Frequently Asked Questions

Tender Select is an AI-powered tender platform for automatic matching of public tenders. The tender software connects to DTAD and Tender Service, analyzes over 5,000 tenders daily, and automatically finds the relevant tenders for your business – based on your individual search criteria. Made in Germany with 100% European infrastructure.

Tender Select is suitable for all companies participating in public tenders in Germany:

• Construction companies – building, civil engineering, drywall, carpentry
• IT service providers and software vendors
• Building cleaning and cleaning companies
• Security services and guarding companies
• General contractors and subcontractors
• Architects and engineering offices
• Catering and food service providers
• And many other industries

After a brief onboarding call, you can get started within a few days. We help you connect your DTAD or Tender Service accounts and create your first search profiles. Most customers receive relevant tender matches on day one.

Our AI analyzes each new tender against your defined search profiles. Both hard criteria (e.g., required certifications, threshold values, region) and soft criteria (e.g., preferred industries, contract volume) are considered. Each tender receives a score from 0-100 indicating how well it matches your requirements – regardless of the procurement procedure.

Search profiles define your criteria for relevant tenders. You can create unlimited profiles – e.g., one for civil engineering projects in Bavaria and one for IT projects nationwide. Each profile can include:

• Industry and activity area (via CPV codes)
• Geographic region (via NUTS codes – e.g., NRW, Bavaria, Berlin)
• Contract volume (min/max)
• Required certifications (prequalification, ISO, etc.)
• Procurement procedures (open procedure, negotiated, etc.)
• Exclusion criteria

You automatically receive email notifications when new tenders are found that match your search profiles. The emails contain an overview of matches with score, title, volume, and deadlines. You can customize the notification frequency – daily, weekly, or at certain score thresholds.

Tender Select currently supports:

• DTAD – Germany's largest tender database
• Tender Service – Comprehensive tender platform for all industries
• REST API – For custom data sources and integrations

These aggregate all major procurement portals like DTVP, Deutsche eVergabe, Vergabesatellit and many more. We are continuously working on connecting more platforms.

Yes, Tender Select fully supports GAEB data. Our AI can analyze GAEB service specifications (GAEB 83, GAEB 90, GAEB XML) and match the positions with your search criteria. This is particularly valuable for construction companies and trades businesses working on VOB tenders.

E-procurement (electronic procurement) refers to the fully digital processing of public tenders. Tender Select seamlessly integrates into the e-procurement process by aggregating tenders from all relevant procurement platforms – including the German Tender Portal (DTVP), Subreport ELVIS, and many more. This ensures you never miss a tender, regardless of which platform it's published on.

Tender Select supports tenders under all common German procurement regulations:

• VOB (Construction Contract Procedures) – VOB/A, VOB/B, VOB/C for construction contracts
• VgV (Procurement Regulation) – for supplies and services above EU thresholds
• UVgO (Below-Threshold Procurement Regulation) – for contracts below EU thresholds
• SektVO (Sector Regulation) – for sector contracting authorities

Our AI automatically recognizes the applicable procurement law and considers the respective specifics in matching.

EU threshold values determine from which contract value a tender must be published EU-wide. Tender Select knows the current thresholds (as of 2024: €221,000 for supplies/services, €5,538,000 for construction) and shows you:

• Whether a tender is above or below the threshold values
• Which procurement procedure (open, restricted, negotiated) is applicable
• TED tenders (Tenders Electronic Daily) for EU-wide procurements

This allows you to specifically search for tenders in your size range.

Yes, Tender Select supports searching by CPV codes (Common Procurement Vocabulary). You can:

• Store specific CPV codes in your search profiles
• Filter by main groups or subgroups
• Combine CPV codes with other criteria

CPV code search is particularly useful for specialized companies looking for tenders in precisely defined service areas.

Yes, Tender Select considers prequalification (PQ) in multiple ways:

• PQ-VOB: Indicates whether prequalification is required or beneficial for construction tenders
• PQ-VOL: Filters supply and service tenders by PQ requirements
• Tenders can be filtered by PQ obligation

This helps you find tenders that match your prequalification status.

Tender Select covers all common procurement procedures:

• Open procedure – public tender open to all bidders
• Restricted procedure – limited tender with participation competition
• Negotiated procedure – with and without participation competition
• Competitive dialogue – for complex projects
• Direct award – negotiated contract below thresholds
• Framework agreements – for recurring services

You can specify in your search profiles which procedure types are relevant for you.

Through our partners DTAD and Tender Service, Tender Select aggregates tenders from all major e-procurement platforms:

• German Tender Portal (DTVP)
• Subreport ELVIS
• Vergabe.NRW, Vergabe.Bayern and other state portals
• TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) – EU-wide tenders
• Bund.de – federal tenders
• Municipal procurement platforms

You only need one account with DTAD or Tender Service – we find tenders from all sources.

Tender Select is 100% hosted in Europe:

• Servers: Amsterdam, Netherlands (~20ms latency)
• AI Models: Belgium & Sweden (EU-only)
• Database: Frankfurt, Germany

Your data never leaves EU borders. No third-country transfers.

Yes, Tender Select is fully GDPR compliant. As a German company with EU infrastructure, we meet all requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation. We do not perform third-country transfers and your data is used exclusively for the agreed purpose.

Pricing depends on your individual requirements – such as number of search profiles and desired integrations. We offer flexible packages for companies of all sizes. Contact us for a non-binding consultation and a tailored offer.

We offer a personal demo where we show you Tender Select with your own criteria. This way you can experience the quality of matching with real data before you decide. Simply schedule a non-binding consultation.

Tender Select enables targeted search for tenders in all German states – whether Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Hessen, NRW or other regions. You can:

• Filter tenders by state (e.g., NRW, Berlin, Hamburg)
• Set up notifications for Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt or Brandenburg
• Regional portals like Vergabe.NRW and Vergabe.Bayern are searched automatically

Regional filtering is done via NUTS codes and geographic boundaries in your search profiles.

Tender Select aggregates tenders from all major German cities and municipalities, including:

• Cologne, Düsseldorf, Munich, Frankfurt
• Bonn, Münster, Bielefeld, Leipzig, Dresden
• Bremen, Saarland, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
• Schleswig-Holstein, Rhineland-Palatinate, Thuringia

Municipal tenders are automatically captured and included in your matching.

Yes, in addition to German tenders, Tender Select also shows EU-wide procurements:

• TED tenders (Tenders Electronic Daily) – the official EU procurement portal
• European tenders above EU thresholds
• Procurements from all 27 EU member states

New EU-wide procurements are published daily and automatically included in your matching.

Tender Select is specially optimized for IT tenders and technology-related procurements:

• IT project tenders – software development, system integration, cloud solutions
• EVB-IT Cloud – contracts under supplementary IT contract conditions
• Hardware tenders – servers, network, end devices
• Consulting services – IT consulting, project management
• Freelance services – for IT freelancers and consultants

The AI recognizes technical requirements and matches them with your competencies.

For construction companies, Tender Select offers comprehensive filter options:

• VOB tenders – procurements under VOB/A, VOB/B, VOB/C
• Drywall – interior finishing, acoustics
• Construction services – building, civil engineering, road construction
• Carpentry – joinery and carpentry trades
• Construction supervision – for engineering offices
• Architecture – planning services and competitions

GAEB service specifications are automatically analyzed and matched with your trades.

Yes, Tender Select supports all facility management industries:

• Building cleaning – maintenance cleaning, glass cleaning, special cleaning
• Security services – property protection, guarding, reception services
• Winter services – road clearing, gritting
• Catering – canteens, event catering

Tender Select covers the entire transport and logistics sector:

• Rail transport (SPNV) – local rail passenger transport, regional transport
• Patient transport – patient transportation, dialysis transport
• Passenger transport – taxi, school transport
• Courier services – parcel and postal services

Yes, specialized industries are also fully covered:

• Fire services – procurement of fire vehicles, fire engines, turntable ladders
• Photovoltaics – PV systems and solar projects for public buildings

Yes, Tender Select aggregates tenders from major transport companies:

• Deutsche Bahn – via the DB bidder portal (DB Regio, DB Netz, DB Station&Service)
• Autobahn GmbH – road construction, bridge construction, maintenance (all branches)

Tender Select covers tenders from all major federal agencies:

• Bundeswehr – via the Federal Office for Equipment
• GIZ – German Corporation for International Cooperation
• Fraunhofer and DLR – research institutions
• KfW – KfW development bank
• BImA – Federal Agency for Real Estate Tasks
• BLB NRW – Construction and Property Operations

Yes, the healthcare sector is fully covered:

• Health insurers like AOK, DAK, Barmer, TK
• Hospitals, university clinics, rehabilitation facilities

Tender Select aggregates tenders from municipal utilities and public companies:

• City cleaning services (BSR, Hamburg, etc.)
• Transport associations (MVV, etc.)
• Airports (Munich Airport, Fraport)
• Public broadcasting (ZDF, etc.)
• Regional associations (LWL, etc.)

The terms differ in scope and responsibility:

• General Contractor (GC): Takes on all construction work, performs a large part itself and subcontracts parts to subcontractors. GC contract governs overall responsibility.
• General Project Manager (GPM): Takes on all construction work but subcontracts 100% to subcontractors. Coordinates and is liable without own execution.
• Turnkey Contractor (TC): Additionally takes on planning. Turnkey processing from planning to handover.

Tender Select shows suitable tenders for each company type.

A subcontractor performs partial services on behalf of the main contractor:

• Commissioned by the general contractor for specific trades
• Can apply via public tenders or private GC contracts
• Liable to the main contractor, not directly to the client

Tender Select also shows tenders where subcontractor capacities are explicitly sought.

A bidding consortium is an association of several companies for a joint application:

• Several companies join forces to jointly meet eligibility requirements
• All partners are jointly and severally liable for contract fulfillment
• Particularly useful for large contracts or special requirements
• Combines competencies of multiple specialists

Tender Select shows in the tender details whether bidding consortia are permitted.

With capability borrowing, a bidder can draw on resources of other companies:

• Proof of economic, financial or technical capability through third parties
• The capability-lending company must actually be available in case of contract award
• Legally regulated in § 47 VgV and § 6d EU VOB/A
• Alternative to bidding consortium for smaller companies

Tender Select marks tenders where capability borrowing is explicitly permitted.

Tender Select supports all procurement types under German law:

• Open procedure – any company can submit a tender
• Restricted procedure – only after successful application
• Limited tender – with or without participation competition
• Negotiated procedure – for complex procurements
• Competitive dialogue – for innovative solutions
• Direct award – below certain value limits

Tender Select shows all relevant deadlines and dates:

• Bid deadline – when the tender must be submitted
• Submission date – time of bid opening
• Delivery deadline – required execution periods
• Objection deadline – for complaints and appeals

You will be automatically notified when deadlines approach.

Framework agreements are long-term contracts with special benefits:

• Contract for recurring services without specific call-off obligation
• Terms often 2-4 years with optional extension
• Individual call-offs are made as needed by the client
• Particularly attractive due to predictable, long-term revenue

Tender Select can specifically filter for framework agreements.

These terms refer to different types of announcements:

• Ex-ante announcement – prior information before the actual procurement
• Ex-post announcement – publication after contract conclusion about the awarded contract
• EU procurement announcement – mandatory announcement in TED for EU-wide procurements

Tender Select shows you ex-post announcements for competitive analysis.

These terms allow flexibility in bid submission:

• Alternative bid – deviating offer with equivalent or better solution
• Alternative position – alternative provided by the client in the specifications
• Alternative bids must be expressly permitted

Tender Select shows whether alternative bids are permitted for a tender.

Prequalification significantly simplifies participation in tenders:

• PQ-VOB (Construction PQ): Prequalification for construction contracts – centrally registered eligibility documents
• PQ-VOL: Prequalification for supplies and services
• AVPQ: Official register of prequalified companies
• Prequalified companies don't need to resubmit documentation
• PQ certification saves time with every application

Tender Select shows whether construction prequalification is required or beneficial.

The European Single Procurement Document (ESPD) is a standardized form:

• Self-declaration on meeting eligibility criteria
• Initially replaces individual certificates for EU-wide procurements
• Only the successful bidder must later provide original documents
• Significant simplification of the application process
• Digital form via the eForms portal

Tender Select shows whether an ESPD is required.

The competition register is an important instrument in procurement:

• Central register at the Federal Cartel Office for economic crimes
• Competition register query: Contracting authorities must query before award
• Entries can lead to exclusion from the procurement process
• Self-cleaning can prevent exclusion

Tender Select informs you about the requirements for each tender.

There are legal remedies for violations of procurement law:

• Procurement chamber: Competent authority for review procedures
• Review: Examination of procurement decisions for legality
• Companies with an interest in the contract are entitled to file
• Deadlines must be strictly observed (10 or 15 calendar days)
• Decisions can annul the procurement process or impose requirements

The procurement chamber is the first legal remedy for EU-wide procurements.