An EU procurement threshold is the estimated contract value at which the applicable procurement directive begins to apply, subject to its scope and exclusions. The comparison is with the buyer's estimate, not the eventual supplier's bid price.
Current EU thresholds: 2026–2027
The following euro values apply from 1 January 2026 for the 2026–2027 period. European Commission threshold table.
| Regime and contract | Threshold, excluding VAT |
|---|---|
| Classical: central-government ordinary supplies/services and design contests | EUR 140,000 |
| Classical: sub-central ordinary supplies/services and design contests | EUR 216,000 |
| Classical: works | EUR 5,404,000 |
| Classical: Annex XIV social and other specific services | EUR 750,000 |
| Utilities: ordinary supplies/services and design contests | EUR 432,000 |
| Utilities: works | EUR 5,404,000 |
| Utilities: Annex XVII social and other specific services | EUR 1,000,000 |
| Works or services concessions | EUR 5,404,000 |
| Defence/security under Directive 2009/81/EC: supplies/services | EUR 432,000 |
| Defence/security under Directive 2009/81/EC: works | EUR 5,404,000 |
Under the classical regime, central-government defence supplies outside Annex III use EUR 216,000 rather than EUR 140,000. Subsidised contracts and mixed contracts need their own scope check. The table does not set UK, Swiss or other non-EU domestic thresholds. For EU states outside the euro area, use the Commission's published national-currency equivalents linked from its table; do not convert with today's exchange rate.
Choose the rule before comparing the number
Identify the buyer's legal status, the activity served and whether the purchase is works, supplies, ordinary services, listed social services or a concession. Central government and sub-central authorities have different ordinary supply/service thresholds. A public undertaking is not automatically a classical contracting authority.
Check the notice's legal basis and the governing rules. Meeting a threshold does not remove a specific exclusion, create eligibility for every supplier or guarantee that a fresh contract notice must be published for every call-off.
Estimate the procurement, not one payment
Article 5 of the current consolidated classical Directive covers estimation. Include the total payable excluding VAT, stated options and renewals, and any prizes or payments to participants. The estimate is assessed at the point specified in the rules, generally dispatch of the call for competition or commencement of procurement where no call is foreseen.
Frameworks and dynamic purchasing systems use the maximum estimated value of envisaged contracts over their full duration. Apply the relevant aggregation rules to lots and regular purchases. Do not split procurement to evade the Directive.
For services and works without a total price, leasing, recurring purchases and mixed procurement, read the specific valuation provision; “annual budget” is not a universal substitute.
Worked example
Illustrative case: a sub-central buyer proposes ordinary services at EUR 80,000 per year for two years, with one optional additional year. The estimate is EUR 240,000 excluding VAT. That exceeds EUR 216,000, assuming the procurement falls within Directive 2014/24/EU and no exclusion applies.
The outcome does not depend on whether an eventual bidder quotes less than EUR 216,000.
Small lots and below-threshold rules
Article 5(10) permits a limited derogation for individual lots below EUR 80,000 for supplies/services or EUR 1,000,000 for works, where the combined derogated lots are no more than 20% of the aggregate. It is not permission to divide contracts artificially or ignore national rules.
Below the relevant EU threshold, check national procurement and publication requirements. Treaty obligations can also matter, notably where a contract has certain cross-border interest. “Below threshold” does not mean “no rules.”
Sources and next step
The 2026–2027 revisions are Regulation 2025/2152 for classical procurement, 2025/2150 for utilities, 2025/2151 for concessions, and 2025/2487 for defence/security.
Use the calculation workflow to document a value comparison. Read the Utilities Directive guide when the activity involves a network utility.
Verified 13 September 2026. Review before 1 January 2028 or after a relevant legal change.