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Naujienos apie pirkimus · July 28, 2026 · 10 min skaityti

EU Procurement Thresholds 2026 and Rule Changes for SMEs

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Last reviewed: 28 July 2026

Two developments matter in EU public procurement this year. The main EU thresholds changed on 1 January 2026. Separately, the European Commission plans to present a substantial revision of the EU procurement framework on 9 September 2026. The threshold update applies now; the wider reform does not. For an SME bidding across several countries, the key is to separate the rules already in force from proposals that may still change.

Quick answer

As of 15 August 2026, the 2026 to 2027 procurement thresholds are in force and are slightly lower than in the previous period. The European Commission says it will present the Public Procurement Act on 9 September 2026. Reporting on a leaked internal draft indicates that the Commission has been considering a single Regulation to replace the three main 2014 procurement directives, together with more connected digital checks and a stronger role for non-price criteria. Those details are not official until the Commission publishes its proposal. Tenders being run now remain subject to the current law and the requirements in their tender documents.

What this guide covers

  • What changed in the EU-wide procurement thresholds on 1 January 2026
  • What the proposed EU Public Procurement Act may change, and why it is not law yet
  • Why SME access is an important part of the reform debate
  • Why the rules are not identical across the 23 markets Tendly covers
  • What to actually do about it this week
  • A short FAQ on what has and has not changed yet

What already changed, on 1 January 2026

From 1 January 2026, the main thresholds under Directive 2014/24/EU are EUR 140,000 for supply and service contracts awarded by central government authorities, EUR 216,000 for those awarded by sub-central authorities, and EUR 5,404,000 for works contracts. A EUR 750,000 threshold applies to social and other specific services, while the utilities supply and services threshold is EUR 432,000. All amounts are exclusive of VAT. These figures trigger the relevant EU procurement rules and EU-wide publication obligations; they are not a general boundary between formal and informal procurement. The Commission revises them every two years to align with the World Trade Organization Agreement on Government Procurement thresholds expressed in Special Drawing Rights.

Below the EU thresholds, national procurement rules generally apply, although those rules must still respect the general principles of EU law. National thresholds and advertising requirements change on each country's own schedule and do not necessarily move with the EU figures.

The bigger change: an EU Public Procurement Act is being prepared

The threshold revision was routine. The planned Public Procurement Act is a broader policy reform. Since 2025, the Commission has evaluated the current framework, consulted stakeholders, and prepared a legislative proposal. The current horizontal framework is built mainly on Directives 2014/24/EU, 2014/25/EU and 2014/23/EU, which Member States transpose into national law. A leaked internal draft reportedly proposes replacing those three directives with one directly applicable Regulation, but that choice will not be official until the proposal is published.

The Commission originally indicated 1 July 2026 for the proposal and now says it is expected on 9 September 2026. Based on the leaked draft, which may still change before publication, the reform would:

  • Combine the main public-sector, utilities and concessions rules in one Regulation and repeal Directives 2014/24/EU, 2014/25/EU and 2014/23/EU.
  • Replace the familiar procedure structure with an open-negotiated procedure as the default, a dynamic simplified procedure for recurring off-the-shelf purchases, an innovation challenge procedure, and limited procedures for awards without prior competition.
  • Connect national e-procurement systems more closely and create an electronic eligibility service intended to let suppliers reuse verified company information instead of repeatedly submitting the same evidence.
  • Give a stronger and more systematic role to quality, sustainability, resilience, social considerations and, in certain strategic sectors, European preference criteria. The current rules already allow many non-price considerations, so the proposed change is mainly about how consistently and heavily they are used.

None of these leaked details is final. After publication, the proposal will still need agreement from the European Parliament and the Council. A joint EU roadmap has set a target of the fourth quarter of 2027 for concluding negotiations, but that is not a guaranteed date for the new rules to start applying. Businesses should monitor the proposal, but they should not redesign their bidding processes around the leaked text.

Why SMEs matter in the reform

The reform is not aimed only at SMEs. The Commission also lists simplification, digitalisation, competitiveness, resilience, sustainability and economic security among its objectives. SME access is nevertheless an important part of the debate. The European Court of Auditors found that competition for EU public contracts weakened between 2011 and 2021 and that the 2014 reform did not achieve several of its objectives, including simpler procedures and stronger competition. SMEunited has separately argued that Member States have not made sufficient use of the SME-friendly tools already available under the current directives.

The market is substantial. The European Commission says public procurement represents around 14% of EU GDP and involves more than 250,000 public authorities across the Union.

The rules are not identical in every one of the 23 markets

The EU thresholds provide a common trigger for the main EU procurement rules, not a ceiling. Below them, national law generally governs the procedure, subject to general EU-law principles, and national thresholds do not move together with the EU figures. Finland's national thresholds have remained at EUR 60,000 for goods and services and EUR 150,000 for works since 2017. Ireland uses national advertising thresholds of EUR 50,000 for goods and services and EUR 200,000 for works. These national figures are separate from the EU thresholds.

A company bidding in several Tendly markets therefore works with at least two layers of rules: the current EU framework, which is under active review, and national rules that change on their own schedules. Even if the final EU instrument is a Regulation, differences would remain below the EU thresholds and in areas left to national law or practice.

What to actually do about it right now

The unpublished reform does not require you to rewrite your bid templates now. These practical checks are still worth making:

  • Do not rely on a threshold or procedure you learned last year. Check the current official threshold and the tender documents. The relevant figure can depend on the country, buyer type, contract type and special regime.
  • Read every sustainability and social-value requirement carefully. It may appear as a technical specification, selection requirement, award criterion or contract-performance condition, so do not assume that every such clause is scored in the same way.
  • Keep company information, certificates and declarations ready and check their validity when evidence is requested. Digital self-declarations can reduce work at the first stage, but the buyer may still require supporting documents later in the procedure.
  • Watch 9 September. The official proposal will show which parts of the leaked draft remain and will provide the first reliable basis for assessing the practical impact.

Where Tendly fits in

Entering a new procurement market should not mean learning another country's rules alone. Tendly combines a dedicated tender expert with AI tools, giving your team practical support when bidding in an unfamiliar market.

  • Work with a dedicated tender expert. Your expert can help you understand country-specific rules and tender requirements, assess whether an opportunity fits your business, and prepare the documents required for the submission.
  • Enter a new market with less uncertainty. If you are bidding in a country for the first time, your expert can explain the local process, flag unfamiliar requirements, and guide you from the bid decision through final review.
  • Ask complex questions about the tender documents. Tendly AI chat reads the tender pack and answers questions about eligibility, required evidence, evaluation criteria, contract terms, risks and other details without you searching through every file manually.

You stay in control of the final submission, while Tendly gives you both the human expertise and the document-level answers needed to bid with confidence. Learn more about Tendly's Tender Expert service: https://tendly.eu/en/taas

FAQ

Do the new thresholds apply to a tender I am already bidding on?

Generally, no. Under Directive 2014/24/EU, the estimated value used for the threshold test is fixed when the call for competition is sent or, where there is no call, when the contracting authority starts the procedure. A threshold change does not normally reclassify a procurement that was already under way.

Is the EU Public Procurement Act already law?

No. As of 15 August 2026, the Commission has announced the Act but has not published the legislative proposal. Publication is expected on 9 September 2026. The Parliament and the Council would then need to negotiate and adopt the final text before it could become law.

Will a Regulation really apply the same way in every country?

A Regulation would apply directly without national transposition, but that would not make every procurement identical in practice. National rules would still matter below the EU thresholds and wherever the final EU text leaves discretion to Member States. It is also not yet confirmed that the final proposal will remain a Regulation.

Do I need to change how I bid right now?

Not because of the proposed reform. Follow the rules and documents for the tender in front of you. The 2026 thresholds already apply to procedures launched under them, while the Public Procurement Act is still only a forthcoming proposal.

Sources and further reading

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