The standstill period is a mandatory cooling-off window between the moment a contracting authority announces its award decision and the moment it can sign the contract. Its purpose is simple: give losing bidders a real chance to challenge before the deal is done.
How long?
The duration depends on how the authority notifies bidders:
| Notification method | Minimum standstill |
|---|---|
| Electronic (email, e-procurement platform) | 10 calendar days |
| Post or other means | 15 calendar days |
The clock starts from the day after the award notification is sent, not from the date bidders receive it.
What must the authority disclose?
During standstill, the contracting authority must tell every tenderer:
- The award decision and the reasons behind it
- The characteristics and relative advantages of the winning tender compared to theirs
- The name of the winning tenderer
This is not optional. Without this information, bidders cannot make an informed decision about whether to challenge — and courts have overturned awards where the notification was inadequate.
What happens if the authority signs too early?
A contract signed during standstill — or without a standstill at all — can be declared ineffective (void). This is one of the strongest remedies in EU procurement law. National review bodies can set aside the contract entirely, not just award damages.
Why it exists: the Alcatel principle
Before the 2007 reform, many Member States had no standstill requirement. Contracting authorities could sign contracts immediately after the award decision, making legal challenges pointless — by the time a court reviewed the case, the contract was already running.
The CJEU established in Alcatel Austria (Case C-81/98, 1999) that effective remedies require a window before contract conclusion. This principle was codified in Directive 2007/66/EC, which amended the original Remedies Directive.