What is the
once-only principle
Also known as: once only principle, electronic eligibility service, digital business credentials, eligibility profile, once only-prinsippet
The once-only principle means that a supplier should document facts about itself only once, and that the documentation is reused in all procurements across the EU and the EEA. The principle is built into a new electronic eligibility service in the European Commission's proposal for a new procurement regulation (COM(2026) 590), presented on 9 September 2026. It is a proposal, not adopted law, being handled by the European Parliament and the Council.
The documentation covers tax, criminal convictions, bankruptcy, turnover and certificates, among other things. Today you document this in every competition, often with an ESPD form first and evidence afterwards.
How does the once-only principle work?
The Commission is to set up and run the electronic eligibility service (Article 133). The service verifies exclusion grounds, qualification requirements and origin in each procedure. It does this via European Business Wallets or equivalent solutions, using digital business credentials. The supplier shares an eligibility profile instead of submitting documents.
The proposal has two deadlines for putting this in place:
- The EU tool for digital business credentials must be technically ready in all member states by 30 June 2028 (Article 133).
- By 15 June 2029, member states must give the tool free access to criminal records, business registers, tax and social security databases, insolvency registers and registers of beneficial owners (Article 29).
The contracting authority must require the service to be used as evidence, also for entities relied upon and subcontractors (Article 28). Automatic verification is the default. A self-declaration becomes only a fallback when the tool is not available.
The ESPD as a document is not continued. The Commission writes that the service will reuse modules from e-Certis and the ESPD, so the knowledge from them is carried forward. In Norway, many already know eBevis, a national service that retrieves documentation directly from public registers. The eligibility service builds on the same idea, but across borders.
What does it mean for you as a supplier?
If the proposal is adopted, you no longer have to collect a tax certificate, a company registration certificate and turnover figures again for each competition. Today you often have to register and document your situation in each country and on each portal. With once-only, you have one eligibility profile that you share. This assumes that the national registers are connected to the service, and in the EEA EFTA states this goes through the EEA Agreement. Keep your register details up to date, since they become the evidence. Tools like Cobrief help you spend the time on the tender itself instead.
Frequently asked questions
When does this apply?
Not yet. The proposal is being handled by the European Parliament and the Council. The regulation applies two years after it enters into force (Article 149), realistically 2029 at the earliest. For EEA EFTA states such as Norway, incorporation into the EEA Agreement comes in addition. Until then, you use the ESPD and normal documentation.
Will the ESPD disappear?
Yes, as a document. The eligibility service takes over, and it reuses modules from the ESPD and e-Certis.
Do I still have to meet the qualification requirements?
Yes. What changes is how you document them. The requirements do not go away.
In short: the once-only principle means you document your business once, and contracting authorities across the EU and the EEA fetch the evidence themselves. The proposal makes this the main rule through a common electronic eligibility service.