Romania Public Procurement Guide

Romania's public procurement market is valued at approximately €25 billion per year (over RON 120 billion), representing roughly 10% of the country's GDP. As one of the largest beneficiaries of EU cohesion and structural funds — receiving over €46 billion for the 2021–2027 programming period — Romania channels billions into infrastructure, transport, environmental, and digitalisation projects through public tenders. The construction sector dominates procurement spending, followed by IT services, healthcare equipment, and transport infrastructure. Romania's rapid economic growth and EU integration obligations continue to expand the procurement pipeline, with major motorway, rail, and urban development programmes generating contract opportunities across every sector.

Romania's procurement legislation transposes EU Directives 2014/24/EU and 2014/25/EU through two primary laws: Legea 98/2016 governing classical public procurement and Legea 99/2016 covering utilities sectors (energy, water, transport, postal services). A third law, Legea 100/2016, governs concessions. The National Agency for Public Procurement (ANAP) provides regulatory oversight, issues interpretive guidance, conducts ex-ante controls on tenders above certain thresholds, and maintains the SEAP electronic platform. Romania also follows GD 395/2016 (implementing norms for Legea 98) which details procedural requirements for open tenders, restricted procedures, competitive dialogue, and negotiated procedures. Contracting authorities must use SEAP for all procurement activities, and ANAP reviews high-value contracts before publication to ensure legal compliance.

SEAP (Sistemul Electronic de Achiziții Publice), also known as SICAP, is Romania's single mandatory electronic procurement platform accessed at e-licitatie.ro. Every contracting authority — from central government ministries to local municipalities and state-owned enterprises — must publish notices and manage the complete procurement process through SEAP. The platform handles contract notices, tender documentation, electronic submissions, evaluation, and award notifications. For low-value purchases, the SEAP Online Catalog allows direct acquisition of goods and services below national thresholds without a formal tender procedure. Registration on SEAP is free and requires a qualified electronic signature. Above EU thresholds, notices are automatically forwarded to TED for cross-border publication.

Romania applies EU thresholds for above-threshold procurement: €140,000 for central government supply and service contracts, €216,000 for sub-central authorities, and €5,382,000 for works contracts. Below these thresholds, national rules apply with simplified procedures. Direct procurement (achiziție directă) is permitted below RON 135,060 for goods and services and RON 450,200 for works — conducted through the SEAP Online Catalog. Between the direct procurement limits and EU thresholds, simplified procedures apply with shorter timescales and lighter documentation requirements. Open tender (licitație deschisă) is the most common procedure, followed by restricted procedures and competitive negotiation. Framework agreements with a maximum four-year duration are widely used for recurring purchases.

Construction and transport infrastructure dominate Romania's procurement pipeline. The country is building over 1,000 km of new motorways and expressways under the 2021–2027 EU funding cycle, alongside major rail modernisation projects connecting Bucharest to regional centres. IT and digitalisation tenders are surging as Romania implements its National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), including e-government platforms, cybersecurity infrastructure, and digital public services. Healthcare procurement expanded significantly post-pandemic, with hospital construction, medical equipment, and health IT systems generating sustained demand. Environmental infrastructure — waste management, water treatment, and flood protection — accounts for billions in EU-funded contracts. The energy sector, including renewable energy and grid modernisation, represents another growing procurement category.

Foreign companies can participate in Romanian public procurement on equal terms with domestic suppliers under EU treaty principles and GPA commitments. However, practical barriers exist. All tender documentation and submissions must be in Romanian unless the contracting authority specifies otherwise — translation of technical proposals is a real cost. Register on SEAP with a qualified electronic signature (either Romanian or EU-recognised). Romania's ex-ante ANAP review process can add 2–4 weeks to procurement timelines, so monitor notices early. Joint ventures and consortia are common strategies for foreign firms entering the market, partnering with local companies who understand SEAP procedures and Romanian regulatory requirements. Payment timescales in Romanian public contracts can extend to 60–90 days, and disputes are adjudicated by the National Council for Solving Complaints (CNSC).

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