What the ΕΕΕΣ is
ΕΕΕΣ is the Greek name of the European Single Procurement Document, the ESPD: a standardised self-declaration by which the economic operator states that no exclusion ground applies to it and that it meets the selection criteria of the tender. It was established by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/7 and is governed by article 79 of Law 4412/2016.
The logic is simple: at the bidding stage you declare, at the award stage you prove. Instead of every bidder producing criminal records, clearances, balance sheets and certificates, only the provisional contractor produces them with the award evidence. The ESPD is the commitment that, when requested, the evidence will confirm the declaration.
What happened to the ΤΕΥΔ
The ΤΕΥΔ (Standardised Solemn Declaration Form) was the simplified Greek version of the ESPD for tenders below the EU thresholds. It was abolished by Law 4782/2021 and since 1 June 2021 the ESPD is used in all procedures regardless of value. If a 2026 tender document mentions the ΤΕΥΔ, it is an old template that was not updated. The form you will submit is always the ESPD.
In direct awards up to 30,000 euros no ESPD is required. There, the basic documents are requested directly.
How to fill it in
- Download the authority's fileTogether with the tender documents the contracting authority publishes the ESPD as an XML file and usually also as a PDF. The XML is the file to work with, because it already contains the criteria the authority selected for this tender.
- Open it in the Promitheus ESPDint serviceAt espd.eprocurement.gov.gr choose the economic operator role and import the authority's XML. The service shows only the questions that concern this tender.
- Answer every partPart II: details of the operator, representatives, reliance on third parties, subcontractors. Part III: exclusion grounds (criminal convictions, taxes and contributions, insolvency, professional misconduct, conflict of interest, prior termination). Part IV: selection criteria, often as a single global statement if the tender documents allow it. Part VI: concluding statements.
- Export PDF and XMLThe service produces the completed document as a PDF for signature and as XML for reuse. Keep both. The XML is your starting point for the next tender.
- Sign and submitThe PDF is signed with a qualified electronic signature and uploaded to the participation documents sub-folder in ΕΣΗΔΗΣ.
Who signs and when
- The legal representative. The ESPD is signed by the operator's representative, who also declares on behalf of all persons concerned by the exclusion grounds (board members, managing directors, administrators). No separate ESPD per board member is needed.
- Every member of a consortium. In a joint bid by a group of economic operators, each member submits its own ESPD.
- Every third party you rely on. If you invoke another operator's financial or technical capacity, that operator submits a separate ESPD for the exclusion grounds and for the capacity it lends you.
- Subcontractors. A separate ESPD is requested only if the tender documents so provide, usually for subcontracting above a certain share of the contract.
As to timing, article 79Α allows the ESPD to bear a signature date up to ten days before the bid submission deadline. An earlier signature is a ground for rejection. The practice that never fails: sign on the day you upload the bid.
Why ESPDs get rejected
| Mistake | Consequence | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Inaccurate or incomplete declaration (concealing a conviction, a debt, a prior termination) | Exclusion from the tender (article 73 par. 4 case ζ) and risk of exclusion from future procedures | Check the company's actual situation before declaring, not what you believe to be the case |
| Missing ESPD of a consortium member or third party | Rejection of the bid as incomplete | Checklist with one ESPD per legal person involved |
| Signature older than 10 days or without a qualified electronic signature | Rejection | Sign on the day of submission, with the legal representative's token |
| Declared selection criteria that cannot be proven at the award evidence stage | Rejection as provisional contractor, forfeiture of the participation guarantee | Declare only turnover, contracts and certificates you can actually produce |
| Using an old template (ΤΕΥΔ or the XML of another tender) | Rejection or an invitation to correct | Always start from the XML of the specific tender |
Since Law 4782/2021, article 102 allows the contracting authority to invite the bidder to complete or clarify documents, with a deadline of at least ten days. That possibility saves formal omissions; it does not save inaccurate declarations.
GOVADI's fit report reads the selection criteria of the tender documents and compares them with your company's profile before you fill in the first field. If the minimum turnover or the required experience is not covered, you learn it in minutes and not at the award evidence stage.
Frequently asked questions
What does ΕΕΕΣ mean?
Ευρωπαϊκό Ενιαίο Έγγραφο Σύμβασης, the Greek name of the European Single Procurement Document (ESPD). It is the standardised self-declaration by which the bidder states that it has no exclusion grounds and meets the selection criteria.
Does the ΤΕΥΔ still exist?
No. It was abolished by Law 4782/2021 and since 1 June 2021 the ESPD is used in all procedures above 30,000 euros, whether above or below the EU thresholds.
Where is the ESPD filled in?
In the Promitheus ESPDint service at espd.eprocurement.gov.gr, by importing the XML file the contracting authority published with the tender documents. The older address espdint.eprocurement.gov.gr no longer works.
How many days before the deadline can I sign the ESPD?
Up to ten days before the bid submission deadline, under article 79Α of Law 4412/2016. The safest practice is to sign on the day of submission.
Does my subcontractor need an ESPD?
Only if the tender documents require it, usually when subcontracting exceeds a certain share of the contract. By contrast, every third party whose capacity you rely on to meet a selection criterion always submits a separate ESPD.