eCertis

Open access information on supporting documents for the award of public contracts

The European Commission has compiled a database of the most common supporting documents used in public procurement procedures in Europe. This database is called eCertis. You can consult eCertis for questions such as:

• What do they mean in Germany by "Eigenerklärung bzw. Auszug aus dem Gewerbezentralregister "?
• What supporting documents can I accept from a foreign bidder?

What types of documents and certificates?

Contracting authorities may ask tenderers to produce documents certifying that they are qualified to perform the public contract (Article 45 of Directive 2004/18/EC). For example, they have to certify that:

• they have not been accused of crimes or professional misconduct
• they work legally and are financially sound
• they have sufficient means to perform the contract, etc.

These supporting documents are generally certificates issued by the national authorities or declarations by the tenderer itself. These documents can be certified in various ways (for example under oath before a notary or a judge). They may take different forms (especially when the tenderer comes from a country other than that of the contracting authority), be issued by different authorities and be in a local language.

How can eCertis help you?

• Contracting authorities can use eCertis to determine what information is being requested or given and to check whether documents can be accepted
• You can quickly find the documents you are looking for using a few search criteria, such as keywords in the language of the document.
• Tenderers can use eCertis as a useful guide to the different types of documents that must generally be submitted and their content
• eCertis is useful for understanding which supporting documents must be provided if the required documents do not exist in your country or exist only in another form.

How to use eCertis?

For each country, the most frequently requested certificates are classified under common headings, which correspond to the types of documents listed in the EU directives on public procurement (proof of the tenderer's identity, proof of non-bankruptcy and financial standing, etc.). Each heading is subdivided by country into several standard fields. These include detailed descriptions of the certificates issued in a given country for a certain type of supporting document. The system indicates which document can be considered equivalent to a document issued abroad. The structure is the same throughout the system, enabling in-depth analysis of different types of documents. Anyone involved in public procurement procedures can identify and evaluate documents using keywords, logical grouping of fields and automatic comparison.