How do public tenders work in Luxembourg?

Law and buyers

The legal basis is the Loi du 8 avril 2018 sur les marchés publics and its règlement grand-ducal of the same date. The Act transposes Directives 2014/24 and 2014/25 and is divided into books: Livre I sets the national rules for contracts below the EU thresholds, Livre II covers EU-value contracts of classic contracting authorities and Livre III covers utilities in water, energy, transport and postal services. Buyers include State ministries and administrations, the communes and their syndicates, public establishments and utilities. Remedies are governed by the Act of 10 November 2010. Several EU institutions based in Luxembourg also buy locally, but they run their own procedures under EU institutional rules rather than the national law.[1][4][9]

Where tenders are published

National notices are published on the Portail des marchés publics (PMP), the secure platform for the whole Luxembourg public sector, and notices above the EU thresholds also appear on TED. You can register for a consultation and download the tender documents by entering your contact details, without a full account. To submit a bid electronically you need a personal account on the portal, linked to your company by its VAT number, and a qualified electronic signature: a LuxTrust smartcard or Signing Stick, a Luxembourg identity card with reader, or a qualified certificate on the European trusted list. Electronic submission is mandatory above the EU thresholds. EU institutions in Luxembourg publish their own calls on TED and their own portals.[6][10][11]

Procedures and thresholds

Under Livre I the general rule is the procédure ouverte (open procedure). For works above a national indexed value, the procédure restreinte avec publication d'avis (restricted procedure with a notice) may also be used. The procédure restreinte sans publication d'avis (restricted procedure without notice) and the procédure négociée (negotiated procedure) are only allowed in listed cases, including small contracts up to a fixed amount. Under Livre II the EU procedures apply: open, restricted, procédure concurrentielle avec négociation (competitive procedure with negotiation), competitive dialogue and innovation partnership. Small lots of a larger EU-value contract may be tendered under Livre I as long as together they stay within 20 percent of the total value.[1][2][5]

Documents and language

Above the EU thresholds you submit the European Single Procurement Document (Document unique de marché européen, DUME) as a self-declaration; evidence is normally only required from the winning bidder. Typical evidence includes an extract from the trade and companies register (RCS), certificates that taxes and social security contributions are paid, references and, for works, proof of technical capacity. Bids usually include a signed acte d'engagement (form of tender) and price schedules in the format set by the buyer. Most tender documents are in French, some in German or English; the documents state which languages are accepted. Foreign bidders provide equivalent documents from their home country, and buyers may ask for translations.[1][6]

Deadlines, award and challenges

For EU-value open procedures the minimum period to submit a bid is 35 days, or 30 days for electronic bids and 15 days in duly justified urgency. In restricted and competitive negotiated procedures candidates get at least 30 days to apply and at least 30 days to bid, or 25 days electronically. For national open procedures under Livre I the minimum is 27 days, or 22 days for electronic bids via the portal, while the standard period is 42 days, or 37 days electronically. Periods must be extended when a site visit is required. Contracts go to the economically most advantageous tender, which may be based on price alone or on price and quality. A standstill period applies between notification of the award decision and signature of the contract. Unsuccessful bidders can apply to the administrative courts, including interim relief, and can also complain to the Commission des soumissions.[1][3][4]

How to win a tender in Luxembourg

Under the Law of 8 April 2018 the contract goes to the economically most advantageous tender, which the buyer may base on price alone or on price and quality criteria. Because price can be the only criterion, check the cahier des charges for whether quality counts, which criteria and weightings apply and how they are scored. Ask your questions through the Question function of the tender on the Portail des marchés publics before the stated deadline; answers and any corrected documents are published on the portal for everyone who downloaded the file, so log in regularly. To know the buyer, use the portal's award notices and its published essential data on concluded contracts (données essentielles), plus TED for EU-value contracts. Write in the language required, usually French, follow the bordereau de prix exactly and attach the requested references and certificates. Bids fail when they arrive late, are not signed with the required electronic signature, change the price schedule or lack mandatory documents; abnormally low prices must be justified. After the award decision, ask the buyer for the reasons your bid was not chosen and use them, and note the standstill period before the contract is signed.[1][6][9][10]

1. Check the cahier des charges for criteria, weightings and whether quality counts.
2. Study the buyer's award notices and données essentielles on the portal.
3. Ask questions through the portal's Question tab and watch for updated documents.
4. Fill in the bordereau de prix exactly and attach the requested evidence.
5. Sign electronically and upload well before the deadline after a portal test.
6. Ask for the reasons after the award and act within the standstill period.

Clarification round: Questions via the Portail des marchés publics (renseignements complémentaires)

Tips for bidders

Get your qualified electronic signature and portal account in place well before the submission deadline, and use the test procedure on the portal to check your setup. Do not wait until the last minute to upload, because the bid is signed, encrypted and time-stamped on submission. Check the language rules of each tender, because most documents are in French and price schedules must be filled in exactly as provided. Attend site visits when they are offered, as they are common for works and sometimes mandatory. For services, also look at EU institutions based in Luxembourg, which publish their own calls separately. Keep track of the national value limits, because smaller contracts may be awarded without a public notice.[2][6][10]

Platforms in Luxembourg

Share of the 1,752 TED notices from 2025 whose documents sit on this platform.

• PMP Luxembourg85.5%

  Create a company account (a generic company email is recommended), test your computer and signature certificate, and practise with test tenders before bidding.

  How it works →Website

• EU institutions (own portals)9.9%

  EU institutions and agencies run their own procedures; most use the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission, which needs an EU Login account and a PIC.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Loi du 8 avril 2018 sur les marchés publics (Legilux)
2. Portail des marchés publics – Seuils (updated 13/01/2026)
3. Portail des marchés publics – Délais
4. Portail des marchés publics – Recours (Loi du 10 novembre 2010)
5. Circulaire n° 2024-047 – seuil de l'article 151 porté à 79.000 euros HTVA
6. PMP – Practical guide for companies (EN)
7. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/2152 – thresholds 2026–2027
8. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/2150 – utilities thresholds 2026–2027
9. Portail des marchés publics – Législation marchés publics
10. Portail des marchés publics (PMP) – award notices and données essentielles
11. marches.public.lu

Checked on 15 October 2026. Made by TenderRender from official sources. Not legal advice: check the notice and documents of each tender.

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