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Why a lot or a smaller regional contract is often a better first bid than a large contract, and what the law says about it.
Checked on 15-09-2026
Your first bid does not have to be for the largest contract in your field. For a company with no tendering experience it makes more sense to start with a contract that matches what you already do in size, requirements and distance. The law and the Proportionality Guide (Gids Proportionaliteit) offer support here.
Article 1.5 of the Dutch Public Procurement Act 2012 provides that a contracting authority does not combine contracts unnecessarily and divides a contract into several lots, unless it considers this inappropriate. In that case it explains its reasons in the tender documents. A lot is a defined part of the contract on which you can bid separately. The Proportionality Guide gives the example of a contract divided into five lots, one per village.
Lots also lower the suitability requirements. According to the Guide, the starting point is that in principle no turnover requirement is set. If an authority does set one, the law caps it at three times the estimated value of the contract, and with lots at three times the value of a lot or of the lots to be performed at the same time. A small lot therefore also means a lower bar.
Smaller contracts do not have to be published. Below the EU threshold, according to the Guide, public bodies invite at least three and at most five companies in a multiple private procedure, and some municipalities try to include a local company, as the municipality of Westland writes about its business register. You then compete with a few companies instead of with everyone who sees the notice.
What this means for you: for your first bid, choose a contract or lot in your own region, of a size you already deliver for other clients, and for which you have at least one comparable reference. Read the requirements for knock-out criteria first and ask for clarification in the question round if something seems disproportionate. A small contract won gives you experience and a public-sector reference you can use in your next tender.
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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