Public tenders in Albania: platforms, thresholds and rules

At a glance

Law: Ligji nr. 162/2020 "Për prokurimin publik"
Oversight: Agjencia e Prokurimit Publik (APP)
Central portal: Sistemi i Prokurimit Elektronik (APP)

Thresholds

Works, high monetary threshold (classical sector)	ALL 528.781.400
Supplies, services and design contests, high monetary threshold (classical sector)	ALL 13.699.000
Supplies, services and design contests, high monetary threshold (sectoral contracts)	ALL 42.271.200
Works, low monetary threshold (classical and sectoral)	ALL 12.000.000
Supplies, services and design contests, low monetary threshold (classical and sectoral)	ALL 10.000.000
Social and other specific services (classical sector)	ALL 82.000.000
Small value procurement (prokurim me vlerë të vogël), range per year	ALL 100.000 – 1.000.000
Below this value no procurement procedure is required	ALL 100.000

Law and buyers

Public procurement in Albania is governed by Law No. 162/2020 "Për prokurimin publik" (On Public Procurement), in force since 31 March 2021 and amended by Law No. 16/2024. The law is modelled on the EU procurement directives as part of Albania's accession process. Detailed rules are set in Council of Ministers Decision No. 285/2021 on the public procurement rules, and the monetary thresholds in Decision No. 291/2024, last amended by Decision No. 331/2026. The Public Procurement Agency (Agjencia e Prokurimit Publik, APP) supervises the system and administers the electronic procurement system. Buyers are central ministries, agencies, municipalities and state companies. Operatori i Blerjeve të Përqendruara sh.a. (OBP) is the central purchasing body that runs procedures above the small value threshold on behalf of the Prime Minister's Office, ministries and their subordinate institutions.[2][3][6][7]

Where tenders are published

Every notice is published in the electronic procurement system (Sistemi i Prokurimit Elektronik) administered by the APP, and in abbreviated form in the Public Notices Bulletin (Buletini i Njoftimeve Publike) on app.gov.al. Small value procurements are also announced there as invitations to tender that any interested operator may answer. Tender documents are made available electronically and free of charge, and bids are submitted electronically through the same system. Foreign economic operators register with an online form on app.gov.al; the account becomes active on the next working day. The law also provides for publication in the Official Journal of the EU above the high threshold, but the implementing rules apply this only when an obligation towards the EU requires it, so the national system is the place to search.[2][6][8]

Procedures and thresholds

Law No. 162/2020 lists the open procedure (procedurë e hapur), the restricted procedure (procedurë e kufizuar), the competitive procedure with negotiation (procedurë konkurruese me negocim), the innovation partnership (partneritet për inovacion), competitive dialogue (dialogu konkurrues), the negotiated procedure with prior notice for sectoral contracts, and the negotiated procedure without prior publication. Below the low monetary threshold a contracting authority may use the simplified open procedure (procedurë e hapur e thjeshtuar). Between ALL 100,000 and ALL 1,000,000 per year the small value procedure (prokurim me vlerë të vogël) applies, published as an invitation to tender in the electronic system. The high threshold decides the longer time limits, the language regime and the complaint periods; the low threshold marks where simplified procedures become possible.[2][4][6]

Documents and language

Instead of the European ESPD, bidders submit the Summary Self-Declaration Form (Formulari përmbledhës i vetëdeklarimit) as preliminary evidence of registration, absence of exclusion grounds and capacity. Before the contract is awarded, the winning bidder must provide the documents of the electronic bid and the supporting evidence in original or notarised copy. Foreign operators must submit documents in the form required by Albanian legislation on the recognition of documents, so check whether an apostille or legalisation is needed. Above the high threshold, tender documents are drafted in Albanian and English and bids may be submitted in Albanian or English, even partly in each. Below the high threshold the language is Albanian, unless the contracting authority decides to accept English as well.[2][6]

Deadlines, award and challenges

Time limits are in calendar days. In the open procedure above the high threshold bids are due at least 35 days after publication, minus 5 days for electronic submission; between the low and high threshold 20 days, with the same reduction. The simplified open procedure allows at least 10 days. In the restricted procedure above the high threshold, requests to participate and bids each get at least 30 days. Award goes to the most economically advantageous tender. The standstill period after the award notice is 10 days above the high threshold, 7 days below it and 2 days for small value procurement. Complaints are filed at the same time with the contracting authority and the Public Procurement Commission (Komisioni i Prokurimit Publik) via the electronic complaints system, within 10 or 7 days; a fee applies. Further appeal goes to the Administrative Court of Appeal.[2][3][9]

How to win a tender in Albania

Albania's Law No. 162/2020 on public procurement awards contracts to the most economically advantageous tender, identified on price or cost or on the best price-quality ratio with criteria such as quality, environmental and social aspects (Article 87). In practice many tenders are decided on price, so read the award criteria in each tender before investing in quality texts. Under Article 75 you may request clarification of the tender documents up to 6 days before the bid deadline; the authority must answer within 3 days and send the explanation to everyone who received the documents, without naming you. Changes in the second half of the bid period extend the deadline. To know the buyer, check its procurement forecast and earlier notices and award results in the APP electronic system and the Public Notices Bulletin on app.gov.al. Follow the tender format exactly, submit the summary self-declaration form, and prepare notarised or apostilled evidence for the winning stage. Bids fail when late, incomplete, from excluded operators or abnormally low without a convincing written explanation within three working days (Article 93). After the decision you must be told the grounds within 5 days, and you can request the procurement documentation (Article 81).[2][3][10]

Check whether the tender awards on price or on price-quality ratio.
Send clarification requests at least 6 days before the bid deadline.
Read the buyer's forecast and earlier results on app.gov.al.
Follow the tender format and submit the summary self-declaration form.
Prepare a written price explanation in case your bid looks abnormally low.
Request the documentation after the decision and watch complaint deadlines.

Clarification round: Request for clarification (kërkesë për sqarim) of the tender documents

How TenderRender helps you in Albania

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 in Albania.
2
Ask questions
Finds unclear points and risks in the documents and drafts questions about them for the clarification round: Request for clarification (kërkesë për sqarim) of the tender documents.
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 Sistemi i Prokurimit Elektronik (APP) and prepares the documents ready to sign.

Tender search covers the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany; in Albania you upload the documents from Sistemi i Prokurimit Elektronik (APP) 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 on the APP electronic procurement system well before your first deadline, because foreign accounts are only activated on the next working day. Check whether the contract value is above the high threshold: only then are English documents and English bids guaranteed. Prepare notarised copies and, where needed, apostilled or legalised certificates in advance, as the winning bidder must present originals or notarised copies before award. Use the procurement forecast and the Public Notices Bulletin on app.gov.al to spot tenders early. Watch the complaint periods closely: they start on publication of the notice or award and cannot be extended, and a missed deadline ends your right to complain. For small value procurements you can only complain to the contracting authority, within 2 days.[2][8][9]

Platforms in Albania

This country does not publish on TED, so there are no shares. These are the platforms from our market map, public ones first.

Agjencia e Prokurimit Publik (Albania)
Bids are submitted in APP's e-procurement system; foreign firms register via a separate form and the account becomes active the next working day.
How it works →Website

PublicCommercial

Frequently asked questions

Where are public tenders in Albania published?

In the electronic procurement system of the Public Procurement Agency (app.gov.al), with a short version in the Public Notices Bulletin. Albania is not an EU member, so you will not find its tenders on TED as a rule.[2][6]

Do I need to register to bid?

Yes. Bids are submitted electronically, so you need an account on the APP electronic procurement system. Foreign companies register with an online form on app.gov.al and the account is activated on the next working day.[8]

What are the thresholds?

Since the 2026 amendment the high monetary threshold is ALL 13,699,000 for supplies and services and ALL 528,781,400 for works in the classical sector. The low threshold is ALL 10,000,000 for supplies and services and ALL 12,000,000 for works, and small value procurement covers ALL 100,000 to 1,000,000 per year.[4][5]

Can foreign companies bid?

Yes. The registration form on app.gov.al is specifically meant for foreign economic operators, and their documents must meet Albanian rules on the recognition of documents.[2][8]

In which language must I bid?

Above the high threshold you may bid in Albanian or English. Below it the language is Albanian, unless the contracting authority also allows English.[2]

How much time do I have to submit a bid?

In the open procedure at least 35 days above the high threshold and at least 20 days between the low and high threshold, each reducible by 5 days for electronic submission. The simplified open procedure allows at least 10 days.[2]

How do I file a complaint?

Submit it at the same time to the contracting authority and the Public Procurement Commission through the electronic complaints system, with proof of payment of the fee, within 10 days (above the high threshold) or 7 days (below it). The procedure is suspended while the complaint is reviewed.[2][9]