TED Procurement Data Deep Dive: What 700,000 Annual Notices Tell Us

That volume of data tells a story, about where governments are spending, which sectors are growing, how competitive different markets really are, and where the opportunities lie for suppliers. This article digs into the numbers behind TED to help you make sense of Europe's most important procurement dataset.

TED at a Glance: The Core Statistics

Before we break down the detail, here are the headline numbers that define TED in 2026.

The distinction between total notices and contract notices is important. TED publishes several notice types, prior information notices, contract notices, contract award notices, corrigenda, modification notices, and voluntary ex ante transparency notices. Of these, contract notices (the actual calls for competition) number between 250,000 and 300,000 per year. The rest are informational, corrective, or post-award disclosures.

Understanding EU Procurement Thresholds

Not every public contract appears on TED. Only contracts above specific financial thresholds are required to be published there. Understanding these thresholds is essential for interpreting TED data correctly.

Directive 2014/24/EU - Classic Public Sector

Directive 2014/25/EU - Utilities

Other Directives

All thresholds are net of VAT. They are revised every two years by Commission Delegated Regulation, aligned with the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) values.

The critical implication: TED captures roughly 30% of total EU procurement by value (EUR 670-700 billion out of EUR 2.2-2.4 trillion). The remaining approximately EUR 1.5 trillion in below-threshold procurement is only visible through national portals.

Notice Types: What Gets Published and When

TED publishes several distinct notice types, each serving a specific function in the procurement lifecycle. Knowing what each type tells you, and when it appears, is essential for using TED data strategically.

Prior Information Notices (PINs)

PINs are advance warnings. A contracting authority publishes a PIN to signal upcoming procurement, sometimes months before the formal tender. PINs do not always lead to contract notices, but they are invaluable for pipeline planning. If you spot a PIN relevant to your business, you have lead time to research the buyer, prepare documentation, and identify potential partners.

Contract Notices (CNs)

The formal call for competition. This is the notice you respond to. It contains the contract description, CPV codes, NUTS region codes, estimated value, evaluation criteria, qualification requirements, and submission deadlines. With 250,000 to 300,000 contract notices published annually, this is the core of TED's value for suppliers.

Contract Award Notices (CANs)

Published after a contract is awarded. These disclose the winning bidder, the final contract value, the number of tenders received, and the award criteria applied. Award notices are the foundation of competitive intelligence in procurement, they tell you who wins, at what price, and how competitive each market segment really is.

Other Notice Types

• Corrigenda: corrections to previously published notices (changed deadlines, amended specifications)
• Modification notices: changes to contracts during execution
• Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency (VEAT) notices: proposed direct awards that can be challenged
• Design contest notices and results: for architecture and design competitions

Procurement Methods: How Contracts Are Awarded

TED data reveals which procurement procedures contracting authorities use most frequently. The distribution of methods across Europe tells us a great deal about how procurement actually works in practice.

The open procedure dominates across virtually all member states. It is the default because it maximises competition and is the simplest to administer. The restricted procedure is the second most common, used when contracting authorities want to pre-qualify suppliers before inviting full tenders.

For suppliers, the procedure type matters because it determines your bidding strategy. Open procedures require a complete tender from day one. Restricted procedures give you a lighter first-stage submission (an expression of interest or pre-qualification questionnaire) before the heavier full tender.

Special Procurement Instruments

Beyond standard procedures, TED notices frequently reference special instruments that shape how procurement is structured.

Framework agreements and DPS arrangements are particularly significant because they represent ongoing opportunities. Once you are on a framework or accepted onto a DPS, you receive invitations to compete for individual call-offs without needing to go through a full procurement process each time.

Country-by-Country Analysis

TED data covers all 27 EU member states, plus EEA countries. The distribution of notices and value across countries reveals important patterns.

The Big Five

The five largest European economies generate the majority of TED notices by both volume and value.

Smaller Markets With Strong TED Presence

Countries like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and the Nordic states (via EEA membership) publish comprehensively on TED despite their smaller market size. Estonia's Riigihangete register, for example, provides open data access and supports English-language browsing, making it one of the most accessible markets for cross-border suppliers.

The eSender Ecosystem

Most notices reach TED not through direct submission but via eSenders, organisations authorised to transmit notices on behalf of contracting authorities. These are typically national procurement platforms or commercial platforms such as Mercell (strong across the Nordics and Germany), Vortal (Iberian Peninsula), Pixelware (Spain), and OpenNexus (Poland). The eSender system means that data quality on TED is partly dependent on how well each eSender implements the eForms standard.

CPV Code Distribution: Where the Money Goes

TED uses the Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV) to classify what is being purchased. CPV codes are hierarchical, a two-digit division, a three-digit group, and progressively more specific categories down to eight digits.

The main CPV divisions appearing on TED include:

• 45, Construction work: consistently the largest by value due to high works thresholds
• 33, Medical equipment, pharmaceuticals: driven by hospital and health service procurement
• 72, IT services: software development, hosting, cybersecurity, digital transformation
• 34, Transport equipment: vehicles, rolling stock, fleet management
• 71, Architectural, engineering, and planning services: consultancy for infrastructure projects
• 90, Sewage, refuse, cleaning, and environmental services: waste management, urban services
• 79, Business services: consulting, legal, accounting, research
• 50, Repair and maintenance services: facility and equipment upkeep

Understanding CPV code distribution helps suppliers identify which sectors have the most activity and least competition. Niche CPV codes often attract fewer bidders, making them attractive entry points for SMEs looking to win their first public contracts.

TED's Open Data and API

One of TED's most valuable features, and one that many suppliers overlook, is its commitment to open data.

The TED API

TED provides a full RESTful API for searching, retrieving, validating, rendering, and submitting eForms notices. Key details:

• Documentation: Available at the TED Developer Portal (developer.ted.europa.eu)
• Public search API: Available without registration
• Submission APIs: Require EU Login authentication
• Data format: eForms XML (mandatory since 25 October 2023)
• Historical data: Structured data going back to 2006

Bulk Data Downloads

For large-scale analysis, TED provides bulk CSV downloads through the EU Open Data Portal (data.europa.eu). This dataset is invaluable for market research, competitive intelligence, and trend analysis. The data is published under Creative Commons licensing, meaning it can be freely reused.

What You Can Do With TED Data

Sophisticated suppliers and procurement intelligence platforms use TED data to:

• Map competitive landscapes: who wins what, and at what price
• Identify buying patterns: which authorities buy which products on which cycle
• Forecast future procurement: PINs and historical patterns predict upcoming tenders
• Benchmark pricing: award values reveal market rates for specific services
• Track market concentration: whether a few large players dominate specific CPV codes

This is the kind of analysis that tools like Bidovate's Mevin automate, continuously monitoring TED and national portals, matching opportunities to your profile, and surfacing competitive intelligence that would take hours to compile manually.

The eForms Transformation

Since 25 October 2023, all above-threshold notices sent to TED must use the eForms standard (Regulation (EU) 2019/1780). This is the most significant change to TED's data model in years.

eForms provide approximately 40 notice subtypes in a structured XML format, with an open-source SDK available on GitHub. The practical impact for data analysis is substantial:

• More fields: eForms capture significantly more structured information than the old standard forms
• Better consistency: A defined schema reduces free-text variability
• Machine-readable: Every field is tagged and queryable, enabling automated processing
• Cross-border comparability: The same schema applies across all member states

For suppliers, the eForms transition means that TED data from late 2023 onwards is richer and more reliable than historical data. Competitive intelligence drawn from recent eForms notices is more detailed than what was possible with older notice formats.

Practical Takeaways for Suppliers

Here is what TED's data tells us about how to approach European procurement effectively.

Volume matters. With 250,000 to 300,000 contract notices per year, finding relevant opportunities is not about scarcity, it is about filtering. Use CPV codes, NUTS regions, and value ranges to narrow the field to opportunities you can realistically win.

Award data is gold. The 3.1 million+ historical awards in TED's database are a competitive intelligence resource that most suppliers underuse. Before you bid, check who has won similar contracts, at what price, and how many bidders competed.

Below-threshold is the hidden market. TED covers only 30% of total European procurement by value. For comprehensive coverage, you need to monitor national portals as well, or use an aggregation tool that does this for you.

The right procedure changes your approach. Open procedures need a complete tender from day one. Restricted procedures let you qualify first with lighter documentation. DPS and framework agreements offer ongoing access once you are accepted.

Data quality is improving. The mandatory shift to eForms means that TED data from 2024 onwards is more structured, more complete, and more useful for analysis than ever before.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many procurement notices does TED publish each year?

TED publishes between 700,000 and 800,000 notices annually. Of these, approximately 250,000 to 300,000 are contract notices (calls for competition). The remainder includes prior information notices, contract award notices, corrigenda, modification notices, and other types.

What is the total value of procurement on TED?

TED notices represent approximately EUR 670 to 700 billion in annual procurement value. This covers above-threshold procurement across all 27 EU member states and EEA countries. It represents roughly 30% of total European procurement spending by value, with the remaining EUR 1.5 trillion falling below EU thresholds.

Is TED data available for free?

Yes. TED is completely free to search and browse without registration. The TED API is publicly available for search queries without authentication. Bulk CSV data downloads are available through the EU Open Data Portal under Creative Commons licensing. Submission APIs require EU Login authentication.

What are the EU procurement thresholds for TED publication?

The main thresholds (2024-2025 cycle) are: EUR 143,000 for central government supplies and services, EUR 221,000 for sub-central authority supplies and services, EUR 5,538,000 for works contracts, EUR 443,000 for utilities supplies and services, and EUR 750,000 for social and specific services. All values are net of VAT.

How far back does TED historical data go?

TED's structured dataset includes notices going back to 2006, with over 3.1 million historical contract awards in the database. Data from before the eForms mandate (October 2023) uses older standard forms with fewer structured fields. Post-eForms data is significantly richer and more machine-readable.