The public procurement platform PEP-Online gives public buyers in Austria AND from the beginning of 2008 also in CROATIA the opportunity to provide interested suppliers electronically with information about tender notices. This tool speeds up and simplifies preparation and publication of tender notices both on national and on EU level (as ojs eSender). All required forms on national and EU level are available. Additional functions like bidder lists, automatic information for bidders, document down- and upload etc. are available. The entered texts and forms are published on the internet as well as printed on paper in the Austrian respectively Croatian Official Journal if required. Public buyers enter the required information about a public procurement procedure into this system and an electronic consistency check ensures that all data are consistent and valid. Furthermore, the user of pep- online defines the date and the media in which the announcement should be published and uploads the tender documents. Interested suppliers can search the database online, visit the buyer's profile or can define automatic search profiles. If the supplier uses search profiles, the supplier receives information automatically night by night. After registration the supplier has the possibility to download tender documents and is automatically registered as a potential bidder and will therefore be informed if there are any changes in the procedure. Restricted procedures can also be handled by PEP-Online. This means that documents can be made available for selected bidders to download.

Policy Context

2004/17/EC and 2004/18/EC

Description of target users and groups

This solution is open to all public buyers in Austria. From January 2008 it is also available in Croatia. Of course, all potential suppliers in the world can use this application. The only preconditions: You must have internet access and you must be registered.

Technology solution

Internet application

Main results, benefits and impacts

Improvement of transparency; facilitation for small public buyers and SME's; centralised procurement information; all federal procurement activities have the same structured information; savings in process work (e. g. copy and dispatch of tender documents); savings in operating costs --> only one application for one country (reduction in fixed costs; savings in installation costs and time)

Return on investment

Return on investment: Not applicable / Not available

Lessons learnt

1. You need a clear concept! 2. Centralisation by law is very helpful. 3. You need a well educated helpdesk that buyers and bidders can use for non-stop support. Scope: International