Knowledge base › The basics of public procurement
Three forms you will meet in notices, and what they mean for the volume of work and your chance to take part.
Checked on 15-09-2026
A framework agreement is a contract in which the authority agrees terms in advance with one or more suppliers on matters such as price, quality and delivery. The actual orders follow later. The term is at most four years, except in duly justified exceptional cases (article 2.140 of the Dutch Public Procurement Act 2012); for utilities the maximum is eight years. The Proportionality Guide states that an authority may not require you to keep staff or equipment available without a turnover guarantee or compensation (rule 3.3 A). If the work is divided among several companies, the notice states how (3.3 B).
Lots are parts of one contract, for example by region or by type of work. The Act provides that an authority divides a contract into lots unless it considers this inappropriate and explains why (article 1.5, paragraph 3). Contracts must not be combined unnecessarily, and access for small and medium-sized enterprises is a factor. With lots, a turnover requirement may not exceed three times the value of the lot, or of the lots that must be performed at the same time (article 2.90).
A dynamic purchasing system (DPS) is an electronic process for commonly used purchases. It is set up using the restricted procedure (article 2.144) and remains open throughout its term to new companies that meet the requirements. According to PIANOo, the authority assesses a later request for admission within ten working days. During the term, the authority may ask you to submit an updated self-declaration within five working days.
What this means for you: with a framework agreement, first read how the individual orders will be allocated; a place in the framework is not yet revenue. With lots, choose the parts that fit your capacity and region rather than bidding on everything. And if you missed the start of a DPS, you can still join later.
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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