Germany is Europe's largest public procurement market, worth over €500 billion annually. This guide covers every portal, threshold, and legal requirement you need to find and win German government contracts.
By TenderRadar Team
Germany has the largest public procurement market in the EU, with annual spending exceeding €500 billion — roughly 15% of GDP. Procurement is decentralized across 16 federal states (Bundesländer), hundreds of municipalities, and federal agencies. This means tenders are published across multiple platforms, making comprehensive monitoring essential. Germany is a signatory to the EU procurement directives and the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA).
€500B+
Annual procurement value
~15%
Share of GDP
German procurement law (Vergaberecht) implements EU directives through a two-tier system. Above EU thresholds, the Act Against Restraints of Competition (GWB Part 4) and the Procurement Ordinance (VgV) apply. Below EU thresholds, each Bundesland has its own rules, typically based on the VOB (construction), VOL (services/supplies), or UVgO.
Key authority: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK)
Germany's largest e-procurement platform. Hosts federal and many state/municipal tenders. Free to search, registration required to download documents and submit bids.
Visit portalCommercial tender aggregation platform covering federal, state, and municipal procurement across Germany. Offers alert services and bid submission tools.
Visit portalAll German tenders above EU thresholds must be published on TED. Essential for monitoring high-value contracts.
Visit portalFederal government tender portal. Covers ministries, agencies, and federal institutions. Free to access.
Visit portalEach Bundesland operates its own portal (e.g., Vergabe Bayern, HAD Hessen, Vergabemarktplatz Brandenburg). Coverage varies significantly.
Visit portal| Category | Threshold (EUR) |
|---|---|
| Supplies | €221,000 |
| Services | €221,000 |
| Works | €5,538,000 |
Thresholds for central government bodies. Sub-central authorities: €221,000 for supplies/services. These are net values excluding VAT. Below-threshold procurement follows UVgO/VOB rules set by each Bundesland.
Major NATO spender. BAAINBw handles military procurement. Significant opportunities in IT, vehicles, and maintenance.
CPV: 35
Germany's digital transformation (Digitalisierung) drives massive IT procurement across all levels of government. Cloud, cybersecurity, and e-government dominate.
CPV: 72
Autobahn modernization, rail expansion (Deutsche Bahn), and municipal infrastructure create billions in construction tenders annually.
CPV: 45
Hospital equipment, pharmaceuticals, and medical IT through Krankenhäuser, Universitätskliniken, and statutory health insurers.
CPV: 33
Energiewende (energy transition) drives procurement in renewables, grid infrastructure, and environmental remediation.
CPV: 09
Federal and state governments regularly procure management consulting, legal, auditing, and engineering advisory services.
CPV: 79
Germany's decentralized system means no single portal covers everything. Use DTVP, Vergabe.de, and TED together — or use TenderRadar to aggregate across all sources automatically.
Above EU thresholds, rules are standardized (GWB/VgV). Below thresholds, each Bundesland sets its own rules. The procedures, timelines, and remedies differ significantly.
Most German tenders require bids in German. Technical documentation, certifications, and correspondence must typically be in German or accompanied by certified translations.
Präqualifizierung (pre-qualification) through PQ-VOB for construction or PQ-VOL for services simplifies repeated bidding. The AVPQ register stores your qualifications centrally.
Rahmenvereinbarungen (framework agreements) are increasingly popular, especially for IT and consulting. Getting on a framework provides steady contract flow for up to 4 years.
Germany has robust review procedures. Vergabekammern (procurement chambers) handle complaints above EU thresholds. Tight deadlines apply — typically 10 calendar days after learning of a violation.
See how TenderRadar covers Germany: Germanycoverage details, portals & sources →
German tenders are published across multiple platforms depending on value and authority. Above EU thresholds, all tenders appear on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily). Nationally, DTVP and Vergabe.de are the most comprehensive platforms. Federal tenders appear on bund.de, while each of the 16 Bundesländer operates its own portal. TenderRadar aggregates all these sources into a single feed.
Yes. EU/EEA companies have equal access to all tenders above EU thresholds under the EU procurement directives. Companies from GPA signatory countries also have access. For below-threshold tenders, some Bundesländer may give preference to local suppliers, but outright exclusion of foreign bidders is rare.
In most cases, yes. The vast majority of German tenders require submissions in German. Some international or EU-institution-linked tenders may accept English, but this is the exception. Budget for certified translation if you don't have German-speaking staff.
Präqualifizierung is Germany's pre-qualification system. It's not mandatory but highly recommended for regular bidders. You submit your company credentials once, and contracting authorities can verify them centrally via the PQ-VOB (construction) or AVPQ register instead of requesting documents with every bid.
For open procedures above EU thresholds, the minimum tender period is 35 days (30 with electronic submission). Restricted procedures require 30 days minimum for applications. Evaluation and award can take 2-6 months depending on complexity. The mandatory standstill period (Wartefrist) is 10-15 days before contract signing.
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