Find relevant tenders in France in seconds

How does public procurement work in France?

Public procurement in france is highly centralised around a clear legal framework and almost complete digitalisation. The vast majority of opportunities are on the state procurement platform (PLACE), regional or sectoral platforms, or on portals for large communities. We, on Tendeurope, are just bringing together these different sources to offer a simplified view of the French market.

France, which is part of the European Union, naturally applies European directives. But it has also developed a very structured environment with its own code, called the Code of Public Order. In particular, it specifies how calls for tenders should be published, how to respond to them, and the rules applicable to each procedure.

The procedures range from adapted procedure (MAPA), which is very common in local communities, to formalised (open or restricted) procedures imposed as soon as certain thresholds are exceeded. As we told you earlier, the bids are fully digital. The French administration particularly insists on traceability, the dematerialisation of exchanges and, above all, on equal treatment between suppliers. As far as the deadlines are concerned, they are rigorous and France applies very strictly the rules of time limit. One of your offers, if only a few minutes late, will be automatically rejected.

Are there any regulations I should know about?

Yes. In France, everything revolves around what is called the Code of Public Order, which came into force in 2019. All the rules relating to public procurement and concessions are gathered there. In particular, it defines:

• Advertising obligations.
• Thresholds that trigger a formalised procedure.
• The award criteria.
• The rights of candidates and remedies.

You can also find many national guidelines, such as those for adapted procurement, digital security or conflict of interest prevention. For regions, departments and municipalities, they use the same legal framework. But be careful, each can have its own publishing habits, its own platforms and sometimes its own document templates. Buyers must justify why they chose a particular procedure, motivate possible releases but above all, ensure a transparent evaluation. All this gives you, as suppliers, a fairly predictable framework.

Note: France, like many other countries, strongly promotes environmental and social criteria. Many markets now impose a percentage of sustainability criteria, or social clauses (e.g. professional integration).

Is the French tender market wide?

The short answer: yes. It is even one of the most important public procurements market in Europe. The French state, its ministries, its operators, regions, departments, municipalities and hospitals, all represent a huge volume of purchase, distributed in a wide variety of fields. In recent years, there has been a strong increase in:

• Energy transition (thermal renovation, public lighting, solar panels, charging infrastructure).
• The digitization of administrations (sovereign cloud, cybersecurity, software modernization).
• Mobility projects (public transport, cycling infrastructure, railway modernisation).
• Construction and renovation (schools, hospitals, public buildings).

At the same time, it can also be seen that local buyers regularly publish slightly more modest but very numerous markets: cleaning, supplies, maintenance services, urban equipment, event services, etc. France is therefore a broad, constant and dynamic market. Volumes are high, needs are recurring, and there is a good balance between large national projects and the daily needs of local communities.

What are the main categories of French tender?

Some categories dominate the landscape:

• IT services: This is the most dynamic sector (cybersecurity, application maintenance, platform development, cloud hosting, network infrastructure renovation, etc.).
• Public works and construction: Roads, bridges, schools, sports facilities, hospitals,... France, logically, invests heavily in the modernisation of its infrastructure.
• Energy and the environment: Waste management, charging stations, energy renovation of buildings, environmental studies, low carbon solutions,... This sector is growing rapidly thanks to national ecological transition objectives.
• Health: Public hospitals tend to regularly purchase medical equipment, maintenance services, telemedicine solutions, hospital information systems, etc.
• Daily purchases: Cleaning, security, transport, urban furniture, green spaces, communication, catering services.

What challenges could I face as a supplier?

Working with the French public commission, this obviously presents some typical challenges:

• Formalism: It is important to know that the Code of Public Command is demanding. A missing piece or a bad format can cause your offer to be rejected immediately.
• The diversity of platforms: Even if digitisation is successful, there are still many different platforms depending on the territories or institutions. This requires some adaptation.
• Competition: The IT, construction and energy sectors are very competitive. Large operators are ubiquitous there, which makes SMEs stand out with much more targeted offers.
• Technical requirements: French specifications are often detailed, which will require some rigour in the answer.
• The rise of environmental and social criteria: More and more markets require concrete evidence (labels, carbon balances, social impact measures).

It is also for these reasons that we have created Tendeurope. Simply to simplify the search for opportunities and help you navigate in what sometimes looks like a real maze.

Despite these challenges, the French market is generally considered predictable, structured and rich in opportunities. If you are an organized supplier, attentive to details and ready to adapt to local requirements, you should see the French market as a very stable ground to develop your business.