Find the right tenders
Procurements above the national threshold are announced in Hilma (hankintailmoitukset.fi). The national threshold is €60,000 for goods and services, €150,000 for construction contracts and €400,000 for social and health services, all excluding VAT. Procurements above the EU threshold are also published in the EU's TED service. For goods and services, the EU threshold in 2026–2027 is €216,000 for municipalities and €140,000 for central government.
Set up a free Hilma search alert for your own CPV codes and follow the prior information notices too. They tell you about upcoming procurements before the invitation to tender, and many contracting authorities hold market dialogue on the basis of them, in which a company can take part. Small procurements below the threshold are often announced only on the contracting authority's own website.
Hansel, the central purchasing body of the state, tenders framework agreements and dynamic purchasing systems, of which it had 60 in use in 2025. A dynamic system can be joined at any time during its validity, and of Hansel's 1 270 contract suppliers 67 % were SMEs.
Read the request for quotation twice
On the first read, work out whether you can take part at all. Check the deadlines, whether the procedure is one- or two-stage, what suitability requirements apply to the company, such as turnover and reference requirements, and the minimum requirements for the product or service. On the second read, go through the comparison criteria: does price alone decide or also quality, and how is quality scored.
If your company's turnover alone is not enough, you can consider a joint bid with another company. From October 2026, procurements exceeding the EU threshold must also, in principle, be divided into lots, so a smaller company can bid, for example, for just one area or service package.
Eligibility and ESPD
In EU procurements the tenderer declares its suitability with the European Single Procurement Document, or ESPD form. It is used to declare that the company meets the professional and financial requirements and that no ground for exclusion applies to it. Certificates do not need to be attached when the tender is submitted; they are usually requested only from the tenderer selected as the winner.
Still keep the certificates ready, since they are requested at short notice. The time limit for the mandatory grounds for exclusion is in section 80 of the Procurement Act: a tenderer is not excluded if more than five years have passed since the final judgment.
- Trade Register extract and details from the prepayment, employer and VAT registers
- Tax debt certificate and certificate of payment of pension insurance contributions
- References with a contact person, date and scope
- Requested certificates and insurance certificates in force
Price the costs of the whole contract term
The bid price must include all costs required by the invitation to tender. The price or terms cannot be changed after the bid is submitted, and the bid is binding for the entire validity period stated in the invitation to tender. Also check whether the electronic tendering system or the contracting authority charges the winner a service fee.
Do not attach your own contract terms to the tender. Terms that conflict with the invitation to tender can lead to the tender being rejected. If the price is exceptionally low, the contracting authority will request an explanation, so calculate the price so that you can justify it.
Quality points usually come from concrete things: named responsible persons, a described operating model, measurable service levels and references from previous clients. Answer every quality question directly and briefly, and refer to attachments only if the invitation to tender allows it.
Ask in good time and structure your offer in the order of the request
Further questions on unclear points can be submitted by the deadline given in the invitation to tender. The answers are published to all tenderers and may change the interpretation of the invitation. Build your tender in the same order as the requirements are presented, so that both you and the evaluator can see that nothing is missing. Respond to the contracting authority's requests for clarification immediately.
Submit a bid in good time and through the right channel
In an open procedure for an EU procurement the tender period is at least 30 days, and after a prior information notice it can be shortened to 15 days. The electronic system closes at the deadline, and a late tender will not be considered. You can edit your tender until the deadline, but remember to press the submit button at the end: many a good tender has been lost on that.
When there are few bids, even a small company has a real chance. According to the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority, one additional bid lowers the price by 11 % on average. From October 2026, an open procedure exceeding the EU threshold must also, as a rule, be re-tendered if it receives only one bid. Tender Radar compiles open tenders and procurement market figures.
Frequently asked questions
Do certificates have to be attached to the tender?
Usually not in EU procurements. Suitability is declared with the ESPD form, and certificates are requested from the tenderer selected as the winner. Always follow the instructions in the invitation to tender, however.
Can a bid be changed after submission?
Until the deadline, the tender can be edited in the system. After the deadline, the price and terms cannot be changed, and the tender is binding for the stated period of validity.
Can a small business bid for a large procurement?
Yes. A joint bid is possible, and from 1 Oct 2026 procurements exceeding the EU threshold must in principle be divided into lots that can be bid for separately.
Where can I find public tenders?
From Hilma (hankintailmoitukset.fi), which publishes procurements above the national threshold. It is also worth following small procurements on the websites of municipalities and wellbeing services counties.
Calculate it yourself
Ready-made tools
- Bid package for public procurement · Tender template, eligibility checklist and pricing calculator
- Sales pipeline and lead tracking · Leads, stages, probability and forecast sales
Sources
- Finnish Government: New Public Procurement Act enters into force (16.6.2026)
- Hankinnat.fi: Thresholds
- Federation of Finnish Enterprises: A few tips for making a tender
- Your Europe: Participating in a public tender
- Finlex: Act amending the Act on Public Procurement 519/2026
- KKV Policy Brief 1/2025: There is room to make public procurement more efficient
- Federation of Finnish Enterprises: More competition, less in-house (21.9.2026)
- Hansel: Annual report 2025, operations
The article is general information and does not replace the guidance of an authority, a lawyer or an adviser. Check up-to-date information from the sources.