Germany is federal – and this applies to public tenders too. Each federal state has its own procurement offices, platforms, and priorities. Those who think regionally often find better opportunities. This article shows where you should look.

Understanding Regional Logic

Why is regional searching so important? Three reasons:

1. Many contracts are local A school construction project in Munich won't be built by a company from Hamburg. Cleaning contracts rarely go to companies on the other side of the country. Proximity is a competitive advantage.

2. Sub-threshold contracts are often only published regionally Contracts below EU thresholds don't have to be tendered Europe-wide. They appear on state portals, in local official gazettes, sometimes only on the municipality's website.

3. Regional economic development is permitted Within procurement law, contracting authorities can consider regional aspects – such as short travel times or local value creation.

The Federal States at a Glance

North Rhine-Westphalia

Why NRW? With over 18 million inhabitants, NRW is the most populous federal state. That means: more municipalities, more construction projects, more tenders than elsewhere.

Important contracting authorities:

  • BLB NRW (Construction and Property Agency)
  • Straßen.NRW
  • Cities like Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen
  • Regional Associations Rhineland (LVR) and Westphalia-Lippe (LWL)

Where to search:

  • Vergabe.NRW (State portal)
  • Vergabemarktplatz NRW
  • TED for EU-wide tenders

Industry focuses:

Industry, logistics, healthcare, strong municipal infrastructure

Bavaria

Why Bavaria? Economically strong, high investments in infrastructure and education. Munich as the state capital alone is its own market.

Important contracting authorities:

  • State Building Authority (multiple regional offices)
  • Cities Munich, Nuremberg, Augsburg
  • Bavarian State Forests
  • Free State of Bavaria (ministries, universities)

Where to search:

  • Vergabeplattform Bayern
  • Bayerischer Staatsanzeiger
  • eVergabe Bayern

Industry focuses:

Automotive industry, mechanical engineering, IT, agriculture, tourism

Baden-Württemberg

Why Baden-Württemberg? High economic power, strong SME sector, innovation region.

Important contracting authorities:

  • Property and Construction Baden-Württemberg
  • Regional councils
  • Cities Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Mannheim, Freiburg
  • EnBW (sector contracting authority)

Where to search:

  • Vergabeportal Baden-Württemberg
  • Service-BW

Industry focuses:

Automotive, mechanical engineering, IT, medical technology

Lower Saxony

Why Lower Saxony? Large territorial state with significant infrastructure needs – from the coast to the Harz mountains.

Important contracting authorities:

  • Lower Saxony State Building Management
  • State Authority for Road Construction and Transport
  • Cities Hanover, Braunschweig, Oldenburg
  • Volkswagen (as sector contracting authority for certain services)

Where to search:

  • Vergabeplattform Niedersachsen
  • TED

Industry focuses:

Automotive, agriculture, energy (offshore wind), logistics

Hesse

Why Hesse? Frankfurt as financial metropolis, strong economy, Fraport airport.

Important contracting authorities:

  • Hesse Building and Real Estate Agency
  • Hessen Mobil (road construction)
  • Cities Frankfurt, Wiesbaden, Kassel
  • Fraport AG

Where to search:

  • Vergabeplattform Hessen
  • HAD (Hessian Tender Database)

Industry focuses:

Finance, logistics, pharma, IT, airport services

The City-States: Berlin, Hamburg, Bremen

Berlin - Germany's largest municipal contracting authority - Senate administrations as main contracting authorities - Berlin Transport Authority (BVG), BSR (city cleaning) - Housing associations with massive renovation backlog - Portal: Vergabeplattform Berlin

Hamburg - Strong port economy - Hamburg Port Authority - SAGA corporate group (housing) - Portal: Vergabeportal Hamburg

Bremen - Smallest federal state, but active market - Focus on logistics and aerospace - Portal: Vergabemarktplatz Bremen

Eastern German States

Saxony - Economically strongest eastern German state - Dresden, Leipzig, Chemnitz as centers - Much renovation need, funding available - Portal: eVergabe Sachsen

Brandenburg - Growth region around Berlin (Tesla!) - BER Airport - Portal: Vergabesatellit Brandenburg

Saxony-Anhalt - Chemical industry location - Infrastructure investments - Portal: eVergabe Sachsen-Anhalt

Thuringia - SME-dominated - Optics, automotive, mechanical engineering - Portal: eVergabe Thüringen

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania - Tourism, agriculture - Port expansion, offshore wind - Portal: Vergabemarktplatz MV

Other Federal States

Rhineland-Palatinate - SME-dominated, wine-growing, chemicals - Kaiserslautern, Mainz, Ludwigshafen - Portal: Vergabemarktplatz Rheinland-Pfalz

Saarland - Smallest territorial state - Structural change, much renovation - Portal: Vergabeportal Saarland

Schleswig-Holstein - Coastal state, wind energy - Kiel, Lübeck, Flensburg - Portal: Vergabeplattform SH

EU-Wide Tenders: The European Market

Above EU thresholds, tenders are published Europe-wide in TED. This opens the market:

For you as a German provider:

  • Access to tenders in other EU countries
  • Particularly interesting: border regions (Netherlands, Belgium, Austria)
  • Language skills as competitive advantage

For foreign competition:

  • EU bidders can also apply for German tenders
  • Rarely in practice for smaller contracts
  • Quite relevant for major projects

Developing a Regional Search Strategy

Step 1: Define Your Radius

How far can you work economically? - Services with on-site presence: Often only 50-100 km - Construction: Varies regionally, often 100-200 km - IT and consulting: Also possible supra-regionally - Deliveries: Germany-wide or EU-wide

Step 2: Identify Relevant Contracting Authorities

Which contracting authorities are in your region? - List municipalities - Research state authorities - Check sector contracting authorities (utilities, transport companies)

Step 3: Set Up Systematic Searches

  • Register on relevant state portals
  • Use CPV codes for automatic notifications
  • Regularly check TED for larger contracts

Step 4: Monitor the Market

  • What projects are planned in your region?
  • What investments are coming?
  • Where is construction, renovation, modernization happening?

Frequently Asked Questions About Regional Searching

Can contracting authorities prefer regional providers? No – not just like that. But certain criteria like short response times, local knowledge, or reducing transport distances can be legitimate.

Is it worth applying in other federal states? That depends on your service. For specialized services, it can be worthwhile. For standardized services with strong local competition, less so.

How important is on-site presence? Very important for services with regular customer contact. Less for deliveries. For construction services, it depends on project size.

Conclusion: Think Regional, Act Targeted

The German market for public contracts is not a unified market – it's a sum of regional markets. Those who understand this and align their search accordingly find better opportunities than with the national scattergun approach.

Focus on your core region. Build recognition there. And expand systematically when you have capacity.

In the next article, we show which industries particularly benefit from public contracts.