How do public tenders work in Poland?

Law and buyers

Public procurement in Poland is governed by the Public Procurement Law of 11 September 2019 (Prawo zamówień publicznych, Pzp), in force since 1 January 2021, which implements the EU directives 2014/24/EU, 2014/25/EU and 2009/81/EC. The Public Procurement Office (Urząd Zamówień Publicznych, UZP) is the central authority: it publishes guidance, runs the national e-Zamówienia platform and houses the National Appeal Chamber (KIO). Contracting authorities include central government, voivodeships, counties and municipalities, public hospitals, universities and state companies, while utilities buy under separate sector rules. Poland is one of the largest markets on TED, with around 60,000 contract notices in 2025. Since 1 January 2026 the Act applies to classical contracts from PLN 170,000; below that, buyers follow their own internal rules.[1][2][4][17]

Where tenders are published

Below the EU thresholds, buyers publish notices in the Biuletyn Zamówień Publicznych (BZP, Public Procurement Bulletin), which since 1 January 2021 is a module of the national e-Zamówienia platform at ezamowienia.gov.pl. Above the EU thresholds, notices go to TED, which buyers can send directly from the platform. The procedure itself often runs on another e-procurement platform chosen by the buyer: Platforma Zakupowa (Open Nexus), Marketplanet (ezamawiajacy), eB2B, Logintrade and e-ProPublico are widely used alongside e-Zamówienia. Browsing notices and downloading public documents on e-Zamówienia requires no account, and use of the platform is free. To submit a tender there you need an economic operator (Wykonawca) account, registered with a signed application. Tenders must be signed electronically: a qualified electronic signature always works, and below the EU thresholds a trusted signature (podpis zaufany) or personal signature (podpis osobisty) is also accepted.[6][7][17][18]

Procedures and thresholds

Above the EU thresholds, the Pzp offers the EU procedures: open procedure (przetarg nieograniczony), restricted procedure (przetarg ograniczony), negotiated procedure with publication (negocjacje z ogłoszeniem), competitive dialogue (dialog konkurencyjny), innovation partnership (partnerstwo innowacyjne), negotiated procedure without publication (negocjacje bez ogłoszenia) and single-source procurement (zamówienie z wolnej ręki). Open and restricted procedures are the default; the others need a legal ground. Between the national threshold and the EU thresholds, most contracts are awarded in the basic procedure (tryb podstawowy), announced in the BZP. In its three variants the buyer either selects the best tender without negotiations, may negotiate to improve tenders, or must negotiate before asking for final tenders. Contracts below the national threshold fall outside the Act and are often announced on a buyer's own website or purchasing platform.[2][4]

Documents and language

With a tender or request to participate, you submit a statement that you are not excluded and meet the conditions. Above the EU thresholds this is the European Single Procurement Document (ESPD, in Polish JEDZ); below them the buyer sets the form of the statement. Usually only the best-ranked bidder is then asked for evidence such as a company register extract (KRS or CEIDG), tax and social security certificates (from the tax office and ZUS or KRUS), and criminal record information. These must be recent: generally no older than three months, and criminal record information no older than six months. Foreign bidders submit equivalent documents from their home country, or a sworn or notarised declaration where such documents do not exist. The procedure is conducted in Polish, and documents in a foreign language must be submitted with a Polish translation unless the buyer has allowed another language.[2][5]

Deadlines, award and challenges

In an open procedure above the EU thresholds, the minimum time to submit a tender is 35 days from sending the notice to the EU Publications Office, which the buyer may shorten to 15 days after a prior information notice or in case of urgency. In the basic procedure the minimum is 7 days for supplies and services and 14 days for works, counted from publication in the BZP. Buyers choose the most advantageous tender on price or cost alone, or on quality criteria combined with price. The standstill period before signing is 10 days above the EU thresholds and 5 days below them when the award decision is sent electronically. Appeals (odwołanie) go to the National Appeal Chamber (Krajowa Izba Odwoławcza, KIO), generally within 10 days above and 5 days below the EU thresholds, with a further complaint to the Regional Court in Warsaw.[2][8]

How to win a tender in Poland

In Poland the price often weighs heavily, but public-sector buyers may not use price as the only criterion or give it more than 60 percent weight unless they set quality requirements for the main elements of the contract. The non-price criteria are therefore where you can gain points, so read the SWZ (specyfikacja warunków zamówienia) for exactly how each criterion is scored. Questions about the SWZ must reach the buyer at least 14 days before the deadline in EU-level procedures; the buyer then has to answer at least 6 days before it, and publishes questions and answers on the procedure page, where they become part of the documents. To know the buyer, check its annual procurement plan (plan postępowań) and its notices in the Biuletyn Zamówień Publicznych, including contract performance notices, and on TED. A price at least 30 percent below the estimated value or the average of tenders triggers an obligation to explain it with evidence. After the award every bidder receives the scores per criterion, and the procedure record and other tenders can be requested.[10][11][12][15]

1. Read how each non-price criterion is scored in the SWZ before you calculate your price.
2. Send questions at least 14 days before the deadline so the buyer must answer.
3. Check the buyer's plan postępowań and past BZP and TED notices for its priorities.
4. Keep a cost calculation with evidence ready in case your price is called abnormally low.
5. Request the procedure record and winning tender to learn why you lost points.

Clarification round: Wyjaśnienia treści SWZ (clarification of the terms of reference)

Tips for bidders

Check both the BZP on e-Zamówienia and TED, then open the procedure on whichever platform the buyer names, because many Polish procedures run on commercial platforms with their own accounts. Arrange a qualified electronic signature early; foreign companies without a Polish trusted profile will usually depend on it. Budget time and money for sworn or careful Polish translations, and ask the buyer through the platform whether another language is allowed. Questions about the specification (SWZ) must reach the buyer at least 4 days before the deadline in the basic procedure to guarantee an answer. Short deadlines in the basic procedure leave little room, so monitor notices daily. Collect fresh certificates from your home authorities in advance, since only recent documents are accepted. Remember that appeal deadlines are very short and start when the buyer sends its decision.[5][6][11][18]

Platforms in Poland

Share of the 60,622 TED notices from 2025 whose documents sit on this platform.

• Platforma Zakupowa (Open Nexus)28.8%

  Free openNexus user account; log in to submit bids and take part in e-auctions, and sign documents as each buyer's procedure requires.

  How it works →Website

• e-Zamówienia19.6%

  Poland's free national platform: create an account, link it to the national login node and sign offers with a qualified electronic signature.

  How it works →Website

• Marketplanet (ezamawiajacy)16.9%

  Each buyer runs its own Marketplanet instance (buyer.ezamawiajacy.pl); check the tender notice for the address and the buyer's instructions for contractors.

• eB2B7.2%

  Free for bidders; register in the supplier base on platforma.eb2b.com.pl, and sign bids in public procedures with a qualified e-signature where required.

  How it works →

• Logintrade6.9%

  Commercial Polish platform used by companies and some public buyers; browse requests and tenders openly, create a supplier account to submit offers.

  How it works →

• e-ProPublico3.2%

  Free for bidders; register a contractor account to join a procedure and upload documents, signed as the buyer's tender documents require.

  How it works →

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Public Procurement Law of 11 September 2019, consolidated text 2026 (Dz.U. 2026 poz. 793), English translation by UZP
2. Ustawa z dnia 11 września 2019 r. Prawo zamówień publicznych (ISAP)
3. UZP: current EU thresholds 2026-2027 and PLN/EUR rate 4.31
4. UZP: legal framework
5. Regulation on subjective means of evidence (Dz.U. 2020 poz. 2415)
6. Regulation on electronic means of communication (Dz.U. 2020 poz. 2452)
7. UZP: Platforma e-Zamówienia
8. Krajowa Izba Odwoławcza (KIO), English version
9. EU thresholds 2026-2027, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/2152
10. Pzp art. 246, limit on price criterion
11. UZP e-commentary, art. 135 clarification of the SWZ
12. UZP e-commentary, art. 224 abnormally low price
13. UZP e-commentary, art. 23 procurement plan
14. UZP e-commentary, art. 448 contract performance notice
15. UZP e-commentary, art. 253 information after award
16. UZP e-commentary, art. 74 access to the procedure record
17. TED - EU Tenders, the Supplement to the Official Journal
18. ezamowienia.gov.pl

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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