How do public tenders work in Slovakia?

Law and buyers

Slovakia transposes the EU procurement directives through Act No. 343/2015 Coll. on public procurement (zákon o verejnom obstarávaní). The Public Procurement Office (ÚVO) supervises the system, keeps the register of economic operators and rules on objections. Buyers include central government bodies, municipalities, the eight self-governing regions (VÚC), public institutions and utilities. The Act distinguishes contracts above the EU thresholds (nadlimitné zákazky) and below them (podlimitné zákazky); civil contracts worth less than €50,000 per calendar year or contract term fall outside the Act altogether. In 2025 Slovak contracting authorities published 4,166 contract notices on TED. The state electronic platform is administered by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for the Recovery Plan and Knowledge Economy, while ÚVO remains the regulator.[1][4][9][10]

Where tenders are published

Above-threshold notices are published in the EU's Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) and in the Vestník verejného obstarávania, the procurement journal on the ÚVO website (uvo.gov.sk). Calls for below-threshold contracts are issued through the state electronic platform, which consists of IS EVO and the electronic marketplace EKS (Elektronický kontraktačný systém, eks.sk); ÚVO also publishes these calls on its website. Many buyers run their tenders in private electronic tools, such as JOSEPHINE by PROEBIZ or TENDERnet, so tender documents can sit on several systems. Registration on the electronic platform is free of charge. Offering goods or services on the EKS marketplace additionally requires a valid entry in ÚVO's list of economic operators (zoznam hospodárskych subjektov), for which an administrative fee is charged. Requests for entry in that list are signed with a qualified electronic signature.[4][5][6][9]

Procedures and thresholds

For above-threshold contracts the Act provides the open procedure (verejná súťaž), restricted procedure (užšia súťaž), competitive procedure with negotiation (rokovacie konanie so zverejnením), competitive dialogue (súťažný dialóg), innovation partnership (inovatívne partnerstvo) and negotiated procedure without publication (priame rokovacie konanie). Below-threshold contracts follow lighter national rules. The buyer invites at least three economic operators through the electronic platform, or may choose a public call instead; for works from €800,000 a public call to an unlimited number of bidders is mandatory. Goods and services that are commonly available on the market can be bought through a simplified marketplace procedure on EKS, where the lowest published price wins after a counter-offer window of at least 72 hours. Contracts below €50,000 are not covered by the Act.[1][5]

Documents and language

Bidders must prove their personal standing, for example no criminal record, no tax or social security arrears and authorisation to supply the goods or services, plus any financial and technical requirements the buyer sets. The European Single Procurement Document (jednotný európsky dokument, JED) can provisionally replace these documents; in below-threshold procedures a sworn declaration (čestné vyhlásenie) can also be used. Entry in ÚVO's list of economic operators proves personal standing and is valid for three years. Bids and documents are submitted in Slovak and may also be in Czech; documents in another language need an official translation into Slovak unless the buyer allows another language. A company that receives public money above the legal limit must also be entered in the Register of Public Sector Partners (RPVS), which is done through an authorised person such as a Slovak lawyer, notary or bank.[1][6][7]

Deadlines, award and challenges

In the above-threshold open procedure the minimum time limit for bids is 35 days from sending the notice, or 30 days when bids are submitted electronically, with shorter limits after a prior information notice or in duly justified urgency. In the restricted procedure bids are due at least 30 days after the invitation, or 25 days electronically. Below-threshold public calls allow at least nine working days for supplies and services and 14 working days for works. Bids are evaluated on objective criteria to find the most economically advantageous tender. After the evaluation result is sent, the contract may be signed no earlier than the 16th day, or the 11th day when communication is electronic. Objections (námietky) go to ÚVO and the buyer, generally within ten days of the relevant act, and require a deposit (kaucia) of 0.1% of the estimated value, at least €2,000.[1]

How to win a tender in Slovakia

Slovak buyers evaluate bids on objective criteria to find the most economically advantageous tender, using the best price-quality ratio, cost, or the lowest price. Quality criteria can cover technical merit, staff qualifications and experience, service and delivery terms, so check which ones apply and how each is scored before you write. Ask for a vysvetlenie through the buyer's electronic tool well in advance: the buyer must answer all known interested parties at the latest six days before the bid deadline, but only if you asked sufficiently early. To know the buyer, use its profile in the ÚVO system: after each contract is signed it publishes the evaluation minutes, the winning bid and the contract with every amendment. Public contracts are also published in the Central Register of Contracts (Centrálny register zmlúv). The committee may ask you to explain unclear points or an abnormally low price, but an explanation may not change your bid, so make it complete at submission. After evaluation, unsuccessful bidders are told why their bid was not accepted and receive the characteristics and advantages of the accepted bid.[1][8][9]

1. Find the scoring method for each quality criterion before drafting your bid.
2. Ask clarification questions early, well before the six-day answer limit.
3. Read the winning bids and evaluation minutes on the buyer's ÚVO profile.
4. Check earlier contracts and amendments of the buyer in the Central Register of Contracts.
5. Compare the result letter's stated advantages of the winner with your own bid.

Clarification round: Vysvetlenie (clarification of information needed to prepare the bid)

Tips for bidders

Create your account on the electronic platform early and, if you plan to sell through the EKS marketplace or want to reuse proof of personal standing, apply for entry in ÚVO's list of economic operators well before a deadline, because entry takes time and lasts three years. Check in each notice which electronic tool the buyer uses, as documents and clarification questions may sit on JOSEPHINE, TENDERnet or IS EVO rather than on TED. Plan for official Slovak translations of foreign certificates. Remember that objections are not available for below-threshold supplies and services or for works up to €1,500,000, so ask clarification questions in time. If you win a larger contract, arrange RPVS registration through a Slovak authorised person before signing.[1][4][6][7]

Platforms in Slovakia

Share of the 4,166 TED notices from 2025 whose documents sit on this platform.

• ÚVO97.9%

  ÚVO publishes the Vestník; to bid via the state platform EVO, create a free ÚVO account, validate your company, then register per tender.

  How it works →Website

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Zákon č. 343/2015 Z. z. o verejnom obstarávaní, consolidated version in force from 1 July 2026 (Slov-Lex)
2. Vyhláška ÚVO č. 421/2025 Z. z. on financial limits, in force from 1 January 2026 (Slov-Lex)
3. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/2152 – thresholds 2026-2027
4. ÚVO – Elektronické verejné obstarávanie (IS EVO)
5. EKS – Elektronický kontraktačný systém / Elektronické trhovisko
6. slovensko.sk – Zápis do zoznamu hospodárskych subjektov
7. Ministry of Justice – Register partnerov verejného sektora
8. Centrálny register zmlúv
9. Úrad pre verejné obstarávanie
10. TED - EU Tenders, the Supplement to the Official Journal

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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