What ΕΣΗΔΗΣ is
ΕΣΗΔΗΣ (pronounced ESIDIS), the National Electronic Public Procurement System, is the platform through which contracting authorities publish tender documents, receive questions, receive and open bids, and communicate with bidders. Its use is mandatory for every contract with an estimated value above 30,000 euros excluding VAT (article 36 of Law 4412/2016). Below that threshold the direct award applies, which does not go through ΕΣΗΔΗΣ.
ΕΣΗΔΗΣ, ΚΗΜΔΗΣ and the ESPD completion service are subsystems of one integrated information system with a common entry point, the "Promitheus" portal.
What changed in August 2026
On 19 August 2026 the fully redesigned Promitheus portal went live, a project funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The addresses stayed the same, www.eprocurement.gov.gr and www.promitheus.gov.gr. The new version has a new design, a bilingual Greek and English interface and accessibility features. User accounts and subsystem addresses did not change. Anyone registered before 19 August logs in with the same credentials.
A few weeks earlier, on 24 July 2026, joint ministerial decision 61267/2026 was published, amending the technical rules for conducting supplies and services tenders through ΕΣΗΔΗΣ (decision 64233/2021). The new rules apply to procedures started after publication. If you are reading instructions or manuals issued before summer 2026, check whether they have been updated.
Subsystems and their addresses
The portal leads to different applications depending on the type of contract and your role. The addresses you will meet:
| Address | What it is | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
promitheus.gov.gr | The central Promitheus portal, with announcements, manuals and log-ins | Everyone |
nepps.eprocurement.gov.gr | ΕΣΗΔΗΣ for supplies and services, the application where bids are submitted | Registered economic operators and authorities |
nepps-search.eprocurement.gov.gr | Public search of supplies and services tenders | Everyone, no log-in |
publicworks.eprocurement.gov.gr | ΕΣΗΔΗΣ for public works and studies | Contractors, consultants, authorities |
pwgopendata.eprocurement.gov.gr | Public search of works tenders | Everyone, no log-in |
cerpp.eprocurement.gov.gr | ΚΗΜΔΗΣ, record search and open data | Everyone, no log-in |
espd.eprocurement.gov.gr | Promitheus ESPDint, the ESPD completion service | Bidders |
The older address espdint.eprocurement.gov.gr for the ESPD no longer works. If you find it in an old tender document, use espd.eprocurement.gov.gr instead.
Registering as an economic operator
Registration is done once and applies to all tenders of all contracting authorities. The steps:
- ApplicationFrom the promitheus.gov.gr portal choose registration as an economic operator in ΕΣΗΔΗΣ for supplies and services or in ΕΣΗΔΗΣ for public works, according to your field. You may register in both.
- IdentificationOperators with a Greek tax number identify themselves with the company's TAXISnet credentials. Foreign operators follow a procedure based on submitted documents.
- Company details and userYou declare the company's details and the user who will operate the system. The user need not be the legal representative, but bid documents are signed by whoever holds power of representation.
- ApprovalThe ΕΣΗΔΗΣ helpdesk checks the application and activates the account. Allow a few working days and do not leave registration to the last week before a deadline.
Electronic signature
Every document that the economic operator itself drafts and submits in ΕΣΗΔΗΣ (the ESPD, the technical and financial offer, declarations) must carry a qualified electronic signature of the legal representative. Qualified means a signature based on a qualified certificate from a trust service provider on the EU trusted lists, either on a physical token or as a remote signature. Public documents issued by third parties (certificates, tax and social security clearances, Government Gazette issues) are submitted as they are, without the bidder's signature.
The electronic signature is the most common cause of delay for a first participation. Obtain it before you find the first tender, not after.
How a bid is structured
The bid is submitted electronically in three sub-folders, each with its own PDF files:
- Participation documents. The ESPD and the participation guarantee, where required.
- Technical offer. Whatever proves you meet the technical specifications: compliance sheets, technical brochures, certificates, methodology.
- Financial offer. Entered in the system's dedicated form and additionally uploaded as a signed PDF, often on the template in the tender documents.
The first two sub-folders are opened together and first. The financial offer is opened only for bidders found technically compliant. The system accepts bids until the day and time set in the tender documents, with no tolerance of seconds. Experienced bidders upload the bid the day before and keep the submission receipt.
A financial offer with wrong decimals or a discount percentage that does not match the PDF. An ESPD not signed by every member of a consortium. Documents in a format other than PDF. A participation guarantee valid for less time than the tender documents require. Documents uploaded to the wrong sub-folder.
The deadlines you need to know
For an appeal against the tender documents themselves, knowledge is presumed 15 days after their publication in ΚΗΜΔΗΣ. The appeal fee is 0.5% of the estimated value excluding VAT, with a minimum of 600 and a maximum of 15,000 euros, refunded if the appeal succeeds.
After submission
All communication with the contracting authority runs through ΕΣΗΔΗΣ: clarifications, invitations to complete documents, notification of minutes and decisions. Deadlines run from electronic notification, so the account must be checked daily for as long as the procedure lasts. The path to award is described in the glossary entry.
The GOVADI platform does not replace ΕΣΗΔΗΣ, it feeds it. It finds the tenders that match your CPV codes, reads the documents and tells you criterion by criterion whether it is worth opening the sub-folder, before you spend a week on the bid.
Frequently asked questions
Did my credentials change with the new Promitheus portal?
No. The redesign of 19 August 2026 concerns the design, the bilingual interface and the accessibility of the portal. Addresses and user accounts in the ΕΣΗΔΗΣ subsystems did not change.
From what amount is ΕΣΗΔΗΣ mandatory?
From an estimated contract value of 30,000 euros excluding VAT. Below that, awards are made by direct award without electronic bid submission in ΕΣΗΔΗΣ.
Do I need an electronic signature to register?
Not to register, but yes to participate. Every document you draft and submit in a tender must carry a qualified electronic signature. Without it the bid is rejected.
Can I see the tenders without an account?
Yes. The public search at nepps-search.eprocurement.gov.gr for supplies and services, at pwgopendata.eprocurement.gov.gr for works and in ΚΗΜΔΗΣ is open. The account is needed to download some documents, submit questions and lodge a bid.
What happens if ΕΣΗΔΗΣ is down on the deadline day?
In a documented technical failure of the system the contracting authority extends the deadline by decision. Your own connection or equipment is not a ground for extension, which is why bids are submitted with a time margin.