EC Tenders FAQs
What is EC Tenders and how can it help me?
BiP Solutions' EC Tenders service provides you with access to European Union (EU) contract opportunities, including many from the United Kingdom.
The EC Tenders Alert service delivers a tailored email each working day to your desktop, containing contracts specific to your company's particular products or services. The EC Tenders Alert service searches through the hundreds of EU public sector contract opportunities that are published by the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) and delivers to you via email only those that fit your company's unique requirements. You decide which contracts you receive by creating a unique profile which describes the type of contracts you wish to bid for.
EC Tenders also provides you with the ability, through its Online service at www.ectenders.com, to conduct searches for other contract opportunities and information in support of your tendering practices, in your own time, 24/7.
EC Tenders will not only provide you with a daily email containing contract opportunities that are relevant to the products and services that you provide; it will also be an essential market intelligence tool, allowing you to monitor competitor activity.
Why should I choose EC Tenders over similar products?
If you are in business to succeed, you need information quickly on as many appropriate new business opportunities as possible.
EC Tenders delivers you only those contracts you consider relevant through probably the best profile-builder there is, and yet, at the same time, allows you access to an online search service and resource centre to support your additional needs.
EC Tenders subscribers are supported by a dedicated customer service team who are available to you via email or telephone every working day, and EC Tenders is backed by BiP Solutions Ltd, Europe’s leading provider of public sector contract information services.
So, if you want to receive EU contract leads faster through services provided by the UK’s leading contract information provider, the choice you make has to be EC Tenders.
What information is required to build my EC Tenders profile?
Your EC Tenders daily email alert profile is driven by keywords or phrases (e.g. 'computer' or 'window cleaning') and CPV (Common Procurement Vocabulary) codes.
What are CPV codes and how do I use them?
CPV codes have been specially developed by the EU for public sector procurement. Buyers use CPV codes to classify their contracts by applying a code and description for the items they wish to procure. Suppliers can add CPV codes to their supplier profile to assist in the matching of contract opportunities. To assist you we have provided an easy online search where you can type in a word or word stem (e.g. 'computers' or 'comp') which will return matching CPV codes. By clicking the boxes next to the CPV codes you can include them in your profile or use them for online searching.
Is support available to assist with any queries?
Yes: As an EC Tenders subscriber, you will have access to FREE support for both technical and contract information assistance, and we will even build your profile with you.
If you require further information or any assistance, please email ectenders@bipsolutions.com or call the EC Tenders Help Desk on 0845 270 7091.
If you lose your password you can enter your email address on the ‘Forgotten Password’ page. Your details will then be emailed to you.
In what form is the contract information sent and can I print copies?
Following completion of your EC Tenders profile, you will receive your contract opportunities as HTML files. However, you may choose to receive these as text only or ZIPPED HTML. Please click on ‘Preferences’ within your profile if you wish to change the delivery format. You can print individual contract notices and awards which have been issued in your daily email. Simply follow the links within your alert email which will take you to the individual contract and from there you can print in the normal manner.
Can I monitor my competitors?
Yes. Enter your competitors’ names in the Exact Keyword section. Please remember to include any abbreviations. You will then be notified of any contracts which have been awarded to your competitors, providing you have indicated, in your profile, that you wish to receive contract awards.
How do I update/amend my EC Tenders Daily Email Alert profile?
At any time during your subscription you can access the EC Tenders website and from the Activity Centre choose to update your daily email alert.
Does EC Tenders offer international contract opportunities from outside the European Union?
Yes. EC Tenders includes all contracts published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) and these include not only the contract notices from Member States but also contract notices regarding projects delivered outwith the European Union, but funded by the EU. These can include contracts covering African and Asian nations and other European nations not members of the European Union.
What EU contract values are covered?
The following table provides information on the nature of the contract, the contract value (thresholds) and the relevant EU Directives.
Nature of the contract Threshold
- Public works contracts £3,497,313 (€5,150,000)
- Public service contracts £139,893 (€206,000)
- Public supply contracts £139,893 (€206,000)
- Central government service and supply contracts £90,319 (€133,000)
- Utilities contracts regulations - all sectors £279,785 (€412,000)
- Public utility works contracts £3,497,313 (€5,150,000)
What information will I receive and how frequently will it arrive?
EC Tenders alerts your company to tender opportunities from the UK and all other European Union member countries which are published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) series. This includes:
- Public works, supply and service contracts from all EU Member States
- Supply contracts (for the water, energy, transport and telecommunications sectors)
- Public contracts of the EU institutions
- European Development Fund contracts (ACP countries)
- Phare, Tacis and other contracts from Central and Eastern Europe
- Projects funded by the European Investment Bank (EIB), European Central Bank (ECB) and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
- Contracts from the European Economic Area (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein)
- Contracts in accordance with the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) concluded between the United States of America, Japan and Switzerland within the framework of GATT/World Trade Organisation (WTO)
- Foundations of European Economic Interest Groupings (EEIG)
- Public contracts for food aid
- Public contracts for flight services
Can I set up additional profiles/emails?
Yes. Subscribers to EC Tenders can apply for a copy of their contract alert email to be sent directly to a colleague. This overcomes any problems that could arise should the intended recipient be out of office or if more than one individual in your organisation is involved in handling contract information. With two people looking for new business opportunities you are more likely to discover those lucrative contracts that suit your company needs, and faster.
An additional email alert costs £100 (€148) plus VAT, per annum.
If your organisation has a diverse product offering then you could benefit from having an additional alert profile.
Additional profiles allow you to tailor alerts to specific products or geographical areas by selecting keywords and CPV codes. If you regularly need to search for contracts related to various products or regions, an additional profile will reduce your administrative burden. Rather than spending time filtering through contracts and passing the information on to relevant colleagues you will receive individual email alerts for each profile you set up. New business opportunities can be identified and relayed to your colleagues more quickly and efficiently.
An additional profile costs £275 (€1407) plus VAT.
For a breakdown on costs please email ectenders@bipsolutions.com or call the EC Tenders Helpdesk on 0845 270 7091 for further information.
What EU contract opportunities are not contained in EC Tenders?
EC Tenders covers only those contracts issued via the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). It therefore does not cover contracts from outwith the European Union (unless the contract is under a specific EU project). Neither does EC Tenders cover low-value contract opportunities from the UK, Europe or other countries, nor service-related opportunities which are specifically excluded from the scope of the OJEU under the EU Public Procurement Directives. In addition many contracts issued by Member State defence organisations are not included.
What is Market Monitor?
EC Tenders subscribers can also upgrade their subscription to include Market Monitor, which delivers vital market intelligence specific to your organisation straight to your desktop every working day.
Like the Contract Alert service, Market Monitor allows you to create a unique profile that identifies precisely the market intelligence you seek. Each working day the dedicated Market Monitor research team searches through hundreds of websites and publications before forwarding to you, by email, all the market intelligence that matches your profiled requirements. You can amend and adapt your Market Monitor profile as often as you wish to ensure you receive market intelligence information that matches your changing needs.
New subscribers receive Market Monitor FREE for the first year of subscription (normal price £290 (€429) plus VAT ).
What is EC Tenders Translator?
If English is not your first language and you have some difficulties dealing with the full requirements of European contracts then why not make things easier for yourself and let our online Translator do the work for you.
You have an option within the online search to translate a contract at the touch of a button. This allows you to translate foreign contracts from their native language into English to identify if the contract is relevant to your company.
This facility allows two-way translation between English and French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian or Dutch and Russian.
Can I get advice on dealing with the public sector?
As an EC Tenders subscriber you will have access to our Resource Centre. Here, you will find links to industry bodies, EU Directives, supplier guidances, seminars and events, a glossary and further FAQs.
How do I cancel my access to EC Tenders?
Should you no longer wish to have access to EC Tenders, please send an email with the subject title "cancellation" to cancellations@bipsolutions.com. We would also appreciate if you could include your reasons for wishing to cancel.