Resources
What we're learning about EU procurement
Field notes from helping Central European SMEs win more public contracts. Updated weekly.
- 5 min readPricing
Bid Bonds and Performance Guarantees: A Cost Guide for SMEs
Bid bonds and performance guarantees cost more than most SME suppliers realise. Learn how to source them cheaply and price them correctly before you bid.
Read article → - 7 min readStrategy
Framework agreements vs single contracts: which to bid
Learn how framework agreements, dynamic purchasing systems, and single contract tenders differ, and which deserves your bid hours as a CEE supplier.
Read article → - 7 min readCompliance
ESPD form demystified: a supplier's field guide
What the ESPD form actually is, which sections trip up CEE suppliers, and how to maintain a reusable profile so it stops eating a day per bid.
Read article → - 6 min readDiscovery
CPV codes explained: how to find every tender that fits
A practical guide to the Common Procurement Vocabulary: how the code tree works, how to pick your CPV codes, and why broad vs narrow watching matters.
Read article → - 6 min readDiscovery
The hidden cost of manual tender hunting in 2026
Tracking tenders by hand looks cheap on the procurement budget. The real cost shows up in lost bids you never even saw.
Read article → - 5 min readStrategy
Why your win rate matters more than your bid volume
Submitting more bids feels like working harder. It usually costs you the next win.
Read article → - 7 min readPricing
How AI changes pricing on public tenders
Pricing was the last thing a human had to do. Not anymore — and the suppliers who adapt first will own the market.
Read article → - 6 min readGrants
EU grants vs national tenders: which to chase as an SME
They look similar on the surface. The economics, the timelines, and the chase are completely different.
Read article → - 6 min readStrategy
What buyer DNA tells you before you bid
Every public buyer has a pattern. The team that reads the pattern wins more bids — and walks away from more dead ends.
Read article → - 8 min readStrategy
The 7 reasons SMEs lose tenders (and how to avoid each)
After reviewing 1,000+ losing bids across Central Europe, the same seven failure modes show up over and over.
Read article →