Tendering in English: terminology and a Dutch-English glossary

A tender procedure is called a tender or a call for tenders in English; the broader field is known as public procurement. Anyone working internationally, reading English-language tender documents, or considering a contract in another EU member state needs a reliable translation of the core terms. This page offers a compact Dutch-English glossary of procurement terms in English, explains how the procedure names are translated, and covers when you may submit a tender in English for a Dutch procurement.

Tendering in English: tender, public procurement or call for tenders

In English several terms cover what Dutch calls "aanbesteding". The difference is the level of abstraction.

• Public procurement: the entire system of government purchasing, comparable to "aanbesteden" as a field. This is the term used by the EU directives (2014/24/EU) and the English-language TenderNed documentation.
• Tender: both the concrete procurement (the contract in the market) and the bid a company submits. Context determines the meaning; when in doubt, clarify with tender procedure or bid.
• Call for tenders: the formal invitation to bid, comparable to the Dutch "aankondiging van een opdracht". In an EU context the published notice is a contract notice.
• Procurement procedure or tender procedure: the procedure itself, the structured route from publication to award.

For most practical situations tender is the natural word: "to submit a tender" means to bid, "to win a tender" means being awarded the contract.

Dutch-English glossary of core terms

The procurement terms in English below follow the terminology of the EU directives and the official EU vocabulary. Use this list as a reference when reading English-language documents or preparing an international tender.

The English terms follow the official EU vocabulary from Directive 2014/24/EU and the TED documentation (Tenders Electronic Daily); the Dutch terms align with the Aanbestedingswet 2012 (Dutch Public Procurement Act 2012).

Watch out for a common mistake with two terms. The Dutch abbreviation UEA (Uniform Europees Aanbestedingsdocument) is not called "UEA" in English but the ESPD (European Single Procurement Document). And "tender" can mean both the procurement and the bid depending on context; always read whether a contracting authority or a tenderer is speaking.

Procedure names in English

The Dutch procedure names have fixed English equivalents in the EU directives. The table below maps the best-known procedures.

Procedure names follow the terminology of the EU procurement directives 2014/24/EU; "onderhandse aanbesteding" has no exact EU equivalent because it is a national, below-threshold procedure.

In practice the open procedure is by far the most common on the Dutch procurement market, followed by the restricted procedure. These two standard procedures are also the most used routes for cross-border, European contracts, and that is precisely where you will encounter English-language documents most often.

Language requirements for Dutch procurements and when English is allowed

The working language of a Dutch procurement is in principle Dutch. The contracting authority sets the language in the procurement documents, and in most cases the tender must be submitted in Dutch. Foreign companies considering a bid should always verify this beforehand.

Even so, English is permitted or even common in a number of situations.

• When the documents allow it: the contracting authority may explicitly state that (parts of) the tender may be in English, for instance for international or technically advanced contracts.
• Technical annexes and certificates: product documentation, standards sheets and international certificates are often accepted in English, even when the main text must be Dutch.
• Evidence from abroad: declarations, extracts and references from another country may usually be submitted in the original language, sometimes with a (sworn) translation.
• European procurements: the notice is made available on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) in all EU languages, but the tender itself follows the language the contracting authority prescribes.

Always read the provision on working language and on the language of evidence in the procurement documents before you start bidding. A tender in the wrong language may be set aside.

Note that prescribing Dutch only must be proportionate. The Gids Proportionaliteit (Proportionality Guide) and the principles of the Aanbestedingswet 2012 require contracting authorities to avoid unnecessary barriers for foreign parties, particularly for European contracts above the threshold.

Practical tips

For tenderers

• Build your own translation key of the core terms in your field, including CPV codes, so you read English and Dutch documents consistently.
• Check the working language and the language of evidence for each procurement before you invest time in the bid.
• When in doubt, ask through the clarifications round whether an English-language annex is allowed; this prevents rejection on formal errors.
• Use the official ESPD terminology rather than literal translations of "UEA"; evaluators recognise standard terms faster.

For contracting authorities

• State unambiguously in the documents which language applies to the tender and which to the annexes.
• Allow English-language technical documentation where reasonable, so as not to restrict the market unnecessarily.
• Test a language requirement for proportionality, especially for European contracts where cross-border bids can be expected.

Conclusion

In English a tender procedure is called a tender or a call for tenders, and the field is public procurement. Anyone who knows the core terms (gunning is award, inschrijving is tender or bid, perceel is lot, raamovereenkomst is framework agreement, and the UEA is the ESPD) reads English and Dutch documents without misunderstandings. In the Netherlands the working language is in principle Dutch, but English is often allowed for annexes or when the documents permit it; always verify this beforehand. TenderView.ai helps you find relevant tenders and lets you ask targeted questions about procurement documents, even when these are partly in English.