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The amounts that, from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027, decide whether a public contract is tendered at European level.
Checked on 15-09-2026
Every two years the European Commission revises the thresholds above which public bodies must tender a contract at European level. The current amounts apply from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027 and are laid down in Commission Delegated Regulations (EU) 2025/2150, 2025/2151 and 2025/2152. All amounts exclude VAT.
For classic public authorities the thresholds are as follows. Supplies and services of central government, such as ministries: €140,000. Supplies and services of sub-central authorities, such as municipalities, provinces and water boards: €216,000. Works: €5,404,000. Social and other specific services: €750,000. Which services fall into this category is set out in Annex XIV of Directive 2014/24/EU.
For utilities, the threshold for supplies and services is €432,000, for works €5,404,000 and for social and specific services €1,000,000. Works and services concessions have a threshold of €5,404,000.
What counts is the estimated value of the whole contract: the total amount excluding VAT, including options and extensions stated in the documents (article 2.15 of the Dutch Public Procurement Act 2012). A service contract with a fixed term of up to 48 months is estimated at its value over the entire term. A cleaning contract of €60,000 a year for four years at a municipality therefore comes to €240,000, which is above the threshold. Below the threshold a contract is not free of rules: the Act and the procurement policy then determine which national or private procedure is used.
What this means for you: look first at the total value and the type of client, not at the annual amount. Above the threshold the contract appears on TenderNed and in the European publication, statutory minimum time limits apply and the authority usually asks for a European Single Procurement Document. The procedure is fixed and the documents are the same for every bidder. That makes a first tender more predictable than an invitation whose rules you still have to find out.
These articles explain how public tendering works; they are not legal advice. If you are unsure about a specific tender, ask your question through the clarification round or consult a lawyer.
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