Don’t share logins. Advisers work as named users added by your Supervisor, never under your Supervisor or user account (Regulamin §3.6).
Check document ages against the submission date: KRK information no more than 6 months, tax, ZUS and register documents no more than 3 months.
Sanctions declarations are needed at every value, including for subcontractors and suppliers above 10%.
Based outside the EU? Read the notice first. Since 9 September 2025 a buyer must reject bids from companies based in non-EU countries without a procurement agreement with the EU, and from consortia that include one, unless the notice or SWZ expressly admits them; such bidders can’t appeal to KIO.
Make sure your lawyer isn’t also acting for a competitor. One lawyer may not represent two competing bidders in the same procedure.

Doing it with askTender

In Poland, your askTender Partner is added as a named user on your company’s account on e-Zamówienia and works under their own login. You keep your own login and sign only what the law reserves to you: the registration application, powers of attorney, the offer and declarations (unless a pełnomocnik signs them with their own qualified signature), and your managers’ criminal-record requests. The askTender Desk prepares the JEDZ, statements and experience lists, assembles the offer and coordinates the certificates; askTender Partners, such as a radca prawny, a doradca podatkowy or a sworn translator, do the steps their licence covers.

Questions

Which documents do I submit with an offer in Poland?

The offer form, the JEDZ above the EU thresholds (or the statement form the buyer sets below them), the sanctions declarations, a power of attorney if someone other than a registered representative signs, and the wadium where the SWZ requires one. If you rely on another company’s resources, add its commitment and its own JEDZ. Certificates come later, from the bidder whose offer ranks best.

What signature do I need on e-Zamówienia?

Above the EU thresholds, a qualified electronic signature, or the offer is void. Below them, podpis zaufany and podpis osobisty also count, but both need a PESEL number. Any eIDAS qualified signature from an EU or EEA provider is valid; certificates issued outside the EU are not qualified under eIDAS.

How old can the KRK, tax and ZUS documents be?

Information from the National Criminal Register may be issued no more than 6 months before you submit it. The ZAS-W tax certificate, the ZUS certificate, the KRS or CEIDG extract, the CRBR extract and bank information may be no more than 3 months old.

Can someone else sign my offer?

Yes, under a pełnomocnictwo. Your representatives sign a power of attorney naming that person with their qualified signature, and the pełnomocnik then signs the offer with their own qualified signature. Your certificate is never handed over or used by anyone else.

Do I need a Polish NIP to bid?

Not to bid. Foreign bidders identify with their home VAT or tax number. A Polish NIP is needed only if performing the contract creates Polish tax obligations, such as VAT on works performed in Poland; then an accountant or tax adviser files the registration under a tax power of attorney.

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.