Compliance requirements
A bidder may be excluded if it, or a person in its management, governing or supervisory bodies or an authorised representative, has a relevant conviction within the last five years or remains subject to an exclusion period for participation in a criminal organisation, corruption, fraud, terrorist offences, money laundering or terrorist financing, or the use of child labour or other forms of human trafficking.
Exclusion grounds also include unpaid taxes or social security contributions; breaches of environmental, social or labour obligations; bankruptcy, insolvency, liquidation, an equivalent procedure, an agreement with creditors, administration of assets by a liquidator or court, or suspension of business; serious professional misconduct; agreements intended to distort competition; an unmanageable conflict of interest; involvement in preparing this procurement that creates an unremedied competitive advantage; significant or repeated failures under earlier contracts resulting in early termination, damages, price reductions or penalties; and false or misleading information, withheld information, failure to provide requested supporting documents, or attempts to obtain confidential information or improperly influence the procurement.
National exclusion grounds include enabling a foreign national without a legal basis to work, contracting in breach of international or Estonian sanctions, and certain tax-related offences. Participation is prohibited for businesses established or resident in Russia or Belarus, including relevant joint bidders and entities whose capacity is relied upon. The stated sanctions restrictions also apply to sanctioned goods and to the use of certain Russian persons or entities as subcontractors, suppliers or relied-upon entities for more than 10% of the contract value. Where the law and procurement documents allow it, a bidder may provide evidence of measures taken to restore its reliability.
Qualification criteria and exclusion grounds
The bidder’s net turnover must have been at least EUR 500,000 in each of the last three completed financial years. If the financial year coincides with the calendar year, the relevant years are 2023, 2024 and 2025.
The bidder must have acted as the lead contractor on at least one contract for similar design work during the 36 months before the contract notice was published in the national procurement register. The designed building, part of a building or complex must have had at least 1,500 m² of closed net floor area. The work must have reached at least the principal design stage and covered architecture, including interior architecture, structural design, building services (heating and ventilation, cooling and heat supply, water supply and sewerage), electrical installations (power, low-voltage and automation), fire safety and energy efficiency. The contract may still be ongoing if the required minimum scope has been completed. Provide a list of contracts with the contracting parties’ names and contact details, the project and design scope in square metres, the contract period and, where applicable, the procurement reference number.
The project team must include a project manager with at least a level 7 construction engineer qualification specialising in building construction, with competence in design management or preparation of building design projects; an authorised architect with at least a level 7 qualification; and an authorised interior architect with at least a level 7 qualification. Equivalent qualifications are accepted, but not initial qualifications based solely on education. Submit the required specialist details using Form 4. For qualifications issued outside Estonia, provide the qualification document and confirmation from the competent Estonian authority that it corresponds to the required qualification. One person may fill more than one role.
The bid must adopt the tender-document requirements and explain and substantiate any claimed equivalence. Submit the participation declaration in Form 2 and, where applicable, a separate reasoned list of documents containing trade secrets. Submit the price using Form 3, completing only its blank cells without changing other cells or formulas, and enter the automatically calculated total excluding VAT in the procurement system’s price sheet. For a joint bid, appoint a representative and provide the power of attorney and confirmation of joint and several liability using Form 8. The bidder must also confirm that it and any entity whose capacity it relies on are not established or resident in Russia or Belarus, and comply with the stated sanctions-related restrictions on goods, subcontractors, suppliers and relied-upon entities.