How do public tenders work in Bosnia & Herzegovina?

Law and buyers

The legal basis is the Zakon o javnim nabavkama BiH (Law on Public Procurement, Official Gazette 39/14), amended in 2022 (59/22, applicable since December 2022) and 2024 (50/24). It applies to every institution at state, entity, Brčko District, cantonal, city and municipal level, to bodies governed by public law and to utilities. The Agencija za javne nabavke (Public Procurement Agency) drafts implementing rules, runs the portal and trains buyers; the Ured za razmatranje žalbi (Procurement Review Body) decides on appeals. The European Commission's 2025 report rates the framework as only partly aligned with EU rules and notes that a new law is being prepared under the 2024-2028 strategy. Public procurement was 9.8% of GDP in 2024, with on average 1.75 bids per tender.[1][2][3][6]

Where tenders are published

All notices, tender documents, clarifications, contract award information and direct agreement reports are published on the Portal javnih nabavki, the e-Nabavke system at ejn.gov.ba, run by the Public Procurement Agency. A newer public interface is available at next.ejn.gov.ba. Searching notices on the public part is free and needs no account. To download tender documents, ask questions and appear as a bidder, a company registers as a bidder (ponuđač) through the 'Registruj se!' option; the main operator then manages further users. Since 2022 contracting authorities must also publish their annual procurement plans on the portal. Because Bosnia and Herzegovina is not an EU member, tenders do not appear on TED; for higher-value contracts the buyer adds an English summary of the notice on the portal.[2][4][5]

Procedures and thresholds

The main procedures are the otvoreni postupak (open procedure), ograničeni postupak (restricted procedure), pregovarački postupak sa i bez objave obavještenja (negotiated procedure with or without prior notice), konkurentski dijalog (competitive dialogue) and design contests. For small values there are two simplified routes: konkurentski zahtjev za dostavu ponuda (competitive request for quotations) below the lower value class, published on the portal with a short tender file, and direktni sporazum (direct agreement) for the smallest purchases, where the buyer asks one or more firms for a price. Above the lower value class a full procedure is mandatory, and above the higher value classes stricter deadlines and an English summary apply. Value classes differ by type of buyer and between supplies and services on one side and works on the other.[1][2]

Documents and language

Bidders prove personal standing (no convictions for organised crime, corruption, fraud or money laundering; not bankrupt or in liquidation; social security and tax obligations paid), and where required economic, financial, technical and professional capacity. With the bid you usually submit a statement verified by a competent authority instead of the certificates; the selected bidder then provides the court, tax and social security certificates. Foreign bidders may use documents from their country of establishment. Every bidder also submits a separate verified statement that it did not offer bribes. Bids must be written in one of the official languages of BiH (Bosnian, Croatian or Serbian); brochures and catalogues may stay untranslated unless the tender documents say otherwise.[1]

Deadlines, award and challenges

In an open procedure above the higher value classes the minimum bid period is 45 days from sending the notice to the portal; in the middle range it is 20 days. In restricted procedures the minimum is 30 days for requests to participate and 35 days for bids above the higher classes, and 15 days each below them. A prior information notice can shorten the 45 and 20 days to 25 and 13 days. A competitive request for quotations needs at least 10 days. Contracts are awarded on the most economically advantageous bid or the lowest price; the Commission notes that 75% of contracts still use price only. The standstill period is 15 days after bidders are informed of the award. Appeals go through the contracting authority to the Procurement Review Body, usually within 10 days (5 days in competitive requests), and require a fee based on contract value.[1][2][6][9]

How to win a tender in Bosnia & Herzegovina

In Bosnia and Herzegovina contracts go to the lowest price or the most economically advantageous bid, with sub-criteria and their weighting set out in the tender documents. The European Commission's 2025 report notes that about three quarters of contracts still use price only, and that tenders draw on average fewer than two bids, so a complete, compliant bid already beats much of the field. Ask for clarification of the tender documents in writing through the e-Nabavke portal in good time; under Article 56 of the Law on Public Procurement the authority must answer on the portal within three days and no later than five days before the deadline, and extend the deadline when its answer forces significant changes. To know the buyer, read its procurement plan, earlier notices, award decisions and contract reports on ejn.gov.ba. Write in Bosnian, Croatian or Serbian, follow the document list exactly and prepare verified statements early. Bids fail when late, missing a verified statement or qualification proof, or abnormally low without a convincing explanation. After the award decision you can inspect every competing bid within two days of a written request and photocopy it, except confidential parts (Article 11), before deciding on an appeal.[1][2][4][6]

1. Check whether the award is on lowest price or weighted sub-criteria.
2. Send clarification requests through e-Nabavke well before the deadline.
3. Read the buyer's plans and earlier award decisions on ejn.gov.ba.
4. Arrange verified statements and translations into an official language early.
5. Request inspection of competing bids right after the award decision.
6. File any appeal within the short statutory period.

Clarification round: Request for clarification of the tender documents (zahtjev za pojašnjenje tenderske dokumentacije)

Tips for bidders

Search e-Nabavke regularly and register early, because tender documents are released through the portal and questions must be asked there. Ask for clarifications in good time: the buyer answers on the portal within three days, but no later than five days before the deadline. Plan for translation into Bosnian, Croatian or Serbian and for verified statements, which take time to arrange abroad. Read the award criteria closely; most tenders are decided on price, and over half receive only one bid, so a well-prepared foreign bid can stand out. Watch the time limits for appeals, which run from the notice, the tender documents or the award decision. Joint bids with a local partner can make documentation and contract execution easier.[1][4][6]

Platforms in Bosnia & Herzegovina

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

• e-Nabavke (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

  Bidders register on the BiH e-procurement portal, with a separate 'Strani ponuđač' (foreign bidder) option; tender documents are downloaded there.

  How it works →Website

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Law on Public Procurement of BiH, Official Gazette of BiH 39/14 (English translation, RAI)
2. Law on Amendments to the Law on Public Procurement, Official Gazette of BiH 59/22 (English, Public Procurement Agency)
3. Public Procurement Agency of BiH, legislation
4. e-Nabavke, Portal javnih nabavki BiH
5. e-Nabavke user manual (Pomoć e-Nabavke, Bosnian)
6. European Commission, Bosnia and Herzegovina 2025 Report, SWD(2025) 751, Chapter 5 Public procurement
7. EU Delegation to BiH, preferential treatment of domestic bidders and the SAA (April 2021)
8. Council of Ministers of BiH, 53rd extraordinary session, 31 May 2021
9. Ured za razmatranje žalbi Bosne i Hercegovine

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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