Belgium’s Federal eTendering Platform is an open, secure, interoperable and re-configurable eProcurement platform based on open European standards and EC directives, through which contracting authorities and economic operators can perform their daily eProcurement activities. The application was launched in February 2007 and it is operated by Belgium’s Federal Department for Staff and Organisation.

The e-Tendering platform, based on the ePPS Open Source Software technology, offers to contracting authorities a collaborative eProcurement environment for organising their tender-related activities. Those authorities have at their disposal all tools necessary for supporting the management of a tender workspace: visualisation, modification, submission, qualification and opening of a tender.

Moreover, the platform provides tools and services designed for economic operators (tenderers), enabling them to submit requests for participation, as well as to carry out an automated, transparent and safe submission of tenders. Tenderers are indeed offered non-discriminatory solutions on fundamental procurement aspects as well as processes for carrying out procurement activities efficiently, by accelerating the tenders’ preparation and submission procedures.

The ‘PC 2007’ public contract, to which this first electronic opening applied, covers the supply of a maximal quantity of 4000 flat- screened personal computers with keypads equipped with a card reader (eID keypads). The publication of ‘PC 2007’ contract notice was made in March 2007, and was followed by a questions and answers session on 3 April 2007.