Apply for a deal? We'll explain how to do it!

Apply for a public contract

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Whether you are a small or medium-sized business or a large company, applying for a public contract is a real opportunity to develop your business. Here are the key steps to apply for a public contract.

First, we need to learn about public procurement.

Where can I find contract notices?

Depending on their nature and amount, contract notices may be published:

• In the Official Bulletin of Government Procurement Announcements (BOAMP)
• On buyers' platforms, called “Buyer Profile”
• On the institutional sites of the buyers
• In the Official Journal of the European Union
• Or in a medium entitled to receive legal announcements, called “Shal”.

The site BOAMP.fr offers you a personalized and free watch.

Here you can set up alerts to receive new published notifications by email on a daily basis.

Where can I find out about the market I am interested in?

The elements for responding to a procurement are grouped together in the consultation documents.

Where the contract exceeds €40,000, these documents are published by the buyer on a dedicated platform, called the “Buyer Profile”.

Once you have made inquiries, you can respond to the public contract.

Who can answer?

Any company may respond to a public contract. To do this, you need to prepare a response package that consists of an application and an offer.

How can I apply?

To apply, you can use the ESPD (Single European Market Document) or the declaration forms DC1, DC2 and, in the case of subcontracting, DC4.

In addition, you must prove that you are up to date with your tax and social security obligations by providing a certificate of tax regularity and a certificate of vigilance provided by the Urssaf.

What type of offer should I submit?

The offer proposed for a public contract must meet the buyer’s need. It includes a technical offer and a financial offer. In some cases, you may want to present a different solution than the buyer. This is referred to as a “variant” offer.

Can I partner to apply?

To reach larger markets, you can organize with temporary company group (GME) partners.

You can also subcontract part of the performance of a public contract.

When is the deal made?

The public purchaser shall select the most advantageous tender on the basis of the criteria which he has laid down in advance in the consultation documents. Then, if your application is successful, you sign a commitment agreement with the buyer.

Finally, you can finalize the deal.

When can I request payment?

You can request payment once you have delivered the goods or performed the services.

To do this, you must submit your invoice on the Chorus Pro platform. As soon as the buyer receives it, he has 30 to 60 days to make the payment. If it exceeds the deadline, default interest and a lump sum compensation will be payable by the public purchaser.

What to do in case of a dispute?

If a dispute arises during the performance of a public contract, it is usually settled in accordance with the procedure laid down in the consultation documents. However, if it persists, it is possible to refer companies to the Ombudsman and to the Advisory Committee on Amicable Settlement (ACAR).

Now that you know everything, don’t hesitate to apply!