Procurement laws and regulations

HHNK applies the applicable laws and regulations when tendering projects and services. These European and national rules must ensure the free movement of goods, services and capital between EU member states and optimal market operation.

European directive

Dutch procurement laws and regulations are based on the European Directive 2014/24/EU. The European rules have been implemented in the Netherlands in the Procurement Act 2012.

Procurement Act 2012

The Procurement Act 2012 applies to all procurement by (semi-)public institutions in the Netherlands. With this law, the Netherlands implements the European procurement directives. 

Some of the provisions of the law have been further elaborated in an Order in Council (Aanbestedingsbesluit):

• The Procurement Act 2012 considers the principle of proportionality as one of the supporting principles of procurement law. This means that the requirements that an entrepreneur must meet in a procurement are proportionate to the contract. Guidance in this regard is the Guide Proportionality. The Guide explains the principle in detail and includes practical examples. The principle of proportionality applies to European and national tenders as well as to multiple negotiated procedures.
• The Uniform European Tender Document (UEA) is a self-declaration on the financial condition, abilities and suitability of companies for a procurement procedure. 
• The Procurement Regulations for Works 2016 (ARW 2016) describes the procedures for tendering contracts for works, but we also apply the regulations for supplies and services. This promotes uniformity in our procurement documents and ensures that our methods are recognizable and predictable for the market.