Procurement at the EBRD: portals, thresholds and rules

At a glance

Rules: EBRD Procurement Policies and Rules
Procurement and oversight: EBRD Project Procurement Department
Portal: EBRD Client e-Procurement Portal (ECEPP)

Thresholds

Client may use national procurement procedures below these values if international competition is not appropriate (goods or services / works, excl. VAT)	EUR 140,000 / EUR 5.35 million
Open competitive procedures above which Rated Criteria plus Economic Criteria are required, Rated Criteria at least 50% of the score (goods / works or services / consultancy)	EUR 10 million / EUR 35 million / EUR 100,000
Contracts above which the client must conduct Early Market Engagement (goods / works or services / consultancy, excl. VAT)	EUR 10 million / EUR 35 million / EUR 5 million
Client projects: direct contracting permitted for consultancy services below this value (excl. VAT)	EUR 110,000
EBRD corporate procurement: direct selection permitted for consultancy services up to this value (excl. indirect taxes)	EUR 75,000
EBRD corporate procurement: direct selection permitted for goods, works or services up to this value (excl. indirect taxes)	GBP 60,000

Rules and buyers

Two buyers sit behind the EBRD. In projects it finances, the client signs the contracts and must follow the Procurement Policies and Rules; the 2026 edition was approved by the Board on 3 December 2025 and applies from 1 September 2026 to operations that receive concept approval from that date, while ongoing projects may still use the 2022 rules. Public-sector operations follow detailed rules on open competition; in private-sector corporate lending, clients may use their own established practices if the Bank finds them sound, and in project financing must use competitive arrangements where appropriate. According to the EBRD, public-sector clients award approximately 300 contracts a year worth about EUR 3 billion. The Project Procurement Department oversees the rules. Separately, the EBRD buys for itself under the Corporate Procurement Policy of 1 July 2023.[1][2][8]

Where tenders are published

After the Bank approves the procurement plan, the client issues a General Procurement Notice on its own website or national portal, and sends it to the Bank for publication on ebrd.com or the Bank's e-procurement portal; procurement may not start before that notice is published. Most client opportunities and award notices are on the EBRD Client e-Procurement Portal (ECEPP), which the EBRD provides for free use; suppliers must register in ECEPP to take part, and registration details must be entered in English. Selected notices for contracts not run in ECEPP are on the Procurement notices page of ebrd.com. For the Bank's own goods, works, services and consultancy, register on SMART by GEP, where registration is required to view current notices.[1][2][7][14]

Procedures and thresholds

The default for public-sector clients is an Open Competitive Procedure: an Open Tendering Procedure for goods, works and services, single-stage for client-designed works or standard goods and multi-stage for turnkey, large complex or innovative contracts, and a Competitive Selection Procedure for consultancy, focused on quality and usually followed by negotiations. Prequalification is required for large and complex contracts, and consultancy shortlists normally hold three to six firms. Direct contracting is allowed only in listed cases, for example consultancy below EUR 110,000. The Bank may agree to national procedures below EUR 140,000 for goods or services and EUR 5.35 million for works when international competition is unlikely. Early Market Engagement is required above EUR 10 million for goods, EUR 35 million for works or services and EUR 5 million for consultancy.[1]

Documents and language

The EBRD places no restriction on firms or individuals from any country, whether or not it is a member of the Bank, and award conditions must be limited to what is essential to perform the contract. Clients must reject applicants declared ineligible under the Enforcement Policy and Procedures, those subject to UN Security Council Chapter VII sanctions, and, subject to the Bank's no-objection, firms with a conflict of interest, a recent final sanction for a prohibited practice or credible allegations of forced labour, child labour or human rights violations. A firm may submit only one proposal per contract, alone or in a joint venture. Clients use the EBRD's standard procurement documents, issued in one of the Bank's working languages, which governs; a local-language version may be added. Expect qualification evidence on experience, resources and finances.[1][10]

Deadlines, award and challenges

For standard, non-complex contracts at least 40 days from the notice or availability of the documents, whichever is later, should normally be allowed; complex contracts get longer, and e-procurement may shorten it with the Bank's agreement. The contract goes to the substantially responsive, most economically advantageous proposal from an eligible and qualified participant, not necessarily the lowest price. Above EUR 10 million for goods, EUR 35 million for works or services and EUR 100,000 for consultancy, Rated Criteria must normally weigh at least 50 percent. After notification of the evaluation outcome you may request a debriefing within 7 calendar days, and the client normally may not proceed until 14 days after the notification or 10 calendar days after the debriefing, whichever is later. If unsatisfied, you can ask the Bank for a procurement review or file a procurement complaint, generally within 7 days.[1][5][6][13]

How to win a tender at the EBRD

In EBRD-financed projects the client evaluates your proposal strictly on the criteria in the procurement documents and awards to the substantially responsive, most economically advantageous proposal from an eligible and qualified participant, not necessarily the cheapest. Under the 2026 rules, contracts above EUR 10 million for goods, EUR 35 million for works or services and EUR 100,000 for consultancy combine Rated Criteria and Economic Criteria, with Rated Criteria normally at least 50 percent, so methodology, key staff, lifecycle cost and sustainability carry real weight. Use Requests for Clarification during the tender: the Bank only considers a procurement review if you first raised the issue with the client, and such a review must be requested at least 7 days before the deadline. Get to know the buyer through its General Procurement Notice, Early Market Engagement and the EBRD's award lists. Proposals fail on qualification gaps, ineligible partners, multiple proposals for one contract, missing forms or abnormally low prices that cannot be justified. After the evaluation outcome, request a debriefing within 7 calendar days.[1][5][6][11]

Register in ECEPP and follow the client's General Procurement Notice and Early Market Engagement.
Map the Rated Criteria, weightings and qualification requirements in the procurement documents.
Send Requests for Clarification early, well before the submission deadline.
Study past awards and signed contracts to know competitors and price levels.
Check partner eligibility, forms and price realism before submitting in ECEPP.
Request a debriefing within 7 calendar days of the evaluation outcome.

Clarification round: Request for Clarification

How TenderRender helps you at the EBRD

TenderRender does the work behind each step above. Your team checks and refines.

1
Research the buyer
Brings together the buyer's earlier awards, policies and contracts, so your bid fits this buyer's situation at the EBRD.
2
Ask questions
Finds unclear points and risks in the documents and drafts questions about them for the clarification round: Request for Clarification.
3
Write per criterion
Drafts a first version per award criterion, in the language of the tender, with citations to your own documents.
4
Review
Scores your bid per award criterion the way an evaluator would, with concrete improvements.
5
Fill in forms
Fills in the declarations, price schedules, questionnaires and Excel annexes from your own data and earlier bids, with a source per answer.
6
Submit
Builds a checklist of everything you need to submit on the portal named in the notice and prepares the documents ready to sign.

Tender search covers the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany; at the EBRD you upload the documents from the portal named in the notice and TenderRender works with them the same way.

Teams writing or reviewing with TenderRender won 49% of their completed tenders. How this was calculated

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Tips for bidders

Register in ECEPP early and set up searches for your sectors and countries, and watch General Procurement Notices and Early Market Engagement notifications, which signal tenders in advance. Read the relevant standard procurement document and the EBRD's guidance notes on Rated Criteria, qualification and rejection grounds before you plan your bid. Because quality now carries at least half the score in larger contracts, invest in methodology, key staff and sustainability content. Check the contract awards notifications and signed contracts list to see who wins in your field and at what price. Screen partners and subcontractors against the EBRD list of ineligible entities. Use clarification requests during the tender, since a later Bank procurement review depends on having asked the client first.[2][5][11][12]

Platforms at the EBRD

The portals where this organisation publishes its tenders or awards, from its own sources.

EBRD Client e-Procurement Portal (ECEPP)
Main portal for public-sector client tenders and award notices; the EBRD provides it for free use, and suppliers must register first.
How it works →Website
EBRD Procurement notices
Notices for EBRD-financed contracts that are not procured through ECEPP, including general procurement notices and invitations.
How it works →Website
EBRD Contract awards notification
Award details for client contracts, kept 12 months, plus a year-to-date list of public-sector contracts signed with winning tenderers.
How it works →Website
SMART by GEP
The EBRD's own e-procurement platform for its goods, works, services and consultancy; registration is required to view current notices.
How it works →Website

Frequently asked questions

Where are EBRD tenders published?

Most tenders and award notices of EBRD-financed client projects are on the EBRD Client e-Procurement Portal (ECEPP); others appear on the Procurement notices page of ebrd.com. The EBRD's own purchases are on SMART by GEP.[2][3][7][14]

Do I need to register?

Yes for ECEPP: suppliers must register before taking part in procurement under EBRD-financed projects, and the EBRD provides the portal for free use. For the Bank's own tenders you must register on SMART by GEP to view current notices.[2][7]

What thresholds apply?

Clients normally use open competition. The Bank may allow national procedures below EUR 140,000 for goods or services and EUR 5.35 million for works, and requires Rated Criteria of at least 50 percent above EUR 10 million for goods, EUR 35 million for works or services and EUR 100,000 for consultancy.[1]

Who can take part?

Firms and individuals from any country, whether or not it is an EBRD member. Firms declared ineligible by the EBRD, under UN Security Council Chapter VII sanctions or caught by other rejection grounds in the rules are excluded.[1][10]

In which language do I bid?

Procurement documents and notices are issued in one of the EBRD's working languages, which is the governing language; the client may add a local-language version and, with the Bank's no-objection, ask for a translation of proposals.[1]

How much time do I get?

For standard, non-complex contracts normally at least 40 days from the notice or availability of the documents, whichever is later. Large or complex contracts get more time, while procurements on an e-procurement portal may be shortened with the Bank's agreement.[1]

What can I do if I lose?

Request a debriefing from the client within 7 calendar days of the notification. If you are not satisfied, you can submit a Request for Bank Procurement Review or a Procurement Complaint to the EBRD under its Procurement Reviews and Complaints directive, generally within 7 days.[5][6]