# How do public tenders work in Israel?

Public bodies in Israel must buy through tenders under the Mandatory Tenders Law 5752-1992 and its 1993 regulations; central government tenders are run by the Government Procurement Administration of the Ministry of Finance and published on mr.gov.il. Foreign companies can bid, but many tenders require an Israeli-registered entity, Israeli-made goods can receive a price preference, and foreign winners of large international tenders must sign an industrial cooperation (offset) commitment.

Checked on 15 October 2026. Made by TenderRender from official sources. Not legal advice: check the notice and documents of each tender.
Source: https://www.tenderrender.com/en-us/tender-guides/israel

## At a glance

- Law: [חוק חובת המכרזים, התשנ"ב-1992](https://mr.gov.il/ilgstorefront/en/regulations/details/REG1)
- Oversight: [מינהל הרכש הממשלתי (החשב הכללי, משרד האוצר)](https://mr.gov.il)
- Central portal: [מינהל הרכש הממשלתי (mr.gov.il)](https://mr.gov.il)
- Thresholds: Ministry contract exempt from tendering (Mandatory Tenders Regulations, reg. 3(1)); max NIS 100,000 per supplier per 12 months: NIS 50,000 ([source](https://s-horowitz.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Lexology-Panoramic-Public-Procurement-Israel.pdf))
- Thresholds: International tenders that carry a mandatory industrial cooperation (offset) obligation: USD 5,000,000 or more ([source](https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/israel-selling-public-sector))
- Thresholds: Price preference for Israeli-made goods (Preference for Israeli Products Regulations 1995), for items excluded from the WTO GPA and for products with at least 35% Israeli content up to USD 500,000: 15% (plus 5–15% extra for national priority zones) ([source](https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/israel-selling-public-sector))
- Thresholds: Deadline to file an administrative petition against a tender decision: 45 days ([source](https://s-horowitz.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Lexology-Panoramic-Public-Procurement-Israel.pdf))

## Law and buyers

The Hok Hovat Hamichrazim (Mandatory Tenders Law) 5752-1992 requires the state, government companies, religious councils, health funds and institutions of higher education to contract through a public tender that gives everyone an equal chance, unless an exemption in the Mandatory Tenders Regulations 5753-1993 applies; local authorities follow the Municipal Regulations (Tenders) 1987. Related rules include the Mandatory Tenders Regulations (Preference for Israeli Products) 5755-1995, the industrial cooperation rules for international tenders and the Public Bodies Transactions Law 5736-1976. Israel is a party to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement, and international obligations take precedence over the local preference rules for covered tenders. Central government purchasing is coordinated by the Government Procurement Administration in the Accountant General's division of the Ministry of Finance, which runs central framework tenders for ministries. The defence establishment (under separate defence regulations), municipalities and many government companies run their own tenders.

## Where tenders are published

Central government tenders and framework tenders are published on mr.gov.il, the website of the Government Procurement Administration, where documents can be downloaded and clarifications and amendments are posted on each tender page. Under regulation 15 of the Mandatory Tenders Regulations, a ministry must also publish a tender notice in a widely circulated Hebrew newspaper, an Arabic-language newspaper and on its website, and may additionally publicise it abroad. Interested parties can subscribe to receive tender notices by email. Ministry of Defense, local authority and government company tenders are often published on the buyer's own website. Each tender sets its own submission method; many now use electronic submission, while others still require a physical tender box.

## Procedures and thresholds

The standard route is a public tender (michraz pumbi). The regulations also allow variants announced in the notice, such as a tender with a pre-qualification stage, a tender with a two-stage evaluation, a negotiated tender, a public tender with an additional competitive process and dynamic or expedited automated tenders. Most central tenders by the Government Procurement Administration are framework tenders that create a list of approved suppliers, followed by mini-competitions between them. Exemptions apply to small contracts: a ministry may contract without a tender up to NIS 50,000, with a cap of NIS 100,000 per supplier in any 12 months, and further exemptions cover urgency, security and other listed situations. Above the GPA thresholds, Israel's GPA commitments apply.

## Documents and language

Under regulation 6, bidders must be registered in any register required by law for the subject of the contract, hold the necessary licences, meet any official Israeli standard and hold the approvals required by the Public Bodies Transactions Law, such as confirmation of proper bookkeeping and tax reporting and declarations on labour law compliance. Many central tenders state that the bidder must be a corporation legally registered in Israel, so foreign firms often bid through an Israeli subsidiary, branch or local partner. Bidders claiming the Israeli-product preference must declare the qualifying goods, and bidders whose goods are protected by the GPA must say so. Tenders are usually written and answered in Hebrew; some international tenders accept English, as stated in the tender documents.

## Deadlines, award and challenges

The law does not set one fixed minimum period; regulation 15 requires publication a reasonable time before the deadline, and the actual deadline is stated in each tender. Award criteria combine price and quality as set out in the tender documents. For Israeli-made goods a 15% price preference can apply to items outside the GPA and to products with at least 35% Israeli content up to USD 500,000, with an additional 5 to 15% for producers in national priority zones, except where the GPA or another trade agreement protects the foreign bidder. Foreign suppliers that win international tenders of USD 5 million or more must sign an industrial cooperation commitment with the Industrial Cooperation Authority to place a share of the contract value with Israeli industry (according to the US Commerce Department, 35% for civil contracts, or 20% for suppliers from GPA countries, and 50% in the defence field). There is no statutory standstill; challenges are filed as an administrative petition with the Court for Administrative Matters within 45 days.

## Tips for bidders

Check the threshold conditions of each tender first, because a requirement to be registered in Israel or to have completed projects in Israel can exclude a foreign company outright. If you are based in a GPA country, state that your goods are protected against the Israeli-product preference at the pre-qualification stage. Budget for the industrial cooperation obligation on large international tenders and contact the Industrial Cooperation Authority early, as the commitment must be agreed before the contract is signed. Watch the tender page for clarifications, since changes are often posted only there. Plan Hebrew translation and a local representative, and register for the email notice service of the Government Procurement Administration.

## Platforms in Israel

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

- Government Procurement Administration (mr.gov.il) (Public) Bids go into the digital tender box of the Merkava system after identifying via the government authentication service; only a confirmation number proves submission.

## Tender search for this country

- [Michrazim Israel (מכרזי ישראל)](https://www.michrazim.org.il): Aggregator of Israeli public tenders from hundreds of official sources that ranks tenders by keyword relevance and sends email alerts.
- [MihrazAI](https://www.mihrazai.com): Israeli tender search scanning 200+ ministries, municipalities and state companies, matching tenders to a business with SMS/email alerts and AI summaries.

## How to win a tender in Israel

Israeli public bodies award under the Mandatory Tenders Law and its 1993 regulations to the bid that confers maximum advantage on the buyer. Criteria can include price, quality and suitability, the bidder's experience and expertise, recommendations and past performance, and respect for employee rights. The tender committee must set out the criteria, sub-tests, the price-versus-quality weight and the weighting method in the documents, and may set a minimum quality score. Write to each sub-test with concrete proof: projects, references and named staff. The clarification questions stage before submission is your lever: you can ask questions and request changes to terms, and answers and amendments are posted on the tender page on mr.gov.il, often in Hebrew. The committee must disqualify bids that are lacking, erroneous or based on misunderstanding, and a price far below the estimate can be grounds for rejection. Israeli-made goods may receive a price preference unless the WTO GPA protects you, and large international tenders carry industrial cooperation obligations. After the award, any participant may within 30 days inspect the committee minutes, its correspondence, professional opinions and the winning bid, which is the best way to learn how the buyer scored.

1. Map every criterion, sub-test and weight in the tender before writing.
2. Use the clarification questions stage to ask for clearer or fairer terms.
3. Monitor the mr.gov.il tender page for answers and amendments.
4. Prove quality with named staff, references and comparable Israeli or international projects.
5. Within 30 days of the award, inspect the minutes and winning bid.

Clarification round: Clarification questions (she'elot havhara)

## Bidding in Israel with TenderRender

TenderRender does the work behind each step above. Your team checks and refines.

- **Research the buyer**: Brings together the buyer's earlier awards, policies and contracts, so your bid fits this buyer's situation in Israel.
- **Ask questions**: Finds unclear points and risks in the documents and drafts questions about them for the clarification round: Clarification questions (she'elot havhara).
- **Write per criterion**: Drafts a first version per award criterion, in the language of the tender, with citations to your own documents.
- **Review**: Scores your bid per award criterion the way an evaluator would, with concrete improvements.
- **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.
- **Submit**: Builds a checklist of everything you need to submit on מינהל הרכש הממשלתי (mr.gov.il) and prepares the documents ready to sign.

Tender search covers the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany; in Israel you upload the documents from מינהל הרכש הממשלתי (mr.gov.il) and TenderRender works with them the same way.

Teams writing or reviewing with TenderRender won 49% of their completed tenders. https://www.tenderrender.com/en-us/customers/win-rate

All players on the market map: https://www.tenderrender.com/en-us/market-map

## Frequently asked questions

### Where are public tenders in Israel published?

Central government tenders appear on mr.gov.il, the Government Procurement Administration site, and ministries must also advertise in a Hebrew and an Arabic newspaper and on their website. Defence, municipal and government company tenders are often on the buyer's own website.

### Do I need to register to bid?

There is no single national supplier register for every tender, but you must meet the registration and licensing conditions of regulation 6 and hold the approvals under the Public Bodies Transactions Law. Many central tenders require the bidder to be a corporation registered in Israel.

### What are the thresholds?

A ministry may contract without a tender up to NIS 50,000 (with a cap of NIS 100,000 per supplier in 12 months). International tenders of USD 5 million or more carry a mandatory industrial cooperation obligation, and Israel's WTO GPA thresholds apply to covered contracts.

### Can foreign companies bid?

Yes, if they meet the tender's threshold conditions, which often include registration in Israel. Israeli-made goods can receive a 15% preference unless the foreign bidder is protected by the GPA or another agreement.

### In which language must I bid?

Usually in Hebrew; some international tenders accept English, as stated in the tender documents.

### How much time do I have to submit a tender?

The regulations require publication a reasonable time before the deadline but set no single minimum; each tender states its own deadline.

### What is the industrial cooperation obligation?

Foreign suppliers that win international tenders of USD 5 million or more must commit, through the Industrial Cooperation Authority, to buy or invest in Israeli industry for a share of the contract value, for example through local subcontracting or R&D cooperation.

## Sources

- [Government Procurement Administration – Mandatory Tenders Law and Regulations](https://mr.gov.il/ilgstorefront/en/regulations/details/REG1)
- [Government Procurement Administration, English notice for central tender 18-2017 (example of the requirement to be a corporation registered in Israel)](https://mr.gov.il/ilgstorefront/he/p/attachment/005056BF4DAB1EDA95C1BE224F79E11B/%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%93%D7%A2%D7%94%20%D7%9C%D7%A2%D7%99%D7%AA%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%AA%20%D7%91%D7%90%D7%A0%D7%92%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%AA)
- [US International Trade Administration – Israel Country Commercial Guide, Selling to the Public Sector](https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/israel-selling-public-sector)
- [Industrial Cooperation Authority (Ministry of Economy and Industry)](https://www.gov.il/en/departments/Units/ica)
- [Lexology Panoramic: Public Procurement 2026 – Israel (S. Horowitz & Co., law stated 1 April 2026)](https://s-horowitz.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Lexology-Panoramic-Public-Procurement-Israel.pdf)
- [mr.gov.il](https://mr.gov.il)