Belgium has NO standing national supplier/vendor registry or pre-qualification list. Economic operators (including foreign firms) compete per-tender: they find opportunities on the federal e-Procurement platform (e-Notification), plus TED for contracts above EU thresholds; they create a free account at my.publicprocurement.be to access the tender dossier and submit an electronic bid (e-Tendering); and they demonstrate eligibility per tender by submitting a European Single Procurement Document (ESPD/eESPD) - a self-declaration of absence of exclusion grounds and of meeting the selection criteria. The platform account is access/submission plumbing only, not a qualification. EU/EEA firms have full, equal access with no establishment in Belgium required; eligible non-EU firms access GPA-covered contracts. Electronic bid submission requires a qualified electronic signature, and the platform supports non-Belgian (eIDAS) signatures so companies without a Belgian eID can bid.
e-Procurement platform (publicprocurement.be) - e-Notification for publication, e-Tendering for bid submission
Federal Public Service Policy and Support (FPS BOSA), which operates the federal e-Procurement platform
Foreign companies eligibleNo local entity required to bid
A foreign company can bid on Belgian public contracts without establishing any entity, branch, office or representative in Belgium. The Belgian Public Procurement Act's non-discrimination / equal-treatment principle guarantees every economic operator - whatever its region or EU Member State of origin - equal access to Belgian tenders. Selection criteria that require an existing local office, a local representative, or prior local experience are unlawful. EU/EEA firms have full access under the EU directives; eligible non-EU firms (e.g. WTO GPA parties such as the United States) can access GPA-covered contracts on equivalent terms. A Belgian company number (KBO/BCE) or VAT registration is generally only relevant if the firm is actually established or performing taxable activity in Belgium, not a prerequisite to bidding.
Search and monitor Belgian public contracts on the federal e-Procurement platform's e-Notification module (the official publication channel for Belgian public contracts) and, for contracts above EU thresholds, on TED (ted.europa.eu). You can define a free search profile / alert on relevant CPV codes to be notified of matching contracts. No account is required merely to browse published notices.
Register a free personal account at my.publicprocurement.be (your email becomes your username), then link and complete your company profile / 'business card' (company details, activities and CPV codes). BOSA states it 'only takes 5 minutes to register as a company.' This account gives access to the e-Tendering, e-Catalogue and other modules and makes the company discoverable to contracting authorities; it is a platform account, NOT a national vendor registry or qualification. Foreign companies can register.
For each tender (mandatory for contracts above the EU thresholds), complete an ESPD/eESPD - a self-declaration that the company is not in an exclusion situation and meets the contracting authority's selection criteria (financial standing, technical and professional ability). Belgium provides an eESPD service at espd.publicprocurement.be; the document can be exported/reused across tenders. eCertis helps identify which supporting certificates are accepted in each country. Full supporting evidence is typically requested only from the tenderer likely to be awarded.
Submit the tender (or request to participate) electronically through the e-Tendering module before the deadline, attaching the ESPD, priced offer and any tender-specific documents. The offer must be signed with a qualified electronic signature. The platform's Digital Signature Service supports both the Belgian eID and eIDAS-compliant (non-Belgian) qualified signatures, so a foreign company without a Belgian eID can sign and submit. Minimum submission time limits (typically 22-35 days depending on procedure) are set by the contracting authority under Articles 36-41 of the Law of 17 June 2016.
If the ESPD indicates the firm is the likely awardee, the contracting authority requests the actual supporting documents (home-country tax/social-security certificates, financial statements, references, etc.). A foreign firm that becomes established or performs taxable activity in Belgium at execution stage may then need a Belgian company number (KBO/BCE) and VAT registration; this is an execution matter, not a bidding prerequisite.
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Create free accountFree of government fee: creating the my.publicprocurement.be account, the eESPD, search alerts and electronic bid submission carry no platform charge. Indirect costs only: obtaining a qualified electronic signature certificate (if the firm does not already have an eIDAS one), plus translation/legalisation of foreign supporting documents and bid preparation.
Varies per tender — not a fixed registration time.
Law of 17 June 2016 on public procurement (Wet overheidsopdrachten / Loi relative aux marches publics), in force since 30 June 2017, together with its Royal Decrees - notably the Royal Decree of 18 April 2017 on the award of public contracts in the classic/traditional sectors. This body of law transposes EU Directive 2014/24/EU (classic public sector) and Directive 2014/25/EU (utilities/special sectors). Above-threshold contracts are also published on TED under EU rules. The WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) governs access for eligible non-EU economic operators above the thresholds.
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This guide is grounded in official sources, last verified 2026-07-21.