The thresholds
Direct award is governed by article 118 of Law 4412/2016, as replaced by Law 4782/2021. It is permitted when the estimated value of the contract, excluding VAT, does not exceed the following amounts.
Above 30,000 euros and up to the EU thresholds, the open procedure below the thresholds applies through ΕΣΗΔΗΣ, with a minimum of 15 days to bid. The simplified tender that used to cover the range from 20,000 to 60,000 euros was abolished on 1 September 2021. There is no longer an intermediate simplified procedure.
How it works
- Request and budget commitmentAs with every expenditure, a primary request and a budget commitment decision come first. They are posted in ΚΗΜΔΗΣ and Διαύγεια before the invitation, and they are the first point where a supplier can learn that an award is coming.
- InvitationThe contracting authority sends an invitation to submit an offer to one or more economic operators of its choice. The invitation is posted in ΚΗΜΔΗΣ at least five days before the award decision for supplies and services, and five working days for works (article 120). Offers from operators who were not invited are not considered: the posting informs you, it does not give you a right to take part.
- OfferSubmitted outside ΕΣΗΔΗΣ, in the way the invitation specifies, usually by email or to the authority's registry. No ESPD and no participation guarantee are required.
- DocumentsBefore the award the basic evidence of non-exclusion is requested: a criminal record extract or a solemn declaration for the persons representing the company, tax and social security clearance certificates, and the documents of legal representation. The optional exclusion grounds of article 73 are not examined.
- Award decision and contractThe decision is posted in ΚΗΜΔΗΣ. Without that posting the contract is void. Above 2,500 euros a written contract is signed, which is also posted.
The restrictions you need to know
- The 12-month rule. After the contract is signed, the contractor of a direct award, or a person controlled by it, cannot conclude a new direct award contract with the same contracting authority for twelve months (article 118 par. 4). A contract concluded in breach of the rule is void. If you work regularly with one authority, the next step is a tender.
- No splitting. The authority may not break a single need into pieces below 30,000 euros to avoid a tender. The estimated value is calculated for the total of similar needs in the year (article 6).
- 10% cap for works and studies. The total of an authority's direct awards for works and studies may not exceed 10% of the relevant appropriations in its annual budget.
- No participation guarantee, performance guarantee case by case. Direct awards never require a participation guarantee. A performance guarantee is required for contracts above 30,000 euros, so in practice only for works and studies.
How to get on the list of invited suppliers
In a direct award the authority chooses whom to ask. A supplier unknown to the department is not invited, however competitive it may be. Three practices that work:
- Watch the requests, not the invitations. The primary request and the budget commitment precede the invitation. When you see them in time, you have room to contact the department and ask to be included.
- Watch the invitations in ΚΗΜΔΗΣ. Invitations are posted with the PROC prefix at least five days before the award. You cannot submit an offer without being invited, but within that window you can contact the department and ask to be invited, and in any case you learn which body buys what, for next time.
- Map the authorities that buy by direct award. A municipality that awards five contracts of 20,000 euros in your category every year directly is a better customer than one tender of 100,000 with ten bidders.
The GOVADI platform monitors budget commitment decisions and direct award invitations in your CPV codes and alerts you while there is still time to talk to the authority. Each contracting authority's profile shows how often it awards directly and to whom.
The EU thresholds 2026-2027
Above the EU thresholds the contract is also published in TED and follows the full rules of the Directives. The thresholds for 2026-2027 were set by Commission Delegated Regulations (EU) 2025/2150, 2025/2151 and 2025/2152 and apply from 1 January 2026, excluding VAT.
| Type of contract | Contracting authorities (Book I) | Utilities (Book II) |
|---|---|---|
| Works | 5,404,000 € | 5,404,000 € |
| Supplies and services, central government | 140,000 € | 432,000 € |
| Supplies and services, other authorities (municipalities, regions, hospitals, public law bodies) | 216,000 € | |
| Social and other specific services | 750,000 € | 1,000,000 € |
For most suppliers the critical figure is 216,000 euros: above it a tender of a municipality or hospital becomes European, with a 30-day minimum deadline and mandatory publication in TED.
Frequently asked questions
Up to what amount can a direct award be made in 2026?
Up to 30,000 euros excluding VAT for supplies and services, and up to 60,000 euros excluding VAT for works, studies and technical services, under article 118 of Law 4412/2016 as in force.
Is a direct award published in ΚΗΜΔΗΣ?
Yes. The invitation, the award decision, the contract for values above 2,500 euros and the payments are posted. An award decision that is not posted renders the contract void.
Is an ESPD needed for a direct award?
No. The ESPD is required in procedures above 30,000 euros. In a direct award the basic non-exclusion documents are requested before the award: criminal record or solemn declaration, tax and social security clearance, documents of representation.
Can the same supplier keep receiving direct awards from the same authority?
No. After signing a direct award contract, the contractor cannot conclude a new direct award contract with the same contracting authority for twelve months (article 118 par. 4). That restriction, together with the ban on splitting, is why recurring needs end up in a tender.
Can I submit an offer in a direct award if I was not invited?
No. Article 120 provides that offers from economic operators who were not invited are not considered. The posting of the invitation in ΚΗΜΔΗΣ, at least five days before the award, gives you time to ask the department to invite you, not a right to take part.
What are minor value contracts?
Contracts up to 2,500 euros excluding VAT (article 117Α). They are paid on a simple request and a lawful invoice, with no award decision and no written contract. They are recorded in ΚΗΜΔΗΣ only above 1,000 euros.