Knowledge base › Submitting, award and objections
An award decision is not yet a contract. The notification is followed by a standstill period of 20 calendar days.
Checked on 15-09-2026
After the assessment the contracting authority takes an award decision: the intention to award the contract to a particular bidder. That is not yet a contract. The authority sends the notification of the award decision to all bidders at the same time, both the winner and the unsuccessful parties.
Then the standstill period follows, in Dutch opschortende termijn, also called the Alcatel period. It lasts 20 calendar days and starts on the day after the notification is sent to all bidders. PIANOo adds that the period only runs once all bidders concerned have received the notification. If there is no objection when it ends, the authority may make the final award and conclude the contract. PIANOo describes this period for European tenders; for other procedures the tender documents state whether a period applies and which.
The period exists so that unsuccessful bidders can study the decision and assess whether they want to object. If a bidder starts interim proceedings (kort geding) within the period, the authority may not make the final award until the court has ruled.
Watch out for a limitation period. According to PIANOo, the standstill period is not automatically a period of forfeiture, but it is if the tender documents and the rejection letter state explicitly that bidders must start proceedings within it. In that case an unsuccessful bidder can only go to court after it ends in exceptional circumstances.
What this means for you: put the date of the notification and the last day of the period in your calendar straight away. Read the letter immediately, ask for an explanation quickly if needed and decide well within the period whether you want to pursue it; preparing interim proceedings takes time. If you have won, the contract is only certain after the period has ended and the final award has been made. Plan staff and purchasing accordingly.
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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