How do public tenders work in Lithuania?

Law and buyers

Lithuania implements the EU directives through Viešųjų pirkimų įstatymas (VPĮ, the Law on Public Procurement), with a separate law for utilities (Pirkimų, atliekamų vandentvarkos, energetikos, transporto ar pašto paslaugų srities perkančiųjų subjektų, įstatymas). The law distinguishes tarptautiniai pirkimai (international procurements above the EU thresholds), supaprastinti pirkimai (simplified procurements below them) and mažos vertės pirkimai (low-value procurements). Buyers include ministries, agencies, municipalities and state and municipal companies. Viešųjų pirkimų tarnyba (VPT, the Public Procurement Office) supervises procurement, issues guidance and operates CVP IS. CPO LT is the central purchasing body and runs an electronic catalogue used for many standard purchases.[1][2]

Where tenders are published

Almost all Lithuanian procurements are published and run in CVP IS (viesiejipirkimai.lt), the Central Public Procurement Information System operated by VPT. Notices above the EU thresholds are also sent to TED. CVP IS handles the full process: notices, tender documents, questions, the ESPD and tender submission. A renewed CVP IS went live on 1 December 2024, and accounts were not carried over from the old system, so all users had to register again. Foreign suppliers can register, and many do. Searching notices is open to the public. Check the registration guide in CVP IS for the current identification and e-signature requirements.[2][4][6]

Procedures and thresholds

For international procurements the VPĮ provides atviras konkursas (open procedure), ribotas konkursas (restricted procedure), konkurso procedūra su derybomis (competitive procedure with negotiation), konkurencinis dialogas (competitive dialogue), inovacijų partnerystė (innovation partnership) and negotiated procedures without publication in limited cases. Simplified procurements below the EU thresholds use the same procedure types with lighter rules and shorter deadlines. Low-value procurements follow a VPT procedure description and can be very simple, for example a request for quotes. CPO LT's e-catalogue and framework agreements (preliminariosios sutartys) are used widely for standard goods and services.[1]

Documents and language

In international procurements, bidders complete the European Single Procurement Document (ESPD) in CVP IS; buyers often accept it in simplified procurements too. The winning bidder must then provide evidence, which buyers frequently check themselves in Lithuanian state registers (such as tax, social insurance and criminal records). Foreign bidders submit equivalent documents from their home country. Typical additional requirements are financial statements, references for similar contracts and quality or environmental certificates. Tenders are usually submitted in Lithuanian, but buyers may allow another language, often English, particularly in international procurements; documents in other languages may need a translation into Lithuanian. The procurement documents state the rules.[1][7]

Deadlines, award and challenges

In international open procedures the minimum time limits follow the EU directive, 35 days from sending the notice or 30 days when tenders are submitted electronically, which is standard in CVP IS. Simplified procurements have shorter statutory minimums. Contracts are awarded to the most economically advantageous tender. After notifying the award decision, the buyer must observe a standstill period (atidėjimo terminas) of at least 10 days before signing, or at least 5 working days in simplified procurements. Disputes start with a claim (pretenzija) to the contracting authority, which must be filed within a short statutory period, typically 10 days, or 5 working days in simplified procurements. If the claim is rejected, the supplier can bring the case to court.[1][3][8]

How to win a tender in Lithuania

Lithuanian buyers select the most economically advantageous tender on price-quality ratio, life-cycle cost, or price. By law, price-only purchases may make up no more than 50 percent of a buyer's annual procurement value, excluding low-value purchases, which pushes buyers towards quality criteria. The documents must give the relative weight of each criterion, and criteria must be verifiable, so support every claim with evidence the buyer can check. Ask for clarifications (paaiškinimai) through CVP IS in time: the buyer must then share the answer with all suppliers at least 6 days before the deadline, or 4 days in simplified procurement. To know the buyer, read the winning tenders, contracts and amendments it must publish in CVP IS within 15 days of signing. A price at least 30 percent below the average of the valid tenders always counts as abnormally low and must be justified. After the award decision you can request the winning tender during the standstill period, and on written request the buyer must explain within 15 days the characteristics and relative advantages, including price, that made the winner best.[1][2][4]

1. Back every quality claim with evidence the buyer can verify.
2. Ask questions in CVP IS early so the answer arrives at least 6 days pre-deadline.
3. Read the buyer's published winning tenders and contracts in CVP IS.
4. Check your price against likely competitors; 30 percent below average needs justification.
5. Request the winning tender during the standstill period to compare it with yours.

Clarification round: Pirkimo dokumentų paaiškinimai (clarifications of the procurement documents)

Tips for bidders

Register in the renewed CVP IS early: older accounts were not migrated in December 2024, and approval of a new supplier account takes time. Set up search alerts in CVP IS and TED. Read the procurement conditions for the language rules, and plan Lithuanian translations of key documents if English is not accepted. Keep claim deadlines in mind, because you must first file a pretenzija with the buyer before going to court, and the window is short. Watch CPO LT's tenders if you sell standard products, since getting into its e-catalogue gives access to many buyers. Finally, prepare your home-country certificates on tax and social security in advance, since Lithuanian buyers cannot check foreign registers themselves.[1][4]

Platforms in Lithuania

Share of the 8,094 TED notices from 2025 whose documents sit on this platform.

• CVP IS99.5%

  Lithuania's new CVP IS has been live since 1 December 2024; register as a supplier and see the VPT training material for suppliers first.

  How it works →Website

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Viešųjų pirkimų įstatymas, e-seimas
2. Viešųjų pirkimų tarnyba
3. Your Europe: Request a review of a public procurement procedure
4. CVP IS
5. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/2152 (thresholds 2026-2027)
6. TED - EU Tenders, the Supplement to the Official Journal
7. European single procurement document and eCertis
8. Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on public procurement

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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