Can a foreign company bid on Italian public tenders?

Yes. Companies established in another EU Member State bid on equal terms with Italian operators (Article 65, Legislative Decree 36/2023). Operators from non-EU countries are admitted within the limits of international agreements binding the EU, such as the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (Article 69).

Do I need an Italian VAT number to bid?

As a rule, no: you bid with your home-country registration and prove the requirements with equivalent documents from your own State. Tax obligations may arise after the award, depending on the contract — that part belongs with your tax adviser, with whom we coordinate.

Is the ESPD/DGUE mandatory?

Yes, in procedures above the EU thresholds: the ESPD (DGUE in Italy, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/7) is the EU-wide self-declaration of requirements. Italian e-procurement platforms handle it in digital format, and mistakes in it are a frequent cause of soccorso istruttorio requests.

What digital signature is accepted on Italian platforms?

A qualified electronic signature under the eIDAS Regulation (EU) 910/2014 issued by a trust service provider in any EU country is legally recognised in Italy. The tender documents may require specific formats (typically PAdES or CAdES), so check them before the deadline.

How long does registration on an Italian e-procurement platform take?

Allow several working days before the deadline: platform registration, the certified digital domicile and signature checks each take time, and support desks answer in Italian. Starting the platform steps on the last day is the most common way foreign bidders miss a tender.

Area 01 · Administrative law

Bidding on Italian public tenders

We support foreign companies bidding on public tenders in Italy: eligibility, documents, checks and e-procurement platforms. Out of court, in English and Italian, wherever you are based.

Who it’s for

Who turns to the practice

EU economic operators

Companies and professionals based in another EU Member State that spot a promising tender in Italy but have never bid here: the call is in Italian and the system isn’t the one they know.

Joint bids with Italian partners

EU companies that want to bid together with an Italian operator — in a temporary grouping, a consortium or through reliance (avvalimento) — and need roles, requirements and documents set up properly.

Groups entering the market

EU businesses that want a steady presence in Italian tenders and need to understand requirements, qualifications and obligations before investing time in each single procedure.

Non-EU companies too: operators based in countries that signed the WTO Government Procurement Agreement or bilateral agreements with the EU (for example the UK, the US or Switzerland) are admitted to Italian tenders within the limits of those agreements (Article 69, Legislative Decree 36/2023). We check your specific case first.

Recurring sticking points

Where EU bidders get stuck

The call and the specifications are in Italian and refer to Italian rules: working out whether and how you can bid.
Requirements must be proven with documents from your own country: which ones count, and how to show they are equivalent.
The platform asks for registration, a certified digital domicile and a signature you don’t hold in the required format.
The authority’s checks run through the Virtual File (FVOE): what that means if you are not on the Italian registers.
The deadline won’t move: you need an orderly path, not a scramble in the final hours.

In every one of these cases the output is concrete: a correct and complete tender file, and an e-procurement procedure handled without a hitch, within the deadline.

The services

From eligibility to bid submission

Eligibility and reading the call

Analysis of the call, the specifications and the requirements: whether and on what terms an EU operator can bid, in light of the equal-treatment and market-access principles of the Code. Choosing between a single bid, a grouping or reliance.

Tender documents

Preparing the ESPD — the European Single Procurement Document, the EU-wide self-declaration (DGUE in Italy, Reg. EU 2016/7) — declarations and templates; identifying the equivalent documents from your home country, with the help of e-Certis, and handling translations and legalisation.

Checks and requirements

General and special requirements, and how they are proven with certificates from your own Member State — criminal record, tax and social-security compliance in your country of establishment — within the logic of ANAC’s Virtual File (FVOE — Fascicolo Virtuale dell’Operatore Economico). For works, support on SOA qualification.

Platform and digital signature

Registration on the certified platform and the digital domicile, a qualified electronic signature recognised in Italy under the eIDAS Regulation (Reg. EU 910/2014), and uploading and submitting the bid within the deadline.

Bidding structures and obligations

Temporary groupings (RTI), consortia and reliance (avvalimento) with Italian partners: roles, shares and agreements. For VAT, tax representation and invoicing we point you in the right direction and coordinate with your accountant — tax matters stay with your tax adviser.

Legal references

Legislative Decree 36/2023 (Public Contracts Code) and its amendment Legislative Decree 209/2024; Directive 2014/24/EU; the ESPD/DGUE — Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/7; e-Certis (European Commission); the Virtual File of the Economic Operator (FVOE, ANAC); electronic signatures — Regulation (EU) 910/2014 (eIDAS). Every opinion cites verified sources, up to date as of the delivery date.

How it works

Three steps, remotely

Request

You send us the link to the call — or the tender documents — and tell us where the company is based and what it offers. A few lines are enough to frame the procedure.
Analysis

We check eligibility, requirements and the platform obligations, and agree the scope, timing and fee in writing — in English or Italian.
Delivery

You receive the documents ready to file and a guide to the platform steps. We stay available through submission and the later tender stages.

We work entirely remotely and in English: we can also work alongside your contact in Italy or your grouping partner.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can a foreign company bid on Italian public tenders?: Yes. Companies established in another EU Member State bid on equal terms with Italian operators (Article 65, Legislative Decree 36/2023). Operators from non-EU countries are admitted within the limits of international agreements binding the EU, such as the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (Article 69).
Do I need an Italian VAT number to bid?: As a rule, no: you bid with your home-country registration and prove the requirements with equivalent documents from your own State. Tax obligations may arise after the award, depending on the contract — that part belongs with your tax adviser, with whom we coordinate.
Is the ESPD/DGUE mandatory?: Yes, in procedures above the EU thresholds: the ESPD (DGUE in Italy, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/7) is the EU-wide self-declaration of requirements. Italian e-procurement platforms handle it in digital format, and mistakes in it are a frequent cause of soccorso istruttorio requests.
What digital signature is accepted on Italian platforms?: A qualified electronic signature under the eIDAS Regulation (EU) 910/2014 issued by a trust service provider in any EU country is legally recognised in Italy. The tender documents may require specific formats (typically PAdES or CAdES), so check them before the deadline.
How long does registration on an Italian e-procurement platform take?: Allow several working days before the deadline: platform registration, the certified digital domicile and signature checks each take time, and support desks answer in Italian. Starting the platform steps on the last day is the most common way foreign bidders miss a tender.

Contact

An Italian tender to take on?

Send us the link to the call and where your company is based: we’ll tell you straight away whether you can bid and how we can support you, in English or Italian.

Get in touch

First reply within one business day. The first contact is free and carries no obligation.