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Public Procurement in Slovakia

Public procurement in the Slovakia is a strategically important component of public finance management and economic governance. As a high-income European Union member state, Slovakia operates a procurement system that is closely aligned with EU public procurement directives, emphasizing transparency, competition, value for money, sustainability, and digital procurement.

Government procurement in Slovakia covers goods, works, and services across infrastructure, transport, energy, water, public administration, healthcare, and environmental projects. The public procurement market is fully integrated into the EU internal market, providing equal access to domestic and international suppliers.

Country & Economic Overview

Institutional & Governance Framework

The Slovak public procurement system is regulated and supervised by the Office for Public Procurement (Úrad pre verejné obstarávanie - UVO), which acts as the central regulatory and oversight authority.

• Public Procurement Agency (PPA): Office for Public Procurement
• PPA Website: https://www.uvo.gov.sk/
• Central Purchasing Body (CPB): Not permanently designated at national level
• Certified Contracting Officers: 32

Although Slovakia does not operate a single permanent national CPB, specific entities may act as centralized purchasing bodies on the basis of government decisions for defined categories of procurement.

Legal & Regulatory Framework

Public procurement in the Slovakia is governed by the Public Procurement Act No. 343/2015 Coll., which fully transposes EU procurement directives into national law.

• Public Procurement Law: Act No. 343/2015 Coll.
• Legal Source: https://www.slov-lex.sk/pravne-predpisy/SK/ZZ/2015/343/

Key Legal Provisions

• Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): Section 44(3)(a)(b)
• Life-Cycle Costing (LCC): Section 2(5)(k)
• Value for Money (VfM): Section 44(3)(a)
• Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT): Section 44(3)(a)(b)
• SME Participation: Section 28
• Bid Securities: Section 46
• Public Bid Openings: Section 49

Procurement Procedures, Thresholds & Timelines

Minimum advertisement periods generally follow EU rules, with at least 30 days for procedures under EU thresholds and shorter periods for lower-value procedures.

E-Procurement System

Slovakia operates a modern, fully digital public procurement environment with mandatory electronic procedures.

• eProcurement System: EVO / EPVO
• System Website: https://www.isepvo.sk
• Launch Year: 2022
• Key Functionalities: ePublishing, eTendering, eQuotations
• Electronic Signatures: Advanced electronic certificate authentication
• OCDS / Open Data Portal: https://www.uvo.gov.sk/vestnik-a-registre-474.html

All tender documents are downloadable, and 100% of procurement by value and volume is conducted electronically.

Procurement Market Size & Performance

Contract Awards by Category

• Goods: 2,898 contracts (USD 3,058,266)
• Works: 1,508 contracts (USD 2,758,770)
• Services: 936 contracts (USD 2,640,478)

Competition Indicators

• Average bidders - goods: 2.85
• Average bidders - services: 2.85

Award Criteria, Complaints & Transparency

While the Lowest Price method remains dominant, Slovakia increasingly applies MEAT criteria, particularly in environmentally and socially sensitive procurements.

• Contracts awarded using MEAT: 432
• Lowest price awards: 4,910
• Accepted complaints: 110
• Rejected complaints: 104
• Complaints under investigation: 0

Transparency is ensured through mandatory publication of notices, awards, statistics, and annual reports.

Green & Social Public Procurement

The Slovakia has a well-established Green Public Procurement (GPP) framework aligned with EU sustainability objectives.

• National GPP Strategy: Yes (target to 2030)
• Mandatory GPP Share: Minimum 6% of tenders
• Lead Agencies: Ministry of Environment, Office for Public Procurement, Slovak Environment Agency
• Applicable Standards: EMAS, EU Ecolabel, ISO 14000, national eco-labels

Social procurement rules support disadvantaged groups, ethical sourcing, and compliance with international labor standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Practical Insights for Suppliers

Key Considerations

• Strict compliance with EU and national procurement rules is essential
• Electronic procurement capability is mandatory
• Green and social criteria increasingly influence award decisions
• SMEs benefit from dedicated legal provisions and lot-based procurement

Public procurement in the Slovakia is a transparent, digitally advanced, and sustainability-oriented system. It offers predictable and open access to both domestic and international suppliers, particularly those capable of delivering value for money, innovation, and environmentally responsible solutions.