The Key Points in Brief
- New EU thresholds have applied since 1 January 2026 (EU Regulations 2025/2150–2152).
- Works: €5,404,000. Supplies and services: €216,000 (€140,000 for supreme and upper federal authorities).
- Utilities contracting entities: €432,000 for supplies/services, €5,404,000 for works.
- Above the threshold, the EU procedure under GWB/VgV applies; below it, the national procedure under UVgO/VOB/A.
- For bidders that means: different competition, different deadlines, different formalities – before you’ve even opened the first page of the tender documents.
Whether a tender runs Europe-wide or nationally is decided by a single number: the threshold. If the estimated contract value is above it, EU public procurement law applies – with more competition, firmer deadlines and more formalities. New EU thresholds 2026 have applied since 1 January 2026. Anyone who knows them knows what they are getting into before looking at the documents – and whether the effort is worthwhile at all.
What a threshold is – and why this number decides everything
The threshold is the limit from which a public contract must be tendered Europe-wide. What counts is the estimated net contract value, not your eventual bid price. If it is above the threshold, competition procurement law (GWB Part 4, VgV, SektVO, KonzVgV) applies, with EU-wide publication. If it is below, the procedure stays national – depending on the contract under UVgO or VOB/A, Section 1. For you as a bidder this is no mere formality: above and below the threshold, different deadlines, evidence requirements and legal remedies apply.
The new EU thresholds 2026 at a glance
The EU adjusts the thresholds every two years. For 2026 and 2027 they were set by Delegated Regulations (EU) 2025/2150, 2025/2151 and 2025/2152 and have applied since 1 January 2026:
| Type of contract | Threshold (net) |
|---|---|
| Works (all contracting authorities) | 5.404.000 € |
| Supplies/services – supreme & upper federal authorities | 140.000 € |
| Supplies/services – other public contracting authorities | 216.000 € |
| Utilities contracting entities – supplies/services | 432.000 € |
| Concessions | 5.404.000 € |
| Social & other specific services | €750,000 (utilities: €1,000,000) |
The values are stable until the end of 2027. A continuously maintained overview is kept by, among others, the German Association of Towns and Municipalities.
Above or below: what changes for you as a bidder
Above the threshold, notices are published EU-wide – your competition is larger, sometimes international. Firmer minimum deadlines, stricter form and evidence requirements and legal protection via the procurement tribunal apply. Below it, things run more nationally, often with shorter deadlines and fewer formalities.
A practical example: a municipality procures a street sweeper for an estimated €280,000. That is above €216,000 – so an EU-wide procedure. If it bundles five vehicles at €60,000 each, that is a total value of €300,000 – also EU-wide. What counts is not the individual price but the estimated total value.
Is a specific tender worthwhile for you?
In the free AI consultation we go through a real tender from your field – chance of success, bidder questions and completed mandatory fields, shown on a live example.
The costly misconception: the threshold applies to the whole contract
Many bidders calculate with the value of their lot – and get it wrong. What counts is the estimated total value of the contract across all lots and the entire term. A contract may not be artificially split to stay below the threshold (prohibition of circumvention). For framework agreements, the entire call-off volume over the term counts: four years at €120,000 each is €480,000 – clearly above the supplies/services threshold. Anyone who spots this early plans deadlines and evidence properly instead of in the last week.
What this means for your bid process
The threshold decides which tenders belong in your pipeline at all, and with how much effort. This is exactly where aiconver comes in: we find suitable tenders across multiple sources and classify each one immediately – above or below the threshold, which deadlines and evidence requirements apply. The go/no-go assessment shows you in minutes whether the effort is worthwhile, before your team invests the first hour.
FAQ
What is a threshold in public procurement law?
The threshold is the estimated net contract value from which a public contract must be tendered Europe-wide. Below it, national rules apply (UVgO, VOB/A Section 1).
What is the EU threshold 2026 for works?
For works, the 2026 threshold is €5,404,000 net – the same for all contracting authorities.
What applies below the thresholds?
Below them, contracts are awarded nationally, usually under UVgO (supplies/services) or VOB/A Section 1 (works) – often with shorter deadlines and fewer formalities.
How often do the EU thresholds change?
The EU adjusts the thresholds every two years. The current values apply for 2026 and 2027.
Conclusion
The EU thresholds 2026 are not an administrative detail but the first filter of every tender: they determine competition, deadlines and formalities – and therefore your effort. Anyone who correctly assesses the estimated total value knows what they are getting into before the first page of the tender documents. And anyone who automates this assessment no longer wastes time on tenders that were never worth it.
Is a specific tender worthwhile for you?
In the free AI consultation we go through a real tender from your field – chance of success, bidder questions and completed mandatory fields, shown on a live example.