Public tenders in North Macedonia: platforms, thresholds and rules

At a glance

Law: Закон за јавните набавки (Службен весник 24/19, 87/21, 14/25, 212/26)
Oversight: Биро за јавни набавки (БЈН)
Central portal: Електронски систем за јавни набавки (ЕСЈН)

Thresholds

Law applies from (classical sector): supplies and services	€ 1.000 (denar equivalent, excl. VAT)
Law applies from (classical sector): works	€ 5.000 (denar equivalent, excl. VAT)
Small-value procurement (набавка од мала вредност), upper limit: supplies and services	€ 10.000 (denar equivalent, excl. VAT)
Small-value procurement, upper limit: works	€ 20.000 (denar equivalent, excl. VAT)
Simplified open procedure (поедноставена отворена постапка), upper limit: supplies and services	€ 70.000 (denar equivalent, excl. VAT)
Simplified open procedure, upper limit: works	€ 500.000 (denar equivalent, excl. VAT)
Additional publication in the Official Journal of the EU required by national law (classical sector): supplies and services	€ 130.000 (denar equivalent, excl. VAT)
Additional publication in the Official Journal of the EU required by national law (classical sector): works	€ 5.000.000 (denar equivalent, excl. VAT)
Additional publication in the Official Journal of the EU required by national law (classical sector): special services	€ 750.000 (denar equivalent, excl. VAT)

Law and buyers

Public procurement is governed by the Law on Public Procurement, published in Official Gazette 24/19 and applied since 1 April 2019, amended in 2021, February 2025 and September 2026. The European Commission's 2025 report finds the framework largely aligned with the EU acquis. Contracting authorities include state bodies, municipalities and the City of Skopje, public enterprises and sector utilities. The Public Procurement Bureau (Биро за јавни набавки, BJN) under the Ministry of Finance runs the e-procurement system, issues guidance and carries out an ex ante administrative check of large tenders. According to the Commission, procurement amounted to 8.8% of GDP in 2024, with 22,975 notices published. Further amendments adopted by the government on 2 September 2026 were still pending in parliament at the time of verification.[1][5][6][9]

Where tenders are published

Notices for procedures at or above the application thresholds are published on the Electronic Public Procurement System, ESJN (Електронски систем за јавни набавки, e-nabavki.gov.mk), which has Macedonian, English and Albanian interfaces. Tender documents must be available there free, directly and in full from the day of publication. Notices for open, restricted and most negotiated procedures also appear in the Official Gazette. Above €130,000 for supplies and services or €5 million for works, the law also requires publication in the Official Journal of the EU. Bids and requests to participate are submitted electronically via ESJN, so economic operators need an ESJN account. Use of the system is subject to fees set by a Minister of Finance tariff, and electronic signatures are accepted under the national e-identification rules.[2][7]

Procedures and thresholds

Article 47 of the law lists small-value procurement (набавка од мала вредност), the simplified open procedure (поедноставена отворена постапка), the open procedure (отворена постапка), the restricted procedure (ограничена постапка), the competitive procedure with negotiation, competitive dialogue, innovation partnership and the negotiated procedure with or without prior publication. Small-value purchases are capped at €10,000 for supplies and services and €20,000 for works. They run through a published notice or, for standard items, the ESJN electronic market for small-value procurement. The simplified open procedure can be used up to €70,000 for supplies and services and €500,000 for works. Open and restricted procedures may be used for any value. Electronic auctions are optional where specifications are precise. Negotiated procedures without publication remain rare, at 1.5% in 2024.[2][9]

Documents and language

Bidders prove there are no grounds for exclusion with a statement or a Single Document for Proving Ability (Единствен документ за докажување на способноста), issued by the Central Registry for domestic companies. Further evidence includes certificates from the authority in the country of registration, proof of registration for the professional activity, financial statements and technical references. In the simplified open procedure, a statement can be enclosed and only the best-ranked bidder supplies the documents before the award. If a foreign bidder's country does not issue the required certificates, the authority accepts a statement certified before a competent authority there. Procedures are run in Macedonian. Tender documents can allow technical documentation in a foreign language, and the committee may then ask for a translation. Authorities also check the BJN list of negative references.[2]

Deadlines, award and challenges

Minimum time limits run from publication on ESJN: 30 days for the open procedure (20 with a prior information notice or for justified urgency), 15 days for the simplified open procedure and seven days for small-value notices. In the restricted procedure, requests to participate take at least 30 days, then tenders at least 25 days from the invitation. Contracts go to the most economically advantageous tender, based on price, cost or best price-quality ratio. In 2024 only 5.4% of notices used quality criteria. The contract may not be signed until the award decision is final, apart from limited exceptions. Appeals go electronically via ESJN to the State Appeals Commission on Public Procurement within 10 days (open and restricted) or 5 days (simplified open and small value).[2][8][9]

How to win a tender in North Macedonia

North Macedonia's Law on Public Procurement awards contracts to the most economically advantageous tender, determined on price, on cost using a cost-effectiveness approach such as life-cycle cost, or on the best price-quality ratio. In practice price dominates: according to the European Commission, only 5.4 percent of notices in 2024 used quality criteria. So first check the criterion; where quality counts, answer each criterion concretely. Under Article 81 the authority must answer all questions and requests for clarification or changes submitted through ESJN at least eight days before the deadline, six days in the simplified open procedure and four in small-value procurement. Ask early and in writing, because an appeal over unanswered questions is tied to the opening of bids. To know the buyer, read its annual procurement plan, earlier notices, decisions and contracts on e-nabavki.gov.mk. Prepare the exclusion and capacity evidence, signatures and Macedonian texts the documents require. Bids fail when late, incomplete or abnormally low without a credible explanation; misconduct can also put you on the Bureau's negative-reference list. Under Article 113, after the award decision and until the appeal deadline, you may inspect the whole file including competing bids, except business secrets.[1][2][7][9]

Check whether price, cost or price-quality ratio decides the tender.
Send questions through ESJN at least eight days before the deadline.
Read the buyer's annual plan and earlier decisions on e-nabavki.gov.mk.
Prepare evidence, electronic signatures and Macedonian texts in advance.
Inspect the full file and competing bids after the award decision.
Lodge any appeal with the State Appeals Commission within the deadline.

Clarification round: Request for clarification of the tender documentation (барање за појаснување на тендерската документација)

How TenderRender helps you in North Macedonia

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 North Macedonia.
2
Ask questions
Finds unclear points and risks in the documents and drafts questions about them for the clarification round: Request for clarification of the tender documentation (барање за појаснување на тендерската документација).
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 Електронски систем за јавни набавки (ЕСЈН) and prepares the documents ready to sign.

Tender search covers the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany; in North Macedonia you upload the documents from Електронски систем за јавни набавки (ЕСЈН) 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 ESJN well before you need to bid, check how you will sign electronically and budget for the system fees. Download documents from the moment of publication: the 15-day simplified open procedure and 7-day small-value notices leave little time for translation. Ask clarification questions early, because an appeal about unanswered questions is tied to bid opening. Prepare certificates from your home country in advance and plan for Macedonian translations. Read the award criteria carefully, since price alone still decides most tenders. A 'negative reference' for misconduct can exclude you from future tenders for a period, so honour bids and contracts. Appeals cost an administrative tax plus a fee of €50 to €200 depending on the bid value.[2][7][8]

Platforms in North Macedonia

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

ESJN (e-nabavki.gov.mk)
National e-procurement system run by the Public Procurement Bureau (bjn.gov.mk); register as an economic operator to download documents and bid.
Website

PublicCommercial

Frequently asked questions

Where are public tenders in North Macedonia published?

On the Electronic Public Procurement System ESJN (e-nabavki.gov.mk), run by the Public Procurement Bureau. Larger open, restricted and negotiated procedures also appear in the Official Gazette, and above €130,000 (supplies and services) or €5 million (works) the law also requires publication in the Official Journal of the EU.[2][7]

Do I need to register to bid?

Yes, in practice. Bids and requests to participate are submitted electronically through ESJN, so you need an ESJN account. Use of the system is subject to fees set by the Minister of Finance.[2][7]

What are the thresholds?

The law applies from €1,000 for supplies and services and €5,000 for works (denar equivalent, excluding VAT). Small-value procurement goes up to €10,000 or €20,000 for works, and the simplified open procedure up to €70,000 or €500,000 for works. Higher values require the open or restricted procedure.[2][4]

Can foreign companies bid?

Yes. ESJN is open to all economic operators, and foreign bidders can prove eligibility with documents from their country of registration, or with a statement certified before a competent authority there if those documents do not exist.[2][7]

In which language do I bid?

Procedures are conducted in Macedonian. Tender documents may allow technical documentation in a foreign language, but the evaluation committee can then ask for a translation.[2]

How much time do I have to submit a bid?

At least 30 days in the open procedure (20 with a prior information notice or urgency), 15 days in the simplified open procedure and 7 days for small-value notices, counted from publication on ESJN.[2]

How do I challenge a decision?

Lodge an appeal electronically via ESJN with the State Appeals Commission on Public Procurement within 10 days (open and restricted procedures) or 5 days (simplified open and small value). The contract may not be signed until the award decision is final.[2][8]