Croatia's public procurement market is worth approximately €8 billion annually, representing around 12% of GDP. This guide covers the EOJN e-procurement portal, Croatian procurement legislation, key sectors including tourism infrastructure and EU-funded projects, and practical strategies for winning contracts.
By TenderRadar Team
Croatia's public procurement market is valued at approximately €8 billion annually, representing around 12% of GDP — one of the higher ratios among EU member states. Since joining the EU in 2013 and adopting the Euro in 2023, Croatia has rapidly modernised its procurement framework, fully aligning with EU directives and establishing mandatory electronic procurement. The country benefits from substantial EU structural funding, which finances major infrastructure, environmental, and digitalisation projects. Croatia's Adriatic coastline, strategic position bridging Central Europe and the Balkans, and growing tourism economy create distinctive procurement opportunities in maritime infrastructure, transport, and hospitality-related public investment.
The Public Procurement Act (ZJN 2016) is Croatia's comprehensive procurement law, transposing EU Directives 2014/24/EU and 2014/25/EU. It governs all public procurement for works, supplies, and services in classical and utilities sectors. The law mandates electronic procurement through the EOJN platform, establishes detailed procedural requirements, and defines the review framework. Significant amendments were introduced in 2022 aligning with Croatia's eurozone accession.
Croatia's official electronic public procurement portal, operated by Narodne novine (the official gazette publisher). EOJN is the mandatory platform for all procurement above national thresholds, handling notice publication, tender document distribution, electronic bid submission, and award notifications. The platform provides structured submission forms and supports qualified electronic signatures. Registration is required for tender participation.
Visit portalThe EU's official procurement journal publishes all Croatian tenders above EU thresholds with English-language summaries. Essential for international suppliers as EOJN is primarily in Croatian. Provides early alerts and cross-referencing with the national platform.
Visit portalCroatia's official gazette publishes procurement legislation, regulatory changes, and policy documents. Useful for tracking legal framework updates and understanding regulatory context for procurement procedures.
Visit portalCroatia's EU structural and investment funds portal provides information on funded programmes, calls for proposals, and project implementation. Valuable for anticipating EU-funded procurement opportunities before tender notices are published.
Visit portalAs one of Europe's fastest-growing tourism destinations, Croatia invests heavily in tourism-related public infrastructure: coastal promenades, marinas, visitor centres, heritage site restoration, national park facilities, and destination management systems. EU tourism and regional development funds support significant public investment along the Adriatic coast and islands.
Major investments in motorway maintenance and expansion, railway modernisation (particularly the Zagreb-Rijeka and Zagreb-Split corridors), port development, and bridge construction. Croatia's strategic Adriatic position drives port and maritime infrastructure procurement, while EU TEN-T corridor investments fund cross-border transport links.
Croatia's digital transformation agenda drives procurement in e-government platforms, digital identity systems, cybersecurity, broadband expansion (particularly island and rural connectivity), and public sector IT modernisation. The Recovery and Resilience Plan allocates substantial funding to digitalisation.
As a relatively recent EU member with strong fund absorption capacity, Croatia channels billions through operational programmes for Competitiveness and Cohesion, covering infrastructure, innovation, education, social inclusion, and rural development. EU-funded procurement represents a major share of total contract value.
Renewable energy deployment (wind, solar, geothermal), energy efficiency building retrofits, water and wastewater treatment infrastructure, solid waste management, and flood protection systems generate substantial procurement. Croatia's island energy transition programme creates niche opportunities.
Hospital construction and renovation, medical equipment procurement, health IT systems, social housing, and educational facility upgrades are funded through both national budgets and EU structural funds. The earthquake reconstruction programme in Zagreb and surrounding regions adds additional procurement volume.
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Yes, companies from any EU/EEA member state can participate on equal terms. Non-EU companies may participate where covered by international agreements (GPA, bilateral agreements). All participants must register on the EOJN platform with a qualified electronic signature. No local establishment is required, though Croatian-language capability is essential.
Yes, Croatia adopted the Euro on 1 January 2023, replacing the Croatian Kuna (HRK). All procurement values, thresholds, and financial offers are now in EUR, simplifying participation for eurozone-based suppliers and eliminating previous currency conversion requirements.
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Above-EU-threshold open procedures typically take 3-5 months from notice publication to contract award. The minimum tender submission period is 35 days (reducible to 15 days with prior information notice). Below-threshold simplified open procedures have minimum 20-day submission periods. DKOM review proceedings, if triggered, can add 30-60 days.
DKOM (State Commission for Supervision of Public Procurement Procedures) is Croatia's independent procurement review body. Complaints must be filed within 10 days of the contested decision, with a proportional deposit. DKOM reviews cases within 30 days (extendable to 60 days for complex cases). Its decisions are binding and can be appealed to the High Administrative Court.
Standard requirements include: commercial/court register extract, tax and social contribution compliance certificates, criminal record certificates for company and authorised representatives, professional capacity evidence, financial statements or bank references, technical capacity proof (completed contracts, equipment, personnel), and quality management certifications where relevant. The ESPD is used for initial self-declaration.