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Public Procurement in Greece

Public procurement in Greece represents a highly regulated and strategically significant component of public sector governance, playing a central role in public investment, infrastructure development, healthcare provision, energy transition, and service delivery. As a high-income European Union member state, Greece operates its procurement system within a harmonised EU legal framework while maintaining national institutional structures and oversight mechanisms.

Public procurement expenditure in Greece accounts for a substantial share of national economic activity and is closely linked to EU-funded programmes, structural reforms, and recovery investments. The procurement system emphasises transparency, competition, value for money, and sustainability, supported by mandatory electronic procurement platforms and detailed legal provisions.

For domestic suppliers, SMEs, and international bidders, government tenders in Greece offer access to a large, rule-based, and increasingly digitalised market, particularly in infrastructure, health, energy, transport, and public administration modernisation.

Country & Economic Overview

Public Procurement Governance Framework

Public procurement governance in Greece is coordinated through a centralised policy authority combined with multiple sector-specific central purchasing bodies. Contracting authorities operate at national, regional, and sectoral levels under a unified legal framework.

• Public Procurement Authority: Hellenic Single Public Procurement Authority (SPPA)
• PPA Website: https://www.eaadhsy.gr/
• Role: Policy oversight, regulatory guidance, monitoring, and reporting
• Central Purchasing Bodies (CPBs):
  • General Secretariat of Infrastructure
  • General Secretariat for Commerce and Consumer Protection
  • National Central Health Procurement Authority
  • National Blood Donation Center
  • General Hospital of Attica Sismanoglio and Amalia Fleming
• Coverage: National and regional public sector entities

Legal & Regulatory Framework

The public procurement law in Greece is primarily governed by Law 4412/2016, which transposes EU Directives 2014/24/EU and 2014/25/EU into national legislation. The law establishes detailed procedural, financial, and sustainability requirements across all procurement categories.

• Main Legal Framework: Law 4412/2016 (as amended)
• Legal References:
  https://www.eaadhsy.gr/n4412/
• Value for Money (VfM): Articles 86 and 311
• Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): Articles 87 & 312
• Life-Cycle Costing (LCC): Articles 87 & 312
• Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT): Articles 30, 31, 86, 267, 268
• Domestic Preference: Articles 25, 255, 314
• SME Participation: Articles 58, 59, 72, 131, 287-305

Procurement Procedures & Thresholds

E-Procurement System Overview

Greece operates a comprehensive and mandatory electronic procurement environment, forming the backbone of transparency and efficiency in public contracting.

• System Name: National Electronic Public Procurement System (NEPPS) - “Promitheus”
• Supplementary Platforms: sourceONE, auctionONE
• Launch Year: 2013 (Promitheus)
• Official Portals:
  http://www.eprocurement.gov.gr
  https://www.marketsite.gr
• Core Functionalities:
  • ePublishing and notifications
  • eTendering and eQuotations
  • Evaluation and contract awarding
  • Reverse auctions
  • eContract management
  • Vendor management and eComplaints
• Supported Languages: Greek, English
• Supported Currency: Euro

Procurement Market Size & Characteristics

Transparency, Complaints & Oversight

• Average Bidders per Tender:
  • Goods: 2.49
  • Works: 6.44
  • Services: 2.11
• Accepted Complaints: 393
• Rejected Complaints: 260
• Complaints Under Investigation: 82
• Average Resolution Period: 50 days
• Procurement Statistics Portals:
  https://ppp.eaadhsy.gr
  https://opentender.eu/gr/dashboards/market-analysis

Sustainability & Green Public Procurement

Greece has one of the most developed green public procurement frameworks in Southern Europe, with mandatory requirements embedded in national law and sector-specific procurement rules.

• Green Procurement Strategy: Yes
• Mandatory GPP Sectors: Energy, transport, water, waste, industry, public lighting
• Legal Basis: Law 4412/2016; Law 4710/2020
• Green-Evaluated Contracts: 4,450 (USD 470,564,210)
• Monitoring Tool: National KPI-based GPP monitoring framework

Social & Ethical Procurement

Greek public procurement law incorporates strong social and labour protections aligned with international conventions.

• Labor Standards: Mandatory adherence to ILO conventions
• Gender Equality: Equal pay and non-discrimination laws embedded
• Disadvantaged Groups: Legal protection under national labor legislation
• Ethical Sourcing: Incorporated through labor and environmental clauses

Key Challenges & Practical Insights for Bidders

• High procedural complexity and detailed documentation requirements
• Strong reliance on electronic procurement platforms
• Growing emphasis on green and sustainable criteria
• High competition in open procedures, especially for works contracts
• Careful monitoring of legal timelines and appeal mechanisms is essential

Overall, public procurement in Greece offers a large, transparent, and legally robust market. Its alignment with EU procurement directives, advanced eProcurement systems, and strong sustainability framework make Greece an important destination for public sector suppliers and international bidders.