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Public Procurement in Spain

Public procurement in Spain is a central component of public expenditure and economic governance, supporting infrastructure development, public services delivery, and market competition across all levels of government. As a high-income European Union member state, Spain’s procurement system is closely aligned with EU public procurement directives and transparency standards.

The Spanish procurement framework is legally robust, highly decentralized, and digitally enabled. Procurement activities are carried out by central, regional, and local authorities, with strong emphasis on competition, value for money, SME participation, and sustainability objectives.

Country & Economic Overview

Public Procurement Institutional Framework

• Public Procurement Authority: Portal Institucional del Ministerio de Hacienda
• Official Website: http://www.hacienda.gob.es/en-GB/Areas%20Tematicas/Contratacion/paginas/default.aspx
• Role: Regulatory oversight, policy guidance, and coordination of public procurement
• Central Purchasing Body: Not centrally consolidated at national level

Legal & Regulatory Framework

Spain’s public procurement system is governed by the Public Procurement Act of 2017, which transposes EU procurement directives into national law.

• Public Procurement Act 2017 (Ley 9/2017)

Procurement Methods & Thresholds

Procurement procedures, thresholds, and disclosure requirements are clearly defined under the Public Procurement Act.

• Tender Thresholds: Article 159 - Public Procurement Act 2017
• Direct Contracting: Article 101 - Public Procurement Act 2017
• Contract Award Disclosure: Articles 102-103, 133-134, 148
• Advertisement Period: Article 134 - Public Procurement Act 2017

Threshold values and procedures are harmonized with EU public procurement rules.

E-Procurement System Status

Spain operates a centralized national eProcurement platform used across the public sector.

• System Name: Plataforma de Contratación del Sector Público
• Website: https://contrataciondelestado.es/wps/portal/plataforma
• Launch Year: 2005
• Key Functions: ePublishing / Notification, eTendering / eQuotation
• Languages Supported: Spanish (Castilian)

Procurement Market Characteristics

• Highly competitive and EU-integrated procurement market
• Strong participation of SMEs encouraged by law
• Decentralized procurement across national, regional, and local authorities
• Extensive use of electronic publication of tenders

Consolidated national statistics on the total number and value of annual tenders are published through periodic analytical reports rather than a single annual dataset.

Transparency, Complaints & Oversight

The Spanish procurement system provides robust oversight and review mechanisms.

• Complaint Resolution: Articles 44 and 47 - Public Procurement Act 2017
• Supervisory Body: Independent Office for the Regulation and Supervision of Procurement (OIReScon)
• Public Disclosure: Mandatory publication through the national procurement platform

Sustainability & Green Public Procurement

Spain has adopted a national strategy to promote green public procurement.

• National Green Public Procurement Plan in force
• Environmental considerations increasingly integrated into award criteria
• Alignment with EU climate and sustainability objectives

Social & Ethical Procurement Provisions

• Legal provisions supporting SME participation
• Gender equality considerations promoted through public procurement guidance
• Social clauses increasingly incorporated in contracts

Practical Considerations for Suppliers

• All public tenders are advertised electronically
• EU procurement rules apply for above-threshold contracts
• Spanish language capability is essential
• Framework agreements are widely used

Public Procurement in Spain is mature, transparent, and highly regulated. For domestic and international suppliers, the Spanish market offers significant opportunities within a well-established legal and digital procurement environment aligned with European Union standards.