EU public tenders for firms in Poland 2026: TED and appeals

If you bid for public contracts in other EU countries, three rules described by the Your Europe portal are worth knowing. They cover the language of TED notices, your right to an explanation when your bid is not selected, and appeals after the standstill period. This describes EU rules, not a guide to the Polish national procedure.

TED notices: is the full text always available in Polish?

You should not assume that every TED notice can be read in full in Polish. The rules described by Your Europe distinguish between basic information and the full text of a notice.

Basic information versus the full notice

For higher-value contracts, public authorities must publish notices in TED. Basic information is available in the EU’s 24 official languages. However, the full notice must be published in only one official EU language, which is not necessarily Polish. This does not prohibit additional language versions.

A separate rule for EU institutions

Medium- and higher-value contracts awarded by EU institutions, agencies or other EU bodies are published in TED. All notices concerning contracts awarded by EU institutions are published in full in the official EU languages, including Polish.

This distinction concerns notices, not the availability of all tender documents in Polish. Nor does it describe Polish national procedures.

Unsuccessful bid: are you entitled to know why?

Yes. As the official Your Europe portal explains, you should be informed as soon as possible whether you have won the tender. If your bid is not selected, you are entitled to a detailed explanation of the reasons.

When can you appeal or complain?

If you believe discrimination has occurred or notice irregularities in the procedure, you may lodge an appeal or complaint. The source does not identify non-selection alone as such a ground.

EU principles and national rules

All public procurement procedures in the EU follow national rules. For higher-value contracts, these rules are based on general EU principles. For lower-value contracts, national procurement rules apply, but EU principles of transparency and equal treatment should be respected.

This is a general explanation of bidders’ rights, not a guide to Polish appeal procedures. It does not specify national deadlines, fees or how to lodge an appeal.

Appeals: what happens after the standstill period expires?

A contract cannot be awarded while an appeal is being considered, even if the standstill period has already expired. This is how the EU’s Your Europe portal describes the rule.

If your tender is unsuccessful, you will be notified of the contract award decision. This starts the standstill period, lasting at least 10 days. During this period:

• the contract cannot be signed;
• you can lodge an appeal.

It is important to distinguish two rules: the prohibition on signing the contract during the standstill period and the prohibition on awarding the contract while an appeal is being considered. The expiry of the standstill period does not lift the second prohibition if the appeal is still being considered.

This describes EU-level rules as presented by Your Europe; it does not establish the deadlines or appeal procedure applicable in Poland.

Sources

• Your Europe: Finding notices and bidding for public contracts
• Your Europe: public procurement rules in the EU
• Your Europe: Requesting a review of a public procurement procedure. Last checked on the source page: 29/04/2026.