competitive dialogue

A competitive dialogue is a procurement procedure where contracting authorities engage in structured discussions with prequalified suppliers to develop one or more solutions that meet their needs. Unlike an open procedure, where all specifications are defined upfront, this procedure allows the solution to take shape through dialogue with the market — before suppliers submit their final tenders.

How does competitive dialogue work?

The procedure is governed by Article 30 of Directive 2014/24/EU and follows a two-stage process. First, a contract notice is published and any interested supplier may request to participate. The contracting authority carries out a prequalification to assess whether candidates meet the qualification requirements.

Qualified suppliers are then invited to the dialogue phase. Here, the contracting authority and suppliers discuss technical, legal, and financial aspects of the solution — often over multiple rounds. The authority may progressively reduce the number of solutions based on the award criteria.

Once the authority has identified one or more suitable solutions, the dialogue is closed and suppliers are invited to submit final tenders. After submission, no negotiation is allowed — only clarification, specification, and optimisation of the tenders.

When can competitive dialogue be used?

Competitive dialogue may be used under the conditions set out in Article 26(4) of Directive 2014/24/EU — the same conditions that apply to the competitive procedure with negotiation. Typical situations include particularly complex procurements, needs that cannot be met without adapting existing solutions, or cases where technical specifications cannot be defined with sufficient precision. The procedure is therefore commonly used for innovative procurements and large infrastructure projects such as public-private partnerships.

Tools like Cobrief help suppliers discover competitive dialogue notices early, giving them time to assess whether the opportunity is relevant.

A competitive dialogue is resource-intensive but offers significant flexibility for complex procurements. For suppliers, it represents an opportunity to shape the solution, but also requires a substantial investment of time and expertise before the final tender is submitted.