Public tenders

Public procurement online to stimulate the activity of SMEs in the Brussels Region

Bruxelles-Propreté, the regional agency for cleanliness, has been using the e-Procurement platform to issue public procurement notices online in recent years. Since 1 December 2017, all new procurement notices of over €30,000 excluding VAT have been available exclusively on this platform and we only accept electronic tenders submitted via e-Tendering.

e-Procurement is a platform developed by FPS Policy and Support for the publication and management of public tenders online.

This platform, which can be used free of charge by public buyers and businesses, consists of the following two main modules:

•    e-Notification, for the publication and consultation of public tenders online.
•    e-Tendering, for the submission and opening of electronic tenders/requests to participate.

The online publication and management of public tenders have numerous advantages:

• Administrative simplification
• Environment / sustainable development (paper, transport, etc.)
• Financial savings (paper, transport, etc.)
• Transparency
• Better accessibility for SMEs

To gain access to the various e-Procurement modules, you must register at my.publicprocurement.be.

Several explanatory manuals for the different e-Procurement modules are available online on Bosa Belgium website.

The federal e-Procurement helpdesk provides front-line assistance with the use of e-Procurement and is available every working day from 8.30 to 12.00 and from 13.15 to 16.30.
•    Email: e.proc@publicprocurement.be
•    Telephone: 02 740 80 00

The e-Procurement helpdesk does not provide legal or technical support.

Important information for Bruxelles-Propreté suppliers:
Mandatory use of electronic invoicing

Legislative background

Directive 2014/55/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on electronic invoicing in public procurement requires all contracting authorities to be able to receive and process electronic invoices.
This Directive was transposed into Belgian law by the law of 7 April 2019.
The Circular easy.brussels/2020/e-Inv. of 3 July 2020 provides for the extension of the use of electronic invoicing to the entities of the Brussels-Capital Region.

What is an electronic invoice?

It is an invoice that has been issued, transmitted and received in a structured electronic form in accordance with the European standard, allowing it to be automatically and electronically processed.
Only services invoiced in XML format can be paid for. Other formats (PDF, JPEG, etc.) will not be considered.

This invoice format must comply with European standard EN 16931-1:2017. This standard is especially important for developers of electronic invoicing management tools.

More information: Bosa Belgium website.

In concrete terms

The following provisions will enter into force:

• 1 September 2020: in the context of public contracts of over €30,000 excluding VAT awarded from this date, Bruxelles-Propreté will only accept electronic invoices (i.e. in XML format).
• 1 November 2020: in the context of public contracts of less than €30,000 excluding VAT awarded from this date, Bruxelles-Propreté will only accept electronic invoices (i.e. in XML format).

The electronic invoicing requirement will be included in the specifications for all future public contracts of over €30,000 awarded from 1 September and of any amount awarded from 1 November.

How do I send an electronic invoice in XML format?

In practice, companies will use the European Peppol network via the Mercurius platform to send their electronic invoices. Bruxelles-Propreté will receive their invoices in XML format in accordance with the European standard and will thus be able to check them, enter them into the accounting system and follow up on them.

Explanations and documents relating to electronic invoicing can be found on Easy Brussels website.

What about public contracts of over €30,000 excluding VAT awarded before 1 September 2020 and of less than €30,000 excluding VAT awarded on or after 1 November 2020?

Bruxelles-Propreté asks its suppliers to send all invoices from now on electronically in compliance with the European PEPPOL standards, directly via the MERCURIUS platform. Bruxelles-Propreté is registered under the name ‘ARP-GAN’ in Mercurius.
Any questions?
Contact easy.brussels, the Brussels agency in charge of administrative simplification:
•    by telephone on 02/800.33.55 every working day (from 8.30 to 12.00 and from 13.15 to 16.30) or
•    by email: info-efact@sprb.brussels
You will find additional information on e-invoicing, including the practical arrangements for issuing invoices to government agencies in general on Bosa Belgium website.

More information on public procurement in general: Bosa Belgium website

Information session for companies: Bosa Belgium website

Regional e-procurement circular: link (FR)

In accordance with Article 6 of the joint decree and ordinance of the Brussels-Capital Region, the Joint Community Commission and the French Community Commission of 16 May 2019 on open government in the Brussels institutions an annual inventory is drawn up of all public contracts concluded. This inventory lists the tenderers that have been awarded these contracts and the amounts involved per contract.