The open procedure is the default route for above-threshold EU procurement. Any economic operator can submit a tender in response to the contract notice — there is no pre-qualification or shortlisting phase.
Step by step
- Publish a Contract Notice (CN) on TED and any required national portals
- Wait the minimum deadline for tenders to arrive
- Open and evaluate all compliant tenders against the published award criteria
- Award to the most economically advantageous tender (MEAT) or lowest price
- Observe standstill, then sign the contract
- Publish a Contract Award Notice (CAN) announcing the result
Minimum deadlines
| Scenario | Minimum time for tenders |
|---|---|
| Standard | 35 days from CN publication |
| With Prior Information Notice (PIN) | 15 days (if PIN published 35 days to 12 months before) |
| Electronic submission available | Can reduce by 5 days |
| Urgency (duly justified) | 15 days minimum |
All deadlines run from the date the contract notice is sent to TED, not from the date it appears online.
When to use it
The open procedure is appropriate when:
- The requirement is well-defined and can be fully specified upfront
- You expect sufficient competition (multiple qualified suppliers)
- There is no need for negotiation — you can evaluate on paper
- The contract is above EU thresholds (below-threshold has lighter rules)
When NOT to use it
If you need to discuss technical solutions with suppliers before they bid, consider the competitive procedure with negotiation or competitive dialogue instead. The open procedure does not allow any negotiation on tenders once submitted.
Prevalence
The open procedure is by far the most used in the EU — approximately 75% of above-threshold procedures published on TED use it. It offers maximum transparency and is the hardest to challenge on procedural grounds, which is why risk-averse authorities default to it.