Council of State
public procurement
The Belgian Council of State is the supreme administrative court that settles disputes over public procurement. This database contains all recent procurement rulings, summarized in plain language — with the core of the case, the legal lesson, and a practical question to ask yourself. For bid managers and procurement officers, not just lawyers.
1099 rulings
A concession bid of 99.8% — and nobody checked whether it was calculated on the same basis as the competitors
The Council of State suspends the award of the parking concession of the city of Ath because the winner calculated its royalty percentage on costs including VAT, while the competitors did so on costs excluding VAT — two incomparable bases for the same award criterion.
OEKO-TEX is not the same as EU-Ecolabel — and the contracting authority is not there to repair your tender
The Council of State dismisses an extreme-urgency suspension brought by a furniture bidder whose tender was rejected because, for fabrics requiring 'EU-Ecolabel or equivalent', it offered only OEKO-TEX Standard 100, ruling that proving equivalence is the bidder's job — not the contracting authority's.
You wrote in your own specifications that a third party must accept joint liability for financial capacity. Arguing on the day of the hearing that your own clause is illegal won't save you
Sibelga selects Illunis for lot 6 on the back of a French company's turnover (Rohl), but Rohl never signed a written acceptance of joint liability — even though Sibelga itself had required that acceptance in its selection dossier.
A signed contract does not protect your award — the contracting authority can still withdraw it up to 60 days later
The Council of State dismisses the extreme-urgency appeal of a contractor whose award was withdrawn after the contracting authority discovered that the engineering office had wrongly scored a bid, and confirms that the classical withdrawal doctrine applies — even when the contract has already been signed.
An ordinal scale with scores to two decimal places: here 'intermediate values allowed' becomes a smokescreen for undisclosed sub-sub-criteria
Zorgbedrijf Antwerpen scores bids for a Menu Management System on an ordinal 50/55/70/85/100% scale with 'intermediate values allowed', but the evaluation report produces scores to the hundredth — which can only be explained by a hidden split into sub-sub-award criteria that appears nowhere in the specifications.
MDD Pharma was allowed to 'clarify' daily delivery into weekly — Multipharma wasn't allowed to fix its 'forbidden variant'. Two weights, equal treatment thrown out
Ixelles' public welfare centre lets one bidder convert daily delivery into weekly after a 'request for clarification', but denies another bidder the chance to fix a similar irregularity — without explaining why the two situations differ.
Below the European threshold the contracting authority MAY allow regularisation of a missing tender form — and the applicant had three days to challenge that, not until the hearing
The Council of State dismisses Brion & Charlot's extreme-urgency suspension against the award of an intensive-care interior contract to Emil Palm, confirming that in a negotiated procedure below the European threshold a contracting authority may allow a substantial irregularity (here: a missing final offer form) to be regularised — and adding a procedural lesson: those finding their competitor's price drop suspicious must request the lifting of confidentiality BEFORE the hearing, not at it.
What the tender documents say is what counts — second thoughts about what you 'meant' come too late
The Council of State suspends the award of a framework contract for temporary staff because CHR Haute Senne disqualified X-CARE Wallonie for an ISO 9001 certificate expiring eight days after bid opening — while the tender documents only required the certificate to be valid 'at the time of bid submission'.
What if the Council of State annuls a Royal Decree six days before your contract award?
The Council of State suspends a re-awarded public contract because the Province of Liège withdrew its first award to Onefield ICT and reassigned it to a competitor after the retroactive annulment of the Royal Decree on accreditation classes, without first inviting the bidder to rely on the capacity of an affiliated group company.
You filed a suspension within 15 days, cleanly motivated — but you forgot to write 'extreme urgency' in the title, so it's inadmissible
The Council of State dismisses Home 88's suspension request against the €100,000 award to Renotec because the title of the petition does not explicitly mention 'extreme urgency' procedure — even though it was filed on time and contained a section 'urgency'.
A missing safety plan is not a selection issue, and an unattached analysis report cannot retroactively explain the decision
The Council of State suspends a demolition contract of €210,520 because the contracting authority declared a bidder 'not selected' due to a missing safety plan (PPSS) — which is not a selection criterion — and because the analysis report explaining why the offer was considered irregular was not included with the notification.
If two of three bidders had to fix their offers, 'a number of offers had irregularities' is not a motivation
The Council of State suspends the award of lot 6 of De Watergroep's framework agreement for grounds maintenance because the award report only mentioned that 'a number of offers' had been regularised, without specifying which bidders, which issues, and what the outcome was — while in fact two of the three bidders had received regularisation requests.
Your award was annulled, but that doesn't entitle you to full lost revenue — the Council of State awards 5% of the offer price, not 73%
Following the annulment of the SEN5 award in judgment 260,900, Pluris claimed €69,506 in damages based on lost revenue; the Council of State recognises only a 50% loss of chance and awards €4,742.50 — 5% of the offer price of €94,850.
Incumbent scores 18/20 on 'creativity', challenger 8/20 — yet no unfair advantage, says Council of State
The Council of State holds that a 10-point gap on 20 for 'creativity and originality' between the incumbent service provider and the challenger is not unlawful, because the tender documents explicitly asked for a moodboard 'based on the current magazine' and the existing publication was publicly available online to all bidders.
When you ask the lowest bidder to justify both total price and three unit prices — and he answers only on the three unit prices
The Council of State suspends an award for 448,857 euros in an open procedure because the authority asked the winner to justify both the total price and three suspect unit prices, the winner justified only those three unit prices, and the authority's decision does not say a word about the missing justification for the total.
Explaining your own scoring formula in the response brief is too late — the award is annulled
The Council of State annuls the concession for three LED information boards in Kontich because the municipality only managed to explain what its own screen-time scoring formula meant during the proceedings — and because the 'Tmax = 16' used in the formula did not match the 15-point maximum score stated in the guidelines.
Applicant loses on urgency — but the State still pays all costs for misleading reference to article 15 of the 17 June 2013 Act
The Council of State rejects an urgent suspension request against a non-selection for a legal-representation contract of the Immigration Office because such contracts fall outside the 17 June 2016 Procurement Act under article 28 and therefore also outside the 17 June 2013 Remedies Act — but orders the State to pay all costs because its notification letter wrongly referred to article 15 of that Act and misled the applicant.
Highest bidder challenges only the irregularity finding on his own bid — and loses on standing
The Council of State dismisses the urgent suspension request of a highest bidder whose offer was found materially irregular, because he challenges only that irregularity finding and says nothing about the award to his competitor — which, in a price-only procedure, means he cannot win the contract in any event.
You let the framework agreement pass at the time — you can't later hijack a joining decision to kill the whole agreement
The Council of State recognises that a municipality's decision to join an existing framework agreement of a purchasing body is separately reviewable by a competitor — but dismisses the request because the competitor let the original framework agreement go uncontested, and the principle of legal certainty bars incidental challenge.
'Our subcontractor has nearly 60 years of experience' does not justify a paint output of 135 m²/day
The Council of State rejects COMABAT's suspension request because the social housing company Sambre et Biesme rightly found the offered paint prices abnormally low: the subcontractor's claimed output of 135 m²/day was more than double what both an internal technical manager and an independent architect considered realistic.
'Those guardrail end-pieces are already in our stock' — accepted as a price justification
The Council of State rejects the suspension request from the second-ranked bidder because Fluvius was entitled to accept that a low unit price for steel guardrail end-pieces was explained by the fact that the winning bidder already had them in stock, fully depreciated.
Bidder's experience as an award criterion: the Flemish Mobility department trips over the selection/award distinction
The Council of State suspends the award of a framework agreement for project preparation along waterways because the second award criterion effectively assessed the bidder's experience — a classic selection criterion — rather than the intrinsic value of the offer.
De Havilland knew about the award in early January but waited a month too long — UDN claim time-barred
The Council of State rejects De Havilland's suspension request against the 'Green Aircraft' defence contract awarded to the Sabena/Sonaca consortium, because De Havilland had sufficient knowledge of the award decision by 6 January 2026 but only filed on 5 February — too late.
bPost withdraws its non-selection decision just before the hearing — and foots the bill
When Italian company Logistica Paggiola launched an emergency suspension procedure against its non-selection by bPost, bPost withdrew the decision two days before the hearing — rendering the case moot, but leaving bPost to pay all procedural costs.
After the Excel formula suspension, BEP withdraws the award entirely — TEGEC wins without a fight
A year after the Council of State suspended the award to Geciroute over improper Excel error corrections (ruling 262.442), this follow-up ruling confirms BEP has definitively withdrawn the award — TEGEC recovers €1,218 in procedural costs.
Infrabel declares offer irregular, withdraws that decision as soon as the Council of State calls — and the bill stays open
Infrabel declared French company ENVU's offer irregular for a railway weed control contract, then withdrew that decision before the Council of State hearing — making the suspension claim moot, but with costs reserved pending the ongoing annulment proceedings.
Cybersecurity firm loses Council of State appeal over one missed deadline — without the case ever being examined on its merits
A non-selected cybersecurity company loses its appeal against VLAIO because it failed to file a reply brief within the statutory 60-day period — the Council of State finds lack of interest without examining the substance of the case.
Diapers with 10 ml less absorption: Council of State suspends exclusion because CPAS failed to distinguish a technical specification from a 'minimum requirement'
The Council of State suspends the exclusion of Essity Belgium from a public contract for incontinence supplies, because the CPAS of Forest automatically treated minor absorption capacity deviations (240 ml instead of 250 ml, 3,400 ml instead of 3,500 ml) as substantive irregularities — without demonstrating these were genuine 'minimum requirements' and despite having tested and scored Essity's products higher than the competition.
Solar panels on 72 social housing units: Council of State suspends award because contracting authority blindly accepted a 7-day execution deadline
The Council of State suspends the award of a REPOWER EU contract for solar panels on 72 social housing units in Grâce-Hollogne, because the contracting authority accepted a 7-working-day execution deadline without verifying whether that deadline was realistic for the full scope of work — not just panel installation, but also wiring, inspections, safety lines, and as-built documentation.
Didn't reach the minimum score? Then your tender isn't 'irregular' — it's just not good enough, and that's a different story
The Council of State rejects the claim of a training company against NMBS, because the company scored below the required 70% on both quality sub-criteria and then incorrectly argued that this constituted an irregularity assessment — when it was in fact a substantive evaluation against the award criteria.
Sand bed not in the price? Then your HVAC bid is irregular — even if you think earthworks aren't your lot
The Council of State rejects the annulment appeal of an HVAC contractor whose bid was excluded because it did not include the sand bed for underground PEHD pipes in its prices — even though the contractor claimed that service belonged to the structural works lot.
Ten new waste trucks for nearly the same price as three new and seven old ones — still not an abnormally low price?
The Council of State rejects the claim of the incumbent waste collector that the winning tenderer cannot possibly offer a comparable total price with ten new trucks when the claimant used only three new and seven depreciated ones, because the total price exceeded the estimate, deviated less than 15% from the average, and truck costs were not a visible line item.
STIB reserves a 60,000-case debt collection contract for bailiffs — but forgets to prove why collection agencies couldn't do it
The Council of State suspends STIB's decision not to select a debt collection company for a framework agreement on debt recovery, because STIB exclusively reserved the market for bailiff offices without adequately justifying why this restriction of competition was warranted.
A director who excludes a tender from a European Design & Build contract — but the delegation decree only covers routine management
The Council of State suspends a decision by a City of Ghent director to exclude a tender from a Design & Build procedure for a warehouse, because the delegation decree only delegates authority for routine management and contracts under €30,000 — while this contract exceeds European thresholds.
A scoring scale from 'weak' to 'excellent' without further explanation — prima facie transparent enough
The Council of State rejects the suspension request of a postal services company challenging the award of a framework agreement, ruling that a qualitative evaluation method with an ordinal scale (weak/moderate/good/very good/excellent) is sufficiently transparent when the specifications contain evaluation elements and technical provisions that define the framework.
Wrong account on e-Procurement? If the entire application makes clear who the candidate is, the authority cannot remain blind
The Council of State suspends the non-selection of a candidate who uploaded its participation request through the e-Procurement account of a sister company, because the entirety of the submitted documents and the provided clarification unambiguously showed who the actual candidate was.
Use your own argument to torpedo the contract — then complain it won't be relaunched
The Council of State rejects Pluxee's claim against Charleroi's decision to renounce an electronic meal voucher contract, because the decisive motive — the irregular tender specifications — was precisely the argument Pluxee itself had raised in an earlier appeal.
Classified information about your shareholder? Defence doesn't have to explain what exactly is going on
The Council of State rules that Defence may exclude a company from a European defence project based on classified intelligence about its sole shareholder, even though the precise content of that information cannot be disclosed.
Defence may exclude a company based on classified intelligence — without revealing what it is
The Council of State rejects the claim of a defence company excluded from a DEFRA research consortium based on classified military intelligence about the integrity of its sole shareholder — even though that information cannot be disclosed.
Fail to correct the same errors through three offer rounds? The authority doesn't have to give you a fourth chance
The Council of State rejects the claim by Sopra Steria and IDEMIA against their exclusion from an €80 million contract for a biometric identification system for the police, because they kept repeating the same irregularities after three offer rounds and repeated regularization requests.
One failed price justification is enough — everything else becomes irrelevant
The Council of State rejects a contractor's claim after its tender was declared irregular due to abnormally low unit prices — because the price justification for two undisputedly non-negligible items was already insufficient on its own, all other challenges became moot.
Council of State rejects annulment appeal against 20-year defence partnership with FN Herstal – Article 346 TFEU validly invoked
The Council of State rejected Heckler & Koch's annulment appeal against the 20-year strategic partnership between Defence and FN Herstal for light weapons systems, finding that the minister lawfully invoked Article 346 TFEU and that H&K moreover failed to demonstrate it could perform all five components of the contract.
Five arguments, zero hits: why a losing towing company runs into the limits of its own case
The Council of State rejects all five grounds raised by a towing company challenging the award of a towing contract to its competitor — from a missing enterprise number to alleged environmental violations and a disputed price investigation.
CPAS Tournai withdraws award decision after challenge – suspension proceedings rendered moot
The suspension request was rejected because the CPAS withdrew the contested award decision before the hearing, meaning Damovo was no longer adversely affected. Damovo was nonetheless awarded costs.
Vlaamse regering verklaarde offerte personeelvervoer onregelmatig zonder volledige prijsanalyse
Schorsing was gerechtvaardigd: de regering verklaarde een offerte abnormaal hoog zonder te onderzoeken of het verschil met concurrenten werkelijk ongegrond was.
Kerkfabriek verzuimde abnormaal lage eenheidsprijs te onderzoeken bij dakreparatie
De Raad vernietigde de gunning: hoewel de kerkfabriek in het initiële rapport een eenheidsprijs als abnormaal laag had aangemerkt, onderzocht zij deze niet opnieuw bij de herziene gunningsbeslissing.
Minister Defensie sloot de Havilland uit van defensieaanbesteding zonder objectieve selectiecriteria
Schorsing omdat de minister de kandidatuur van De Havilland weigerde zonder helder criteria of objectieve gronden, in strijd met gelijkheid.
Commune vierde barrières-offerte af zonder motivering waarom technische afwijkingen essentieel waren
Schorsing: de gemeente verklaarde een offerte substantieel onregelmatig zonder helder te motiveren dat de technische afwijkingen (niet-monobloc, kleiner) inderdaad onoverkomelijk waren voor het marchéobject.
Agence du Numérique evalueerde cybersecurity-services zonder transparante gunningsmethodologie
Schorsing was gerechtvaardigd omdat de methode voor evaluatie van de cyberincident-responders ondoorzichtig was en verschillende inschrijvers niet gelijk werden behandeld.
Gemeente Zwevegem handelde correct bij aanvaarding prijsverantwoording parkbegraafplaats
De Raad wees het beroep af: de prijs van de gekozen inschrijver lag slechts 15% onder gemiddelde, een legitieme prijsverantwoording was gegeven, en verzoekende partij kon niet aantonen waarom haar offerte meer voordeel zou mogen hebben.
Application for suspension under extreme urgency inadmissible after withdrawal of OSIRIS platform award decision – retroactive effect of withdrawal removes lésion, admissibility condition under Article 14 of the 2013 Act no longer met
The Council of State rejected as inadmissible the application for suspension under extreme urgency by SRL GATE-16 against the award of a service contract for the OSIRIS platform by the Brussels-Capital Region to SRL AMA European Consulting, because the Region had withdrawn the award decision on 15 December 2025 with retroactive effect, meaning the applicant was no longer harmed or at risk of being harmed within the meaning of Article 14 of the Act of 17 June 2013, and consequently one of the two admissibility conditions was no longer met.
Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg schreef liftrenovatie uit zonder degelijk onderzoek selectiecriteria
De voorzitter verleende schorsing omdat het ziekenhuis geen gedegen onderzoek had gedaan naar de geschiktheid van deelnemers en de kwaliteit van hun offertes voor dit technisch complexe project.
Retractatie van eerste gunning voor elektrische bussen zonder juridische grondslag
De voorzitter gelastte schorsing omdat de OTW zonder rechtmatige grondslag de eerste gunningsbeslissing introk en vervolgens een andere kandidaat aanwees, in strijd met het beginsel van rechtzekerheid en non-arbitrariteit.
Stad Brussel schendt zorgvuldigheidsbeginsel bij prijs- en kostenonderzoek voor asfalteringswerken
De Raad vernietigde de gunningsbeslissing omdat de stad ten onrechte geen zorgvuldig prijsonderzoek uitvoerde: zij verhoogde het wettelijk afwijkingspercentage van 15% naar 25%, waardoor geen prijsbevraging bij de gekozen inschrijver plaatsvond.
Stad Verviers trok voiriemarkt in - verzoekschrift om schorsing verliest voorwerp
Verzoek verworpen: het werk werd aan SA Roberty gegund, maar Verviers trok deze gunning in alvorens uitspraak viel, waardoor Baguette geen schadeclaim meer had.
Annulment appeal for renovation of 201 social dwellings moot after withdrawal of award decision and abandonment of contract — withdrawal as substitute for annulment — procedural indemnity of €770 charged to respondent
The Council of State found that NV Lixon's annulment appeal against the award decision of 28 March 2024 by the Immobilière Sociale Entre Sambre et Haine for lot 1 of the energy renovation of 201 social dwellings had become moot following the respondent's withdrawal of the decision and abandonment of the contract on 29 October 2024, with the withdrawal treated as a substitute for annulment and the respondent ordered to bear costs including a €770 procedural indemnity.
Combined urgent suspension request and annulment appeal for renovation of 201 social dwellings moot after withdrawal and abandonment — Article 30 §5 — sister case of ruling 265.446 — costs charged to respondent
The Council of State found that both NV CBD's urgent suspension request and annulment appeal against the award decision of 28 March 2024 for lot 1 of the energy renovation of 201 social dwellings had become moot following the respondent's withdrawal and contract abandonment on 29 October 2024, deciding both claims in a single ruling under Article 30 §5 and ordering the respondent to bear costs as the losing party.
Annulment appeal for cleaning services Bruxelles Prévention et Sécurité moot after withdrawal of exclusion and award decision — earlier suspension rejected — costs to respondent
The Council of State found that NV Group Cleaning & Services' annulment appeal against the decision to exclude its offer and award cleaning services contract MP 23-037 to NV Köse Cleaning had become moot following the respondent's withdrawal on 25 April 2025, treating the withdrawal as a substitute for annulment and ordering the respondent to bear costs including a €770 procedural indemnity.
Annulment appeal against first award decision for dispatching radio Bruxelles Mobilité moot after withdrawal — related to ruling 265.432 — costs to respondent
The Council of State found that BV Sophia Group's annulment appeal against the first award decision for the 24/7 radio dispatching operation for Bruxelles Mobilité had become moot following the respondent's withdrawal on 3 June 2025, treating the withdrawal as a substitute for annulment and ordering the respondent to bear costs including a €770 procedural indemnity.
Urgent suspension request for social housing relocation services in Liège inadmissible after retroactive withdrawal of award decision — contract already concluded and partly executed but injury not attributable to withdrawn decision — no standstill
The Council of State rejected BV Vincent Mil's urgent suspension request against the award of a relocation services contract by BV La Maison Liégeoise to NV SAMO-B as inadmissible, because the retroactive withdrawal of the award decision meant the alleged injury did not stem from the withdrawn decision but from the contract conclusion itself, which no longer rested on any award decision.
Annulment appeal for GCSF growth factor framework agreement Vivalia moot after withdrawal — earlier suspension ordered — costs to respondent
The Council of State found that BV Accord Healthcare's annulment appeal against the award of lot 1 of a framework agreement for GCSF growth factors for Vivalia's hospital pharmacies (awarded to NV Teva Pharma Belgium) had become moot following Vivalia's withdrawal on 28 July 2025 — thirteen days after the suspension ruling — with costs to the respondent as losing party.
Urgent suspension request for framework agreement semi-paved roads City of Antwerp rejected — concise motivation of price justification adequate given confidentiality — motives for the motives not required
The Council of State rejected BV M.V.'s urgent suspension request against the City of Antwerp's award of a framework agreement for semi-paved roads and grass gravel, ruling that the formal motivation of the price justification acceptance — based on three elements assessed jointly (realistic cost estimates, large volumes and extensive machinery, and problem-free execution of previous contract) — was adequate, and that requesting more detailed figures amounted to seeking 'motives for the motives', which the formal motivation obligation does not guarantee, particularly given the confidential nature of the data.
Urgent suspension of framework agreement for archaeological research Infrabel — quality criterion neutralized by identical scores for all tenderers without concrete assessment of strengths and weaknesses — post factum motivation not accepted
The Council of State suspended Infrabel's award of a framework agreement for archaeological research and excavations in Flanders because the contracting authority had effectively neutralized the quality criterion (50 points) by awarding all five tenderers identical scores of 0.5 on all sub-criteria with the sole motivation that the answer met the specifications, without any assessment of strengths and weaknesses, meaning no concrete evaluation was apparent and the quality assessment was insufficiently motivated and lacking in due care.
Urgent suspension request for Kloosterbeemden development works rejected for non-appearance of applicant — Article 11(3) Royal Decree 19 November 2024 applied
The Council of State rejected NV W.'s urgent suspension request against the award of development works at Kloosterbeemden by the Agency for Nature and Forests, after the applicant notified the evening before the hearing that it would not appear and no longer insisted on the appeal, applying Article 11(3) of the Royal Decree of 19 November 2024.
Urgent suspension request for 24/7 radio dispatching operation for Bruxelles Mobilité rejected — third award decision after previously suspended second decision — material error dash/0 euro in Excel inventory — Phase OUT post negligible — no competitive advantage for incumbent operator
The Council of State rejected Sophia Group's urgent suspension request against the Brussels-Capital Region's third award decision for the 24/7 radio dispatching operation for Bruxelles Mobilité (awarded to Lombardi Belgium for €2,013,950.18), ruling that qualifying the dash in Lombardi's Excel inventory as a material error was not manifestly unreasonable, that the Phase OUT post was rightly considered negligible, that the methodology evaluation was adequately motivated, and that Sophia Group failed to demonstrate concrete injury from the alleged competitive advantage of the incumbent operator.
Urgent suspension request for anti-intrusion barriers Brussels police zone inadmissible after withdrawal — retroactive effect removes injury — hypothetical annulment of withdrawal irrelevant — costs charged to respondent
The Council of State declared Pitagone's urgent suspension request against the Brussels-Capital-Ixelles police zone's award of mobile anti-intrusion barriers (EU Fortress Light project) inadmissible after withdrawal, ruling that withdrawal operates retroactively so the alleged violations neither injured nor risked injuring the applicant, regardless of the hypothetical scenario that the withdrawal itself might later be annulled.
Urgent suspension request for Defence image uniforms framework agreement rejected — exclusive competence of DLD laboratory for technical evaluation — Article 55 not applicable — dimension tolerance does not apply to fabric mass — new plea raised too late
The Council of State rejected the urgent suspension request by the Logistik Unicorp/Van Moer consortium against the declaration of substantial irregularity of their offer for the Defence image uniforms framework agreement (competitive dialogue, max 12 years), ruling that the Defence DLD laboratory had exclusive competence for technical evaluation per the specifications, Article 55 of the 2016 Act did not apply, and a new plea about price verification was inadmissible as it was raised on the morning of the hearing.
Urgent suspension request for asbestos removal social housing Obourg rejected for non-payment of court fee after withdrawal — procedural indemnity still charged to respondent — no excessive formalism
The Council of State rejected BAV's urgent suspension request against the non-selection for asbestos removal works (social housing Obourg) for non-payment of the court fee, but still awarded the €770 procedural indemnity against the respondent Toit & Moi, ruling it would be excessive formalism to require payment when the contested decision had already been withdrawn.
Lifting of urgent suspension and rejection of annulment appeal for VDAB signage and exhibition materials framework agreement after withdrawal of award decision — costs charged to respondent
The Council of State lifted the urgent suspension ordered by judgment 263.915 of 8 July 2025 and rejected NV V.'s annulment appeal against VDAB's award of the signage and exhibition materials framework agreement as moot, after VDAB withdrew the contested decision on 27 August 2025, with costs charged to the respondent.
Lifting of urgent suspension and rejection of annulment appeal for Antwerp Fire Brigade measuring equipment framework agreement after withdrawal of award decision — costs charged to respondent
The Council of State lifted the urgent suspension ordered by judgment 262.713 of 21 March 2025 and rejected BV H.'s annulment appeal against the award of the measuring equipment framework agreement by Antwerp Fire Brigade as moot, after the respondent withdrew the contested decision on 22 April 2025, with costs charged to the respondent.
Discontinuance by applicant of annulment appeal and damages claim against non-award of prepared meals supply for Internaat de Nachtvlinder — court fees for damages claim refunded
The Council of State granted notice of discontinuance by NV D. of the annulment appeal and damages claim against the non-award of the prepared meals supply contract for Internaat de Nachtvlinder of Scholengroep Wijs, with costs of the annulment appeal charged to the applicant and court fees for the damages claim refunded.
Lifting of urgent suspension and rejection of annulment appeal for lot 3 (operations) of specialized ICT services FOD Chancellery after withdrawal — intervening party charged with intervention costs
The Council of State lifted the urgent suspension ordered by judgment 264.038 of 1 September 2025 and rejected BV A.'s annulment appeal against the award of lot 3 (operations) of the specialized ICT services contract by the FOD Chancellery as moot, after the respondent withdrew the contested decision on 29 September 2025, with costs charged to the respondent and the intervening party NV I. charged with its own intervention costs.
Urgent suspension request for modular special education school Woudlucht Heverlee moot after withdrawal of award decision the day after filing — implicit refusal also moot — costs charged to respondent
The Council of State rejected NV D.'s urgent suspension request against the award of the construction works for modular special education school Woudlucht in Heverlee by GO! Education as moot, after GO! withdrew the contested decision on 16 December 2025 — just one day after the request was filed on 15 December 2025 — with costs charged to the respondent.
Urgent suspension request and annulment appeal for IOK soil surveys framework agreement 2026 moot after withdrawal two days after filing — Article 30 §5 applied — continuation of proceedings not possible
The Council of State rejected both the urgent suspension request and annulment appeal by NV R. against IOK's award of the soil surveys framework agreement 2026 as moot, after IOK withdrew the contested decision just two days after the single application was filed, with Article 30 §5 preventing continuation of proceedings.
Withdrawal of urgent suspension request for container rental and transport at Limburg.net recycling parks after intervention request by successful tenderer — costs charged to applicant
The Council of State granted withdrawal of BV G.'s urgent suspension request against Limburg.net's award of the container rental and transport contract (lots 1, 4, 10 and 11) to NV B., after the applicant withdrew ten days after filing, with NV B.'s intervention request granted and costs of the suspension request charged to the applicant.
Urgent suspension request for frozen food supply 2026 OCMW Torhout moot after withdrawal of award decision — costs charged to respondent
The Council of State rejected NV S.'s urgent suspension request against the award by OCMW Torhout of the frozen food supply contract 2026 as moot, after the OCMW withdrew the award decision thirteen days after the application was filed, with costs charged to the respondent.
Urgent suspension request for bicycle leasing framework agreement for City and OCMW Halle staff moot after withdrawal — costs charged to respondent
The Council of State rejected BV O.'s urgent suspension request against the City of Halle's award of a bicycle leasing framework agreement as moot, after the city withdrew the award decision just three days after the application was filed, with costs charged to the respondent.
Urgent suspension request for general food supply 2026 OCMW Torhout moot after withdrawal of award decision — costs charged to respondent
The Council of State rejected NV S.'s urgent suspension request against the award by OCMW Torhout of the general food supply contract 2026 as moot, after the OCMW withdrew the award decision thirteen days after the application was filed, with costs charged to the respondent.
Urgent suspension request for dessert cookies and confectionery supply 2026 OCMW Torhout moot after withdrawal — third case same parties — costs charged to respondent
The Council of State rejected NV S.'s urgent suspension request against the award by OCMW Torhout of the dessert cookies and confectionery supply contract 2026 as moot, after the OCMW withdrew the award decision, in the third case between the same parties alongside rulings 265.400 (frozen food) and 265.402 (general food).
Suspension of award for control bureau Parking Loodswezen Antwerp: inconsistent application of technical competence selection criterion — applicant not selected for lacking insurance certificates while chosen tenderer also could not prove insurance was actually concluded for one reference
The Council of State suspended the award of the control bureau contract for Parking Loodswezen in Antwerp, finding the contracting authority inconsistently applied the technical competence selection criterion by not selecting the applicant for lacking proof of concluded ten-year liability insurance for reference projects, while the chosen tenderer also could not prove insurance was actually concluded for one of its two references as works were still ongoing.
Urgent suspension request for Leuven electrical works framework agreement moot after withdrawal of award decision — implicit refusal to award to applicant also moot — costs charged to respondent
The Council of State rejected NV E.'s urgent suspension request against the award of the electrical works framework agreement by the City of Leuven as moot, after the city withdrew the award decision, specifying that the withdrawal rendered the entire claim moot, including the request to suspend the implicit decision not to award to the applicant, with costs charged to the respondent.
Suspension of Ieper municipal cleaning services contract 2026-2031: stereotypical boilerplate that price justification is detailed and based on ABSU-UGBN wages insufficient as reasoning for accepting abnormally low price — additional grounds in observations brief cannot remedy lack of formal motivation — general price investigation for second-ranked tenderer for lot 6 also inadequate
The Council of State suspended the award of lots 4, 5 and 6 of the cleaning contract for Ieper's municipal services and local police 2026-2031 to NV K., because the reasoning for accepting the price justification — where total prices were 22 to 27% below average — consisted of identical boilerplate for all lots stating the justification was detailed and based on ABSU-UGBN wages, which is prima facie insufficient as formal motivation in a fraud-sensitive sector with complex pricing, while the general price investigation for the second-ranked tenderer for lot 6 was also inadequate.
Urgent suspension request and annulment appeal against non-selection for VITO passenger transport framework agreement 2025-2029 moot after withdrawal — annulment appeal shares same fate as UDN request under Article 30 §5
The Council of State rejected both the urgent suspension request and the annulment appeal by BV C. and BV V. against VITO's decision to declare their offer irregular for the passenger transport framework agreement 2025-2029, after VITO withdrew the contested decision, with the annulment appeal — filed in the same application — sharing the same fate as the moot suspension request under Article 30 §5 of the coordinated laws.
Urgent suspension request for Zwalm newsletter framework agreement moot after withdrawal of award decision — costs charged to respondent
The Council of State rejected BV D.'s urgent suspension request against the award of the framework agreement for layout, printing and distribution of the Zwalm newsletter as moot, after the Municipality of Zwalm withdrew the contested award decision, with costs charged to the respondent including a procedural indemnity of €770.
Urgent suspension request for Walloon cybersecurity framework agreement inadmissible after retroactive withdrawal of award decision — alleged violations did not harm applicants
The Council of State rejected the urgent suspension request by PROXIMUS against the award of a 24/7 cybersecurity incident response framework agreement for the Walloon territory, finding the request inadmissible after the Agence du Numérique retroactively withdrew the contested award decision, meaning the alleged violations did not harm or risk harming the applicants.
Annulment of Blankenberge evening market concession award: rank-order point allocation with fixed linear deduction steps is unlawful as it amplifies small quality differences and does not assess intrinsic offer value — damages claim rejected for insufficient substantiation
The Council of State annulled the award of the concession for nine evening markets in Blankenberge because the assessment method — rank-order point allocation with fixed linear deduction steps per criterion — reduced assessment to a rudimentary scale that amplified small quality differences, could flatten large ones, and assessed only whether an offer was better rather than how much better, while the damages claim was rejected for insufficient substantiation.
20 points for 2% of the contract value: how a skewed scoring system and exclusive negotiations sank a €6 million vaccination security contract
The Council of State annuls the award of all nine lots of a security contract for Walloon vaccination centres to Securitas, because the Walloon health agency negotiated exclusively with Securitas and used an absurdly disproportionate scoring system where a €10,000 post carried half the weight of a €6 million post.
Damages after annulment of Ghent police intervention bags award: loss of chance estimated at 50% with two realistic tenderers — lost profit of €9,960 reduced to €4,980 due to uncertainty about hypothetical price investigation outcome
The Council of State awarded BV D. damages of €4,980 following the earlier annulment of the award for police intervention bags in Ghent, finding the loss of chance to obtain the contract constituted compensable damage, the chance was estimated at 50% given two realistic tenderers with comparable scores, and the lost profit of €9,960 was sufficiently demonstrated through supplier price confirmations.
Rejection of suspension request for Overijse bus transport framework agreement: handwritten conditions on inventory regarding prices and capacity constitute substantial irregularity — possibility of clarification is not an obligation and no unequal treatment demonstrated
The Council of State rejected the urgent suspension request by BV B. against the substantial irregularity finding for the multilateral bus transport framework agreement of the Municipality of Overijse, finding the contracting authority stayed within its assessment margin by qualifying handwritten remarks on the inventory — conditions on prices, deviating capacity and restricted departure/arrival times — as substantial irregularity making comparison with other offers impossible.
Annulment of award decision for Walloon Region orthophotos: term 'réservé' in flight schedule was weather reserve period not exclusion of flights — irregularity finding based on inexact motive and contracting authority should have requested clarification
The Council of State annulled the award of a digital colour orthophoto contract (0.25 m resolution, summer period) to the Association Momentanée Aerodata France/IMAO, finding that the irregularity declaration of SA HANSA LUFTBILD's offer rested on an inexact motive — the term 'réservé' in the flight schedule was a weather reserve period not an exclusion of flights, while the technical methodology note expressly stated flights would take place between 15 June and 15 September 2021 — and the contracting authority should have requested clarification under Article 66(3) of the Public Procurement Act.
Rejection of annulment action for NATO residence kitchen renovation: mandatory site visit is minimum requirement whose non-compliance constitutes substantial irregularity — availability of plans and photos insufficient to demonstrate manifest error of assessment
The Council of State rejected the annulment action by SRL MASTER 33 against its exclusion for non-participation in the mandatory site visit for the renovation of the Belgian NATO residence kitchen, finding that the specifications clearly and repeatedly prescribed the mandatory and prior nature of the visit, the contracting authority committed no manifest error in qualifying non-compliance as a substantial irregularity, and the mere availability of plans and photos did not demonstrate that the site visit lacked essential character.
Suspension of award for FOD VVVL archiving and digitisation framework agreement: systematic inconsistency between verbal assessment ('detailed') and awarded score 'good' ('little detail') violates own assessment methodology — re-evaluation after withdrawal request cannot remedy deficient reasoning
The Council of State suspended the award decision for a framework agreement for archiving and digitising paper files (FOD VVVL as central purchasing body, 10-year term), because in 27 of 31 quality criteria the contracting authority described the applicant's offer as 'detailed' yet systematically awarded only the score 'good' (10/20 = 'little detail') instead of 'very good' (15/20 = 'sufficient detail'), and a 're-evaluation' provided after the withdrawal request could not remedy the deficient reasoning — particularly as the contracting authority itself acknowledged that same evening having 'overlooked important issues'.
Suspension of ANPR framework agreement selection guide by CIPAL: requiring cloud hosting for all 10 references is disproportionate when only one market player has such experience — acting as central purchasing body for federal and regional authorities exceeds statutory powers of intermunicipal association
The Council of State suspended CIPAL's decision to launch an ANPR enforcement framework agreement (estimated at €220 million) because the selection criteria were disproportionate — cloud hosting was required for all 10 references while it was only a sub-element of the contract and only one market player (the incumbent) had such experience — and because CIPAL as an intermunicipal service association failed to demonstrate that acting as central purchasing body for federal, regional and other non-municipal entities fell within objectives of municipal interest.
Rejection of suspension application for INFRABEL railway crane framework agreement: reliance on third-party capacity must be explicitly stated in ESPD and tender form — mere submission of subcontractor certificates is insufficient
The Council of State rejected the suspension application by NV R. against its non-selection for an INFRABEL framework agreement for hydraulic railway cranes, because NV R. had explicitly stated in its offer that it did not rely on third-party capacity, had not submitted any commitment declarations or ESPDs for subcontractors, and only three of the required four crane operators were own employees — the mere inclusion of six operator certificates being insufficient proof of reliance on subcontractor capacity.
Annulment of Royal Decree modifying maximum amounts for contractor recognition classes: 20% increase does not restore proportionality when construction costs have risen by factor 2.5 and staffing requirements remain unchanged
The Council of State annulled the Royal Decree of 14 April 2024 which raised the maximum contract amounts per contractor recognition class by 20%, as this increase failed to restore proportionality between the new maximum amounts and unchanged staffing requirements — while construction costs had risen by factor 2.5 since 1991 (ABEX index) and the dredging sector had become more capital-intensive and less labour-intensive.
Rejection of suspension application after withdrawal of award decision for container logistics and waste processing — withdrawal not yet definitive due to incomplete notification, but retroactive effect removes harm condition under article 14 of the Act of 17 June 2013
The Council of State rejected the suspension application by SA COGETRINA LOGISTICS against IPALLE's award of lot 4 of a service contract for container rental, transport and waste processing at recycling parks in Western Hainaut (2026-2029), because IPALLE's retroactive withdrawal of the award decision eliminated the harm condition under article 14 of the Act of 17 June 2013, even though the withdrawal was not yet definitive due to incomplete notification without mention of appeal forms and deadlines.
Annulment of award decision for Neeroeteren childcare facility: internal contradiction in evaluation — own workforce used as positive element for chosen tenderer despite announced removal — unequal treatment of tenderers
The Council of State annulled the award decision by the City of Maaseik for the construction of a childcare facility in Neeroeteren, because the evaluation report was internally contradictory — it announced that plus and minus points based on in-house work were removed, but still used this element as a positive factor in evaluating the chosen tenderer's planning — and because tenderers were treated unequally, as the applicant with the largest share of in-house work was not credited with this advantage.
Suspension of award decision for digital participation platform: contracting authority may not leave it to tenderers to draw up their own price list — reference cases do not provide a uniform comparison basis when price structures differ fundamentally
The Council of State suspended the award decision by CIPAL (C-SMART) for a framework agreement for a digital citizen participation platform, because the tender documents did not include an inventory and left it to tenderers to draw up their own price catalogue, resulting in no uniform comparison basis for assessing the most heavily weighted price subcriterion (30 of 40 price points), despite the use of five reference cases.
Rejection of suspension application for procurement of portable X-ray systems for Defence: retroactive withdrawal of award decision eliminates harm condition
The Council of State rejected the suspension application by Israeli company VIDISCO LTD against the award decision by the Minister of Defence for portable X-ray systems, because the retroactive withdrawal of the award decision eliminated the harm condition under article 14 of the Act of 17 June 2013.
Suspension of award for interactive screens framework agreement by FOREM: mere compilation of price data without comparative analysis does not constitute concrete and effective price verification — document drawn up in tempore suspecto cannot remedy deficient investigation
The Council of State suspended FOREM's award decision for a framework agreement for interactive screens and accessories (two lots), because FOREM failed to conduct a concrete and effective price verification: the price tables merely compiled bid data without comparative analysis and contained calculation errors, the market price document was likely drawn up after the filing of the appeal, and the argument that market prices also show large variations did not justify the absence of investigation — while the successful tenderer offered prices at approximately 60% of the average of regular offers.
Rejection of suspension application: tender for motorway incident management declared substantially irregular after price investigation — 15% discount on maximum price insufficiently justified — no price investigation required for chosen tenderer at maximum price without discount
The Council of State rejected the suspension application by BV G. against the award decision of the Flemish Region (Roads and Traffic Agency) for lot 5 'E313 East' of the F.A.S.T. project (motorway incident management in Antwerp province), because the contracting authority correctly found the tender offering a 15% discount on the maximum price to be substantially irregular after two rounds of price justification, and no abnormal pricing investigation was required for the chosen tenderer who offered no discount on the established maximum price.
Rejection of suspension application: capacity criterion for VDAB outplacement framework correctly applied — references on annual basis not cumulative across years — no interest in ground on award evaluation when preferred lot already awarded
The Council of State rejected the suspension application by BV D. against VDAB's award of an outplacement framework agreement (Social Intervention Fund SIF5) across ten Flemish lots, because VDAB correctly assessed the capacity criterion on an annual basis rather than cumulatively, limiting BV D. to one lot, and the second ground on award evaluation was inadmissible as BV D. had already been awarded its preferred lot.
Annulment appeal moot after withdrawal of non-award decision for restoration of St Servatius Church Diepenbeek — costs charged to respondent
The Council of State rejected the annulment appeal by NV R. against the non-award decision by the St Servatius Church Board for the restoration of St Servatius Church in Diepenbeek (phases II + III), after the Church Board withdrew the contested decision of 21 March 2025 on 3 July 2025, rendering the appeal moot, with costs charged to the respondent.
Annulment appeal struck from register due to late payment of court fee — framework agreement for bailiff services City of Antwerp
The Council of State struck the annulment appeal by BV A. against the award by the City of Antwerp of a framework agreement for bailiff services from the register, because BV A. failed to pay the court fee within the thirty-day deadline after receiving the payment details, as required by article 71(4) of the Regent's Decree.
Rejection of suspension application: discontinuation of simplified negotiated procedure for advertising shelters Sint-Truiden justified by suspected incorrect estimate — evolving insight not arbitrary
The Council of State rejected the suspension application by BV B. against the discontinuation by Sint-Truiden of the simplified negotiated procedure for advertising shelters and boards (2026-2036), because the contracting authority had reasonably discontinued the procedure based on evolving insight that the estimate was likely incorrectly determined, in order to guarantee free competition.
Suspension application and annulment appeal moot after withdrawal of meal voucher award decision — costs charged to respondent
The Council of State rejected the suspension application and annulment appeal by NV E. against the award by OV Farys of lot 1 of a framework agreement for electronic meal vouchers, after Farys withdrew the award decision of 4 September 2025 on 21 October 2025, rendering the application moot, with the annulment appeal sharing the same fate under article 30 §5 and costs charged to the respondent.
Suspension application moot after withdrawal of meal voucher award decision by Farys — costs charged to respondent
The Council of State rejected the suspension application by NV P. against the award by OV Farys of a framework agreement for electronic meal vouchers, after Farys withdrew the contested award decision of 25 September 2025 on 21 October 2025, rendering the application moot, with costs charged to the respondent.
Suspension application moot after withdrawal of selection decision for IoT sensor contract Digipolis Antwerp — costs charged to respondent
The Council of State rejected the suspension application by BV C. against its non-selection for lot 2 of the 'IoT sensors PZA' service contract by Digipolis Antwerp, after Digipolis withdrew the contested selection decision on 3 November 2025, rendering the application moot, with costs charged to the respondent.
Negative prices for meal vouchers — 'that's how the sector works' is not sufficient motivation
The Council of State suspends the award of a framework agreement for electronic meal vouchers to Edenred Belgium, because the price investigation motivation was too generic — the contracting authority justified all three tenders globally based on sector characteristics, without individually explaining why the winning tenderer's specific price justification was acceptable.
When the majority of tenders fail on the same requirement, the problem is the specification — not the tenderers
The Council of State suspends the irregularity declaration of a tender in a Design & Build procedure for the National Lottery's new headquarters (Brouck'R project), because the ISO 27002 requirement caused confusion among multiple tenderers and the mandatory 9-month execution deadline conflicted with the construction schedule the contracting authority itself had provided.
Rejection of suspension application: global evaluation method with qualitative plus and minus points correctly applied — scores 'very good' and 'more than adequate' consistent with tender document descriptions — discretionary margin not exceeded
The Council of State rejected the suspension application by BV B. against the award by the Federal Pensions Service of a contract for a digital mental wellbeing tool, because the contracting authority had correctly applied the global evaluation method announced in the tender documents, the plus and minus points were inherent to that method and did not require separate weighting, and the scores of 'very good' (36/40) and 'more than adequate' (28/40) corresponded to the percentages and descriptions in the specifications.
Rejection of suspension application: tender rightly excluded as substantially irregular due to abnormal prices for therapy and coaching sessions — price justification insufficiently detailed and concrete — cross-subsidy from subcontractor's portfolio not valid justification
The Council of State rejected the suspension application by SRL Evoluno against the exclusion of its tender and the award by the Federal Pensions Service of a contract for a digital mental wellbeing tool for federal civil servants, because the contracting authority had not committed a manifest error in finding the prices for therapy and coaching sessions (€20 per session, 80% below average) abnormal, as the price justifications were insufficiently detailed and concrete and profitability was only considered at the level of the subcontractor's entire portfolio.
Annulment appeal moot after withdrawal of award decision — lifting of previously ordered suspension — procedural indemnity at base amount charged to respondent
The Council of State found that the annulment appeal by SRL O2O against the award by SCRL Vivalia of a bike leasing framework agreement had become moot, as Vivalia had withdrawn the contested award decision on 8 July 2025 and the withdrawal had become definitive in the absence of an annulment appeal, resulting in the lifting of the suspension previously ordered by judgment no. 263.712 and the award of the procedural indemnity at the base amount to the applicant.
A tender without a price for the insurance policy — irregular, but that argument won't help if you're still second
The Council of State rejects the claim of a road construction company whose tender was declared irregular for omitting a price on one item, since even if declared regular, the company would still rank second and therefore lacks standing.
Comic book heroes from Charleroi as permanent city lighting — but the copyright wasn't secured yet
The Council of State rejects the claim of a lighting company whose offer was declared substantially irregular because its permanent lighting proposal featuring comic book characters depended on unresolved copyright and the proposed 'alternative' (a speech bubble with exclamation marks) was too vague to evaluate.
Rejection of suspension application: selection criterion 'ISO or equivalent quality system' sufficiently clear in light of beverage supply contract for vulnerable persons
The Council of State rejected the suspension application by NV H. against the award of a beverage supply framework agreement, as the selection criterion requiring an 'ISO or equivalent quality system' was sufficiently clear when read in light of the contract's purpose (beverage supply for vulnerable persons via OCMW) and the specifications regarding hygiene, traceability and food safety, and the acceptance of BRCGS and ISO-22000 certificates as equivalent was not manifestly unreasonable.
Reopening of debates after founded ground on absence of price verification in milking robot award — tenderer's offer rightfully excluded for prohibited variants, but interest in price verification ground exists despite exclusion of own tender
The Council of State declared the ground concerning the absence of price verification founded in the annulment proceedings by SRL BASTIEN against the award by the Province of Hainaut of a milking robot contract to the sole regular tenderer, and reopened the debates for examination of the first ground — the applicant had interest in the price verification ground despite the exclusion of its own tender, as the absence of verification could have led to the exclusion of the chosen tenderer's offer as well.
One-hour emergency response for Christmas lights in Jette — but the authority forgot to check if that was realistic
The Council of State suspends the award of a holiday illumination contract in Jette because the authority failed to verify whether the one-hour intervention time offered by two tenderers was realistic, despite multiple red flags — including the fact that the offer was submitted by a different legal entity than the one to whom the contract was awarded.
Solar panels on the UZ Gent parking structure — no unlimited freedom of choice when the specifications contain a formula
The Council of State rejects the claim of a solar panel company challenging the award of an installation contract, ruling that a price criterion based on the total bill of quantities creates no unlimited freedom of choice, and that an annual yield criterion with mandatory PVsyst simulation provides prima facie objective verification.
A subcontracting agreement without a date and without a price — but with a clear commitment to perform the work
The Council of State suspends the City of Kortrijk's decision to exclude a tender as substantially irregular because the subcontracting agreement with the ISO 17025-certified subcontractor was undated and contained no price, while the agreement did contain a clear commitment to perform the relevant part of the contract.
What the specifications say, you must price — even if you think it doesn't belong there
A tenderer who expressly confirms during price clarification that coordination of works in the other lots is not included in its offer is rightly declared substantially irregular — even if it believes the specifications do not require such coordination.
Tenderer rightly excluded for refusing to price a mandatory item based on own legal interpretation
A tenderer that fails to provide a price for a mandatory tender item because it considers the required service unlawful will have its offer declared substantially irregular — it is not for the tenderer to unilaterally decide which items to price.
Referring to framework agreements without concrete execution details does not suffice as a reference
A tenderer that merely refers to framework agreements as references without specifying which lots were awarded, what deliveries were actually made, for what value and when, fails to adequately substantiate its offer and is rightly not selected.
Experience travels with the people, not the company registration number
A tenderer can rely on experience gained by its directors and staff at a previously acquired sole proprietorship to meet an experience requirement, provided there is a clear link — such as the acquisition of assets, trade name and know-how.
Silently departing from the bill of quantities is not correcting — it's deviating
A tenderer who uses a different quantity than prescribed in the bill of quantities for a lump-sum post without explicitly flagging it commits a substantial irregularity, not a correctable arithmetic error.
Interpreting a specification from what is not prohibited is not interpretation — it is wishful thinking
A tenderer who derives from a tolerance clause ('deviations up to 100% are conforming') that it need not offer a required product at all distorts the logic of the specifications and is rightly excluded.
The actual subject matter of the contract determines the required contractor recognition category — and the opening report need not be actively distributed
The Council rejects two grounds: the contracting authority could reasonably require recognition in subcategory F2 because steelwork represents the largest percentage of the contract sum, and not actively distributing the opening report via e-Procurement is not a violation when the provisional ranking was communicated.
Authority may not deviate from interpretation used by its mandatary during negotiations
When a mandated entity applies a particular interpretation of tender conditions during negotiations, the contracting authority may not depart from it in the award decision without giving candidates the opportunity to submit a new offer.
With only two tenders, one is not a benchmark for the other — and an 'expectation' in the specifications is not an essential minimum requirement
The Council rejects three grounds: a large price difference on one item does not suffice to establish an abnormal price when the authority conducted a substantiated general price investigation, specifying that one 'expects' something to be fully digital is not a pass/fail minimum requirement, and selective criticism of sub-elements of the reasoning does not undermine a global assessment.
A 134-seat planetarium scores the same as a 156-seat one — while the specifications ask for 150
The Council of State annuls the award of an architecture contract for a planetarium because the authority gave the same score to a 134-seat reference and a 156-seat reference for the sub-sub-criterion 'up to 150 seats', without motivation — and a post-hoc rule-of-three calculation cannot serve as justification.
The e-Procurement platform sends a wrong deadline — the authority excludes the tender but forgets to examine the consequences of its own error
The Council of State annuls Nautisport's decision to exclude a tender for late submission, because the delay was caused by an erroneous deadline on the e-Procurement platform and the authority failed to examine the consequences of that error in light of the equality and proportionality principles.
The specifications require a product presentation 'on pain of nullity' — but the authority simply doesn't organize it
The Council of State annuls the award of an access control contract because the specifications required tenderers to present their proposed equipment 'on pain of nullity of their offer', but the authority never organized this presentation and evaluated offers without this step.
A certificate that you'll meet the deadline is not an execution schedule — even if you call it one
The Council of State rejects the suspension request of a contractor whose offer was declared substantially irregular because it submitted a certificate of compliance instead of a detailed execution schedule, and only provided the actual schedule after being questioned — too late in an open procedure.
Annulment action rejected: all five grounds against award of lot 2 restoration works at Collégiale Sainte Croix in Liège dismissed – contracting authority's discretion respected, no irregularities in chosen tenderer's offer, stone choice and inter-lot collaboration are valid award criteria
The Council of State rejected the annulment action by Monument Hainaut SA against the award by the City of Liège of lot 2 (masonry) of the restoration works on the exterior envelope of the Collégiale Sainte Croix to the temporary association Galère-Liégeois, after all five grounds were dismissed: the regularity check was adequately motivated, the site installation outside designated 'available zones' was not an irregularity, the missing calculation note concerned the execution phase rather than the tender, the time-lapse was a valid photographic report, and the award criteria (stone choice, inter-lot collaboration, presentation quality) were linked to the contract's subject matter.
The 'external expert' on the evaluation committee turns out to be the same person chairing it — that doesn't count
The Council of State annuls the award of an architectural services contract for a multisports complex renovation because the contracting authority did not compose the evaluation committee as required by the specifications: the 'external expert' was the same person as the project management assistant who chaired the committee.
Application moot after withdrawal of award decision: Antwerp Fire Service withdraws award of framework agreement for cleaning and repairing firefighter clothing before hearing – costs charged to Antwerp Fire Service
The Council of State rejected the application for suspension under extreme urgency by NV D. against Antwerp Fire Service as moot and inadmissible, after Antwerp Fire Service withdrew the contested decision of 19 August 2025 on 16 September 2025 — before the hearing — which had awarded the framework agreement for cleaning and repairing firefighter clothing to a third party and declared NV D.'s tender substantially irregular — Antwerp Fire Service was ordered to bear the costs.
Application moot after withdrawal of award decision: IVBO withdraws award of two small refuse collection vehicles before hearing – costs charged to IVBO
The Council of State rejected the application for suspension under extreme urgency by BV M. against IVBO as moot, after IVBO withdrew the contested award decision of 27 August 2025 for the supply of two small refuse collection vehicles on 25 September 2025 — before the hearing — with the Council holding that the withdrawal also rendered moot the implicit decision not to award to BV M., and ordering IVBO to bear the costs.
Suspension application rejected as inadmissible after withdrawal of award decision by Bruxelles-Propreté: retroactive withdrawal for illegality removes prejudice – applicant considered successful party for costs
The Council of State rejected the application for suspension under extreme urgency by GENETEC SA against Bruxelles-Propreté as inadmissible, after Bruxelles-Propreté retroactively withdrew the award decision of 26 August 2025 on 10 October 2025 on account of an illegality raised in the suspension application, so that GENETEC was no longer harmed or at risk of being harmed within the meaning of article 14 of the Act of 17 June 2013 — but GENETEC was considered the successful party and Bruxelles-Propreté was ordered to bear the costs.
Suspension application rejected as inadmissible after withdrawal of award of lot 1 LED lighting framework agreement by ORES Assets: retroactive withdrawal removes prejudice – applicant considered successful party for costs
The Council of State rejected the application for suspension under extreme urgency by SIGNIFY BELGIUM SA against ORES ASSETS SC as inadmissible, after ORES Assets retroactively withdrew the award decision of 5 September 2025 for lot 1 ('catalogue') of the framework agreement for LED public lighting luminaires on 1 October 2025, so that SIGNIFY was no longer harmed within the meaning of article 14 of the Act of 17 June 2013 — but SIGNIFY was considered the successful party and ORES Assets was ordered to bear the costs.
In a global qualitative assessment, isolated sub-elements don't count separately — and a concise selection report suffices when no issues arise
The Council rejects both grounds: criticizing a few sub-elements is insufficient to undermine a global qualitative assessment, and the contracting authority need not set out the selection examination in extenso when no problems arise.
Suspension of award of framework agreement for housing restoration – contracting authority valued prior references and certificates of the chosen tenderer under quality criterion while specifications only provided for 'means for optimal execution' as award criterion, in violation of Article 81 of the 2016 Act and transparency principle
The Council of State suspended under extreme urgency the award by SRL Sambre & Biesme of a works framework agreement (restoration of occupied and unoccupied dwellings) to SA SOTRELCO, because the contracting authority in assessing the second award criterion (quality, 30%) had valued SOTRELCO's prior references and certificates of satisfactory execution, while this information did not correspond to the 'means to be deployed for optimal execution' as described in the specifications — tenderers could not understand from the specifications that their prior achievements, which typically belong to qualitative selection, would be taken into account under this award criterion.
Application rejected for lack of jurisdiction: university hospital established by private initiative is not an administrative authority within the meaning of article 14, §1 coordinated laws – status as contracting authority is insufficient
The Council of State rejected under extreme urgency the application by PEO BV against CHU Dinant-Godinne-Sainte-Élisabeth-UCL Namur for lack of jurisdiction, because the CHU — established by private initiative and managed by private-law persons — is not an administrative authority within the meaning of article 14, §1 of the coordinated laws on the Council of State, and the status of contracting authority under the Act of 17 June 2013 does not automatically entail that of administrative authority.
A €10 million administrative centre awarded without price investigation — and the BAFO not even checked
The Council of State annuls the award of a Design, Build & Maintain contract for an administrative centre in Ronse because neither the award report nor the administrative file shows that a price investigation was conducted on the initial tenders or on the winning tenderer's BAFO.
Dropping mandatory options after the BAFO without warning — and reversing the ranking
The Council of State suspends the award of a renovation contract because the CPAS dropped mandatory options (triple glazing, ecological materials, single-flux ventilation) after receiving BAFOs without informing tenderers during negotiations, thereby reversing the ranking to the detriment of the applicant.
Annulment action against exclusion of interpreters' tenders for missing ESPD rejected – brief guide labelling annexes 5 and 6 as 'merely informative' does not override explicit obligation in the specifications
The Council of State rejected by summary procedure the annulment action by two interpreters against the exclusion of their tenders by the Brussels Parliament for a framework agreement for interpreting services, because they had not submitted a European Single Procurement Document (ESPD) with their tender: the obligation to submit the ESPD followed directly from the specifications and the law, and the brief guide labelling annexes 5 and 6 as 'merely informative' did not override this, leaving the contracting authority no discretion but to declare the tenders substantially irregular.
0.5% screening threshold in price investigation passes legality test
A contracting authority may apply a weight threshold during price investigation to select non-negligible items, provided the threshold is carefully established and stays within the bounds of reasonableness.
The 60-day time limit for annulment proceedings starts from the day after dispatch of the registered letter — not from receipt
The annulment action is inadmissible ratione temporis: the 60-day time limit starts running from the day after dispatch of the notification (February 9), not from the date of receipt (February 12), making the application of April 10 one day late.
A towing company whose permit doesn't allow night work complains the competitor has the same problem — but that actually weakens the argument
The Council of State rejects the suspension request of a towing company challenging the award of a framework agreement for towing and vehicle storage services, ruling that a contracting authority need not question the adequacy of submitted environmental permits for 24-hour service, especially when the applicant's own permit has the same limitation.
Picking up litter at 6.8 km/h — the tenderer promises it, but the authority doesn't buy it
The Council of State rejects the suspension request of a highway maintenance contractor whose offer was excluded for abnormal pricing, because the proposed productivity — 163 km of litter picking in three days, or 6.8 km/h while walking and bending — is prima facie unrealistic.
Suspension application under extreme urgency by consortium against discontinuation of sale-with-development-obligation for Sinbad site in Sint-Niklaas rejected – discontinuation due to economic infeasibility and need to amend specifications adequately reasoned under Article 85 of the 2016 Act; complaint about compensation condition inadmissible due to material error in contested decision
The Council of State rejected the suspension application under extreme urgency by a consortium of four companies against the decision of the Sint-Niklaas mayor and aldermen to discontinue the procurement procedure for the sale with development obligation of the Sinbad site, because the first part of the single ground (breach of duty to state reasons) was not serious — the discontinuation was adequately reasoned under Article 85 of the 2016 Act, as the administrative file showed that participating parties had repeatedly indicated during the procedure that the conditions were economically infeasible and the need to amend the specifications constituted an acceptable reason — and the second part (regarding the €7,500 compensation linked to a condition not to participate in the new procedure) was entirely inadmissible, inter alia because the condition was a material error acknowledged by the respondent; costs were nevertheless charged to the respondent because the correct reading of the contested decision could only be established from documents in the administrative file not previously available to the applicants.
Requiring certificates of good execution for service references — is that allowed even when the Royal Decree doesn't prescribe it?
The Council of State rejects the suspension request of a soil analysis laboratory challenging its non-selection, ruling that a contracting authority may require certificates of good execution for service references even though article 68, §4 of the Royal Decree does not explicitly prescribe them for services.
Suspension application under extreme urgency by ASFALYS-KPMG consortium against award of ICT services lot 1 to Deloitte rejected – single ground regarding self-assessment system for quality criterion not serious: criticism too vague and theoretical, complaints partly late, waiver of verification obligation not established
The Council of State rejected the suspension application under extreme urgency by the ASFALYS-KPMG consortium against the award by the Prime Minister of lot 1 of a public service contract for specialised ICT services (IT23001, service integration and management) to Deloitte Consulting & Advisory, because the single ground was not serious: the criticism of the self-assessment system for the quality criterion — where tender conformity was evaluated based on questionnaires completed by the tenderers themselves — was too vague and theoretical as the applicants failed to identify concretely which sub-criteria led to a manifest error of assessment, the complaints raised at the hearing regarding scores were late, and the postulate that the contracting authority had waived its verification obligation could not be established.
The turnover requirement for the July 21st celebrations triples — but the authority forgets to explain why
The Council of State annuls the specifications for organizing the Belgian National Day festivities because the State tripled the financial capacity requirement — from €2M cumulative over three years to €2M per year for each of the last three years — without adequately justifying why this increase was proportionate to the contract.
Extreme urgency suspension request moot after withdrawal of award decision by contracting authority
The Council of State rejects the extreme urgency suspension request as moot and inadmissible, after the Province of West Flanders withdrew the contested award decision for a framework agreement for groceries and frozen products before the hearing — the respondent is however ordered to pay costs.
Extreme urgency suspension request moot after withdrawal of award decision for pruning works framework agreement
The Council of State rejects the extreme urgency suspension request as moot and inadmissible, after the city of Bruges withdrew the contested award decision for a framework agreement for pruning works (lots 1 and 2) before the hearing — the respondent is ordered to pay costs.
Extreme urgency suspension request moot after withdrawal of award decision for civil registry software
The Council of State rejects the extreme urgency suspension request as moot and inadmissible, after the municipality of Hooglede withdrew both the award decision and the tender analysis report for the public contract 'Civil Registry Software' before the hearing — the respondent is ordered to pay costs.
Lifting of previously ordered extreme urgency suspension due to failure to file annulment application
The Council of State lifts the suspension of the award decisions for a framework agreement for surveying services (three lots) previously ordered by judgment no. 262.745, because the applicant failed to file an annulment application after the suspension — the respondent is nevertheless ordered to pay costs.
Annulment of award for energy renovation experts (INTERREG RENOVALT) – IFAPME allowed chosen tenderer to improve offer by requesting additional details on award criterion without giving same opportunity to other tenderer (violation of equal treatment)
The Council of State annulled IFAPME's award of lot 1 (Walloon side) of the contract for energy renovation experts under the INTERREG RENOVALT project to SM POLY-TECH, because IFAPME asked only POLY-TECH to detail its offer for the five sub-activities of the qualitative award criterion (technical-pedagogical competences) in violation of the equal treatment principle, while SM ST.AR.TECH was not given the same opportunity, and the precisions obtained contained new elements that were positively assessed.
Het toelaten van prijskortingen bij combinaties van percelen is geen wezenlijke bestekwijziging — en een trager vergroeningsritme dan de LEZ-regelgeving mogelijk voorschrijft, maakt een offerte niet automatisch onregelmatig
De Raad van State verwerpt het beroep tot nietigverklaring van de gunning van een opdracht voor de exploitatie en vergroening van geregeld busvervoer (West 1, zestien percelen), omdat (1) het invoeren van een 'combinatiemogelijkheid' voor percelen vanaf de derde bestekversie geen wezenlijke wijziging was maar het louter expliciteren van de bestaande mogelijkheid tot prijskorting bij meerdere percelen op grond van artikel 58 KB speciale sectoren, (2) de offerte van de gekozen inschrijver voor het Gentse perceel niet substantieel onregelmatig was wegens de LEZ-regelgeving — nu de regelgeving uitdrukkelijk in een systeem van individuele toelatingen voorziet voor de periode 2027-2030 en niet vaststaat dat na 2030 geen toelatingen meer mogelijk zijn, (3) de aanbestedende overheid een omstandig prijsonderzoek heeft gevoerd dat het prijsverschil van 36,5% afdoende verklaarde door verschillen in financieringsmodel, infrastructuurkosten en vergroeningsritme, zonder dat een bijzonder onderzoek naar abnormale prijzen vereist was, (4) de vorming van een tijdelijke maatschap door zeven geselecteerde entiteiten uit dezelfde groep rechtsgeldig was en geen mededingingsbeperkende handeling inhield, en (5) het beweerde belangenconflict in hoofde van de CEO van de moedergroep van de gekozen inschrijver — tevens voorzitter van de sectorfederatie — niet verder kwam dan loutere beweringen en veronderstellingen.
Een bestek dat monopolietaken van gerechtsdeurwaarders opneemt in het prijscriterium is fundamenteel onwettig — en een bevraging achteraf kan dat gebrek niet verhelpen
De Raad van State vernietigt de gunning van een opdracht voor debiteurenbeheer via een gerechtsdeurwaarder, omdat het bestek de monopoliebevoegdheden van gerechtsdeurwaarders — waarvoor wettelijk vastgestelde tarieven gelden die niet aan prijsconcurrentie mogen worden onderworpen — opnam in de inventaris die diende als basis voor het gunningscriterium prijs, en de aanbestedende overheid bij de beoordeling van dat criterium vervolgens afweek van het bestek door de inventarisprijzen te vervangen door het resultaat van een informele bevraging over de 'minnelijke fase' — een begrip dat niet in het bestek voorkwam — waardoor de inschrijvers bij het opstellen van hun offerte niet konden voorzien hoe het prijscriterium zou worden beoordeeld.
Onvoldoende motivering bij uitsluiting wegens abnormale prijzen: de beslissing moet duidelijk maken of de prijsverantwoordingen onontvankelijk dan wel ongegrond zijn
De Raad van State vernietigt — via de versnelde procedure na schorsing — de gunningsbeslissing van een overheidsopdracht voor wegenonderhoud, omdat de motivering van de uitsluiting wegens abnormale prijzen dubbelzinnig was: enerzijds bleek niet of de prijsverantwoordingen als onontvankelijk dan wel als ongegrond werden beschouwd, anderzijds stemden de motieven in de gunningsbeslissing niet overeen met die in het analyseverslag, zodat de geweerde inschrijver de werkelijke redenen van zijn uitsluiting niet kon achterhalen — en het argument van vertrouwelijkheid rechtvaardigt weliswaar een beknopte motivering, maar geen buitensporig summiere.
Handtekeningen op verbintenisverklaringen van derden die niet overeenstemmen met de identiteitskaart mogen als onbewijskrachtig worden geweigerd — en de aanbestedende overheid hoeft de inschrijver geen tweede kans te geven
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tot schorsing bij uiterst dringende noodzakelijkheid van de niet-selectie van een inschrijver bij een raamovereenkomst voor loodgieterswerken, omdat (1) de aanbestedende overheid de verbintenisverklaringen van twee onderaannemers als onbewijskrachtig mocht weigeren wegens niet-overeenstemmende handtekeningen met hun identiteitskaart — wat geen schending is van de bewijskracht van een onderhandse akte maar een vaststelling dat de verklaringen de beweerde verbintenissen niet aantonen, (2) de formele motivering afdoende was nu zij de concrete reden van de weigering vermeldde, en (3) de zorgvuldigheidsplicht de aanbestedende overheid niet verplichtte om de inschrijver nogmaals te bevragen nadat zij reeds gebruik had gemaakt van de mogelijkheid om aanvullende informatie op te vragen na de opening van de offertes.
Een groot prijsverschil alleen volstaat niet om een bijzonder onderzoek naar abnormale prijzen te verplichten — en vertrouwelijkheid rechtvaardigt dat de details van een prijstoelichting niet in het gunningsverslag staan
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tot schorsing bij uiterst dringende noodzakelijkheid van de gunning van een raamovereenkomst voor reisdiensten, omdat (1) de aanbestedende overheid wel degelijk een algemeen prijsonderzoek heeft gevoerd — met een interne prijsvergelijking en een gerichte bevraging van de twee scherpst biedende inschrijvers — en na afdoende toelichting terecht kon concluderen dat geen sprake was van schijnbaar abnormale prijzen, (2) het loutere bestaan van een groot prijsverschil (57%) tussen offertes niet automatisch de verplichting doet ontstaan om over te gaan tot een bijzonder onderzoek naar abnormale prijzen, nu de aanbestedende overheid een ruime beoordelingsvrijheid heeft — zeker bij intellectuele diensten — en het feit dat de gekozen inschrijver als zittende dienstverlener haar scherpere prijzen kon verantwoorden met franchisewijzigingen, omzetstijging en technologische optimalisatie, en (3) de gekozen inschrijver haar offerte niet onrechtmatig had gewijzigd door afzonderlijke tarieven voor online en offline boekingen op te geven, nu het bestek zelf die mogelijkheid voorzag bij de omschrijving van het gunningscriterium 'online boekingssysteem'.
De aanwijzing van een voorkeurbieder in een onderhandelingsprocedure voor treinstellen van 3,3 miljard euro doorstaat de toets — ook al scoort de goedkoopste inschrijver technisch lager en ook al is de beoordelingsmethode pas na opening van de offertes uitgewerkt
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tot schorsing bij uiterst dringende noodzakelijkheid van de tweede gunningsbeslissing voor een raamovereenkomst voor de levering van elektrische en batterijelektrische treinstellen (AM30) ter waarde van meer dan 3,3 miljard euro, omdat (1) de aanbestedende overheid na een eerdere succesvolle schorsing de motivering van het technisch criterium afdoende heeft verbeterd, (2) de beoordelingsmethode — een plus/min-waardensysteem voor het technisch criterium — niet vooraf in de opdrachtdocumenten hoefde te worden aangekondigd, mits zij coherent is en de gunningscriteria niet denatureert (toepassing TNS Dimarso), (3) de keuze om na vier onderhandelingsrondes over te gaan tot aanwijzing van een voorkeurbieder in plaats van een vijfde onderhandelingsronde niet kennelijk onredelijk is, (4) de beweerde specifieke beoordelingsfouten bij de technische, contractuele en energiecriteria het puntenverschil niet overbruggen, en (5) het argument dat de aanbestedende overheid de uitsluitingsgronden had moeten onderzoeken wegens de activiteiten van de gekozen inschrijver in bezet Palestijns gebied prematuur is, nu de bestreden beslissing slechts een voorkeurbieder aanwijst en geen definitieve gunning inhoudt.
Een inschrijver die zelf 'niet conform' invult voor een essentiële eis, kan achteraf niet beweren dat hij wél kon voldoen — en een bestek dat aansluit bij eerdere voertuigen is niet automatisch op maat van de zittende inschrijver geschreven
De Raad van State verwerpt het beroep tot nietigverklaring van de gunning van een raamovereenkomst voor de levering van multifunctionele brandweerautopompen 4x4, omdat (1) de verzoekende partij zelf in haar offerte uitdrukkelijk 'NEEN' had ingevuld bij de conformiteitsvereiste van drie scharnierpunten voor opstaptreden — met de opmerking 'dit is een zinloze eis om bepaalde firma's te bevoordelen' — en de aanbestedende overheid haar offerte terecht als substantieel onregelmatig heeft verklaard, (2) de verzoekende partij er niet in slaagt aan te tonen dat het bestek op maat van de zittende inschrijver is geschreven, nu zij zelf voor het merendeel van de technische vereisten 'conform' had kunnen aanbieden en de driescharniereneis voortkwam uit concrete operationele ervaringen van de brandweer, (3) de looptijd van zes jaar voor de raamovereenkomst afdoende was gemotiveerd in de toelichtingsnota aan de Inspectie van Financiën — met verwijzing naar de hoge investeringskosten voor prototypebouw en de productietermijn van anderhalf tot twee jaar — en die motivering niet in het bestek zelf hoefde te staan, en (4) het middel inzake machtsafwending faalt bij gebrek aan ernstige en met elkaar overeenstemmende aanwijzingen.
Zusterarrest autopompen 4x2: bewust niet-conform inschrijven bij essentiële eis leidt onvermijdelijk tot substantiële onregelmatigheid
In dit zusterarrest van arrest 264.262 — met dezelfde partijen, dezelfde opdracht maar voor perceel 1 (autopompen 4x2) — verwerpt de Raad van State het beroep tot nietigverklaring op identieke gronden: de inschrijver die zelf uitdrukkelijk 'niet conform' invulde bij de essentiële eis van drie scharnierpunten voor opstaptreden, met de opmerking dat dit 'een zinloze eis is om bepaalde firma's te bevoordelen', kan achteraf niet beweren dat zij wél had kunnen voldoen, en het bestek is niet op maat van de zittende inschrijver geschreven nu de betwiste eis voortkwam uit concrete operationele ervaringen van de brandweer.
Food supply CPAS Verviers: withdrawal of proceedings for failure to request continuation after rejection of suspension application
The Council of State decrees withdrawal of proceedings in an annulment action against the non-selection of a tenderer for a food and cleaning products supply contract for CPAS Verviers, because the applicant failed to request continuation of the procedure within thirty days after rejection of its suspension application — the statutory presumption of withdrawal under Article 17(7) of the Coordinated Laws applies.
De beoordelingsmethode voor gunningscriteria hoeft niet vooraf te worden bekendgemaakt — en een beschrijvende beoordelingsschaal met vijf niveaus is niet onregelmatig
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tot schorsing van de gunning van een overheidsopdracht voor werken (renovatie industrieel gebouw en aanleg bedrijvenpark), omdat (1) de beoordelingsmethode — een beschrijvende vijfpuntenschaal — niet vooraf in de opdrachtdocumenten hoefde te worden aangekondigd, mits zij coherent is, de gunningscriteria niet denatureert en geen discriminerend effect heeft (bevestiging van het TNS Dimarso-arrest), (2) de aanbestedende overheid de planningen van de inschrijvers mocht corrigeren om de vergelijkbaarheid te waarborgen door de startdatum te verschuiven naar het moment waarop daadwerkelijk op de werf wordt gewerkt, (3) het aspect 'organisatie' — waaronder het beheer van hinder in een stedelijke omgeving — duidelijk in het bestek was aangekondigd als beoordelingselement, en de inschrijver dit in haar offerte niet had behandeld, en (4) de aanbestedende overheid niet verplicht was om de inschrijver te vragen haar offerte op dit punt aan te vullen — dat zou een substantiële verbetering zijn geweest die het gelijkheidsbeginsel zou schenden.
Rehabilitation motorway A15/E42 Courcelles–Gouy-Les-Piéton: application rejected due to withdrawal of award decision before hearing, Walloon Region dismissed, costs borne by SOFICO
The Council of State rejects a suspension application against the award of a motorway rehabilitation contract (A15/E42) as inadmissible, because SOFICO withdrew the award decision before the hearing — the withdrawal operates retroactively so the alleged violations did not harm the applicant. The Walloon Region is dismissed as a party and costs are borne by SOFICO.
Bij een globale beoordeling van technische waarde mag de aanbestedende overheid de vastgestelde meer- en minwaarden cijfermatig vertalen naar een score — en na vier offerterondes mag zij een voorkeursbieder aanwijzen zonder verder te onderhandelen
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tot schorsing van de aanwijzing van CAF als voorkeursbieder voor de NMBS-raamovereenkomst voor nieuwe treinstellen (AM30), omdat (1) de beoordelingsmethode voor het criterium 'Technische waarde' — een beginscore van 18/36 met bijstelling van 0,1 punt per vastgestelde meer- of minwaarde — zich inpaste in de vooraf aangekondigde globale beoordeling en geen nieuw systeem was maar een nadere invulling na het eerdere schorsingsarrest, (2) de beoordelingselementen niet als subgunningscriteria waren gehanteerd omdat zij niet elk afzonderlijk waren gewogen, (3) de NMBS na vier offerterondes over twee jaar mocht beslissen een voorkeursbieder aan te wijzen in plaats van verder te onderhandelen, nu zij aannemelijk maakte dat verdere rondes ernstige negatieve gevolgen zouden hebben (70-100 miljoen euro OPEX-kosten, vertraging tot na 2030) terwijl het onzeker was of de offertes nog konden verbeteren, en (4) een nieuw middel dat pas op de dag van de terechtzitting schriftelijk werd ingediend, niet-ontvankelijk was wegens schending van de loyale procesvoering — ook al werd het aangebracht als middel van openbare orde.
Wanneer een inschrijver in zijn inventaris een streepje plaatst in plaats van een prijs, moet de formele motivering van de gunningsbeslissing het volledige onderzoek weerspiegelen — niet alleen het eindresultaat
De Raad van State schorst de gunning van een dienstenopdracht voor de exploitatie van een radiodispatching, omdat de formele motivering van de gunningsbeslissing ontoereikend is: de aanbestedende overheid stelde dat de gekozen inschrijver een prijs van 0 euro had ingediend voor een transitiepost die zij als zittende operator niet nodig had, terwijl uit het administratief dossier bleek dat de inventaris slechts een streepje bevatte — een wezenlijk verschil dat de aanbestedende overheid voor de keuze plaatste tussen een materiële fout (artikel 34 KB 18/04/2017) en een substantiële onregelmatigheid (artikel 76 KB 18/04/2017), zonder dat dit onderzoek in de motivering tot uiting kwam.
Een beschrijvende evaluatie met globale quotering is een voorzienbare beoordelingsmethodiek voor kwalitatieve gunningscriteria — en wie zijn plan van aanpak baseert op een loutere overname van de standaardleidraad, kan niet verwachten dat de aanbestedende overheid daarin een meerwaarde leest
De Raad van State verwerpt het vernietigingsberoep tegen de gunning van een dienstenopdracht voor explosievenopsporing, omdat (1) het gebruik van een logaritmische prijsformule in plaats van de drieregel geen onwettigheid oplevert zolang een lagere prijs tot een hogere score leidt, (2) een beschrijvende evaluatie van kwalitatieve gunningscriteria met globale quotering een voorzienbare beoordelingsmethodiek is die niet vooraf aan de inschrijvers moet worden bekendgemaakt, en (3) de inschrijver die voor zijn plan van aanpak grotendeels de standaardleidraad overneemt — terwijl het bestek uitdrukkelijk vereist dat de inschrijver die leidraad overstijgt — niet aantoont dat de lage score op onjuiste feiten berust door louter de inhoud van zijn eigen offerte te herhalen.
Project designer road works Jalhay: application rejected due to withdrawal of award decision before hearing, costs borne by the authority
The Council of State rejects a suspension application against a project designer contract for road works in Jalhay as inadmissible, because the municipality withdrew the award decision before the hearing — the withdrawal operates retroactively so the alleged violations did not harm the applicant, but costs are borne by the authority.
De correlatie tussen de aangeboden prijs en de diepgang van het plan van aanpak mag worden betrokken bij de kwalitatieve beoordeling — en het niet-abnormaal bevinden van de prijs staat daar niet aan in de weg
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tot schorsing van de gunning van een studieopdracht voor walstroom in een zeehaven, omdat (1) de aanbestedende overheid uit de correlatie tussen de lage prijs en het voorgestelde plan van aanpak mocht afleiden dat de studie met onvoldoende diepgang zou worden aangepakt — zonder daarmee de autonomie van de gunningscriteria te schenden — en (2) de vaststelling dat de prijs niet abnormaal is, niet tegenstrijdig is met de vaststelling dat het plan van aanpak onvoldoende diepgang vertoont: de prijs was normaal voor de voorgestelde aanpak, maar de aanpak zelf was ontoereikend.
Wanneer de aanbestedende overheid zelf vaststelt dat de totaalprijs van de gekozen inschrijver meer dan 43 procent onder het gemiddelde ligt en dit in het rood markeert, maar nalaat die totaalprijs nader te onderzoeken, is het prijsonderzoek onzorgvuldig
De Raad van State schorst de gunning van perceel 3 (Operations) van een raamovereenkomst voor gespecialiseerde ICT-diensten, omdat de aanbestedende overheid weliswaar een prijsonderzoek heeft gevoerd naar enkele specifieke posten, maar heeft nagelaten het mogelijks abnormaal karakter van de totaalprijs van de gekozen inschrijver te onderzoeken — ondanks een door haarzelf vastgestelde afwijking van -43,22 procent ten opzichte van het gemiddelde —, en omdat de beoordeling van de prijsverantwoording niet meer bevatte dan een samenvatting van de door de inschrijver aangedragen redenen zonder enig spoor van een eigen inhoudelijke toetsing aan de opdrachtvoorwaarden.
Een stereotiepe motivering dat de prijzen 'normaal en aanvaardbaar' zijn, zonder concreet rekening te houden met aangeboden kortingen van 30 tot 40 procent, getuigt niet van een daadwerkelijke prijsverificatie
De Raad van State vernietigt de gunning van een dienstenopdracht voor boominventarisatie, omdat uit het administratief dossier niet blijkt dat de aanbestedende overheid een concrete prijsverificatie heeft uitgevoerd die rekening houdt met de aangeboden kortingen van 30 tot 40 procent bij toewijzing van beide loten, en de motivering in de gunningsbeslissing niet meer is dan een stereotiepe standaardzin.
Een aanbestedende overheid kan niet op grond van artikel 85 van de Overheidsopdrachtenwet afzien van een opdracht die reeds in uitvoeringsfase is getreden — ook niet als de formele kennisgeving ontbreekt
De Raad van State schorst de beslissing van een gemeente om de gunning van een raamovereenkomst voor periodieke controles in te trekken en af te zien van de opdracht, omdat de opdracht op het ogenblik van die beslissing reeds in een fase van uitvoering was getreden — er was een startbevel gegeven, er waren meer dan tachtig controles uitgevoerd — en artikel 85 van de Overheidsopdrachtenwet enkel kan worden ingeroepen tijdens de plaatsingsfase, niet nadat de uitvoering is begonnen.
Wanneer een inschrijver ook na een uitdrukkelijk verzoek om verduidelijking de gevraagde informatie niet verstrekt, is de aanbestedende overheid verhinderd de offerte te beoordelen en moet zij die nietig verklaren
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tot schorsing van de onregelmatigverklaring van een offerte voor duurzame energieopslag, omdat de inschrijver — ook na een uitdrukkelijk verduidelijkingsverzoek — de vereiste informatie over standby- en koelingsverbruik niet verstrekte, waardoor de aanbestedende overheid de offerte niet kon aftoetsen aan het subgunningscriterium OPEX en verplicht was de offerte nietig te verklaren.
Wanneer het bestek een ISO-norm voorschrijft als meetmethode en alle metingen consequent boven de maximaal toegelaten grens uitkomen, is de onregelmatigverklaring van de offerte niet onwettig — ook al komen eigen metingen van de inschrijver tot een ander resultaat
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tot schorsing van de onregelmatigverklaring van een offerte voor interventiebroeken, omdat het bestek uitdrukkelijk ISO 3801 als meetmethode voorschreef, alle laboratoriummetingen consequent een gewicht boven de maximaal toegelaten grens van 255 g/m² opleverden, en de inschrijver niet aannemelijk maakt dat het verschil tussen de eerste en tweede meting of haar eigen afwijkende metingen de wettigheid van de vaststelling aantasten.
Wanneer een minimumvereiste softwareontwikkeling vergt in plaats van standaard beschikbaar te zijn, volstaan vage beloftes over toekomstige ontwikkeling niet om aan te tonen dat de offerte conform is
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tot schorsing van de beslissing om een offerte voor een Resource Planning Tool als onregelmatig te weren, omdat twee minimumvereisten — het aanmaken van diensten/shifts vanuit boekingen en het definiëren van meerdere werkstelsels — softwareontwikkeling vergden in plaats van standaard beschikbaar te zijn, en de inschrijver geen concrete roadmap of financiële raming voorlegde om aan te tonen dat die ontwikkeling tijdig zou worden gerealiseerd.
Een kwalitatieve beoordeling waarbij dezelfde elementen uit een offerte bij meerdere gunningscriteria als min- of pluspunt worden meegenomen is niet onwettig, zolang de beoordeling telkens vanuit een ander kader en een andere invalshoek gebeurt
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tot schorsing van de gunning van een raamovereenkomst voor visuele en verbale branding van de Stad Brugge, omdat de verzoeker niet aannemelijk maakt dat het ontbreken van een vooraf bekendgemaakte beoordelingsmethodiek onwettig is wanneer de evaluatie op een voor de hand liggende manier besloten lag in de omschrijving van de gunningscriteria, en omdat het meenemen van dezelfde offerteaspecten bij meerdere gunningscriteria geen verboden dubbele beoordeling uitmaakt wanneer de beoordeling telkens vanuit een andere invalshoek gebeurt.
Adding up fee percentages as if they were euro amounts and then calling eight out of ten items 'negligible' — while each item accounts for 10% of the price criterion
The Council of State suspends the award of a framework contract for designers because the municipality of Evergem treated fee percentages as absolute amounts in its price investigation, and labelled eight of ten items as negligible while each represented a sub-award criterion worth 7 out of 70 points.
Your BAFO says the opposite of what you explained verbally? The BAFO prevails — and the contracting authority's silence during an earlier tender round is not approval
The Council of State rejects the suspension of the award of a framework agreement for the LON network at Antwerp Central Station, because a clause in the BAFO placing all costs except faulty maintenance on the contracting authority is incompatible with the required Full Omnium — even though the tenderer verbally stated the opposite.
Staples missing from the maintenance price: raising the wrong argument loses your case
The Council of State rejects a printer supplier's challenge against the declaration of irregularity of its tender for a federal framework agreement, because the tenderer argued in its application that staples were indeed included in the offer — whereas the actual issue was that their cost was not included in the maintenance price — and the correct argument was only raised at the hearing, which was too late.
Setting the threshold at 2% and then ignoring it: the Council rebukes the Walloon Region
The Council of State suspends the award of a dam renovation study because the Walloon Region treated posts worth 0.57% and 0.76% of the tender as non-negligible, despite having defined non-negligible posts as those exceeding 2% of the total tender amount — a clear violation of its own rules.
Stating that 'procurement rules were violated' and referring to attached emails does not constitute a legal argument — not even in urgent proceedings
The Council of State rejects an application for suspension of an award for print and lettering work because the petition contained no legal argument: it merely stated 'violation of procurement rules' and referred to attached email correspondence.
AV infrastructure for training centre PLOT: suspicions about technical compliance are not enough without proof
The Council of State rejects an AV supplier's challenge against the award of a contract for audiovisual infrastructure in a provincial training building, finding that an alleged notification defect does not affect the award decision's legality, the technical assessment motivation is adequate, and challenging the certification criterion is inadmissible due to lack of interest given a score difference of only 1.5 out of 100.
Night medical mail delivery Liège: price verification by hospital purchasing central sufficiently motivated despite succinct formulation
The Council of State rejects a challenge against the award of a contract for night medical mail delivery in the province of Liège, because the contracting authority — acting as purchasing central for four hospitals — conducted a genuine and concrete price verification under Article 36 of the Placement Royal Decree, and the decision's motivation, though succinct and allusive due to confidentiality requirements, sufficiently demonstrates that the chosen tenderer's prices are not abnormal.
Sewer inspection Kortrijk: suspension due to unjustified exclusion of tenderer proposing the same subcontractor as another tenderer
The Council of State suspends the non-selection of a tenderer for a sewer cleaning and inspection contract in Kortrijk, because no legal provision or specification prohibits a subcontractor from offering its services to multiple tenderers — the prohibition on multiple tenders (Article 54(2) of the Placement Royal Decree) applies to the tenderers themselves, not their subcontractors, even when the subcontracted work constitutes the core element of the contract.
Redeveloping a €16.5M square at zero public cost: if you don't include everything in the financial plan, you're out
The Council of State rejects a developer's challenge against the declaration of irregularity of its tender for a major public square redevelopment, finding that omitting certain facilities from the financial plan — while including them in descriptive notes — constitutes a substantive irregularity that prevents comparison with other tenders, and the contracting authority was not obliged to allow regularisation.
Event expert culture EventFlanders: references as assessment element within quality award criterion and score reduction after interview
The Council of State rejects a challenge against the award of a consultancy contract for a culture event expert at EventFlanders, because the specifications treat references not as an independent sub-criterion but as an assessment element for evaluating the proposed individual's experience, and because the authority was not required to further assess the applicant's references after the interview revealed the proposed expert could not clarify his specific role in those references.
Hockey field conversion Evere: comment in offer about connecting to existing pipes does not render offer irregular when unit price covers full replacement
The Council of State rejects a challenge against the award of works for converting a hockey field in Evere, because the chosen tenderer's comment that sprinkler cannons would be connected to existing pipes does not render the offer substantially irregular — the unit price is comparable to other tenderers and covers full replacement, and the final execution method will be decided during works after inspection of the existing system.
DIFTAR software IVIO: suspension due to invalid declaration of substantial irregularity of offer with zero prices for required options
The Council of State suspends the award of a public contract for DIFTAR software because the declaration of substantial irregularity of the applicant's offer — which quoted zero prices for five required options — is not properly motivated: the offer does contain a description of the options, the zero price constitutes a valid price commitment, and the comparability of offers is not affected since the total price is the sole award criterion.
Bailiff services for forced debt recovery: not a public contract, but still a competitive process
The Council of State rejects a bailiff firm's challenge against the award of a contract for forced recovery of municipal debts, finding that such bailiff services — as exercise of public authority — are excluded from the Public Procurement Act under article 28 §1, 4°, e), meaning the expedited procedures of the Remedies Act are unavailable and the applicant failed to prove urgency.
Connection of Ghlin reservoirs to ORES network: suspension due to manifestly unreasonable decision not to postpone deadline after platform outage in last two hours
The Council of State suspends a contract award for connecting reservoirs to the ORES network, because the contracting authority committed a manifest error by not postponing the submission deadline after the e-Procurement platform's signature service was unavailable for over an hour during the last two hours before the deadline — the fact that one other tenderer could sign at the same time does not disprove the applicant's difficulties when the support service itself only confirmed 'a priori' that signatures should have been functional again.
Wanneer de aanbestedende overheid de gunning intrekt nadat een schorsingsarrest is gewezen, wordt het afstand van geding vastgesteld en draagt de overheid de kosten
De Raad van State stelt het afstand van geding vast in het vernietigingsberoep tegen de beslissing van de NMBS om de offerte van AGC Glass Europe als laattijdig te verwerpen, nadat de NMBS in de loop van de procedure had afgezien van de gunning van de opdracht — de eerder bevolen schorsing wordt opgeheven en de kosten vallen ten laste van de NMBS.
Een gunningscriterium dat het verschil in RIZIV-terugbetaling tussen biosimilairen en een origineel geneesmiddel verrekent in de 'nettokost voor het ziekenhuis' kan de mededinging vervalsen en het gelijkheidsbeginsel schenden — ook al identificeert het de economisch voordeligste offerte voor het ziekenhuis
De Raad van State schorst de gunning van een raamovereenkomst voor de levering van groeifactoren (G-CSF) aan ziekenhuizen, omdat het gunningscriterium 'nettokost voor het ziekenhuis' — dat de RIZIV-terugbetaling verrekent in de prijsscore — een structureel concurrentievoordeel van 209,88 euro toekent aan de enige producent van het originele geneesmiddel Lonquex (lipegfilgrastim), waardoor producenten van biosimilairen op basis van pegfilgrastim feitelijk niet kunnen mededingen, zelfs niet met een nulprijs.
Taxi transport for wheelchair users FEDASIL: suspension due to insufficiently precise inventory items enabling price speculation
The Council of State suspends the award of a public contract for taxi and wheelchair transport from the Grimbergen reception centre, because two inventory items — 'WHEELCHAIR TRANSPORT' without any destination indication and 'transfer to other centres (e.g. Jabbeke)' with an unjustified average distance of 60 km — were insufficiently precise to exclude price speculation, violating the transparency principle and the requirement of genuine competition.
Eight grounds over 104 pages in an extreme-urgency petition? The Council of State reads that as proof the case isn't serious
The Belgian Council of State rejects Etude Bordet's extreme-urgency suspension against an SWDE water-collections contract awarded to Venturis, noting explicitly that an extreme-urgency petition setting out eight grounds over more than a hundred pages is hardly compatible with the 'apparent illegality' such a suspension requires.
Winter services Bastogne: abandonment of procedure and relaunch annulled for exceeding time-limited and purpose-bound delegation of authority
The Council of State annuls SOFICO's decision to abandon a procurement procedure for winter road services in the Bastogne district and launch a new procedure for 2021-2024, because the delegation to the president and director-general was exclusively justified by the imperative need to be operational by 15 October 2020 — a decision taken on 21 December 2020 to launch a new procedure for three subsequent winter periods manifestly exceeded the delegation's scope.
Winter services Bastogne: no damages despite annulment of award — applicant fails to prove extent of loss because he performed the services through his own company and as subcontractor
The Council of State rejects a claim for €42,070 in damages following the annulment of a winter services award in the Bastogne district, because the automatic 10% indemnity (article 16(3) of the Act of 17 June 2013) only applies when the contract was actually concluded — here the contract was never concluded as the suspension intervened before conclusion — and the applicant fails to demonstrate the extent of his damage, since his company (in which he holds 180 of 186 shares) obtained the replacement contract and he personally performed as subcontractor for the first winter period.
Road maintenance Baelen: price justification based on subcontractor offer for different quantities is manifestly unreasonable
The Council of State annuls the award of a road maintenance framework agreement because the contracting authority could not accept the winning tenderer's price justification for three bituminous surface treatment items — a mere reference to a subcontractor's offer without detailed substantiation is insufficient, and the subcontractor calculated prices based on 1,000 m² while the bill of quantities specified 100 m², meaning the unit prices for the bill quantities were not justified.
One word in your petition's title — 'extrême' — decides whether your suspension is even heard
The Belgian Council of State rules Digicatalyst's suspension petition against a Brussels parking-agency contract inadmissible because the petition was titled 'Requête d'annulation' and only invoked 'urgence' instead of the 'extrême urgence' mandated by Article 15 of the 2013 Public Procurement Remedies Act.
Catering services for crematoria: eighteen-month-old insurance certificate does not qualify as 'valid current certificate' — tenderer bears responsibility
The Council of State rejects a catering company's challenge against its non-selection for a framework agreement for crematorium catering services, because an insurance certificate dating from eighteen months before the submission deadline is not a valid current certificate — the contracting authority is not obliged to request clarification on deficiencies resulting from the tenderer's own negligence, and submitting recent certificates in judicial proceedings is incompatible with equal treatment.
Selection criterion in specifications sharpening the contract notice: non-selection based on unannounced minimum requirement suspended
The Council of State suspends the non-selection of a signage and exhibition material supplier by VDAB, because the requirement that references relate to exhibitions with at least 70 stands was only included in the specifications and not in the mandatory contract notice — specifications may repeat but not tighten selection criteria beyond the contract notice.
Een diepgaand algemeen prijsonderzoek met gedetailleerde prijstoelichtingen en stavingsstukken kan volstaan om een aanzienlijk lagere prijs als normaal te aanvaarden — zonder dat de overheid verplicht is tot een formeel bijzonder prijsonderzoek over te gaan
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tot schorsing van de gunning van een opdracht voor het drukken en couverteren van transactioneel drukwerk voor de FOD Financiën, omdat de aanbestedende overheid — na intrekking van een eerder geschorste gunningsbeslissing — een nieuw en diepgaand algemeen prijsonderzoek heeft gevoerd waarin de gekozen inschrijver zijn aanzienlijk lagere totaal- en eenheidsprijzen gedetailleerd en cijfermatig heeft verantwoord met stavingsstukken, zodat de overheid rechtmatig kon besluiten dat de prijzen normaal waren zonder tot een formeel bijzonder prijsonderzoek over te gaan.
Wanneer de aanbestedende overheid de bestreden gunningsbeslissing intrekt, verliest de verzoeker zijn belang bij de schorsingsvordering — maar de kosten vallen ten laste van de overheid
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tot schorsing van de gunning van een overheidsopdracht voor communicatiediensten voor Brugel als onontvankelijk, omdat de aanbestedende overheid de bestreden gunningsbeslissing heeft ingetrokken met terugwerkende kracht, zodat de verzoeker niet langer benadeeld is of dreigt te worden — maar de procedurekosten worden ten laste van de overheid gelegd, die door de intrekking als de in het ongelijk gestelde partij wordt beschouwd.
Een vernietiging op vordering van een andere inschrijver doet het beroep tot nietigverklaring zijn voorwerp verliezen, maar niet de vordering tot schadevergoeding tot herstel — waarvoor de middelen alsnog moeten worden onderzocht
De Raad van State stelt vast dat het beroep tot nietigverklaring van de gunning van een opdracht voor gerechtsdeurwaarderdiensten voor de stad Fontaine-l'Évêque zijn voorwerp heeft verloren doordat dezelfde beslissing reeds is vernietigd in een parallel beroep van een andere inschrijver (arrest nr. 262.783), maar heropent de debatten en verwijst de zaak naar de gewone procedure om de middelen alsnog te onderzoeken in het licht van de vordering tot schadevergoeding tot herstel die de verzoekers nadien hebben ingesteld.
De intrekking van de bestreden gunningsbeslissing na een schorsingsvordering maakt die vordering onontvankelijk — maar de kosten vallen ten laste van de aanbestedende overheid
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tot schorsing van de gunning van werken aan de maison rurale de Godinne als onontvankelijk, omdat de gemeente Yvoir de bestreden gunningsbeslissing heeft ingetrokken met terugwerkende kracht — waardoor de verzoeker niet langer benadeeld is — en legt de proceskosten ten laste van de gemeente.
If you don't challenge a procurement withdrawal head-on, you can't attack it later through the back door
The Council of State rejects two annulment actions against a restarted procurement because the applicant is in reality attacking an earlier withdrawal decision whose lawfulness has already been definitively confirmed in prior rulings.
Framework agreement for public cloud Copernicus data: competitive advantage from prior involvement in earth observation programme is legitimate
The Council of State rejects a cloud service provider's challenge against the award of an IaaS framework agreement for Copernicus earth observation data, finding that the winning tenderer's competitive advantage — having the data already available on its cloud through involvement in the Copernicus programme — is legitimate, the price investigation for intellectual services with wide price margins was diligent, and the lower technical quality score was attributable to the applicant's own failure to provide concrete information on scalability and data capacity.
An unsigned internal spreadsheet as your sole proof of bankruptcy risk won't buy you a suspension
The Council of State rejects Lime's suspension action against a Brussels license award because the alleged threat to economic viability rests on a single confidential, unsigned document, and because Lime itself contributed to the damage by substantially expanding its fleet after being warned its license would expire.
De regularisatiemogelijkheid voor fiscale schulden geldt ook bij dwingende spoed — en dwingende redenen van algemeen belang laten juist toe om voorbij te gaan aan de uitsluiting zelf, niet aan de regularisatieplicht
De Raad van State vernietigt de gunning van een opdracht voor elektriciteitslevering aan de stad Sint-Niklaas, omdat de aanbestedende overheid een inschrijver met fiscale schulden heeft uitgesloten zonder hem de wettelijk verplichte eenmalige regularisatiemogelijkheid van vijf werkdagen te bieden — terwijl dwingende spoed geen rechtvaardiging vormt om de regularisatieplicht over te slaan, en de wet integendeel voorziet dat dwingende redenen van algemeen belang toelaten om de verplichte uitsluiting zelf buiten toepassing te laten.
Een kleine schapenhouder die zijn lage prijs verantwoordt met zijn unieke bedrijfsmodel maar nalaat dat cijfermatig te staven, draagt het risico van de ontoereikende bewijsvoering — en de overheid hoeft haar eigen marktgegevens niet te delen als die in het algemeen prijsonderzoek zijn gebruikt
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tot schorsing van de gunning van een opdracht voor schapenbegrazing op dijken langs de Zeeschelde, omdat de aanbestedende overheid binnen de grenzen van een zorgvuldige beoordeling is gebleven door de offerte substantieel onregelmatig te verklaren wegens een onvoldoende onderbouwde prijsverantwoording — en omdat de marktgegevens van andere opdrachten als referentiekader in het algemeen prijsonderzoek zijn gebruikt en niet als externe inlichtingen in het bijzonder prijsonderzoek, zodat de overheid die niet aan de inschrijver hoefde voor te leggen.
An annulment action that lasts less than a month: the municipality simply withdraws — and pays €996 to the unsuccessful surveyor
The Council of State dismisses the annulment action filed by BV T. against the award decision of the Oudsbergen municipality because that decision has since been withdrawn, but orders the municipality to bear €996 in procedural costs because it was the authority that deprived the action of its purpose.
When the contracting authority withdraws after a suspension, you don't need an annulment action — and you still recover your costs
The Council of State formally lifts the earlier-granted suspension and orders Logivesdre to bear the procedural costs, because the authority itself withdrew the contested award decision — meaning the applicants did not need to file an annulment action.
If the contracting authority withdraws the contested decision, you end up as the 'winning party' — even when your appeal loses its object
The Council of State declares the action without object after the contracting authority's withdrawal, but still orders the authority to bear the full procedural costs (€1,218) because the disappearance of the contested act is treated as equivalent to an annulment.
Your suspension is a deposit, not a final victory — miss the annulment action and it evaporates
The Council of State automatically lifts a previously granted suspension because Eloy Travaux failed to file an annulment action after the 20 January 2025 suspension, and orders the contractor to bear the costs.
When the contracting authority withdraws its award after your suspension, your annulment action is declared moot — but you still recover the procedural indemnity
The Council of State lifts the extreme-urgency suspension of 24 January 2025, declares the annulment action devoid of purpose, and orders the Flemish Community to bear the costs (€1,372 to the applicant and €150 to the intervening party) because the authority itself withdrew the contested award decision after the suspension.
Een prijsverantwoording die uitgaat van een niet-bestekconforme uitvoering kan niet worden aanvaard — en de loutere mededeling van de prijs van een onderaannemer neemt de schijn van abnormaliteit niet weg
De Raad van State vernietigt de gunning van werken voor de nieuwbouw van een sportgebouw in Wichelen, omdat de aanbestedende overheid de prijsverantwoording van de eerste gerangschikte inschrijver voor gevelpanelen in architectonisch beton heeft aanvaard terwijl die verantwoording was gebaseerd op zelfproductie — wat niet bestekconform was aangezien het bestek prefabricatie door een Febelarch-lid in onderaanneming voorschreef — en de prijsverantwoording van de tweede gerangschikte inschrijver voor aluminium schrijnwerk louter bestond uit de prijs van een onderaannemer vermeerderd met een winstmarge, zonder concrete en objectieve verklarende factoren.
Wie een prijsformule in het bestek opneemt die niet werkt bij een nulprijs, kan die formule niet omzeilen door beide offertes het maximum te geven — en de onmogelijkheid om de formule toe te passen ontslaat de overheid niet van haar wettelijke verplichtingen
De Raad van State schorst de gunning van een raamovereenkomst voor maaltijdcheques en geschenkcheques voor het personeel van Actiris, omdat de aanbestedende overheid de prijsformule uit het bestek niet kon toepassen wegens een nulprijs in een van de offertes en vervolgens aan beide offertes het maximum van 35 punten toekende — waardoor twee offertes met een verschillende prijs gelijk werden behandeld en het prijscriterium werd uitgehold, in strijd met het gelijkheidsbeginsel en het transparantiebeginsel.
After a suspension the contracting authority withdraws — applicant still pockets €770
The Council of State declares Safe & Sound's annulment appeal moot after La Sambrienne withdrew its decision declaring the firm's bid irregular, and orders the contracting authority to pay all costs including a €770 procedural indemnity.
Two procedures, one indemnity: no double €770 when the case becomes moot
The Council of State declares Cohezio's annulment appeal against the award of the SEPPT contract to CESI moot after the contracting authority withdrew the decision, but grants Cohezio only one €770 procedural indemnity — not two — despite its parallel suspension proceedings.
Lose your urgent suspension and still pocket €770 — how does that work?
The Council of State declares the annulment appeal of auditor firm Callens, Vandelanotte & Theunissen against the irregularity ruling for the CAPAC auditor contract moot, and grants €770 in procedural indemnity — even though the applicant had lost its earlier urgent suspension.
Wanneer de aanbestedende overheid de plaatsingsprocedure stopzet en de bestreden beslissingen daardoor impliciet intrekt, verliest het beroep zijn voorwerp — en draagt de overheid de kosten als de partij die in het ongelijk is gesteld
De Raad van State stelt vast dat het beroep tegen de aankondiging en de selectiecriteria van een raamovereenkomst voor hoogwerkers met onderhoud zijn voorwerp heeft verloren, omdat de aanbestedende overheid de niet-selectiebeslissing heeft ingetrokken en de plaatsingsprocedure heeft stopgezet — wat de bestreden besluiten impliciet intrekt — en verwijst de overheid in de kosten omdat de verdwijning van de bestreden beslissingen een surrogaat van vernietiging vormt.
Wie de samenstelling van een consortium wijzigt zonder voorafgaand schriftelijk akkoord van de aanbestedende overheid, is geen 'geselecteerde deelnemer' meer — en heeft geen belang om de stopzetting van de procedure aan te vechten
De Raad van State verwerpt het vernietigingsberoep tegen de stopzetting van een concurrentiegerichte dialoog voor de valorisatie van het energiepotentieel van het Waalse wegen- en waterwegendomein, omdat de drie verzoekers — die zonder voorafgaand schriftelijk akkoord een vierde consortiumlid hadden gedegradeerd tot bevoorrechte onderaannemer — niet langer een 'geselecteerde deelnemer' waren in de zin van artikel 39 van de wet van 17 juni 2016, en dus geen belang hadden bij de vernietiging van de stopzettingsbeslissing.
Een beschrijvende opsomming van de inhoud van offertes is geen evaluatie — de motivering moet uitleggen waarom de ene offerte beter scoort dan de andere
De Raad van State schorst de gunning van een raamovereenkomst voor fietsleasing voor het personeel van Vivalia, omdat het gunningsverslag zich voor het criterium dienst na verkoop beperkte tot een beschrijvende opsomming van wat elke offerte bevatte, zonder te evalueren waarom de ene offerte beter scoorde dan de andere — terwijl de offerte van de verzoeker op bepaalde punten ruimere diensten aanbood dan die van de gekozen inschrijver.
Stopzetting van de plaatsingsprocedure en intrekking van het bestek na een vordering tegen de bestekbeslissing maken de vordering onontvankelijk — de kosten zijn voor de verwerende partij
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tot schorsing bij uiterst dringende noodzakelijkheid van de goedkeuring van een bestek voor hemodiafiltratie-apparatuur, omdat de verwerende partij de bestreden beslissing impliciet had ingetrokken door de plaatsingsprocedure stop te zetten wegens de noodzaak het bestek te herzien.
Gunningscriteria die kortere uitvoeringstermijnen belonen, zijn geen vrijbrief om minimale veiligheidseisen in het bestek naast je neer te leggen
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering van de tweede geweerde inschrijver tegen dezelfde gunning voor asbestverwijdering in tunnel 't Zand, en bevestigt dat de eis om het rijden naast een hermetische zone zoveel mogelijk te beperken een minimale bestekeis is — ook al creëren de gunningscriteria voor uitvoeringstermijn en beperking van tunnelsluiting een stimulans om het verkeer zo lang mogelijk open te houden.
Een bestekeis die 'zoveel mogelijk' iets vereist, kan toch een minimale eis zijn als dat uit het geheel van de bestekbepalingen en het voorwerp van de opdracht volgt
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tot schorsing bij uiterst dringende noodzakelijkheid van de gunning van een opdracht voor asbestverwijdering in een verkeerstunnel, omdat de eis om het rijden naast een hermetische zone 'zoveel mogelijk te beperken' — hoewel niet uitdrukkelijk als minimale eis aangeduid — uit het geheel van de bestekbepalingen en de twee voorgestelde faseringen wel degelijk als minimale vereiste kon worden afgeleid, en de offerte van de verzoeker daar fundamenteel van afweek door verkeer over de volledige lengte van de tunnel naast de hermetische zone te laten rijden.
Beoordelingselementen bij een gunningscriterium zijn geen subgunningscriteria — ze vragen geen afzonderlijke motivering per onderdeel, en de motivering moet in haar geheel worden gelezen
De Raad van State verwerpt — tegen het andersluidend advies van de auditeur in — de vordering tegen de gunning van scenografische werken voor het MAP-Mercator museum in Sint-Niklaas, omdat de beoordelingselementen bij het kwaliteitscriterium (esthetiek, technieken, draagkracht, opbouw, duurzaamheid) geen subgunningscriteria zijn die elk een afzonderlijke motivering of quotering vereisen, het gebruik van het woord 'goed' in de motivering een globale score van 'zeer goed' niet uitsluit, en een vintage stijl die uit de bijgevoegde ontwerpschetsen kon worden afgeleid een legitiem referentiekader voor de esthetische beoordeling vormde.
De intrekking van de gunningsbeslissing maakt de vordering tot schorsing onontvankelijk — ook al zou de intrekkingsbeslissing later zelf kunnen worden ingetrokken of vernietigd
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tot schorsing bij uiterst dringende noodzakelijkheid van de gunning van een opdracht voor de 24/7-exploitatie van de radiodispatching van Brussel Mobiliteit, omdat de verwerende partij de gunningsbeslissing had ingetrokken met terugwerkende kracht — zodat de verzoeker op het ogenblik van de uitspraak niet meer was of dreigde te worden geschaad, en het louter hypothetische scenario dat de intrekkingsbeslissing later zou worden herroepen niet in aanmerking kon worden genomen.
A registered letter from the Council of State left unclaimed? Six years of litigation for nothing
The Council of State declares the applicant's withdrawal in a six-year-old annulment case against a selection decision by TMVW (Flemish water utility), because the applicant left a registered letter with the negative auditor's report unclaimed at bpost and then failed to file a request to continue proceedings.
Afstand van geding vóór de terechtzitting leidt niet automatisch tot verlaging van de rechtsplegingsvergoeding — de criteria voor afwijking van het basisbedrag zijn limitatief
De Raad van State verleent akte van de afstand van geding in een vordering tegen de niet-selectie voor een raamovereenkomst voor cateringdiensten in crematoria, en kent het basisbedrag van de rechtsplegingsvergoeding toe aan de verwerende partij — omdat het tijdstip van de afstand geen wettelijk criterium is om af te wijken van het basisbedrag en de verwerende partij al een inhoudelijke nota had ingediend.
Wie een prijsverantwoording voor de totaalprijs aanvaardt, moet de opgegeven elementen concreet bespreken en evalueren — niet louter opsommen en besluiten dat de prijs niet abnormaal is
De Raad van State vernietigt via de versnelde rechtspleging de gunning van werken voor de renovatie van de renbaan en de historische omheining van de renbaan van Bosvoorde, omdat de aanbestedende overheid de prijsverantwoording van de gekozen inschrijver aanvaardde door de opgegeven elementen — ervaring, investeringen, eerdere werken — louter op te sommen zonder ze concreet te evalueren, terwijl de verantwoording geen enkele cijfermatige onderbouwing bevatte en de aangekondigde berekeningen niet waren bijgevoegd.
Een nulprijs voor een post die een afzonderlijk subgunningscriterium vormt, is substantieel onregelmatig wanneer de kosten in werkelijkheid naar een andere post zijn verschoven
De Raad van State vernietigt de gunning van een opdracht voor videobelsoftware voor de 112-noodcentrale en brandweerdispatching, omdat de gekozen inschrijver een nulprijs opgaf voor de post implementatie — een afzonderlijk subgunningscriterium — terwijl uit zijn eigen offerte bleek dat hij daar wel degelijk prestaties voor moest leveren, waardoor de kosten ten onrechte naar het andere subgunningscriterium waren verschoven en de vergelijkbaarheid van de offertes was verhinderd.
Wie bij het prijsonderzoek steunt op eigen gegevens die niet van de inschrijver komen, moet die gegevens eerst aan de inschrijver voorleggen — en ze controleerbaar motiveren in het gunningsverslag
De Raad van State schorst de gunning van een raamovereenkomst voor groenbeheerwerken langs kanalen en waterlopen, omdat de aanbestedende overheid de offerte van de verzoeker onregelmatig verklaarde op basis van eigen houtopbrengstcijfers uit een eerdere opdracht en een extern advies — zonder die gegevens eerst aan de inschrijver voor te leggen zodat hij erop kon reageren, en zonder in het gunningsverslag de bron of context van die cijfers te vermelden.
Intrekking van de gunningsbeslissing en stopzetting van de plaatsingsprocedure maken de vordering tot schorsing zonder voorwerp — ook het onderdeel tegen de bestekbeslissing
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tot schorsing bij uiterst dringende noodzakelijkheid van de gunning van een opdracht voor de inzameling van gebruikt textiel, omdat de gemeente de gunningsbeslissing had ingetrokken en de plaatsingsprocedure had stopgezet, waardoor de vordering zonder voorwerp was geworden en de verzoekende partijen ook geen belang meer hadden bij de schorsing van de bestekbeslissing.
Afstand van geding bij een vordering tot schorsing van de gunning van dakwerken en gevelbekleding aan een middelbare school
De Raad van State verleent akte van de afstand van geding door de verzoekende partij in een vordering tot schorsing bij uiterst dringende noodzakelijkheid tegen de gunning van een opdracht voor dakwerken en gevelbekleding bij de verbouwing van een middelbare school.
Forgot to pay the €226 filing fee? Your urgent suspension is automatically dismissed
The Council of State dismisses an urgent suspension request against the award of a school renovation works package, because the applicant neither attended the hearing nor paid the €200 filing fee and €26 contribution before the close of debate.
Afstand van geding door de verzoeker — wie afziet van zijn beroep draagt de proceskosten
De Raad van State neemt akte van de afstand van geding door SRL Postalia Belgium in een vernietigingsberoep tegen de gunning van een opdracht voor postdiensten aan de gemeente Courcelles, en legt de proceskosten — inclusief een rechtsplegingsvergoeding van 770 euro — ten laste van de verzoeker.
Winning a suspension ruling doesn't guarantee you'll get the contract — the authority can terminate the entire procedure
The Council of State rejects an appeal against the termination of a procurement procedure for a Medical First Responder study, because a prior suspension ruling that found the selection criterion at least ambiguous is in itself a sufficient ground to terminate and redraft the tender specifications.
Not examining the cheapest tender while you budgeted for 25% indexation — that's not price verification
The Council of State annuls the award of an auditor contract by the Walloon agency AViQ because the contracting authority extensively analyzed the more expensive tenders but said nothing about the remarkably low price of the winner — which was at the same level as the previous contract, despite the estimate including 25% indexation.
Inadequate motivation of sub-criteria is insufficient when the points gap is too large to affect the outcome
The Council of State rejects an IT training company's challenge against the award of a framework agreement for IT training services (game design, motion design, compositing VFX), holding that while some sub-criteria were inadequately motivated, the affected points were too few to bridge the gap with the threshold or the first-ranked tenderer, the criticism of trainer qualifications was unsubstantiated, and inviting only one tenderer for a price-only BAFO did not violate the equality principle since the applicant already had the lowest price.
Intrekking van de gunningsbeslissing maakt de vordering tot schorsing zonder voorwerp
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tegen de gunning van een raamovereenkomst voor signalisatie- en beursmateriaal, omdat de VDAB de bestreden gunningsbeslissing had ingetrokken vóór de terechtzitting, waardoor de vordering — ook wat de impliciete beslissing tot niet-gunning betreft — zonder voorwerp was geworden.
Withdrawing your appeal isn't free — even when there's no apparent 'loser'
A contractor who withdraws its emergency suspension request against the municipality of Grimbergen asks for a refund of court fees because there is 'no losing party', but the Council of State rules that whoever withdraws is by definition the unsuccessful party — and pays.
Een aanbestedende overheid mag de erkenning herklassificeren naar de subcategorie die financieel het zwaarst doorweegt — en wie dat pas in de procedure betwist na eerst inhoudelijk te hebben geargumenteerd, verliest zijn recht om de formele motivering aan te vechten
De Raad van State verwerpt het vernietigingsberoep tegen de gunning van de renovatie van de Regenboogbrug te Waregem, omdat de aanbestedende overheid de erkenningsvereiste terecht mocht herklassificeren van de categorieën D, F en G naar subcategorie F2 op basis van het financiële zwaartepunt van de staalconstructiewerken, en omdat de verzoeker haar grief over de gebrekkige formele motivering impliciet had prijsgegeven door in latere procedurestukken uitsluitend inhoudelijk over de herklassificatie te argumenteren.
Een referentie voor een privaat revalidatiezwembad is geen referentie voor een publiek toegankelijk zwembad — en wie een referentie niet toewijst aan het juiste selectiecriterium, draagt zelf het risico
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tegen de niet-selectie van een design-buildteam voor de bouw van een openbaar zwembad te Leopoldsburg, omdat hun referentie 'Bosuil' — een privaat revalidatiecentrum voor profvoetballers — geen publiek toegankelijk zwembad was in de gewone betekenis van dat begrip, en omdat zij hun enige relevante zwembadreferentie in de informatiefiche bij hun aanvraag tot deelneming zelf niet hadden toegewezen aan het selectiecriterium 'Ontwerp – deel technieken'.
Een louter beschrijvende beoordeling van offertes volstaat niet — de motivering moet voor elk beoordelingselement uit het bestek aangeven of en waarom een offerte beter of minder goed scoort
De Raad van State schorst voor de tweede maal de gunning van een architectuuropdracht voor 45 studentenwoningen in Doornik, omdat het nieuwe gunningsverslag — opgesteld na een eerste schorsingsarrest wegens motiveringsgebreken — opnieuw faalde in de formele motivering: de beoordeling van de offertes was louter beschrijvend zonder aan te geven of elementen positief of negatief werden gewaardeerd, gebruikte niet dezelfde beoordelingselementen voor elke offerte, en behandelde niet alle in het bestek aangekondigde beoordelingselementen voor het tweede criterium.
Een vordering bij uiterst dringende noodzakelijkheid vereist minstens één ernstig middel — feitelijke grieven zonder verwijzing naar een geschonden rechtsregel volstaan niet
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering van een Duitse GmbH tegen de gunning van een opdracht voor containers met chips voor de regio IMOG als niet-ontvankelijk, omdat het verzoekschrift geen ernstig middel bevatte: de verzoekende partij klaagde over een 'gebrekkige' en 'niet-transparante' beoordeling en over 'misbruik van discretionaire bevoegdheid', maar gaf nergens aan welke concrete rechtsregel was geschonden en hoe — en het komt niet aan het auditoraat of de Raad van State toe om in de plaats van de verzoekende partij het middel te formuleren.
If you bid as part of a consortium, you can't suddenly litigate alone — even if the procurement platform only shows your number
The Council of State declares Victor Cab's urgent suspension request against the award to Blue Cabs inadmissible because the offer for the Brussels disabled-passenger taxi contract worth €59.4 million was filed by the eighteen-company consortium 'GOE Victor Cab' — not by Victor Cab Ltd alone — despite the e-procurement system showing only the latter's company number.
Vijf opeenvolgende beroepen tegen dezelfde opdracht leiden niet automatisch tot een verhoogde rechtsplegingsvergoeding wegens 'kennelijk onredelijke situatie'
De Raad van State stelt vast dat het beroep tegen de vijfde opeenvolgende gunningsbeslissing voor een opdracht voor onderhoud van autosnelwegbermen zonder voorwerp is geworden na intrekking, maar kent slechts het basisbedrag van 770 euro aan rechtsplegingsvergoeding toe — het loutere feit dat dezelfde opdracht al vijfmaal aanleiding heeft gegeven tot gecensureerde beslissingen maakt op zich geen 'kennelijk onredelijke situatie' uit in de zin van artikel 30/1 van de Gecoördineerde Wetten op de Raad van State.
RTBF could not procure its own statutory auditor — that power belongs to the French Community Government
The Council of State annuls RTBF's decision to designate its statutory auditor for 2023-2025 via a public procurement procedure, because the decree of 9 January 2003 vests that designation power exclusively in the French Community Government — a mere formal post-hoc approval does not suffice.
Technisch complexe gunningscriteria vereisen een correct begrip van de onderliggende normen — verwarring tussen typegoedkeuring en individuele kalibratie leidt tot een ongegrond middel
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tot schorsing van de gunning van een opdracht voor 33 fijnstofmonitoren PM10/PM2,5 aan NV E., omdat de verzoekende partij ten onrechte het glijdend gemiddelde van 900 seconden gelijkstelde met de temporele resolutie van de monitor — terwijl de begunstigde wel degelijk beschikte over een meetresolutie van 1 seconde en 1 minuut — en ten onrechte de kalibratievereisten van hoofdstuk 7 van EN 16450:2017 (typegoedkeuring) transponeerde naar punt 8.4.10 (individuele kalibratie), terwijl de monitor van de begunstigde beschikte over een ingebouwde kalibratietool die door de norm werd erkend.
Technische vereisten in het bestek zijn geen verborgen selectiecriteria — het onderscheid tussen kwalitatieve selectie en regelmatigheid van de offerte
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tot schorsing van de gunning van een opdracht voor verhuisdiensten in de speciale sectoren, omdat de verzoekende partij ten onrechte aanvoerde dat de aanbestedende entiteit verborgen selectiecriteria hanteerde: de loutere vermelding van onderaanneming in het offerteformulier impliceert geen beoordeling van technische bekwaamheid, een standaardclausule over onderaannemers die verwijst naar 'kwalitatieve selectie' is een zinledige clausule wanneer het bestek uitdrukkelijk geen selectiecriteria vaststelt, en vereisten inzake personeel en materieel 'op straffe van uitsluiting' zijn technische specificaties die de regelmatigheid betreffen — niet de selectie.
Prijsverificatie op basis van een 'gelijkaardige eerdere opdracht' vereist een daadwerkelijke en onderbouwde vergelijking — een referentie die 28 keer groter is zonder volumecorrectie volstaat niet
De Raad van State schorst voor de derde maal de gunning van een opdracht voor medische postbedeling door SC HUMANI, omdat de prijsverificatie steunde op een zogenaamd gelijkaardige opdracht van de intercommunale ISPPC uit 2018 die 28 keer groter was, zonder enige herberekening om het prijsverschil te corrigeren voor de verschillende volumes — waardoor een reconstructie juist een prijs opleverde die 44 procent hoger lag dan de aanvaarde offerte — en zonder de beweerde marktontwikkeling sinds 2018 te staven.
Een laconieke vaststelling dat uitvoering 'materieel onmogelijk' is, volstaat niet als motivering voor de onregelmatigheid van een offerte
De Raad van State schorst de gunning van een opdracht voor groenonderhoud door de gemeente Paliseul, omdat de onregelmatigverklaring van de offerte van de laagste inschrijver steunde op één enkele laconieke zin — dat het 'materieel onmogelijk' was voor één persoon om het werk binnen de geschatte uren uit te voeren — zonder enige onderbouwing door middel van vergelijkingen met andere offertes, eigen ervaringscijfers of referentieopdrachten, en een aanvullend argument dat pas voor het eerst in de procedure voor de Raad van State werd aangevoerd het motiveringsgebrek niet achteraf kon herstellen.
Telling the story of what went wrong is not a legal argument — without naming the rule that was breached, you get no merits review
The Council of State rejects L.G.C. Ltd's appeal against the award by Hasselt University of a contract for nitrogen tanks because the petition merely lists facts without naming the legal rules allegedly breached — and without a legal ground, the appeal is inadmissible.
Loutere verwijzing naar de offerte van een onderaannemer plus overhead is geen afdoende prijsverantwoording — de inschrijver moet de uitvoeringsmethode en het rendement toelichten
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tot schorsing van de onregelmatigverklaring van de offerte van de tijdelijke maatschap SOCOGETRA-BESIX voor de grondige renovatie van het Viaduc Villette van de metro van Charleroi, omdat de prijsverantwoording voor post 289 (levering Californisch wissel) louter bestond uit de offerte van een onder-onderaannemer vermeerderd met algemene kosten, zonder enige toelichting bij de uitvoeringsmethode of het rendement — terwijl het bestek een gedetailleerde fabricagebeschrijving bevatte en de eenheidsprijs aanzienlijk lager lag dan die van de andere inschrijvers.
Unilateral termination of a public contract for political reasons? Still the jurisdiction of the civil courts — not the Council of State
When a contracting authority unilaterally terminates a public works contract on the basis of Article 1794 of the old Belgian Civil Code, it exercises a contractual prerogative — even when the real reason is political (the Walloon Government's post-election 2024 decision to abandon the Liège tram project) — and the Council of State is prima facie without jurisdiction.
Dubbelzinnige motivering bij prijsonderzoek volstaat niet — de inschrijver moet kunnen begrijpen of zijn verantwoording als niet-ontvankelijk of als ongegrond is afgewezen
De Raad van State schorst de onregelmatigverklaring van de offerte van SA A2 voor wegenwerken in de gemeente Boussu, omdat de motivering dubbelzinnig was op twee punten: enerzijds bleek niet of de prijsverantwoording als niet-ontvankelijk dan wel als inhoudelijk ongegrond was beoordeeld, anderzijds was niet vast te stellen of de eigenlijke gronden voor de uitsluiting die waren uit de deels gecensureerde versie van het verslag van nazicht of die uit de gunningsbeslissing zelf — en vertrouwelijkheid rechtvaardigt weliswaar een beknopte motivering, maar geen buitensporig laconieke.
De Raad van State heeft geen rechtsmacht als het beroep in werkelijkheid een contractueel geschil betreft — het verpakken van contractuele claims als schendingen van beginselen van behoorlijk bestuur volstaat niet
De Raad van State verklaart zich zonder rechtsmacht om kennis te nemen van de beroepen tot nietigverklaring tegen de goedkeuring van de lastvoorwaarden en de gunning van een concessie voor bovengronds parkeerbeheer in de stad Mortsel, omdat het werkelijk en rechtstreeks voorwerp van de beroepen een betwisting over subjectieve rechten uit een samenwerkingsovereenkomst voor de bouw en exploitatie van een ondergrondse parkeergarage betreft — de aangevoerde schendingen van beginselen van behoorlijk bestuur zijn een herformulering van de contractuele wanprestatie die de verzoekende partij reeds bij de burgerlijke rechter had ingeroepen.
Stopzetting wegens onduidelijkheid in het bestek is gerechtvaardigd als die onduidelijkheid tot een daadwerkelijk verschillende prijszetting heeft geleid — en de vermelding van totaalprijzen in de stopzettingsbeslissing schendt niet automatisch de mededinging
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tegen de stopzetting van een openbare procedure voor spoorvernieuwingswerken op de lijn L60 Jette-Dendermonde, omdat een onduidelijkheid in het bestek over de eenheid van post 7.9.1 — per uur per man of per uur per ploeg van negen arbeiders — daadwerkelijk tot een verschillende prijszetting bij de drie inschrijvers had geleid waardoor een correcte vergelijking niet meer mogelijk was, en de vermelding van de totale offerteprijzen in de stopzettingsbeslissing de mededinging bij de heraanbesteding niet schendt nu die bedragen door het verschil in prijszetting hoe dan ook een vertekend beeld geven.
Cumulatief selectiecriterium bij meerdere percelen is niet onevenredig als elk perceel gelijktijdig en afzonderlijk moet worden uitgevoerd — de aanbestedende overheid is niet verplicht een inschrijver uit te nodigen om ontbrekende attesten aan te vullen
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tegen de niet-toekenning van het tweede perceel van een raamovereenkomst voor groenonderhoud voor Infrabel, omdat het cumulatief selectiecriterium — zes referenties in plaats van drie bij toekenning van twee percelen — op een uitdrukkelijke wettelijke basis berust, niet onevenredig is gezien de gelijktijdige uitvoering in verschillende regio's, en de inschrijver zelf nalatig was door slechts drie referenties met formele attesten in te dienen terwijl zij erkende dat zij er meer had kunnen voorleggen.
Een goedgekeurd RSZ-afbetalingsplan volstaat als bewijs van regularisatie — maar de aanbestedende overheid moet de regularisatiekans ook uitdrukkelijk bieden
De Raad van State schorst de gunning van een opdracht voor het onderhoud van poorten aan de Faculteit Diergeneeskunde van de Universiteit Gent omdat de aanbestedende overheid een inschrijver met een RSZ-schuld van meer dan 10.000 euro enkel heeft bevraagd over de uitzondering van artikel 68, paragraaf 1, eerste lid, 2° (tegenvorderingen op een overheid) maar hem nooit uitdrukkelijk de regularisatiekans heeft geboden die het derde lid van diezelfde bepaling voorschrijft — en omdat een goedgekeurd afbetalingsplan bij de RSZ op zich volstaat als bewijs van regularisatie, zonder dat de eerste aflossing al binnen vijf werkdagen moet zijn betaald.
Verwijzing naar kortingspercentages uit eerdere opdrachten zonder controle op hun normaliteit is geen deugdelijk prijsonderzoek
De Raad van State schorst de gunning van een F.A.S.T.-opdracht voor het takelen en afvoeren van voertuigen op de E313 Oost omdat de aanbestedende overheid haar conclusie dat een kortingspercentage van 15 procent op de vaste tarieven niet abnormaal was, enkel steunde op het gegeven dat in eerdere F.A.S.T.-opdrachten in Vlaams-Brabant en West-Vlaanderen kortingen van 25 en 35 procent waren aangeboden — zonder na te gaan of die hogere kortingen zelf op hun normaliteit waren gecontroleerd — en op de dermate algemene vaststelling dat de offerte 'goed was voorbereid', wat evident geen deugdelijk motief kan vormen.
Geen verzoek tot voortzetting na verwerping UDN leidt tot vermoeden van afstand van geding — gevorderde verhoging van de rechtsplegingsvergoeding wordt geweigerd bij versnelde afdoening
De Raad van State spreekt de afstand van geding uit nadat de verzoekende partijen — een tijdelijke maatschap wier offerte voor een raamovereenkomst voor geofysisch bodemonderzoek substantieel onregelmatig was bevonden — na de verwerping van hun UDN-vordering bij arrest nr. 262.413 van 19 februari 2025 geen verzoek tot voortzetting van de vernietigingsprocedure indienden binnen de wettelijke termijn van dertig dagen na kennisgeving, en herleidt de door de verwerende partij gevorderde rechtsplegingsvergoeding van 924 euro tot het basisbedrag van 770 euro omdat bij versnelde afdoening via artikel 11/3 geen verhoging verschuldigd is.
A 'low-value contract'? Then your cost estimate must be on paper before you launch — otherwise the award collapses like a house of cards
Bpost awarded a contract for LED-light beanies without publication as a 'low-value contract', but could produce no prior value estimate in the administrative file — the Council of State definitively annuls the award through the fast-track procedure.
Intrekking van de bestreden beslissing maakt de schorsingsvordering zonder voorwerp — verkorte afhandeling is geen wettelijk criterium om de rechtsplegingsvergoeding te verminderen
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tot schorsing bij uiterst dringende noodzakelijkheid van de gunning van een raamovereenkomst voor archeologiediensten als zonder voorwerp nadat de aanbestedende overheid de bestreden beslissingen heeft ingetrokken, maar kent de verzoekende partij het basisbedrag van 770 euro rechtsplegingsvergoeding toe — het verzoek van de verwerende partij om dat bedrag te verminderen wegens verkorte afhandeling wordt afgewezen omdat de drie wettelijke criteria voor vermindering limitatief zijn en verkorte afhandeling daar niet onder valt.
Wijzigingen aan meetstaten tijdens onderhandelingen in speciale sectoren schenden het gelijkheidsbeginsel niet als ze aan alle inschrijvers worden meegedeeld
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tegen de gunning van een raamovereenkomst voor groenonderhoud, sneeuwruimen en zoutstrooien bij de NMBS, omdat de aanpassingen aan het bestek in de BAFO-fase ofwel verduidelijkingen waren van bestaande bestekbepalingen ofwel wijzigingen die aan alle inschrijvers gelijk werden meegedeeld, en omdat de verzoekende partij voor geen enkel van de vier betwiste percelen als tweede was gerangschikt — zodat zij haar belang bij de middelonderdelen over abnormale prijzen en vervlechting van winnende inschrijvers niet aantoonde.
Blanco UEA van draagkrachtentiteit is substantieel onregelmatig als een technisch probleem niet aannemelijk wordt gemaakt
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tegen de onregelmatigverklaring van een offerte voor een raamovereenkomst pechverhelping, omdat de inschrijver niet aannemelijk maakte dat een technisch probleem van het e-Procurement-platform de oorzaak was van het blanco UEA voor haar draagkrachtentiteit — de helpdesk bevestigde dat het naderhand overgemaakte document niet hetzelfde was als wat op het platform was opgeladen, de hash codes garandeerden dat documenten ongewijzigd aankomen, en de vier andere UEA's in hetzelfde gecompileerde bestand waren wel correct.
Referentieprojecten 'van vergelijkbare omvang' zijn een kwantitatieve vereiste die je niet kunt weginterpreteren via de minimumvereisten
De Raad van State schorst de gunning van de interieurrestauratie van een beschermd monument omdat de aanbestedende overheid een inschrijver selecteerde op basis van referentieprojecten waarvan slechts één een vergelijkbare financiële omvang had als de opdracht — terwijl het bestek uitdrukkelijk drie referentieprojecten 'van vergelijkbare omvang' vereiste en vier van de vijf voorgelegde referenties ver onder de waarde van de opdracht lagen.
Ontbrekend attest van plaatsbezoek is niet automatisch een substantiële onregelmatigheid als het plaatsbezoek zelf vaststaat
De Raad van State schorst de onregelmatigverklaring van een offerte voor het ontwerp van een nieuwbouw omdat de aanbestedende overheid het ontbreken van een attest van plaatsbezoek als substantiële onregelmatigheid kwalificeerde, terwijl het plaatsbezoek zelf onbetwist had plaatsgevonden in aanwezigheid van de algemeen directeur van de aanbesteder, het bestek aan het bijvoegen van het attest geen substantieel karakter had verleend, het attest niet op straffe van wering was voorgeschreven, en de aanbesteder het attest zelf had uitgereikt — waardoor de onregelmatigverklaring neerkwam op overdreven formalisme.
Niet-ondertekende en ongedateerde vergelijkingstabellen bewijzen geen effectieve prijsverificatie — zeker niet bij aanzienlijke prijsverschillen
De Raad van State schorst de gunning van twee percelen van een opdracht voor groenonderhoud omdat noch de gunningsbeslissing noch het analyseverslag enige melding maakte van een prijsverificatie, en de niet-ondertekende, ongedateerde vergelijkingstabellen met handgeschreven notities die de aanbestedende overheid als bewijs van verificatie aanvoerde, prima facie onvoldoende waren om de realiteit en effectiviteit van de prijsverificatie aan te tonen — zeker gelet op de aanzienlijke prijsverschillen tussen de offertes.
Een schorsingsvordering bij uiterst dringende noodzakelijkheid zonder vernietigingsberoep is onontvankelijk — ook in overheidsopdrachten
De Raad van State verwerpt een schorsingsvordering bij uiterst dringende noodzakelijkheid tegen de gunning van een dienstencontract voor onderhoud van alarmsystemen, omdat de vordering niet werd gevolgd door een vernietigingsberoep binnen de wettelijke termijn van zestig dagen — wat de vordering onontvankelijk maakt, ook in het overheidsopdrachtencontentieux.
Schorsingsvordering bij uiterst dringende noodzakelijkheid zonder vernietigingsberoep is onontvankelijk — ook na negatief auditeursadvies
De Raad van State verwerpt de schorsingsvordering tegen de gunning van vier percelen voor de ontvangst en verwerking van afval in het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, omdat de verzoekster na het negatieve auditeursadvies bewust besloot geen vernietigingsberoep in te stellen — waardoor de schorsingsvordering als accessorium onontvankelijk is.
Derde arrest in reeks: schorsingsvordering zonder vernietigingsberoep is onontvankelijk
De Raad van State verwerpt de schorsingsvordering bij uiterst dringende noodzakelijkheid tegen de gunning van een leveringscontract voor een gespecialiseerde 3D-scanner aan Carl Zeiss, omdat de verzoekster na het negatieve auditeursadvies bewust geen vernietigingsberoep instelde — waardoor de schorsingsvordering onontvankelijk is.
Tender notices, specifications, award decisions and signed contracts are not 'business secrets' — STIB cannot shield its camera procurement since 2000 from the Ligue des droits humains
The Council of State rejects the Brussels public transport operator STIB's suspension request against a CADA decision ordering disclosure of its camera procurement files since 2000 to the Ligue des droits humains, because urgency is lacking now that CADA no longer holds the documents.
Raad van State onbevoegd voor gunningsbeslissing van privaatrechtelijke dochteronderneming van publiek organisme
De Raad van State verklaart zich onbevoegd om kennis te nemen van een vernietigingsberoep tegen de gunning van werken door SA Centre de Tri — een privaatrechtelijke vennootschap opgericht door het Brussels Agentschap voor Netheid — omdat die vennootschap geen administratieve overheid is in de zin van de gecoördineerde wetten op de Raad van State.
Award of €196,000 contract by the Director-General annulled — no delegation for decisions above €139,000
The Council of State annuls the Agence du Numérique's award of the 'Digital Commerce 2021' contract to SNI asbl (€196,000 incl. VAT) on a ground raised by the auditor ex officio: the Director-General was not competent to award a contract above €139,000 excl. VAT, and the Board of Directors had never taken the decision.
Prijsverificatie uit een eerste procedure volstaat niet als de prijzen in de tweede procedure fundamenteel anders zijn
De Raad van State vernietigt de gunning van wegenwerken aan een inschrijver wiens offerte in een eerste openbare procedure als abnormaal was verworpen, omdat de aanbestedende overheid in de daaropvolgende mededingingsprocedure met onderhandeling geen nieuwe prijsverificatie uitvoerde en zich beperkte tot een verwijzing naar de prijsanalyse van de eerste procedure — terwijl de eenheidsprijzen fundamenteel verschilden en de conclusie diametraal tegenovergesteld was.
Prijsverificatie moet effectief en verifieerbaar zijn — vooral bij grote prijsverschillen tussen offertes
De Raad van State schorst de gunning van een raamovereenkomst voor modulaire stroomonderbrekers omdat de effectiviteit van de prijsverificatie niet afdoende kon worden vastgesteld — de nota in het administratief dossier bevatte onbewezen beweringen over marktpositionering, een onvolledige vergelijking met een federaal raamcontract en een onverklaarde kwalificatie van een inschrijver als producent, terwijl de prijsverschillen tussen de offertes aanzienlijk waren.
Pluxee's urgent suspension request against Monizze award struck off for non-payment of filing fee — 770 euros procedural indemnity to the municipality
The Council of State strikes Pluxee Belgium's urgent suspension request against the municipality of Evere's award to Monizze of a four-year meal voucher contract, because Pluxee did not pay the filing fee — the request is deemed never to have been introduced, and Pluxee pays 770 euros procedural indemnity.
Prijsverificatie mag zich niet beperken tot de posten die de aanbestedende overheid vooraf als niet-verwaarloosbaar heeft bestempeld — en de motivering moet meer doen dan de rechtvaardigingen van de inschrijver herhalen
De Raad van State vernietigt de gunning van een raamovereenkomst voor dynamische parkeergeleidingsborden omdat de aanbestedende overheid de prijsverificatie beperkte tot tien posten die zij vooraf als niet-verwaarloosbaar beschouwde, terwijl andere posten met enorme prijsafwijkingen duidelijk niet verwaarloosbaar waren, en de motivering zich beperkte tot het herhalen van de rechtvaardigingen van de inschrijver zonder te verantwoorden waarom initieel abnormaal lijkende prijzen toch aanvaardbaar waren — de Raad kent daarnaast een herstelvergoeding van 68.181,82 euro toe op basis van 33 procent verlies van kans.
Parallel urgent suspension request by Siemens against SNCB's AM30 framework contract loses its purpose five days after earlier suspension in Alstom case
The Council of State dismisses Siemens' urgent suspension request against the designation of CAF as preferred bidder for SNCB's AM30 framework agreement because the same decision had already been suspended five days earlier on 17 April 2025 in ruling 263.012 at Alstom's request.
Beoordelingsmethode NMBS-treincontract geschorst: verband tussen kwalitatieve labels en punten is onbegrijpelijk
De Raad van State schorst de aanwijzing van CAF als preferentiële inschrijver voor het AM30-raamakkoord van de NMBS (tot 4,66 miljard euro voor elektrische treinstellen), omdat de beoordelingsmethode voor het criterium 'technische waarde' niet toeliet te begrijpen hoe de generieke kwalitatieve labels en de vastgestelde meer- en minwaarden zich vertaalden in de toegekende puntenscores.
Kwaliteitsdoelstellingen per stuk beoordelen en scoren is geen ongeoorloofd gebruik van subgunningscriteria
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tegen de gunning van een raamovereenkomst voor warme drankautomaten omdat het systematisch beoordelen en scoren van elk van de in het bestek aangekondigde kwaliteitsdoelstellingen geen ongeoorloofde subgunningscriteria creëert, maar slechts de aangekondigde beoordelingsmethodiek van plus- en minpunten toepast.
Procedural indemnity doesn't double for extreme urgency plus annulment — and 'no hearing' is no ground for awarding the minimum
When Proximus withdrew its annulment challenge against the Fluvius-Telenet NetCo deal after three years of proceedings, the Council of State ruled that Fluvius receives only one procedural indemnity — not two — but increased by 20% above the base amount, and that the absence of a hearing is no special reason to reduce the indemnity to the minimum.
Een referentie voor de levering van één fiets is niet vergelijkbaar met een opdracht voor 900 fietsen
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tegen de niet-selectie van een inschrijver voor een raamovereenkomst voor elektrische fietsen, omdat twee van de drie voorgelegde referenties slechts de levering van telkens één fiets betroffen — wat geen vergelijkbare opdracht is in het licht van een opdracht voor vermoedelijk 900 fietsen.
Een minimumeis als 'te ontwikkelen' aanbieden is geen onregelmatigheid als het bestek die antwoordmogelijkheid voorziet
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tegen de gunning van een SaaS-opdracht omdat het bestek uitdrukkelijk toeliet dat inschrijvers minimumeisen als 'te ontwikkelen' aanboden — mits concrete beschrijving van de manier en het tijdsbestek — en omdat de aanbestedende overheid die aanpak ook bij de beoordeling op haar inhoudelijke merites mocht waarderen.
VITO withdraws its own award two weeks before the extreme-urgency hearing: the suspension claim lapses, but Mol pays the bill
After the hearing was fixed in bv S.'s extreme-urgency suspension challenge against VITO's public-cloud framework award, VITO withdrew its own award decision — causing the claim to lapse as moot and be rejected by the Council of State, while VITO still had to bear the procedural costs.
Vordering zonder voorwerp na intrekking van de gunningsbeslissing door Fluvius
De Raad van State verwerpt een vordering tot schorsing als zonder voorwerp nadat Fluvius de bestreden gunningsbeslissing voor een raamovereenkomst stroomaggregaten zelf introk — en legt alle kosten ten laste van Fluvius.
Een gunningsbeslissing kan ook na sluiting van de opdracht worden ingetrokken als de offerte substantieel onregelmatig was
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tegen de intrekking van een gunningsbeslissing en de heraanwijzing aan een andere inschrijver, omdat de niet-ondertekende indieningsrapporten bij twee latere aanvullingen van de offerte tot de nietigheid van die aanvullingen leidden — waardoor essentiële veiligheidsdocumenten als niet-ingediend golden en de offerte substantieel onregelmatig was.
Afstand van geding na verwerping van de schorsingvordering tegen niet-selectie voor militaire vliegopleiding
De Raad van State verleent akte van de afstand van geding in een vernietigingsberoep tegen de niet-selectie van een kandidaat voor een onderhandelingsprocedure met bekendmaking voor een dienstencontract inzake basisvliegopleidingscapaciteit voor Defensie.
Three months after winning extreme urgency, the suspension is gone: those who don't file annulment undo their own success
Less than three months after forcing extreme-urgency suspension of the City of Beringen's award for the Beverlo cemetery-park infrastructure to V&V Infra, the Council of State lifts that same suspension — because the applicant failed to file an annulment appeal, and the old version of Article 17(4) of the coordinated laws leaves the Council no choice.
Een selectiecriterium zonder minimumdrempel is geen selectiecriterium — ook niet als de drempel 'nul' is
De Raad van State vernietigt de gunning van een takeldienst omdat geen enkel selectiecriterium in het bestek een minimaal vereist niveau bevatte — en een drempel van 'nul' niet geldt als een 'gepast eisenniveau' in de zin van artikel 65 van het plaatsingsbesluit.
Het gunningsverslag pas na de gunningsbeslissing meedelen is een motiveringsgebrek
De Raad van State schorst een gunningsbeslissing omdat de aanbestedende overheid het gunningsverslag — waarop de motivering volledig steunde — niet gelijktijdig met de beslissing heeft meegedeeld aan de niet-gekozen inschrijvers.
Extreme urgency without annulment is a key without a door: Council of State checks itself whether a substantive appeal was filed
Before ruling on Alarmes Coquelet's extreme-urgency suspension request against the award to Dumay-Mior, the Council of State consults its own website, finds that no annulment appeal against the same decision was filed within the statutory deadline, and reopens the debates — because this defect may undermine the admissibility of the suspension request, an issue the parties themselves had not raised.
Een vraag stellen op het forum verlengt de beroepstermijn niet als het antwoord de opdrachtdocumenten niet wijzigt
De Raad van State verwerpt een vordering tegen selectiecriteria als niet-ontvankelijk omdat het forumantwoord van de aanbestedende overheid het selectiecriterium alleen bevestigde en niet wijzigde — waardoor de beroepstermijn liep vanaf de bekendmaking, niet vanaf het forumantwoord.
Zusterbedrijven die elk op een ander perceel inschrijven met identieke prijzen, personeel en lay-out: entente bewezen
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering tegen de wering van een offerte wegens mededingingsverstorende entente, omdat twee zusterondernemingen uit dezelfde groep hun offertes op verschillende percelen aantoonbaar hadden gecoördineerd — met identieke lay-out, dezelfde contactpersoon, 23 identieke eenheidsprijzen, dezelfde onderaannemers en identieke rekenfouten.
Perceelverdeling tussen zusterondernemingen om de concurrentie te omzeilen is een verboden entente — ook zonder intentie
De Raad van State verwerpt de vordering van het zusterbedrijf dat op perceel 1 had ingeschreven, en bevestigt dat de gecoördineerde perceelverdeling en offertecoördinatie tussen twee dochterondernemingen van dezelfde groep een verboden entente vormt, ongeacht of de ondernemingen de intentie hadden om de concurrentie te vervalsen.
Even without a bid, you can still demand the paperwork: intermunicipal associations must disclose everything, not only their 'public task'
The Council of State annuls the Flemish FOI appeals body's inadmissibility ruling against Proximus's transparency request on the Fluvius-Telenet NetCo deal, because intermunicipal associations qualify as 'local authorities' under the Governance Decree and are therefore required to disclose all their administrative documents — not only those relating to a 'public task'.
Een algemeen voorbehoud van het studiebureau verplicht de aanbestedende overheid niet tot bijkomende prijsgaranties
De Raad van State verwerpt het beroep tegen de gunning van de bouw van een brandtoren omdat het advies van het studiebureau om een schriftelijke prijsgarantie te vragen een algemeen voorbehoud was — geen verplichte stap — en omdat de vermeende discrepantie tussen de verantwoording van eenheidsprijzen en de totaalprijs niet werd aangetoond.
Als de opdrachtgever het perceel intrekt na je beroep, win je de kosten — ook bij afstand van geding
De Raad van State neemt akte van de afstand van geding nadat de aanbestedende overheid het betwiste perceel heeft ingetrokken, en legt alle kosten ten laste van de verwerende partij omdat haar intrekking de oorzaak was van de afstand.
Two letters from the registry, one ignored: Council of State dismisses damages claim because counsel didn't open the second envelope
The Council of State declares a second-ranked bidder's compensation claim concerning a Port of Brussels maintenance framework contract 'not filed' because its lawyers simply failed to open the second e-Procedure letter containing the separate €224 payment invitation — and the 'unavoidable error' plea they invoke is rejected.
Een 'externe expert' in het beoordelingscomité mag niet dezelfde persoon zijn als de projectbegeleider die het comité voorzit
De Raad van State schorst een gunningsbeslissing omdat de aanbestedende overheid het beoordelingscomité samenstelde met de assistent aan de bouwheer als 'externe expert', terwijl het bestek die twee functies als afzonderlijke rollen had omschreven.
Een gunningscriterium dat inschrijvers dwingt tot gissen, schendt het gelijkheidsbeginsel — ook buiten de wet overheidsopdrachten
De Raad van State vernietigt de gunning van een opdracht voor gerechtsdeurwaardersdiensten omdat het enige gunningscriterium — de signeringstermijn — onvoldoende informatie gaf over het aantal gelijktijdig te behandelen dwangbevelen, waardoor inschrijvers hun offerte op vermoedens moesten baseren.
Punten aftrekken voor informatie die het bestek niet vroeg, is een onangekondigd subcriterium
De Raad van State vernietigt de gunning van HVAC-werken aan een zwembad omdat de aanbestedende overheid vijf punten aftrok voor het ontbreken van veiligheidsinformatie in de methodologische nota, terwijl het bestek die informatie nergens als vereiste vermeldde.
Als je teststaal de test niet doorstaat, is je offerte onregelmatig — en ISO-certificaten redden je niet
De Raad van State verwerpt een schorsingsberoep tegen de wering van een offerte voor politiefietsen, omdat veiligheidsrisico's die tijdens een testperiode werden vastgesteld — een verbogen voorvork en voetcontact met het voorwiel — volstonden om de offerte als substantieel onregelmatig te beschouwen.
Zeggen dat je de prijsverantwoording 'aanvaardt' is geen motivering
De Raad van State schorst een gunningsbeslissing omdat de aanbestedende overheid bij het prijsonderzoek enkel vermeldde dat de verantwoording 'aanvaard kan worden', zonder enige inhoudelijke analyse waaruit blijkt waarom de prijs niet abnormaal laag is.
Verbonden ondernemingen weren zonder ze te horen? Dat kan niet
De Raad van State schorst de wering van offertes van twee zusterondernemingen wegens vermeende mededingingsverstoring, omdat de aanbestedende overheid hen niet eerst de kans heeft gegeven om aan te tonen dat hun offertes onafhankelijk tot stand zijn gekomen.
Een opdrachtgever mag stoppen en herbeginnen, ook als het bestek op zich niet onwettig was
De Raad van State verwerpt een vernietigingsberoep tegen de beslissing van SOFICO om een raamovereenkomst voor wegborstel- en zuigdiensten niet te gunnen en opnieuw te lanceren, omdat de verwijzing naar één specifiek paritair comité in het bestek de mededinging kon beperken — ook al was de tekst op zich duidelijk.
Intrekking van de bestreden beslissing? Dan draagt de opdrachtgever de kosten
De Raad van State stelt vast dat een schorsings- en vernietigingsberoep zonder voorwerp is geworden doordat de opdrachtgever de bestreden gunningsbeslissing heeft ingetrokken, en legt de proceskosten ten laste van de opdrachtgever omdat die intrekking een surrogaat is van een vernietiging.
Opdrachtgever trekt gunning in na beroep? De kosten zijn voor hem
De Raad van State verwerpt een schorsingsberoep als onontvankelijk omdat Infrabel de bestreden gunningsbeslissing had ingetrokken, maar legt de proceskosten ten laste van Infrabel omdat de intrekking een surrogaat vormt van een vernietiging.
Stel je beoordelingsmethode vast vóór de opening van de offertes — en pas ze correct toe
De Raad van State schorst een gunningsbeslissing voor meet- en detectietoestellen omdat de beoordelingsmethode voor het criterium 'functionele waarde' niet vooraf was vastgesteld en bovendien rekenkundig inconsistent was toegepast, waardoor de inschrijver de puntentoekenning niet kon controleren.
Als de vereiste erkenning niet in het bestek staat, kun je een inschrijver niet weren omdat hij ze niet heeft
De Raad van State schorst een gunningsbeslissing omdat de opdrachtgever een inschrijver uitsloot wegens het ontbreken van een erkenning in categorie D, terwijl die vereiste niet was opgenomen in de opdrachtdocumenten die de inschrijvers konden raadplegen op e-Procurement.
Schorsing gevraagd maar geen vernietiging ingediend? Dan herbekijkt de Raad je ontvankelijkheid
De Raad van State heropent de debatten in een schorsingszaak over een afvalverwerkingsopdracht omdat de verzoeker blijkbaar geen vernietigingsberoep heeft ingediend, wat de ontvankelijkheid van de schorsingsvordering in het gedrang brengt.
Een verbeteringsvoorstel bij gezamenlijke gunning indienen terwijl het bestek dat verbiedt? Dan draag je zelf de gevolgen
De Raad van State verwerpt een schorsingsberoep tegen de gunning van een opdracht voor lichte woningen, omdat de inschrijver in haar offerte een ongeoorloofd verbeteringsvoorstel bij gezamenlijke toewijzing van beide percelen had opgenomen en de opdrachtgever dat terecht niet in rekening had gebracht.
Technische fiches aanleveren na het indienen? Teken dan ook het nieuwe depotrapport
De Raad van State verwerpt een schorsingsberoep omdat de inschrijver die op verzoek van de opdrachtgever aanvullende technische fiches indiende via e-Procurement, het bijhorende depotrapport niet had ondertekend met een gekwalificeerde elektronische handtekening — en dat is een substantiële onregelmatigheid.
Trekt de opdrachtgever zijn beslissing in, dan vervalt je vordering
De Raad van State wijst een schorsingsberoep af als onontvankelijk omdat de opdrachtgever de bestreden gunningsbeslissing tijdens de procedure heeft ingetrokken met terugwerkende kracht, waardoor de verzoeker niet langer benadeeld is of kan worden.
Nieuwe regelgeving tijdens de procedure? Dan mag de opdrachtgever stoppen
De Raad van State verwerpt een schorsingsberoep tegen de niet-gunning van een opdracht voor gerechtsdeurwaardersdiensten, omdat een ingrijpende hervorming van de deurwaarderstarieven tijdens de procedure een gegronde reden was om te stoppen en opnieuw te beginnen met een actueel bestek.
Sta je derde? Vecht dan ook de nummer twee aan, niet alleen de winnaar
De Raad van State verwerpt een vernietigingsberoep tegen een raamovereenkomst voor verhuis- en transportdiensten omdat de inschrijver — derde gerangschikt voor drie van de vijf percelen — enkel de offerte van de eerste betwistte maar niet die van de tweede, waardoor ze geen procesbelang kon aantonen.
Selectiecriteria controleren is geen formaliteit die je mag overslaan
De Raad van State schorst de gunning van een architectuuropdracht omdat de opdrachtgever nergens in het dossier aantoonde dat hij had geverifieerd of het winnende team daadwerkelijk over een 'ingenieur in speciale technieken' beschikte, terwijl het bestek dat uitdrukkelijk eiste.
Je prijzen verantwoorden is een examen met één kans
De Raad van State verwerpt een schorsingsberoep tegen de uitsluiting van een inschrijver wegens abnormaal lage prijzen, omdat die bij zijn prijsverantwoording enkel een zelfgemaakt tabelletje indiende zonder enig bewijsstuk — en de opdrachtgever niet verplicht is om daar een tweede keer naar te vragen.
Een bijakte bij een bestaande raamovereenkomst is geen nieuwe gunning
De Raad van State verwerpt een vordering tegen de inzet van een naburige dienstverlener onder een bestaande raamovereenkomst voor takeldiensten, omdat wijzigingen tijdens de uitvoering van een contract buiten zijn rechtsmacht vallen zolang de opdracht niet wezenlijk verandert.
Een lagere prijs dan die van jou is niet automatisch een abnormale prijs
De Raad van State verwerpt een vordering tot nietigverklaring van een gunning voor incassodiensten omdat de verliezer niet aantoonde dat de opdrachtgever een kennelijke beoordelingsfout maakte bij het prijsonderzoek of bij de beoordeling van de kwalitatieve gunningscriteria.
Rejection of suspension request against exclusion of tender for Defence pipeline works — abnormally high unit price for protection plates (approximately three times higher than competitors) lawfully established
The Council of State rejects the emergency suspension request by SRL TEGEC against the Belgian State's (Defence) decision to exclude its tender for protection and restoration works on pipeline 4 Chièvres-Florennes as substantially irregular due to abnormally high unit prices, the reasoning on the abnormal character of the price for item C.02.1 (supply and installation of protection plates — approximately three times higher than other tenderers) being relevant, adequate and admissible, so the remaining grounds did not need examination for lack of lésion.
Een fout in een Excel-formule is niet automatisch een 'rekenkundige vergissing'
De Raad van State schorst een gunning omdat de opdrachtgever fouten in Excel-formules van de winnaar corrigeerde als 'rekenkundige vergissingen', terwijl niet vaststond dat het om loutere telfouten ging en niet om fouten die de offerte onregelmatig maakten.
Je moederbedrijf is groot genoeg? Bewijs dan dat het zich ook engageert
Een scheepsbouwer die de financiële draagkracht van zijn moederbedrijf inriep zonder een formeel engagement voor te leggen dat die capaciteit ook daadwerkelijk ter beschikking zou staan, werd terecht niet geselecteerd — ook al behoort de dochter tot dezelfde groep.
Als de regularisatie de kern is, mag je de stukken erover niet geheimhouden
De Raad van State heft de vertrouwelijkheid op van documenten over de regularisatie van een ontbrekende elektronische handtekening, omdat de verliezende inschrijver zonder inzage in die stukken niet zinvol kan controleren of de regularisatie correct is verlopen.
Rejection of price justification for 42.86% cheaper geophysical survey tender withstands marginal review
The Council of State rejects the emergency suspension request against the declaration of substantial irregularity of a tender for geophysical soil research, ruling that the contracting authority could reasonably find that the price justification — consisting of general efficiency factors and a mere cost breakdown per item — did not adequately rebut the apparent abnormality of a total price 42.86% below the average.
Claim without object after implicit withdrawal of first award decision by subsequent replacement decision — parallel rejection judgment against new decision renders suspension of first decision moot
The Council of State rejects the suspension request against the award decision of 27 November 2024 for a framework agreement on geophysical soil survey because this decision was implicitly withdrawn by a new award decision of 19 December 2024, and a parallel judgment also rejected the claim against that new decision.
Insurance threshold of €7.5 million per claim for judicial building security contract is not disproportionate
The Council of State rejects the emergency suspension request against Protection Unit's non-selection for a judicial building security contract, ruling that the selection criterion requiring €7.5 million insurance coverage per claim is not disproportionate given the sensitivity of the sites concerned, and that the applicant has not demonstrated discriminatory treatment compared to the successful tenderer G4S, which had voluntarily provided corrective measures regarding an optional exclusion ground.
Missing unit prices in bill of quantities does not constitute substantial irregularity when total prices per item are filled in
The Council of State rejects the annulment appeal against the award of a construction contract for an agri-food platform in Gambia, ruling that the failure to fill in unit prices in the bill of quantities does not constitute a substantial irregularity when total prices per item are filled in and unit prices can be derived through simple division.
A mere price confirmation does not constitute an adequate price investigation when the tender price is significantly lower
The Council of State suspends the award of a transactional printing contract because the contracting authority failed to conduct an adequate general price investigation on the significantly lower total price of the chosen tenderer, and limited itself to a meaningless price confirmation for a remarkably low unit price instead of initiating a special investigation into abnormal prices.
Withdrawal of PV panel award decision renders suspension claim moot
The Council of State rejects the emergency suspension request after the City of Aalst's college of mayor and aldermen withdrew the contested award decision for a framework agreement for PV panels.
Withdrawal of claim and appeal ends procedure with costs borne by applicant
The Council of State takes note of the withdrawal of both the emergency suspension request and the annulment appeal, and orders the applicant to pay the costs.
Withdrawal of award decision renders suspension claim moot
The Council of State rejects the request for emergency suspension after Interleuven withdrew the contested award decision, rendering the claim moot.
A selection criterion cannot be modified through a simple Q&A forum on e-Procurement
The Council of State suspends the award of an architectural services contract because the contracting authority modified a qualitative selection criterion via the e-Procurement forum, without a rectification notice, without extending the submission deadline, and without a decision by the competent body.
Signing authority must be assessed against the framework agreement's maximum values, not the presumed quantities
The Council of State rejects the suspension request of a tenderer whose offer was declared substantially irregular due to insufficient signing authority, confirming that the validity of the submission report signature must be assessed against the framework agreement's maximum values rather than the presumed quantities in the inventory alone.
Rejection of extreme urgency suspension against irregularity declaration for e-bus charging infrastructure mini-competition De Lijn — maximum noise level of 65dB(A) correctly considered a minimum requirement despite absence of explicit label — imperative wording ('may not exceed'), measurement report obligation and threefold repetition suffice
The Council of State rejected BV A.'s extreme urgency suspension claim against De Lijn's declaration of its offer for the e-bus charging infrastructure mini-competition as substantially irregular for exceeding the maximum noise level (75dB(A) vs. 65dB(A)), as the authority correctly found this threshold to be a minimum requirement — the imperative wording, measurement report obligation and threefold repetition sufficed, even without an explicit 'minimum requirement' label.
Rejection of extreme urgency suspension against award of renovation works at Hemptinne Barracks (Heverlee) via mini-competition under Defence framework agreement — mandatory site visit correctly verified via visit report — reliance on third party's capacity for contractor accreditation (category D, class 4) is permitted — accreditation does not expire automatically after five years but is subject to review
The Council of State rejected NV R.'s extreme urgency suspension claim against Defence's award of renovation works at Hemptinne Barracks (Heverlee) to BV G. via mini-competition under a framework agreement, as the mandatory site visit was correctly verified via the visit report, reliance on a third party's capacity (NV I.) for the required category D class 4 accreditation is permitted under the 2016 Act and 2017 Royal Decree, and the third party's accreditation had not automatically expired after five years but is merely subject to quinquennial review.
Rejection of extreme urgency suspension against award of lot 2 (pellets) of fuel supply framework agreement — no interest in ground challenging selection criterion (turnover 11 times higher than previous contract) since applicant was excluded for substantial irregularity (missing inventory) — new ground on attributee's signature rejected on merits
The Council of State rejected Green-Tech's extreme urgency suspension claim against the Province of Liège's award of lot 2 (pellets) of a fuel supply framework agreement to Proxifuel, as the applicant could not demonstrate interest in the first ground (illegality of selection criterion requiring turnover 11 times higher than previous contract) since it was excluded for unrelated reasons — missing inventory constituting substantial irregularity — and the new ground challenging the validity of the attributee's electronic signature was rejected on the merits.
Rejection of extreme urgency suspension against award of renovation works for Park Groot Schijn caravan site — correction of material error in item 50 (heat pump boilers, typo '4' instead of '1' on numeric keypad) correctly applied under art. 34 KB — material error may also be discovered and corrected during price investigation — motivation in award report and supplementary email sufficient
The Council of State rejected the extreme urgency suspension claim by TM L.-H. against the City of Antwerp's award of renovation works for the Park Groot Schijn caravan site (Deurne) to NV A., where the contracting authority correctly corrected a purely material error in item 50 (heat pump boilers) under Article 34 KB — the tenderer had typed '4' instead of '1' when copying price data from its subcontractor's offer (keys directly above each other on the numeric keypad), making the unit price approximately four times higher than intended, and the Council held that a material error discovered during price investigation may still be corrected.
Rejection of extreme urgency suspension against non-award of innovation partnership for PFAS purification Port of Antwerp-Bruges — deviation from indicative flow rates and pilot duration may be assessed as negative point — contracting entity's assessment margin for qualitative criteria respected
The Council of State rejected the extreme urgency suspension claim by BV M. against the Port of Antwerp-Bruges' decision not to award it the innovation partnership for PFAS purification of contaminated dewatering water, as the contracting entity did not exceed its assessment margin by treating a pilot setup with a flow rate 13 times below the lower end of the indicative range and a duration of only one month (instead of three) as a negative point, and the indicative technical specifications did not constitute an unjustified restriction of competition.
Rejection of extreme urgency suspension against irregularity declaration for framework agreement bank works Resilient Westhoek — price justification rightly rejected due to missing overhead on study portion, unsubstantiated unit prices and post factum justification — negligible items correctly delineated using 0.25% threshold
The Council of State rejected the extreme urgency suspension claim by TM B.-G.D. against the Vlaamse Waterweg's declaration of their offer for the 'Resilient Westhoek – Bank Works' framework agreement (€30 million) as substantially irregular, as the authority did not exceed its assessment margin: the 0.25% threshold for negligible items was carefully determined, the grounds for rejecting the price justification were sound, and arguments not included in the actual price justification were post factum justifications the authority need not consider.
Annulment of non-selection for restoration works 'Salon Cousin' Royal Museums – selection requirement of at least two references specifically for Victor Horta buildings disproportionate, art-nouveau metalwork expertise not unique to Horta, unnecessarily restrictive of competition
The Council of State annulled the decision of the Royal Museums of Art and History not to select BV REMMEN for lot 1 of the restoration of the 'Salon Cousin', because the selection requirement of at least two references for restoration works on buildings specifically designed by Victor Horta was disproportionate — the required expertise in original art-nouveau metalworking and assembly techniques is not unique to Horta buildings, and the very limited number of eligible buildings unnecessarily restricted competition.
Annulment of specifications for postal services — technical specification requiring entities to frank their own mail (stamps or franking machine) is disproportionate and unduly restricts competition by excluding routing service providers ('Port Payé')
The Council of State annulled the IPFBW's approval of specifications for a postal services contract, because the technical specification requiring member entities to frank their own mail using stamps or a franking machine is disproportionate to the subject matter and unduly restricts competition by excluding postal service providers operating through routing and 'Port Payé' franking, in violation of Articles 4 and 53 of the Act of 17 June 2016.
Annulment of postal services award to bpost — Postalia's offer declared irregular based on unlawful technical specifications (self-franking requirement) — request for maintenance of effects rejected
The Council of State annulled the IPFBW's decision of 12 October 2021 awarding the postal services contract to bpost and declaring POSTALIA BELGIUM's offer substantially irregular, as the reproached irregularity — failure to offer self-franking by member entities — stemmed from technical specifications found unlawful by companion ruling 262.133 — the request for maintenance of effects (Article 14ter) was rejected.
Suspension under extreme urgency of award of architectural services contract for CHR Citadelle Liège — evaluation method using insufficiently defined concepts of 'added value', 'neutral' and 'defect' leads to incoherent and unpredictable assessment violating equal treatment
The Council of State suspended under extreme urgency the award by CHR de la Citadelle of a contract for architectural services (facade and technical network reconditioning, €9.7 million excl. VAT) to ASSAR-BAHG-GREISCH, because the second limb of the second ground was serious: the ex post defined evaluation method, which assessed tenders through a system of 'added values', 'defects' and 'neutrals' without sufficiently defining these concepts, prima facie led to incoherent assessments that could not be explained by the specifications, failing to provide the required level of precision to ensure award to the most economically advantageous tender.
Suspension of award of insurance brokerage pooling contract for Flemish government entities – statement of reasons for price investigation is mere boilerplate: estimate redacted, justification elements not concretely assessed, reasons communicated ex post via observations and intervention request
The Council of State suspended the award by the Flemish Community of an insurance brokerage pooling contract for Flemish government entities to NV A., because the first limb of the single ground was serious: the statement of reasons for the price investigation in the award report was mere boilerplate — the estimate was redacted, the three justification elements from the price justification were adopted without concrete assessment, and the redaction of essential reasons in the version communicated to the applicant violated the formal statement of reasons obligation.
Council of State rejects emergency suspension request against three-year exclusion by Enabel for submitting non-authentic product sheets — filed too late
The Council of State rejected the emergency suspension request by Benin Médicaux Group against Enabel's decision to exclude the company from public procurement for three years for submitting non-authentic product prospectuses for medical equipment, because the request was inadmissible due to late filing.
Presumed discontinuance of proceedings after rejection of suspension application – applicant failed to file request for continuation within thirty days of notification
The Council of State declared the discontinuance of proceedings in the annulment action by BV CO-DEX.EU against the non-selection and award by the Province of Flemish Brabant of an IT framework agreement for a meeting application, because the applicant failed to file a request for continuation of proceedings within thirty days of notification of the rejection of its suspension application under extreme urgency (ruling no. 260.523 of 23 August 2024).
Rejection of claim against ambitious but realistic planning — start after 7 calendar days and 140 working days total execution period not substantially irregular after thorough review by contracting authority and design office
The Council of State rejects the request for suspension of the award of a contract for construction works on a warehouse and mill (FEED PILOT) because the ambitious planning of the selected tenderer (start after 7 calendar days, total 140 working days) had been thoroughly examined by the contracting authority and its design office and each of the five objections raised by the applicant proved unfounded.
Council of State lacks jurisdiction over contract award by private educational institution (ASBL) — status as contracting authority does not confer status as administrative authority — no binding decisions vis-à-vis third parties
The Council of State rejected the suspension application under extreme urgency by Arcadus Architecte and Artera Architectes against the award decision by ASBL Institut Notre-Dame de Loverval (services contract for architect selection — sports hall construction and renovation), the Council lacking jurisdiction as the respondent, a private educational institution, is not an administrative authority within the meaning of Article 14 §1 of the Consolidated Acts — the status of contracting authority under the 2013 Act does not necessarily confer the status of administrative authority, and a public procurement award decision does not create binding obligations vis-à-vis third parties.
Partial annulment due to discriminatory specification requirement — membership requirement for association of independent bookshops is disproportionate to the subject matter of the contract and excludes tenderers without objective justification
The Council of State annuls the award of lots 1, 2 and 4 of a contract for the supply of books to a public library in Schaarbeek because the specification requirement that the tenderer must be a member of an association of independent bookshops is discriminatory, disproportionate to the subject matter of the contract, and the contracting authority provides no objective justification for the distinction.
Suspension of award of lot 2 for new TEC bus depot in Tilleur — contracting authority wrongly applied Article 43 verification instead of Article 44 examination when abnormal prices were suspected and statement of reasons for price normality was insufficient
The Council of State suspended under extreme urgency the award by the OTW of lot 2 (private infrastructure) for the construction of the new TEC bus depot in Tilleur to the SSM GALERE-DUCHENE, because the contracting authority — although its own tender examination report identified several unit prices as 'abnormally low' or 'abnormally high' — failed to apply the Article 44 price examination procedure of the Royal Decree on special sectors and instead limited itself to an information request under Article 43, while the formal statement of reasons for considering the prices normal was insufficient, consisting only of a formulaic statement that the justifications 'left no suspicion of abnormal prices'.
Suspension application under extreme urgency rejected as inadmissible after withdrawal of award decision for sewer works in Rebecq — retroactive effect of withdrawal removes alleged harm — costs charged to the withdrawing authority
The Council of State declared inadmissible the suspension application under extreme urgency by SA Entreprises Paul Frateur against SC IN BW's decision of 17 December 2024 awarding the works contract 'Rebecq — Construction of the Wisbecq collector and pumping station' to SAT, as the respondent withdrew the contested decision on 14 January 2025 with retroactive effect, meaning the alleged violations had neither harmed nor risked harming the applicant — the hypothetical scenario of a challenge against the withdrawal decision not being established, the admissibility condition of Article 14 of the Act of 17 June 2013 was not met — costs were charged to the respondent as the unsuccessful party due to the withdrawal.
Annulment of Project FAST award decision due to careless price determination in specifications — maximum unit prices unchanged since 2013 without any cost investigation, Labonorm confirmed, eVigilo distinguished, notification duty under art. 81 does not apply to alleged illegality of specifications
The Council of State annuls the award decision for lot 7 of Project FAST (highway incident management) because the contracting authority left the maximum unit prices unchanged since 2013 without investigating whether those rates still allow normal business operations and profitability, and confirms the right to invoke the illegality of tender specifications for the first time when challenging the award decision (Labonorm).
Annulment of pharmaceutical supply award for pegfilgrastim lot — discriminatory technical specification excluding lipegfilgrastim (Lonquex) — admissibility without tender (Grossmann)
The Council of State annulled IRIS-ACHATS's decision awarding the pegfilgrastim pharmaceutical supply lot to Accord Healthcare, the technical specification having been annulled by companion judgment No. 261.996 for discriminatory character — TEVA PHARMA BELGIUM, whose product Lonquex is based on lipegfilgrastim, was admissible despite not having submitted a tender, per the Grossmann doctrine (C-230/02).
Rejection of challenge to exclusion of St.Ar.Tech. for deficiencies in prior contract (La Sambrienne) — tenderer must spontaneously present corrective measures (Art. 70(2)) — Directive 2014/24/EU not applicable below EU threshold
The Council of State rejected the annulment action by St.Ar.Tech. against its exclusion from an architecture services contract for the eco-demolition of 192 apartments in Jemappes, confirming that the tenderer was obliged to spontaneously disclose the exclusion ground and present corrective measures under Article 70(2), that Directive 2014/24/EU does not directly apply to contracts below the EU threshold (€105,693 < €214,000), and that the audi alteram partem principle does not apply when the law expressly provides the procedure for communicating corrective measures.
Annulment of non-selection of Anti-Chute for covid face mask framework agreement (Defense) — factually incorrect ground ('no figures and no references provided' when the offer contained both) — selection criteria limited to terms of the specifications
The Council of State annulled the Defense Minister's decision not to select SRL Anti-Chute for the framework agreement for reusable cloth face masks (covid-19), the non-selection ground ('no figures and no references') being factually incorrect — the declaration attached to the offer did mention a delivery of 250,000 masks with the recipient's name and address, as required by the specifications — the contracting authority could not require details (date, proof of delivery) not specified in the tender documents.
Rejection of I'll Be Bag's appeal against the covid face mask framework agreement (Defense) — first challenged act (award) annulled by companion judgment 261.999 — choice of negotiated procedure without prior publication justified by covid-19 compelling urgency — no substantial modification during execution (subcontractor change and mask conformity)
The Council of State rejected the appeal of SA I'll Be Bag against the framework agreement for reusable face masks (covid-19) concluded by Defense: the first challenged act (award) having been annulled by companion judgment no. 261.999 rendered the same day, grounds 1 to 4 became moot; the fifth ground (substantial modification during execution) was rejected regarding both the alleged subcontractor change of Tweeds & Cottons (the Wall AG exception applies only exceptionally and ESQUEL invoices confirmed deliveries) and the alleged non-conformity of Avrox masks (the 60°C washing norm was a recommendation to users, not manufacturers) — the Council declared itself incompetent for this third act; the sixth ground (choice of procedure) was rejected: compelling urgency was justified (NSC 24 April 2020, GEES 22 April 2020, procurement completed in 7 days) and the framework agreement until 31 December 2020 was not manifestly unreasonable in a market disrupted by the pandemic.
Council of State lacks jurisdiction over termination of beach bar domain concession in Wenduine (De Haan) — decision originates in the concession agreement (art. 14-15 specifications), not in unilateral governmental authority — civil courts competent
The Council of State rejected the annulment appeal against the decision of De Haan's College of Mayor and Aldermen of 15 September 2023 to terminate the concession agreement for commercial-recreational space WEN1 (Wenduine beach bar) due to repeated non-operation, as the challenged decision is not a unilateral act of authority but originates in Articles 14 and 15 of the concession specifications to which the concession holder was contractually bound — the dispute falls under the jurisdiction of the civil courts and the Council of State lacks jurisdiction under Articles 144 and 145 of the Constitution — the claim for compensatory damages was likewise rejected as accessory.
Suspension of cemetery park award due to disclosure of initial offer prices via e-Procurement before renegotiation — lowest bidder structurally disadvantaged by unequal playing field
The Council of State suspended the award of infrastructure works for a park cemetery in Beverlo (Beringen), finding that the visibility of the initial opening report with all total prices on the e-Procurement platform before the invitation to resubmit offers created an unlawful competitive advantage for other tenderers at the expense of the initially lowest bidder, in breach of the equality principle and Article 13 §1 of the Public Procurement Act.
Suspension of fire station renovation award due to inadequate price justification examination — municipality failed to examine price justification in its entirety and rejected offer on factually incorrect grounds
The Council of State suspended the award of works for the renovation and extension of the fire station and municipal depot in Sint-Gillis-Waas, finding that the municipality had not examined the tenderer's price justification with the required diligence and had declared the offer irregular on grounds lacking factual and legal basis.
Suspension application inadmissible after withdrawal of award decision for lot 9 of winter maintenance framework agreement — costs reserved
The Council of State rejected as inadmissible SRL TD PIERRE GILLOTEAUX's urgent suspension application against the award of lot 9 of the winter maintenance framework agreement for roads managed by the Herstal road district, the Walloon Region having withdrawn the contested decision on 16 December 2024, so that the alleged violations had neither harmed nor risked harming the applicant.
Loss of purpose of both suspension application and annulment action after withdrawal of SNCB rolling stock supply award — Art. 30 §5 single ruling with base procedural indemnity
The Council of State found there was no longer cause to rule on either the suspension application or the annulment action of SA AGC GLASS EUROPE against the SNCB's decision awarding the supply contract for bay frame chassis for M6 rolling stock and declaring AGC's offer irregular, the SNCB having withdrawn the contested decision — ruling on both actions in a single judgment under Article 30 §5, with a base procedural indemnity of €770.
Suspension of software contract award by Walloon Parliament — inadequate formal motivation of ORDIGES selection despite multiple difficulties with references and attestations of good execution
The Council of State ordered the suspension of the Walloon Parliament's decision to award ORDIGES the contract for budgetary and accounting management software (€416,411.66 incl. VAT), the formal motivation of ORDIGES' qualitative selection being inadequate given the multiple difficulties encountered — five initial references found unsatisfactory, three new attestations of good execution with formal defects (no letterhead, no signature, unidentifiable signatory) — and ordered the lifting of confidentiality of these attestations under CJEU C-54/21 Antea Polska.
Loss of purpose of annulment action after withdrawal of SNCB rolling stock supply award — increased procedural indemnity for late notification of withdrawal
The Council of State found there was no longer cause to rule on NORDGLASS's annulment action against the SNCB's award of a supply contract for bay frame chassis for M6 rolling stock, the SNCB having withdrawn the contested decision on 29 January 2021 — but only informing the Council and the applicant on 11 January 2024 — with an increased procedural indemnity of €924 due to the late notification.
Rejection of suspension application for outsourced call center contract for RESA — unannounced sub-sub-criteria satisfying CJEU triple test and energy data confidentiality not compromised
The Council of State rejected SA IKANBI BELGIUM's urgent suspension application against the award to SA N-ALLO of the outsourced call center contract for RESA (gas and electricity sectors), the applicant having failed to demonstrate that unannounced sub-sub-criteria breached the three CJEU C-677/15 P conditions, or that N-ALLO's offer — as a 100% subsidiary of Engie Electrabel — compromised confidentiality obligations under the Electricity and Gas Decrees.
Awarded lot 1? It can still evaporate — Article 85 lets the authority start over.
The Council of State dismisses the extreme-urgency challenge of the original winner against the retraction and termination of the procedure: Article 85 of the Public Procurement Act gives the contracting authority wide discretion to retract its award decision and restart the procedure, even without proving any irregularity in the earlier phases.
A 37% discount 'verified' with one boilerplate sentence? That is not a price review.
The Council of State suspends an award because the Walloon Region failed to concretely verify the 30-40% discount on the combined bid of the winner — the boilerplate line 'after verification, the prices are normal and acceptable' is dismissed as a stock phrase.
Authority withdraws the decision before the hearing? Your extreme-urgency challenge is not 'devoid of object' — it is inadmissible.
The Council of State dismisses an excluded bidder's extreme-urgency challenge as inadmissible because the authority had withdrawn the contested award before the hearing — the retroactive effect of the withdrawal means the applicant is no longer legally 'prejudiced' and therefore fails the admissibility condition of Article 14 of the legal-protection act.
From a +96,000 euro estimate to a -8,000 euro bid: 'market evolution' is not enough as price justification
IDELUX awarded the valorisation of CUA compost to Valodirect at a negative price of -8,000 euros, although IDELUX itself had estimated the contract at +96,000 euros — the Council of State suspended because the reasoning was limited to general observations about an evolving market, without concretely explaining how the winning bidder could actually operate profitably at those specific volumes.
Iveco challenges DAF's certification on the defence contract — while Iveco itself regularised three items of its own bid
The Council of State rejects Iveco's annulment action against the award of a defence contract for 879 trucks to DAF Trucks: a EURO III certificate based on UNECE Regulation No. 49 is equivalent to the EC type-approval abolished in 2006, and Iveco has no standing to challenge the regularisation of DAF's bid because it itself was allowed to adjust its own bid during negotiations on essential requirements.
Application devoid of purpose after withdrawal of decision to extend print&post framework agreement with collect&post services — costs charged to purchasing body PARADIGM
The Council of State rejected NV POSTALIA BELGIUM's urgent suspension application against the decision of central purchasing body PARADIGM to extend framework agreement BB2022.011 (print&post) with collect&post services, as PARADIGM had withdrawn the extension decision and removed the services from the catalogue, rendering the application devoid of purpose, with costs charged to PARADIGM.
Application devoid of purpose after withdrawal of exclusion of tender and award of framework agreement for access control installations City of Ghent — costs charged to respondent
The Council of State rejected the suspension application by NV SERIS TECHNOLOGY against the City of Ghent's decision to exclude its tender for the framework agreement for emergency repairs, maintenance and renovation of access control installations as irregular and to award the contract to a third party, as the City of Ghent had withdrawn the contested decision, rendering the application devoid of purpose, with costs charged to the City of Ghent.
Annulment of lubricant supply contract award — modification during evaluation of 'eco-responsible products' sub-criterion (cumulative → alternative) and inadequate formal motivation
The Council of State annulled the award of a lubricant supply contract to CARMANT, finding the contracting authority modified the 'eco-responsible products' sub-criterion during evaluation by abandoning the cumulative nature of conditions, in violation of transparency and equality principles, without disclosure in the formal motivation.
Annulment of evening market domain concession award in Blankenberge — deviation from minimum bid amount after opening of tenders violates equality and patere legem principle
The Council of State annulled the award of a concession for the exploitation of seven evening markets in Blankenberge, finding that the city violated the principles of equality and patere legem by disregarding the minimum bid amount of €50,000 per year after all three tenderers had bid below that minimum.
Brussels social housing companies are not public authorities — always check jurisdiction first
The Council of State rejects Belfoul Industrie's extreme-urgency action against a Logement Bruxellois award not on the merits but for lack of jurisdiction: a Brussels 'société immobilière de service public' is, under established case law, not an 'authority' within the meaning of Article 14 of the coordinated laws on the Council of State, so its procurement decisions fall to the civil courts — which the contract notice itself explicitly stated.
Withdrawal from annulment proceedings against award of lot 2 (pedagogical IT equipment) — costs charged to applicant
The Council of State decreed SRL ESI INFORMATIQUE's withdrawal from its annulment proceedings against the award of lot 2 of a supply contract for pedagogical IT equipment, with costs charged to the applicant.
Rejection of challenge to portfolio assessment in stepped system — motivation concrete enough, no right to 'reasons for the reasons'
The Council of State rejects a graphic designer's challenge to their exclusion from the City of Antwerp's freelance partner pool, finding that the qualitative portfolio assessment (35% against a 65% threshold) was sufficiently concretely motivated and that merely contradicting the assessment did not rebut the presumption of legality.
Suspension of audiovisual framework agreement: company references are a selection criterion, not an award criterion
The Council of State suspends the award of a framework agreement for audiovisual services because the sub-award criterion 'References' assesses the tenderer's experience as a company rather than the quality of personnel deployed for execution, making it essentially a selection criterion that may not be used as an award criterion.
Optimistic soil reuse (60%) without screening or soil improvement costs does not justify abnormally low earthworks prices
The Council of State rejects the challenge against the exclusion of a tender for sewer and road works because the price justification for the total price and eleven earthworks items was rightly rejected: the tenderer assumed an insufficiently substantiated 60% soil reuse rate without costs for screening or soil improvement.
Whoever obtains a suspension but then files no annulment action loses that protection automatically — and owes the other side's procedural indemnity
The Council of State lifts the suspension earlier obtained by Jardiparc: Devillers did not file an annulment petition within the statutory deadline, so the law automatically removes the suspension — and the respondent, now regarded as the winning party, collects the €770 procedural indemnity.
No ruling on the merits after withdrawal and re-award of lot 4 to same tenderer — withdrawal and re-award final in absence of appeal
SA AXO's appeal against the award of lot 4 (renovation of a palliative care unit) lost its object after the withdrawal of the contested decision and re-award to the same tenderer became final for lack of challenge within the prescribed time limit.
No ruling after withdrawal of award for lot 1 (bedroom furniture) — withdrawal final, procedural indemnity at base amount
SRL JEE-BEE's appeal against the award of lot 1 of a furniture supply contract for a care home lost its object after the definitive withdrawal of the contested decision, with application of Article 30 §5 to rule on both suspension and annulation in a single judgment.
Rejection of suspension for absence of applicant and loss of object of annulation after withdrawal of three non-award decisions — costs charged to respondent
SA KRINKELS' suspension application against three non-award decisions by SOFICO for road verge maintenance was rejected for absence, while the annulation appeal lost its object following the definitive withdrawal of the contested decisions, with costs charged to the respondent.
If you want to attack the hardware supplier as competitor for the software running on it, do it in the initial petition — not in the supplementary brief
The Council of State rejects Vigo Universal's annulment action against the award to Timescope for developing a VR application that had to run on 'Timescope Mini' terminals supplied by Timescope: Vigo's strongest arguments — that the award criterion contained an unannounced visual sub-criterion, and that Timescope's competitive advantage from an earlier contract should have been neutralised — only surfaced in the supplementary brief and are therefore late.
If your e-procurement platform shows a different deadline from your email, you cannot brand bids as late
The Council of State suspends the award: Nautisport had announced by email that bids had to arrive by 2 July 2024, but the e-procurement platform itself — where bids had to be submitted — showed 18 July 2024; when Arcadus-Arcadis submitted on 18 July, their bid was rejected as late without any analysis of whose legitimate expectation had been created.
A price of €0 is always suspicious, €1 usually isn't — and that difference justifies different investigations
The Council of State rejects the extreme urgency suspension: the fact that Bruxelles-Propreté excluded bailiff M.L.'s bid (with four items at €0) via the strict price investigation of Article 36 and Exelia-Alterius's bid (with €1 and €15 per file) via the lighter verification of Article 35 is not unequal treatment — €0 is, per established case law, always an apparently abnormal price, whereas €1 is not necessarily.
Withdrawal of award and non-placement of video framework agreement: financial motive suffices, reference to wrong entity is superfluous ground, no legitimate expectations without concluded contract
The Council of State rejects the annulment appeal against the decision not to place a framework agreement for video services, because the financial-economic motive (joining an existing framework agreement) is lawful, the erroneous reference to 'Het Facilitair Bedrijf' instead of the Department of Chancellery and Foreign Affairs concerns a superfluous ground, and the successful tenderer cannot derive legitimate expectations from an award decision without a concluded contract.
Five lump-sum items per lot for towing services is sufficient: professional tenderer can calculate average price based on sector knowledge
The Council of State rejects the challenge against the award of a towing services contract because the contracting authority has broad discretion in drafting the inventory, the breakdown into five lump-sum items per lot is not unusual in the sector, and a professional service provider should be able to calculate a reasonable average price.
Price justification for NMBS tilting poles passes scrutiny: legal presumption of abnormal prices does not apply in simplified negotiated procedure
The Council of State rejects the suspension request because the legal presumption of abnormal prices under Article 44 §4 of the Royal Decree of 18 June 2017 does not apply to the simplified negotiated procedure, and the NMBS carefully examined and accepted the price justification of the awarded joint venture for multifunctional tilting poles on sound grounds.
Second challenge against NMBS tilting poles rejected: distinction between negotiation and price justification, selective special price investigation permitted
The Council of State also rejects the application of another tenderer against the same NMBS award for tilting poles, clarifying that a price justification is not a negotiation, that the special price investigation may be applied selectively to the first-ranked tenderer, and that repeated inquiry is permitted.
Suspension of paper framework agreement: origin certificate does not cover all offered paper types
The Council of State suspends the award of a framework agreement for eco-friendly office paper because the contracting authority failed to adequately verify whether the submitted 'Origine France Garantie' certificate covered all specific paper types in the chosen tenderer's offer, while at least one paper type is produced in Brazil.
Withdrawing the award after the urgent-suspension claim: the case becomes moot, but the contracting authority still pays the costs
The Council of State dismisses the urgent-suspension claim as moot because the City of Ghent withdrew its award decision after the claim was lodged, but still orders the city to pay costs — a warning against waiting until urgent-suspension proceedings are underway.
UDN rejected for Ruiselede culture and theatre hall: contractor-architect combination in design & build is not unlawful, evaluation methodology with base score and adjustments is compliant, and delegation of award authority by central purchasing body is valid
The suspension request in extreme urgency against the award of a design & build contract for a culture and theatre hall in Ruiselede is rejected — the submission by a combination of two contractors (joint venture) and an architect does not violate incompatibility rules, the evaluation methodology with a base score of 60/100 and adjustments of ±1.25 or ±2.5 points for notable elements falls within the announced framework, the punctual criticism of scores lacks factual basis or substitutes own insights, and the delegation of award authority by the central purchasing body to a service association is valid.
Second round, different outcome: how a contracting authority can solidly award the same contract after a first suspension
The Council of State dismisses A2's urgent-suspension claim against the re-award to KRINKELS of a SOFICO motorway maintenance contract, because this time SOFICO produced a concrete price verification and a justified inventory reorganisation — a textbook example of a contracting authority learning from a first suspension.
Annulment of security works award for Fedasil building: double motivation defect — unjustified decision to question applicant but not chosen tenderer, and inadequate motivation for rejecting price justification
The Council of State annuls the award of security works at a Fedasil building in Brussels for two interrelated reasons: the decision to request price justification from the applicant but not from the chosen tenderer (whose total price differed by only €2,060) was not validly motivated, especially since the applicant's total price did not exceed the 15% threshold; and the award report's assessment of the price justification was limited to a general formula without substantively addressing the concrete justification elements — a posteriori motivation in the statement of defence cannot remedy this defect.
Sub-criteria that only surface at evaluation? That is allowed — but only under strict EU conditions, and the challenger must prove the breach concretely
The Council of State rejects cleaning company ACTIVA's appeal against the award of five lots of cleaning for military quarters to ISS and Cleaning Masters: the delegation of power to the colonel was legitimate, the use of sub-criteria not pre-weighted complied with EU case law, and ACTIVA showed no concrete assessment error.
A start-up of five ex-employees may invoke their former employer's references — but the contracting authority must actually verify those references
The Council of State annuls the award of an urban planning study contract to SEN5 — a company set up by five ex-colleagues of the applicant — not because they used each other's references, but because the City of Jodoigne accepted a reference list that did not meet the specifications' requirement that the amount per assignment be stated.
Annulment appeal for Oostende casino concession rejected: 15-year duration linked to gaming permit is lawful, capacity commitment need not be reconfirmed in lengthy procedure, and competition distortion not proven
The annulment appeal against the third award decision for the exclusive Oostende casino concession is rejected — the 15-year duration (once renewable) is justified by the indissoluble link with the Class A gaming permit, the third-party capacity commitment need not be reconfirmed during a lengthy procedure absent indications of withdrawal, and the allegations of competition-distorting conduct via IT access to the competitor's server are insufficiently proven given the shared server's 'apartment model' and the absence of a criminal complaint.
UDN suspension: soil investigation framework agreement suspended because authority failed to provide inventory for unit price contract — tenderers may not compile their own price list
The Council of State suspends the award of the framework agreement for soil investigations in the Ghent port area because North Sea Port Flanders, although designating the contract as a unit price contract, failed to include an inventory in the tender documents and left it to the tenderers to compile their own price list — resulting in the absence of a uniform comparison basis for unit prices and undermining the lawful and transparent evaluation of offers.
Annulment of nursing home construction award: not the unsigned bill of quantities, but the failure to verify exclusion grounds before the award is fatal
The Council of State annuls the award of the contract for the extension of WZC Reigersvliet with new construction of day care centre 'De Kiosk' (lot 1 structural works and finishing) — not because the selected tenderer's bill of quantities was not individually signed (that plea is rejected on the basis of Article 42 §1 Royal Decree on Placement), but because the contracting authority failed to demonstrate that it verified the exclusion grounds before the award decision, while the award report expressly made the award subject to missing documents (social security, fiscal and non-bankruptcy certificates).
Annulment appeal rejected: decisions on scoring and organization of second round for ambulance service convention are preparatory acts — inadmissible
Life-Care's annulment appeal against the decision not to award separate points for the 'motivation' criterion and to organize a second round after tied scores in the procedure for an extra 112 ambulance service convention in the Ghent-South region is rejected as inadmissible ratione materiae — the contested decisions are preparatory acts that do not immediately and effectively prejudice the applicant, as they do not exclude but actually admit the applicant to the second round.
UDN rejected: second site visit due to construction holiday does not render port works award unlawful — date of site visit is organizational aspect, no information asymmetry demonstrated
The suspension request in extreme urgency against the award of the Noordkasteeldok redevelopment to D.B. is rejected — organizing a second site visit on 8 April 2024 for three selected candidates unable to attend on the tender-specified date of 3 April due to construction holiday is not unreasonable, the date of the site visit is an organizational aspect not prescribed on penalty of exclusion, all candidates effectively conducted a site visit, and the alleged information asymmetry is not substantiated with concrete evidence.
A draw is not an award decision: without formal approval by registered letter there is nothing yet to challenge
The Council of State declares an urgent-suspension claim against a draw for concessions on the Eben-Emael military domain inadmissible because the specifications expressly state that allocation only becomes final after formal approval by the competent authority and notification by registered letter — formalities not yet completed here.
A humble "deemed satisfactory" next to each line: final bill 75,879.99 euros in damages
The Council of State awards POLYMAT SAV 75,879.99 euros in damages – 10% of its bid – because the Résidence Préfleuri approved GBM's price justifications with nothing more than "the response was deemed satisfactory" next to each line item.
Asking for a tariff exemption after award: the Council of State sends you to the civil courts
The Brussels CPAS got no relief at the Council of State when it asked Bruxelles-Propreté to apply a tariff exemption during negotiations and after award – the Council declared itself incompetent: both refusals are civil matters, not administrative ones.
Relying on sub-contractors? Deliver their tax and social security records too – or fail qualification
The Council of State rejects mask producer L.I. DECOR's appeal against exclusion by the French Community: a bidder relying on third-party capacity in a COVID mask procurement also had to prove those third parties had no social or tax debts.
Staying silent after a suspension cost COCOF the contract: the authority failed to request continuation and the suspended award was annulled without further debate
Because COCOF did not request continuation within thirty days of the suspension ruling, the Council of State automatically annuls the award to TPF Utilities via the short procedure — the unclear tender document clauses on clearing existing non-conformities now count definitively against the contracting authority.
A blanket delegation for all public contracts up to 80 million euros does not fit within "daily management": the Council of State suspends ORES Assets' selection
The Council of State suspends the selection decision of ORES Assets in a 56 million euro framework agreement for aerial work platforms, because a delegation covering all public contracts up to 80 million euros to a director of subsidiary ORES SC exceeds the limits of "daily management", and the energy decrees do not authorise a network operator to delegate powers directly to an organ of its subsidiary.
UDN filed, contracting authority withdraws the award — bidder wins procedurally, but with reduced procedural indemnity
After ARTES TWT/Roegiers filed on 6 February 2024 a UDN suspension plus annulment against the award to DHERTE (€21.16 million, lot 1 of the construction of the Pôle scolaire des Grands Prés), the Province of Hainaut withdrew its decision on 8 February 2024 — result: both actions become moot, ARTES receives €770 procedural indemnity (no surcharge, because withdrawal is not an annulment).
UDN against a 2022 BPOST selection and a 2023 award: BPOST withdraws both and the case collapses
French company SOLYSTIC SAS attacks by UDN both the June 2022 selection of Viapost Maintenance and the December 2023 award for the maintenance of BPOST sorting machines; BPOST withdraws both decisions on 12 January 2024, the action becomes moot and SOLYSTIC receives a €770 procedural indemnity.
UDN rejected: non-selection due to invalid reference for site manager — contracting authority not obliged to identify references from curriculum vitae
The suspension request in extreme urgency against the non-selection of Urban Living Project Management for the competitive dialogue for office and training infrastructure (Build to Suit, 22,000 m² NFA) in Antwerp is rejected — VDAB could limit its assessment to the two explicitly designated references for the site manager, of which one had not been provisionally delivered, without examining the list of 16 projects in the key person's CV.
The winner confirms the 3-week delivery by email — is that verification enough? The Council of State suspends.
The Council of State suspends, in extreme urgency, BPOST's award of a framework agreement for LED beanies to Prosafco because BPOST verified the realism of the 3-week delivery time (an award criterion) merely by asking Prosafco for confirmation — without demanding concrete justification and without addressing that verification in the award motivation.
Corrective ruling: rectification of clerical error in ruling 260.097 — equality principle applies to government contract awards even when procurement rules do not apply
This corrective ruling rectifies a clerical error in paragraph 16 of ruling 260.097 of 12 June 2024 — the corrected text confirms that even when public procurement rules do not apply, an authority must respect the equality principle under articles 10 and 11 of the Constitution when awarding a government contract (such as granting a real right).
UDN rejected: non-selection for meeting management platform due to insufficient references — reworked references fail to address questions about data/document management and tenderer's own role
The suspension request in extreme urgency against the non-selection of CO-DEX.EU for the framework agreement for a development platform and meeting management application of the Province of Vlaams-Brabant is rejected — all three pleas (equal treatment/transparency, duty to state reasons, due diligence) are not serious: the contracting authority reasonably found that the reworked references did not demonstrate that the projects involved data and document management in a back-end system and that the tenderer's own role remained unclear.
Suspension in UDN: contradictory motivation for non-selection of PwC regarding turnover proof — evaluation report acknowledges turnover declaration suffices but demands additional evidence
The suspension of PwC Enterprise Advisory's non-selection for lot 2 (Control and Audit) of the competitive procedure with negotiation for federal IT security services is ordered in extreme urgency — the evaluation report contains contradictory motivation by acknowledging that a turnover declaration suffices (per article 67 §1 2° AR Placement) while simultaneously demanding additional evidence, and equal treatment of candidates cannot be verified.
A line item at €0 doesn't automatically make an offer irregular — the contracting authority must first prove that item is non-negligible
The Council of State suspends the rejection of an offer in which one line item (steel mounting brackets for fire extinguishers) was priced at €0, because La Sambrienne failed to motivate why that item was non-negligible and did not identify which specific requirement from the tender documents was allegedly breached.
A price review done four weeks after the award decision doesn't count — not even when two offers differ by 5.2 million euros
The Council of State suspends a NIRAS award of €13.8M for radioactive concrete dismantling work because the only trace of a price review on the Best and Final Offers was a Tractebel email dated 29 July 2024 — a month after the award decision of 28 June.
A temporary association with 'two class-5 accreditations' doesn't automatically reach class 6: main category D and subcategory D1 don't add up
The Council of State suspends an ILVO award of €3.78M for the construction of poultry research barns because one of the two joint venture partners was only accredited in subcategory D1 — not in main category D — which breaks the 'add-up' rule of article 11 §2 of the Act of 20 March 1991.
Two independent grounds for rejection: challenging only one means no standing — even if your other argument is strong
The Council of State rejects the extreme urgency suspension against the non-selection of SM Constructel for the RESA/ORES smart meter contract because the applicants did not challenge one of the two independent grounds for rejection — the absence of a VCA certificate for Modal — so the contested decision can stand on that uncontested ground alone.
If you ask everyone the same question, it's not unequal treatment — even if only one bidder has to adjust
The Council of State rejects Neovision's extreme urgency application against the award to Ecubel of refurbished laptops for Liège provincial schools because the Province could invoke article 76 §5 of the Royal Decree of 18 April 2017 to allow Ecubel to correct its offer — provided it asked all bidders the same clarification question simultaneously, which it did.
BAFO 'for better prices': the authority may skip feedback — your only bid is your only bid
The Council of State confirms that a contracting authority in a competitive procedure with negotiation may perfectly choose to give no feedback on initial offers and to request only a BAFO 'for better prices', even when one bidder scores much higher on quality and the other on price — 'negotiation' is not a second chance to rewrite your offer.
Two small Excel sheets saying '42 hours included' cost you the World Expo — while your competitor's missing offer form does not
The Council of State rejects the extreme urgency application of consortium Voysu against the award of the Belgian pavilion at Expo Osaka 2025 to Dirty Monitor, because BelExpo rightly discarded Voysu's BAFO for two added Excel tabs mentioning 'up to 2 correction rounds' and 'up to 42 hours included' — whereas the offer form that Dirty Monitor forgot to upload was not a substantial irregularity and could be requested afterwards under article 66 §3 of the Public Procurement Act.
'Prices have been checked and deemed normal' is not motivation — confidentiality is no alibi for silence on price review
The Council of State suspends the award of a €3.5M debt collection contract by SWDE and CILE to bailiff firm Étude Bordet, because the contracting authority detected apparently abnormal prices in six of seven bids but merely included a boilerplate phrase in its award report ('prices deemed normal and acceptable'), and additionally gave four bids an identical 38/40 score on methodology with identical descriptions — without demonstrating why these bids could not be distinguished.
Works 'near a river' are not similar to riverside wall construction — not even if the stakeholders and water management are identical
The Council of State rejects the suspension: SPI was entitled to consider that sinking shafts beneath the Ourthe are not 'similar works' to the construction of a quayside wall along a watercourse, even though both sites involved the same type of river environment.
If you contest the irregularity finding instead of fixing it, you can't later claim unequal treatment
The Council of State rejects Sportinfrabouw's appeal: it had the same opportunity to regularise as Lesuco but chose to contest the finding of irregularity instead of adjusting its offer — and therefore cannot invoke discrimination.
The evaluation methodology may surface only in the award decision — and an offer with '…' in its lists will cost you points
The Council of State rejects the appeal: the Region was not required to disclose its evaluation methodology in advance, and the ambiguities in Production's offer (non-exhaustive format list, external DTP graphic designer of unclear cost status, paid hotline) justified the point deductions.
The bond clause in the specifications leaks the estimate — complaining you didn't know is pointless
The Council of State rejects the appeal: a fee percentage is a valid price quotation, and claiming that the estimated contract value was not disclosed while proving in the same pleading that it can be derived from the bond clause undermines your own case.
A consortium cannot 'borrow' a missing statutory authorisation from its licensed partner
The Council of State rejects the suspension: when a contract covers regulated activities such as private security, each member of a consortium must hold the required authorisation personally — reliance on a third party's capacity is excluded for such 'specific authorisations'.
"We want to review the arrangements" is not a valid reason to abandon an award
The Council of State suspends the Walloon Region's decision to withdraw five pellet-stove lots of a MEBAR contract and relaunch the procedure, because the reasoning — a single sentence referring to an earlier suspension ruling and to "reviewing the award arrangements" — does not allow verification that the real motives are pertinent and admissible.
"Correcting" a price into a different unit than the specification prescribes is not a calculation error — it is rewriting the specification
The Council of State suspends the award to HR Groep Streetcare because the City of Antwerp recalculated the prices for the "truss frames for traffic signs" items into a price per square metre, while the specification and Standard Specification 250 expressly required a price per metre — a different unit than the one the competitor Trafiroad had used.
Conflict of interest on paper, no damage in practice: why excluding a former employer cuts off the conflict-of-interest ground
The Council of State rejects Umami Catering's UDN challenge against the award of catering lots for Fedasil reception centres, because it fails to show interest in the conflict-of-interest ground: the former employer of the contested official was excluded anyway for wrong VAT rates, and the other official had no access to the bids.
UDN rejected: desire to operate a concession personally is insufficient for extreme urgency — concession agreement already concluded and Council of State lacks jurisdiction to suspend the contract
The suspension request in extreme urgency against the award of the concession for nine evening markets in Blankenberge to J.M. is rejected — the concession agreement has already been concluded and the Council of State cannot suspend a concession contract (exclusive jurisdiction of ordinary courts), moral damage (reputational loss) can be remedied by an annulment judgment, and the desire to operate the concession personally does not constitute extreme urgency.
Suspension request rejected: STIB fails to demonstrate urgency to prevent transmission of procurement documents to CADA — purely hypothetical fears of enforcement and disclosure
The suspension request against CADA's interlocutory decision ordering STIB to transmit documents relating to a software services contract (MaaS) is rejected — STIB fails to concretely demonstrate urgency: fears of enforcement measures by CADA are purely hypothetical, and transmitting documents to CADA does not mean they will be disclosed to the access requester (a competitor), as CADA must still examine their confidential nature.
Suspension in extreme urgency: absence of price award criterion is unlawful for bailiff services contract including non-monopolistic services — statutory tariff does not cover amicable debt recovery
The suspension of the award of the bailiff services contract of the municipality of Frameries to UNILEX SC is ordered in extreme urgency — the specifications provide no award criterion relating to price or cost while the contract also covers non-monopolistic services (amicable recovery) whose remuneration is not fixed by national provisions, so the exception allowing evaluation solely on quality does not apply.
Suspension request rejected in extreme urgency: five determinative grounds each independently justify exclusion for abnormal prices and substantial irregularity — construction of Éco-Centre IFAPME/FOREM in Namur Belgrade
BEMAT-DHERTE's suspension request against the award of lot 1 (structural works and finishes) of the Éco-Centre IFAPME/FOREM construction in Namur Belgrade to the joint venture Artes TWT – Artes Roegiers is rejected — the first plea is inoperative for failing to challenge all five determinative grounds, each independently sufficient, justifying exclusion for abnormal prices and substantial irregularity, and the second plea alleging unequal treatment is not serious.
Suspension in extreme urgency: non-selection of LIXON based solely on RC insurance is insufficiently motivated — the criterion 'professional risk insurance' potentially covers all professional insurance policies
The suspension of the award decision for lot 1 of the energy renovation of 201 social housing units to the joint venture BEMAT-MOURY is ordered in extreme urgency — the contracting authority reduced the selection criterion 'professional risk insurance' to RC insurance alone (5 million euros), while LIXON had produced four insurance certificates covering over 180 million euros.
Suspension request rejected in extreme urgency: price comparison including authorized options and qualitative evaluation without manifest error — financial market surveillance contract awarded to Smarts Nasdaq
Features Analytics' suspension request against the award to Smarts Nasdaq of the financial market surveillance solution for the FSMA is rejected — the single plea is not serious: price comparison based on total price including authorized options complies with the equality principle, and qualitative evaluation reveals no manifest error of appreciation.
Rejection of freedom of information appeal: equality of arms in pending annulment proceedings justifies refusal to disclose competitor's tender annexes — Project FAST
D.D.G.'s appeal against the refusal to disclose annexes from competitor D.G.'s tender is rejected — the Appeals Body could refuse disclosure under article II.35, 4°, of the Administrative Decree (fair trial) because the documents would be used in pending annulment proceedings before the Council of State, and the Appeals Body could factor in that D.D.G. had already filed an annulment action and requested the lifting of confidentiality in those proceedings.
Annulment of award lot 6 Project FAST: contracting authority imposes maximum unit prices without prior cost analysis — duty of care violated
The award decision for lot 6 (towing vehicles MTM ≤ 3.5 t on E17 Middle) of the framework agreement Project FAST is annulled because the Agency for Roads and Traffic imposed maximum unit prices in the inventory — largely taken from the 2013 specifications — without demonstrating that a prior price or cost analysis was conducted, thereby violating the duty of care.
Appeal rejected: substantial irregularity confirmed for inconsistency between 15 announced FTEs and 0.5 FTE justified in pricing — GDPR pleas inadmissible for lack of interest
Venturis' annulment appeal against VIVAQUA's decision to exclude its offer for the recovery of unpaid water bills is rejected — the inconsistency between the 15 full-time equivalents announced as specifically dedicated and the 0.5 FTE justified in pricing validly constitutes a substantial irregularity, and the pleas challenging the modification of the specifications regarding data transfer to Tunisia (GDPR) are inadmissible for lack of interest.
Annulment via accelerated procedure: insufficient motivation of quality scoring and no price verification in mini-competition under framework agreement — information system architect
The award decision for the execution contract for an information system architect (lot 1 of the SPW framework agreement) to the NRB-BuSI-Mielabelo consortium is annulled via the accelerated procedure of article 17, § 6 — the motivation of the quality scoring (45%) was limited to reproducing the scale description without concrete descriptive evaluation, and no price verification under article 21 of the Royal Decree of 15 July 2011 was conducted for this subsequent contract under a framework agreement.
Appeal rendered moot: Walloon Region withdraws award decision for school fruit supply after suspension order in extreme urgency
FAWAY's annulment appeal against the award to FRESHO of fifteen lots of the service contract for supplying fruit and vegetables to schools has become moot — the Walloon Region withdrew the award decision on 8 December 2023, following the suspension order in extreme urgency of 16 November 2023, and did not request continuation of the proceedings within the thirty-day deadline.
Appeal rejected: concrete aggregate (concrete rubble 20/40) is not prohibited recovery material but recycled material — interpretation of specification ban on recovery materials for artificial grass field construction
LESUCO's annulment appeal against the award of three artificial grass fields in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw to NV K. is rejected — the Council of State rules that concrete aggregate 20/40 (commercially called 'concrete rubble') is not recovery material within the meaning of the specification ban, but recycled material that has undergone a specific process, and the contracting authority's interpretation is not unlawful.
Suspension granted: bailiff services Quaregnon — erroneous value estimation failing to account for total service provider remuneration
Suspension granted: the decision of the municipality of Quaregnon to declare Borean & Associés' offer irregular for abnormal pricing (EUR 0.01 per amicable recovery file) and to award the bailiff designation contract to Proximilex is suspended — the municipality manifestly underestimated the contract value by failing to account for the total service provider remuneration for the judicial recovery phase, wrongly qualifying the contract as low-value and dispensing with the price verification procedure under article 36 of the 2017 Royal Decree.
Eurogreen suspension claim against lot 1 green spaces maintenance zone West award to Krinkels rejected: abnormal prices and negligible items
Claim rejected: Eurogreen's extreme urgency suspension claim against Bruxelles Environnement's decision to exclude its offer for lot 1 (Parc Elisabeth – Basilique) of the green spaces maintenance zone West contract for abnormal pricing at item 0.8.1.3 and to award to Krinkels is rejected — the sole plea is not serious in any of its three branches: the method for determining negligible items based on average prices is not unreasonable, the output of 204 lamp posts per gardener per day at 2 minutes 35 seconds per post is unrealistic, and Krinkels' price justifications are acceptable.
Heckler & Koch v. FN Herstal strategic partnership: suspension rejected — Article 346 TFEU correctly applied for light weapons systems
Heckler & Koch's extreme urgency suspension claim against the Defense Minister's and Council of Ministers' decisions of 26 April 2024 to award and conclude a multinational strategic partnership with FN Herstal for light weapons systems (approx. EUR 1.463 billion, 20 years) is rejected — the contracting authority prima facie demonstrates that all conditions for applying Article 346(1)(b) TFEU are met: the products are listed in List 255/58 of military equipment, the partnership does not alter competition for non-military products, it is necessary to protect essential security interests (DTIB, security of supply, strategic autonomy), and the objective cannot be achieved through less restrictive measures.
Suspension granted: meal distribution carts Résidence Jeanne Mertens — multiple deviations from specifications not examined by contracting authority
Suspension granted: the decision of the CPAS de Binche to award the supply contract for meal distribution carts for Résidence Jeanne Mertens to G.B.M. is suspended — the offers of G.B.M. and Cuisimat deviate on multiple points from the specifications (stainless steel structure, inclined tanks, wheel diameter, doors exceeding chassis, number of trays, power) without the offer analysis report or award decision identifying or qualifying these deviations as substantial or non-substantial.
Interlocutory ruling fire tower Kalmthout: first plea on selection criteria references rejected, debate reopened for price investigation
Interlocutory ruling: in Swinnen's annulment appeal against the award for building a fire tower on the Kalmthout Heath, the first plea — regarding the selected tenderer's reference selection criteria — is rejected in all its branches; the appeal against the implicit refusal decision is inadmissible; the debate is reopened for the second plea (price investigation) and damages.
Nandrin insurance award annulled: asymmetric negotiations — only Ethias invited to submit BAFO, not P&V
Annulment: the award of Nandrin's insurance contract to Ethias is annulled — the administrative file contains no evidence that P&V Assurances was offered the same opportunities to improve its offer as Ethias, which was formally invited to negotiate and submit a BAFO, in violation of the equal treatment principle.
Kurstjens appeal against lot C (sludge Liège) SWDE award rejected: selection criteria and offer evaluation compliant
Appeal rejected: Kurstjens' annulment appeal against the award of lot C (Liège sector) of the SWDE sludge treatment and disposal contract to the joint venture SEDE/ATOX is rejected — references of similar contracts do not require sludge of the same type per lot, the evaluation method is compliant, and Kurstjens lacks interest in criticizing the awardee's offer as it fails to demonstrate it could surpass the second-ranked tenderer (Lamesch).
Cipal Schaubroeck's suspension claim against VITO ICT infrastructure framework agreement rejected for late filing and lack of subject matter
Claim rejected: Cipal Schaubroeck's extreme urgency suspension claim against (1) the BAFO specifications of VITO's ICT infrastructure framework agreement and (2) an alleged implicit decision to extend the scope to ANPR cameras is inadmissible — the challenge against the specifications was filed more than a year late, and the existence of an implicit extension decision is not demonstrated.
VMG-De Cock appeal against irregularity declaration for Bert Carlier refectory offer rejected — insufficient price justification does not outweigh 40% below average
Appeal rejected: VMG-De Cock's annulment appeal against the irregularity declaration of its offer for the renovation of the refectory at the Bert Carlier Institute in Ghent is rejected — the brief price justification for a unit price 41% below average failed to sufficiently rebut the presumption of abnormality despite reference to an in-house carpentry workshop, and the contracting authority was not obliged to conduct a follow-up inquiry.
Federal Police win without pleadings: POLIS-SERVICE forgot to reply to the defence within sixty days and lost its appeal against the non-award of breath-test devices
The Council of State rejects — for loss of the required interest — POLIS-SERVICE's annulment action against the non-award of lot 1 of a framework agreement for portable breath-analysis and alcohol-detection devices for the integrated police, because the bidder failed to file its reply brief within the statutory sixty-day deadline after receiving the Belgian State's defence.
LMJ Construct's appeals against irregularity declaration for tractor vehicle offers rejected for loss of interest
Appeals rejected: LMJ Construct's annulment appeals against the irregularity declaration of its offers for lots 2 and 5 of a framework agreement for tractor vehicles for the federal police are rejected for lack of interest — because LMJ only challenged the irregularity declaration and not the award or non-award decision, those decisions became definitive after sixty days and any chance of obtaining the contract was lost. Interest aimed merely at facilitating a damages claim is insufficient.
Suspension rejected means thirty days to say you're carrying on — Solidairement stayed silent and lost its appeal against the fruit-and-vegetables school contract
The Council of State declares discontinuance of proceedings in the non-profit Solidairement's annulment action against the Walloon Region's award of lots 13 and 17 of a framework agreement for the supply of fruit and vegetables to schools, because the non-profit failed to file a formal request to continue the procedure within the thirty-day statutory deadline after its suspension request was rejected.
Suspension of non-selection of Sia Partners — bPost confused Belgian branch with separate legal entity
Suspension ordered: the non-selection of Sia Partners SAS for three lots of a bPost consultancy framework agreement is based on an error of fact — bPost wrongly considered the candidate to be a Belgian legal entity when it was in fact the French SAS with a Belgian branch lacking separate legal personality, and bPost's clarification questions were not formulated in a way that would allow the candidate to detect this confusion.
Suspension claim for Cirque Royal cleaning contract rejected — no qualified electronic signature on deposit report
Claim rejected: Nadeco's extreme urgency suspension claim against the second award of the Cirque Royal cleaning contract to Group Cleaning Services is rejected — Nadeco's offer, submitted on e-Tendering with a simple PDF file of a manuscript signature instead of a qualified electronic signature, is affected by a substantial irregularity, and the price verification conducted by the contracting authority after the suspension of the first award is adequate.
Appeal moot after definitive withdrawal by bPost of shuttle lot award decision
No longer need to rule: after bPost withdrew the award decision for lot 1 (shuttles between stations and sorting centres) on 1 December 2022 and no appeal was filed against the withdrawal within the prescribed period, the annulment appeal became moot and the previously ordered suspension is lifted.
E-bike supplier's claim against Genk's framework agreement cancellation rejected for late filing
Claim rejected: Bezõe's extreme urgency suspension claim against Genk's cancellation of the e-bike framework agreement was filed too late — the fifteen-day period starts from the sending of the registered letter, not from receipt. The Council additionally finds that budget constraints constitute valid grounds for cancellation.
Umami Catering withdraws appeal after withdrawal of award decision for meal preparation in reception centres
Withdrawal acknowledged: after the Council of State previously ordered suspension of the irregularity declaration of Umami's offers for meal preparation in reception centres, and the minister withdrew and retook the decisions, Umami withdrew its annulment appeals; costs are charged to the Belgian State.
FWB may validly abandon SEPPT contract after finding both offers irregular
Claim rejected: the FWB could validly abandon the SEPPT contract after finding, in a third sufficiently motivated decision, that Cohezio's offer was, like CESI's, affected by a substantive irregularity and that the disputed award criterion needed revision.
Toit et Moi may reject Dumay-Mior's offer for incomplete fire detection site visits
Claim rejected: Toit et Moi could validly declare Dumay-Mior's offer irregular for non-compliance with the mandatory site visit requirement, despite a visit certificate signed in error.
Treating all bidders the same can itself be the problem: a restorer needs more inspection than a dismantler
The Council of State annuls the sale of a decommissioned Falcon 900 because Defence refused on-site technical inspection for everyone, while bidders who wanted to restore the aircraft to airworthiness needed that inspection far more than bidders who wanted to dismantle it for parts.
RESA cannot stop green maintenance procurement procedure without solid grounds
Suspension ordered: RESA stopped a green maintenance procurement procedure based on insufficient, inaccurate and contradictory grounds.
Questioning low prices cannot be limited to the numbers — you must also verify environmental, social and labour law compliance
The Council of State suspends the award to Vanheede Propreté of a €25 million waste collection contract because Intradel, having flagged the prices as suspiciously low, merely referred to certificates attached to the bid and never concretely verified whether the low prices were compatible with environmental, social and labour law.
Listing technical differences and then giving everyone 24 out of 30: that is how you neutralise your own quality criterion
The Belgian Council of State annuls the award of an artificial-turf pitch contract because the contracting authority listed clear technical differences between the three bids in its award report, but then gave all three an identical 24/30 for 'quality' — and only a 0.5-point difference for 'guarantees' despite warranty differences of up to ten years.
A suspiciously high price is just as problematic as a suspiciously low one — price verification must go both ways
The Council of State suspends the award of the project & construction management for Vivalia's new regional hospital to ATIS because Vivalia only challenged low prices, while the winning bid was significantly above the estimate on several items without ever being questioned.
Municipality of Westerlo must thoroughly examine unit prices in cemetery pavilion construction
Suspension ordered: Municipality of Westerlo examined only total prices but not unit prices when awarding farewell pavilion construction on cemeteries, despite large deviation percentages per item.
City of Kortrijk may award water treatment DBM contract based on total score
Claim rejected: City of Kortrijk correctly awarded a DBM contract for decentralised water treatment to BelleAqua based on the best total score, where sub-aspects of award criteria do not constitute separately weighted sub-criteria.
Council of State rejects annulment appeal against non-selection of combination for artificial turf renovation – each member must individually hold required ISO and VCA certificates for the part it executes
The Council of State rejected the annulment appeal by the Scheerlinck Sport – Canalco combination against their non-selection for the renovation of an artificial football pitch in Sint-Niklaas, because ISO 9001 and VCA certificates relate to the entire operation of a company and each member of a combination executing part of the contract must hold them — the first applicant, which would execute half the works but lacked the certificates, could not rely on its partner's certificates.
Council of State rejects annulment appeal against award of tennis and padel court concession in Lembeke due to lack of interest after termination and new procedure
The Council of State rejected the annulment appeal against the award of the concession for the operation and investment in the tennis and padel zone at the Lembeke sports centre to BV Padelworld, because the concession agreement had been unilaterally terminated by the concessionaire, a settlement had been reached, a new concession procedure with the same object had been launched, and the applicants had applied for the new procedure — leaving them without interest in the annulment of the original award decision.
Suspension of geophysical soil survey framework agreement award lifted after failure to file annulment appeal – Heritage Agency had already withdrawn its decision
The Council of State lifted the previously ordered suspension (ruling no. 258,676) of the award of a framework agreement for geophysical soil surveys to Ghent University, because the temporary partnership Terra Engineering & Consultancy – 360 Survey had failed to file an annulment appeal. The Heritage Agency had meanwhile already withdrawn the contested award decision.
Your tender specifications were suspended for lack of reasoning? You don't have to lower the bar — you just have to explain better why it's set so high
After the Council of State suspended the first tender specifications for Belgium's national day festivities on grounds of inadequate reasoning for the turnover threshold, the Chancellery was allowed four days later to launch a new tender with exactly the same heightened requirements — because the res judicata of a suspension ruling does not prevent the contracting authority from taking the same decision if it fixes the illegality (the reasoning).
Statutes approved on 16 May, delegation signed on 15 May: the Port of Namur awarded one day too early and lost its concession
The Council of State annuls the award of a domain concession because the awarding body — the 'bureau exécutif' — did not yet formally exist in the statutes on the day of the delegation.
A contracting authority that has sat on your bid for 18 months can still walk away from the contract — even when the delay was their own fault
The Belgian Council of State dismisses Krinkels' extreme-urgency challenge against SOFICO's decision not to award three road-verge maintenance contracts: 18 months after bids opened, the tenderers' binding period had expired, and Article 85 of the Public Procurement Law of 17 June 2016 gives the contracting authority broad discretionary power to walk away and relaunch — even when the delay lies entirely with the authority itself.
Municipality of Thimister-Clermont withdraws road works award after urgent suspension request – no longer any reason to rule
The urgent suspension request was declared moot after the municipality of Thimister-Clermont withdrew the contested award decision for road works. Pierre Frere & Fils was considered the successful party and awarded costs.
Council of State rejects annulment appeal against hockey field contract award in Ixelles – tender signature by authorised representative valid and fibre weight deviation not substantial
The Council of State rejected the annulment appeal by NV SportInfraBouw against the award of the contract for replacement of the synthetic surface and repair of the sprinkler system of the hockey field at Albert Demuyter stadium in Ixelles to NV Scheerlinck Sport, because the tender was validly signed by an authorised representative and the deviation in artificial turf fibre weight was not a substantial irregularity.
Annulment appeal against award of Falcon 900 aircraft sale rendered moot after withdrawal of contested decision and award to applicant – costs borne by respondent
The Council of State dismissed the annulment appeal by CV PartsCare against the award of the sale of a Falcon 900 aircraft to Fenix Recycling, because the Minister of Defence had withdrawn the contested decision following an earlier suspension ruling and awarded the contract to PartsCare, rendering the appeal moot.
Council of State suspends award of school window replacement contract in Brussels due to reference outside five-year period and inadequate price examination
The Council of State suspended on an emergency basis the award by the City of Brussels of a contract for the replacement of wooden window frames in the Queen Astrid school, because the selected tenderer had submitted a reference falling outside the five-year period required by the specifications and the general price examination was not supported by sound and careful reasoning.
Withdrawal of award decision for ARP debt recovery contract: UDN rejected – grounds challenge only surplus reasons, not the supporting grounds regarding lawyer costs and fee-sharing
The Council of State rejects the emergency suspension request by a bailiff against the withdrawal of the award decision for a debt recovery advisory contract, because the first two grounds only challenge surplus reasons regarding four zero-priced items without contesting the supporting grounds — regarding uncovered lawyer costs and fee-sharing contrary to the Royal Decree of 30 November 1976 — and because the third ground is directed against a non-existent future award decision.
ICT management Sint-Truiden: annulment – assessment methodology with sub-criteria and own scoring scale not established in advance, and rule of three incorrectly applied distorting the ratio between award criteria
The Council of State annuls the award decision of the city of Sint-Truiden for ICT infrastructure management, user support and equipment supply, because the contracting authority used an assessment methodology with sub-criteria and a separate 10-point scoring per element that was not established in advance nor announced in the specifications, and because it applied the rule of three to rescale the highest-scoring tender to 100%, thereby distorting the ratio between the award criteria.
School Het Oogappeltje Wommelgem: annulment – abnormal price detection method unverifiable and price investigation of selected items insufficient
The Council of State annuls for the second time the award decision of the municipality of Wommelgem for the extension and renovation of primary school Het Oogappeltje, because the submitted documents do not show that the detection of apparently abnormal unit prices was carried out in accordance with the contracting authority's own methodology — using a 1% rule and 30%/50% thresholds — and because the investigation of the selected items did not meet the requirements of a normally diligent contracting authority, as abnormal unit prices were accepted based on vague and general findings without requesting price justification.
Emphyteusis padel courts Asphaltcosite Asse: annulment – policy objectives as assessment elements insufficiently clear in specifications, creating near-unlimited discretion
The Council of State annuls the Asse municipal council's decision to grant an emphyteusis for padel courts, because the award criterion 'socially responsible operation' (50 points) referred to 'policy objectives' on a website containing a 191-page multi-year plan with dozens of objectives, from which the authority selected assessment elements for the first time in the evaluation report — elements not identifiable as such on the website — granting the authority near-unlimited discretion and providing insufficient safeguards against arbitrary and discriminatory assessment.
52% below the estimate and 35% below the competitor: 'no abnormal price found' is not a justification
The Council of State suspends the award of a grave monument restoration contract because the municipality of Zulte dismissed the strikingly low winning price — 52.5% below the estimate and 34.7% below the second bidder — in the award report with the standard phrase 'no abnormal total or unit prices identified', without the file showing that a genuinely diligent general price review took place.
Asbestos removal authorisation? You can't 'borrow' it from a subcontractor
The Council of State suspends the award of a demolition contract because the winning bidder lacked the required asbestos removal authorisation, which — classified in the tender documents as a 'suitability to pursue the professional activity' requirement — cannot prima facie be satisfied through reliance on a subcontractor's capacity.
Signing a contract before the supervisory deadline expires: the risk that your decision still gets annulled is on you
The Council of State rejects the suspension claim of BEP against the Walloon minister's annulment of its temporary staffing contract because BEP itself signed the contract with Randstad before the supervisory deadline had expired — the alleged harms therefore do not flow directly from the challenged annulment, but from their own choice to take the risk.
Zandvliet waiting dock: rejection of annulment appeal – negative unit prices for soil disposal in Rotterdam insufficiently justified, contracting authority's assessment margin not exceeded
The Council of State rejects the annulment appeal by the temporary association HYE–Boskalis against the award by De Vlaamse Waterweg for the construction of a waiting dock at Zandvliet, because the negative unit prices for soil disposal in Rotterdam (-€4/m³ and -€5/m³ for items 2 and 3 of conditional part 1) were insufficiently justified — the adjustment of a reference price for Maas sand of €6.50/m³ down to €4 and €5/m³ due to 'lesser quality' lacked further specification or argumentation, and the contracting authority did not exceed its assessment margin.
Submitting new plans after your bid is not 'correcting a material error' — it's modifying your offer
The Council of State rejects the emergency appeal of a design team that, after submitting its design-build offer, sent revised plans and a €40,000 price reduction to 'correct' elevation errors: such structural adjustments are a modification of the offer, not a correction of a material error within the meaning of article 34.
Rejection of suspension request for bpost shuttle services — margin of discretion in quality assessment respected, no obligation to negotiate in special sectors, valid CEO delegation chain
The Council of State rejects the extreme urgency suspension request by BV Transport & Garage Bas against bpost's award of a shuttle services contract (Brussels personnel transport) to Eurobussing Brussels, because none of the four pleas is serious: the qualitative assessment falls within the margin of discretion, the specifications expressly permitted awarding without negotiation in this special sector procedure, exclusion grounds were verified before the award, and the award decision was taken through a valid delegation chain from the board to the CEO and subdelegation to the procurement team.
Indexing your own references to clear the threshold: the Council of State doesn't fall for it
The Council of State rejects Dherte's emergency claim against the award of a €23 million school construction contract to Artes because Dherte did two things it shouldn't: applying its own price-revision formula to inflate old references above the tender thresholds, and challenging only the €20 million threshold while its non-selection also independently rested on an unchallenged €10 million reference requirement for a school building.
Turnover threshold doubled without explanation? That's prima facie an unjustified restriction on competition
The Council of State suspends the approval of the tender specifications for the 21 July national holiday festivities because the Belgian State raised the minimum turnover requirement from a cumulative €2 million over three years to €2 million per year — without any concrete, consistent justification in the administrative file.
Defence corrected an Excel error in the winning bid without saying which one — and that single silent asterisk costs the award
The Council of State annuls Defence's award of a framework agreement for maintenance at the Florennes military zone because the award decision states that the winner's T-figure was 'rectified' from 107.36 to 91.34, but nowhere explains which error was actually corrected — and post-hoc explanations by email cannot heal that defect.
A municipality that will later have to declare its earthworks to the concession-holder is not, for that reason alone, a valid challenger of the concession award
The Council of State dismisses the city of Andenne's annulment challenge against the Walloon Region's award of the 'soil management and traceability' concession to the non-profit Walterre as inadmissible for lack of standing — as a future user of that service Andenne is not distinguishable from any other landowner in Wallonia who might one day excavate soil.
An award criterion that only measures what you did last year does not measure what you are offering today
The Council of State suspends a mattress recycling award because the quality criterion 'recycling percentage' (60 of 100 points) leaned entirely on a Valumat certificate of 2022 performance — and therefore not on the offer itself, ignored later developments, and used a calculation method that disregards stocks.
Suspension request rendered moot after withdrawal of fire detection maintenance award — intervening party's suspension request never enrolled due to failure to regularise
The Council of State finds there is no longer any reason to rule on the extreme urgency suspension request by SA Alarmes Coquelet against the award of the fire detection maintenance contract to CGMI-Protect, as the respondent (SCRL Toit & Moi) withdrew the contested decision of 13 October 2023 — the withdrawal is definitive because CGMI-Protect's suspension request against the withdrawal decision was never enrolled due to failure to regularise within the Article 3bis deadline, and no annulment appeal was filed.
You can challenge a tender specification, but not four weeks after publication — the clock starts on the contract notice, not on the Q&A forum
The Council of State dismisses Postalia's suspension challenge against the postal-services tender specifications of the Liège water utility CILE: the fifteen-day deadline starts running on the day the contract notice is published (21 February 2024), not on the day the contracting authority posts replies to the Q&A forum, and certainly not when the bidder itself 'becomes convinced' of an irregularity.
The 15-day deadline runs from when you became aware of the specifications, not from the answer to your question on the forum
The Council of State declares Postalia's appeal against the specifications of the Centre Hospitalier de la Haute Senne inadmissible because it was filed on 25 March 2024 — more than 15 days after Postalia became aware of the specifications (at the latest on 1 March, the day it itself asked questions about those specifications on the e-Procurement forum).
Demanding a 'team member for acoustics' without any selection criterion for acoustics: Getevallei police zone must redo the selection
The Council of State suspends the non-selection of LAVA Architects for the conversion of the police building in Tienen because the police zone excluded it for 'missing team member for acoustics and safety coordination' — while the selection guide imposed no selection criterion for those disciplines and LAVA bid as a single legal entity, not as a consortium.
Replacing a dietitian with a food safety auditor and quietly adding a second pupil: annulment plus EUR 3,461.50 in damages
The Council of State annuls the school meals contract awarded by Sint-Martens-Latem to Compass Group because the test panel that performed the organoleptic test had a different composition than announced in the specifications — no dietitian, two pupils instead of one — and grants Delimeal EUR 3,461.50 in damages (50 % of 10 % of its offer price of EUR 69,230 excl. VAT, one school year).
A 'senior' on your CV without dates: De Watergroep may award 'good' instead of 'very good'
The Council of State rejects D-Studio's appeal against the award of a BIM framework agreement to BIM Plan: for the 'project team experience' quality criterion (30 points), an authority may rate an offer 'good' (10/30) when concrete dates are missing from CVs — the 'senior' label on its own is not proof.
Admitting a 'misjudgment' in an email costs WattElse a wind farm project — even though this is not a public procurement
The Council of State rejects WattElse's appeal because its offer failed to respect the bestek's mandatory 1000-metre buffer to existing dwellings, and because the bidder itself admitted to a 'misjudgment' in a 20 May 2020 email — losing all standing to challenge the award to Eneco-Engie.
'Personal data' is no excuse for keeping internal advice from an unsuccessful bidder
The Council of State lifts confidentiality on the email exchange between the Chancellery and the Inspectorate of Finance in a procurement dispute over the 21 July national-day celebrations, because the contracting authority fails to identify any actual business secret — only personal data may be redacted.
Suspension of award of video software for fire service dispatching — zero price for implementation item renders scoring formula unworkable and grants disproportionate advantage
The Council of State suspends the award of a services contract for video call software for Brussels fire service dispatching (NC 112) to Bliksund Denmark, because the chosen tenderer entered a zero price for item 1 (implementation and commissioning) while services were clearly still required, rendering the scoring formula (lowest price / offered price × weight) unworkable — all other tenderers automatically received 0 points on this sub-criterion — and granting a disproportionate advantage by shifting costs from item 1 to item 2.
Suspension of rejection of weed control tender for blank ESPD — excessive formalism in case of material error when completed ESPD had been submitted three days earlier for comparable contract with same municipality
The Council of State suspends the award decision of the Municipality of Riemst which excluded the tender of BV Groenbeheer Baart for weed control 2024-2026 due to submission of a blank ESPD, because the municipality appears to have exceeded the limits of reasonableness by rejecting the tender without further investigation while it had received a fully completed ESPD from the same tenderer three days earlier in the context of a comparable contract with identical selection criteria, and the tenderer had immediately reported the error and pointed to the previously submitted ESPD.
Annulment appeal rendered moot after withdrawal of copywriting framework agreement award — costs borne by respondent
The Council of State dismisses the annulment appeal by G.S. against the award of a framework agreement for copywriting and graphic design by the Province of Antwerp, as the provincial executive had withdrawn the contested award decision following suspension ruling no. 256,528 of 15 May 2023, rendering the appeal moot — costs are borne by the respondent.
Lifting of suspension of drinking water supply material award after failure to file annulment appeal — contested decision had meanwhile already been withdrawn
The Council of State lifts the suspension ordered by ruling no. 257,165 of 8 August 2023 of the award to Isiflo and Evodis of lots 3 and 4 of a framework agreement for the supply of drinking water and sewerage materials, because NV Hydroko failed to file an annulment appeal after the suspension ruling — the management committee of AGSO Knokke-Heist had meanwhile already withdrawn the contested decision on 18 August 2023.
Suspension of non-selection for container transport due to insufficient motivation — decision fails to mention that tenderer had meanwhile obtained and transmitted required approval
The Council of State suspends the decision of Intradel not to select SCES Recol'Terre for lot 4 of a public services contract for container transport and emptying at recycling parks, because the motivation for the non-selection is insufficient: at the time of the decision, Recol'Terre had meanwhile obtained the required approval as transporter of asbestos-cement and transmitted it to Intradel, but the decision makes no mention of this document and gives no reasons why it was not taken into consideration.
Annulment of ministerial refusal to sell municipal forest estate due to motivation by reference to non-appended opinion
The Council of State annuls the ministerial decree refusing the municipality of Aubange authorisation to sell the Domaine des Croisettes (136 ha of forest) by public auction, because the minister motivated the decision solely by reference to an opinion from the Department of Nature and Forests that was neither incorporated into nor appended to the decree and of which the parties had no knowledge.
Suspension of asbestos removal contract award for insufficient motivation of qualitative assessment — mere point allocation without descriptive evaluation insufficient
The Council of State suspends the award of a works contract for asbestos removal to the firm Valens, because the award decision motivated the assessment of tenders on the qualitative criterion 'Organisation and method' exclusively through point scores and a detailed scoring table, without any descriptive evaluation with concrete references to the content of the tenders — preventing the applicant from understanding why it received zero points on two decisive sub-criteria while Valens received 1.875 points each.
Rejection of suspension application for framework agreement for driftwood clearance from waterways — price investigation of total price and acceptance of non-quantified justification within margin of discretion
The Council of State rejects the urgent suspension application by NV Krinkels against the award of a framework agreement for clearing driftwood and debris from waterways of the Flemish Waterway to NV Stadsbader, finding all three pleas unserious: Stadsbader's offer complies with the specifications (the 'sloop' corresponds to the 'tugboat with pontoon'), and the price investigation in which non-quantified but plausible elements were considered in assessing the total price falls within the contracting authority's margin of discretion.
Suspension rejected for Sint Martinus Church organ restoration in Aalst: selection criterion requiring master's degree in wood conservation proportionate and relevant
The Council of State rejects the urgent suspension application by Orgelbau Schumacher against its non-selection and the award of the organ restoration of Sint Martinus Church in Aalst to TM Monument Vandekerckhove – Altritempi, finding the selection criterion requiring a master's degree in Wood Conservation/Restoration for the person leading the restoration works to be relevant and proportionate given the subject matter, and Schumacher itself having acknowledged it cannot meet this criterion.
Cleaning of ONSS administrative premises: suspension – the contracting authority must examine corrective measures before excluding, the obligation under art. 70(2) to proactively report corrective measures only applies with express mention in the tender documents
The Council of State suspends the ONSS's decision to exclude a cleaning company from the procedure for cleaning administrative premises (three lots), because the ONSS failed to examine the proposed corrective measures and because the obligation to proactively report such measures at the start of the procedure (art. 70(2)) only applies when the tender documents expressly refer to it — the mere use of the ESPD is insufficient.
Rejection of urgent suspension application for IT framework agreement due to non-payment of court fee — withdrawal after twelve days insufficient for reduction of procedural indemnity
The Council of State rejects the urgent suspension application by SA Orange Business Digital Belgium against the declaration of irregularity of its offer for an IT framework agreement of Paradigm Brussels, because the contribution and court fee were not paid before the closing of debates, and awards the base amount of EUR 770 procedural indemnity — twelve days between filing and withdrawal is not particularly short in urgent proceedings.
Framework agreement for cable and catenary works on Antwerp tram network: annulment for conflict of interest – designer Tractebel as sister company of tenderer Fabricom (both Engie subsidiaries) with three of six evaluation committee members
The Council of State annuls VVM De Lijn's award decision for a framework agreement for cable and catenary works on the Antwerp tram network, because De Lijn failed in its active duty to investigate conflicts of interest: the designer Tractebel, which had drafted the specifications and was represented by three of six evaluation committee members, is a sister company of Fabricom — a partner in the winning tenderer tm Antwerpen Boven — as both are (quasi 100%) subsidiaries of Engie with shared directors, which constitutes at minimum an appearance of partiality.
Household waste management in Etalle: suspension – the 'social considerations' criterion requiring a 'note demonstrating the social character of the company' is too vague and confers unlimited freedom of choice
The Council of State orders the suspension of the commune of Etalle's decision to award the 2024-2025 household waste management contract to DURECO, because the second award criterion 'Social considerations' (20 points), described only as 'a note of maximum one A4 page demonstrating the social character of the company', lacks the clarity and precision required by article 81 of the Law of 17 June 2016 and confers an unconditional freedom of choice on the contracting authority.
Demolition of 192 apartments: rejection – planning exceeding 'mandatory' 180-calendar-day deadline constitutes a substantive irregularity even without express 'on pain of nullity' clause
The Council of State rejects the suspension request against Toit & Moi's decision to disqualify Jean Nonet's tender for the demolition of 192 apartments in Jemappes (Mons) as substantively irregular, because the forecast planning (4 September 2023 to 4 April 2024) clearly exceeded the mandatory maximum deadline of 180 calendar days, without this requirement needing to be expressly labelled 'substantive' or 'on pain of nullity' to constitute a minimum requirement under article 76(1)(3) of the Royal Decree of 18 April 2017.
School construction at Jemeppe-sur-Sambre: second suspension – responding to a price justification request by invoking a material error does not constitute a unilateral modification of the tender
The Council of State orders, for the second time, the suspension of the French Community's decision to award the school construction contract at Jemeppe-sur-Sambre, because the contracting authority committed a manifest error of assessment by qualifying as a substantive irregularity (unilateral modification of the tender) the tenderer's response to a price justification request in which it invoked a material error.
Building maintenance framework agreement: suspension for inadequate price verification – verification on only 3 of 292 items (less than 1%) is insufficient
The Council of State suspends the Brussels Port's decision to award a building maintenance framework agreement to IN ADVANCE, because the contracting entity verified prices on only 3 of the 292 items in the bill of quantities — less than 1% — by excluding all items deemed 'negligible' (less than 3% of the average global price), while articles 84 of the Law of 17 June 2016 and 43 of the Royal Decree of 18 June 2017 require verification of all unit prices.
EREA/MAAS aircraft arresting systems: technical irregularity confirmed despite identical offer accepted in previous contract
The Council rejects the suspension request against the decision declaring APK-SCAMA's offer for aircraft arresting systems at three military bases irregular, confirming that the automatic braking requirement without manual reconfiguration (specification 6.3) is not met, even though an identical offer was accepted in a previous similar contract.
Vehicle towing: environmental permit for vehicle storage implicitly covers towing services, digital police council does not affect public order
The Council rejects the annulment action against the award of a vehicle towing contract, finding that the chosen tenderer's environmental permit allows continuous operation covering towing, and that the digital police council meeting during the COVID pandemic does not affect public order.
ESPPW: renunciation after prior suspension — five grounds insufficient, reinforced motivation required
The Council suspends the French Community's decision to renounce awarding an external prevention and protection service contract, finding all five grounds for renunciation inaccurate, irrelevant or insufficiently motivated in a context requiring reinforced motivation.
Diksmuide event hall: correction of comma error and successive tender amounts justified
The Council rejects the suspension request against the award of an event hall and underground car park, finding the correction of a material error (misplaced comma) in the awardee's offer and the successive changes in tender amounts sufficiently motivated and compliant with regulations.
Tennis concession: delegation to executive bureau validated, all pleas rejected
The Council rejects the annulment action against the award of a tennis management concession, validating the delegation of powers to the executive bureau of the autonomous municipal enterprise and dismissing grievances about award criteria and motivation.
Council of State suspends award of asbestos removal works — SPF Employment approval for asbestos removal cannot replace SPW approval as collector of hazardous waste
The Council of State orders suspension of the University of Mons' decision to award an asbestos removal works contract to RE.DE.CO., because the four highest-ranked tenderers did not hold the approval required by the specifications (SPW approval as collector of hazardous waste), having produced an SPF Employment approval for asbestos removal — a different approval for which no equivalence was announced — and having furthermore ticked 'No' on the ESPD regarding reliance on the capacity of other entities.
Council of State rejects appeals against irregularity declarations due to loss of interest — unchallenged award and non-award decisions have become final
The Council of State rejects the annulment appeals of CV LMJ Construct against the irregularity declarations of its tenders for lots 4 and 6 of a framework agreement for trailers for the federal police, because the applicant only challenged the irregularity declarations and not the non-award decision (lot 4) nor the award decision to NV A&C Noyens (lot 6), which have consequently become final, meaning that annulment can no longer lead to a chance of award.
Photovoltaic panels: suspension for inaccurate irregularity and presumed financial capacity
The Council suspends the decision to award a photovoltaic panel contract to Cool Sun Energy and to exclude Klinkenberg's offer as substantially irregular, since the grounds for irregularity are inaccurate and the awardee's financial capacity was unduly presumed.
Belgian police orders €6.7 million in next-generation trousers, loses at extreme urgency, withdraws its decision — and pays €1,218 to the Italian applicant
After SRL Cerbul obtained the extreme-urgency suspension of the award of a multi-year framework contract worth €6,720,780 for 'next-generation' trousers for the integrated police and defence (ruling n° 257.273 of 11 September 2023), the Belgian State withdrew the award on 8 November 2023, the Council of State lifted the suspension and ordered €1,218 in costs against the Ministry of the Interior.
Annulment appeal moot for lots 1 to 10 (withdrawal and renunciation) and rejected for lot 11 — separate comparison method does not cause prejudice to applicant
The Council of State finds that the annulment appeal against IDELUX Environnement's decision to award a household waste collection contract has become moot for lots 1 to 9 (withdrawal of the award decision) and lot 10 (renunciation under Article 85 of the Act of 17 June 2016), rejects the appeal for lot 11 for lack of a serious plea, and lifts the suspension ordered by the earlier ruling no. 257,117.
Council of State reopens debates and refers the case to ordinary procedure to examine the compensatory indemnity claim following withdrawal of the award decision
The Council of State reopens the debates and refers CWS Workwear's annulment appeal against the City of Charleroi's workwear rental award decision to ordinary procedure, in order to examine the applicant's interest in a finding of illegality of the withdrawn act and to rule on the compensatory indemnity claim of EUR 27,484.80 under Article 11bis of the Coordinated Laws on the Council of State.
Farys withdraws PE coupling framework contract urgently — the most powerful urgent-suspension weapon is often intimidation, not the merits
Three weeks after BV Isiflo's urgent suspension claim, the chairperson of OV Farys' board withdraws the award of the PE and water meter coupling framework contract at extreme urgency — the claim becomes devoid of purpose and Farys is ordered to pay €994 in costs.
Council of State rejects application for suspension under extreme urgency against non-selection in lockable safe framework agreement for Integrated Police — four pleas not serious
The Council of State rejects the application for suspension under extreme urgency brought by SA Sevadepannages against its non-selection in a framework agreement for lockable safes for the Integrated Police (defence and security), finding all four pleas — single candidacy, turnover figures of a competitor, unannounced evaluation method and lack of framework agreement value estimation — not serious.
Council of State rejects appeal against annulment of in-house award for asbestos inventory — requirement of own representative in decision-making bodies of intermunicipal entity not met
The Council of State rejects the annulment appeal brought by SCRL Sambre & Biesme against the SWL's decision to annul the award of an asbestos inventory contract to intermunicipal entity IGRETEC under horizontal cooperation (Article 12(3) of Directive 2014/24/EU), because Sambre & Biesme does not have its own representative in IGRETEC's decision-making bodies, as required by the Court of Justice (judgments C-383/21 and C-384/21 of 22 December 2022).
You've challenged a public contract award? Forget to pay the €220 court fees and you lose your case without a judge ever reading your arguments
The annulment application of SA Krinkels against the award of the joint Val Benoît site contract to a competitor is struck off the roll because the company did not pay the €200 roll fee and €20 contribution within the thirty-day deadline — the case is lost without any decision on the merits.
Council of State lacks jurisdiction over appeal against three-year exclusion under Article 48 of the Execution Decree — dispute regarding contract performance belongs to the judicial courts
The Council of State rejects the annulment appeal against the decision by the Municipality of Beveren to exclude NV Norré-Behaegel from participation in contracts for three years due to persistent shortcomings (34 formal notices of default), because the exclusion under Article 48 of the Execution Decree falls within the performance of a contract and therefore belongs to the jurisdiction of the judicial courts.
Ten days after your urgent suspension claim, the contracting authority withdraws the award itself — and pays the costs
The Council of State dismisses NV Monument Vandekerckhove's urgent suspension claim as devoid of purpose because the city of Wervik withdrew the award to NV Francovera ten days after the filing, but orders the city to pay all procedural costs (€994).
Rejection of extreme urgency suspension against De Lijn bus transport award West 1 — lot combination is not an essential modification, LEZ decree not yet in force, and price investigation was thorough despite 36.5% price difference
The Council of State rejects the extreme urgency suspension request by BV Ganda Cars against the award of lot 6 (Ghent region) of the contract for exploitation and greening of bus transport by De Lijn (West 1, 18 lots), because none of the three pleas — essential modification of specifications through lot combination, irregularity due to LEZ regulations, and insufficient price investigation despite a 36.5% price difference — was found to be serious.
Suspension of Cirque Royal cleaning contract award — insufficient unit price verification despite applicant's irregular tender
The Council of State suspends the award of the Cirque Royal cleaning contract to Group Cleaning Services because the administrative file does not establish that the contracting authority verified the unit prices of the remaining tenders — Article 36 §4 of the Royal Decree of 18 April 2017 (15% threshold) constituting an additional obligation that does not relieve the authority of its general price verification obligation under Article 84 of the Act of 17 June 2016 and Articles 33 and 35 of the Royal Decree.
Annulment of lot 2 award of military works framework agreement — failure to verify global price of tenders due to confusion about scope of Article 36 §4
The Council of State annuls the award of lot 2 (Florennes zone) of a works framework agreement for maintenance of road infrastructure in military quarters of the Defence because the contracting authority failed to verify the global price of selected tenders, wrongly considering that Article 36 §4 of the Royal Decree of 18 April 2017 exempted it from this verification when fewer than four tenders were selected.
Annulment of Verviers workplace prevention services award — successful tenderer submitted 5-page note instead of 2, without the irregularity being qualified or reasoned
The Council of State annuls the award of the 'External Prevention and Protection Service' contract of the City of Verviers to SPMT ARISTA because the contracting authority noted that the successful tenderer's offer contained a 5-page A4 methodology note instead of the 2-page maximum prescribed by the specifications, but neither qualified this irregularity as substantive or non-substantive nor reasoned its decision to treat the offer as regular.
Suspension of COCOF maintenance contract award: specifications insufficiently clear on inclusion of existing non-conformities in lump-sum price
The Council of State suspends the award of a contract for maintenance, periodic inspection and repair of HVAC installations of the COCOF to TPF Utilities, because the specifications — read together with the contradictory answers provided by the contracting authority during the procurement procedure — insufficiently defined whether the remediation of existing observations and non-conformities had to be included in the lump-sum price, thereby violating the transparency principle.
Annulment appeal rendered moot after withdrawal of SNCB railway station cleaning contract award and selection — costs borne by SNCB
The Council of State finds there is no longer any reason to rule on the annulment appeal by SA ISS Facility Services against the selection of Jette Clean and the award of lots 1 and 3 of the SNCB railway station and service building cleaning contract, as the SNCB withdrew the award decision on 4 June 2021 and renounced the award of those lots — the withdrawal having become definitive in the absence of an annulment appeal.
A 'shelf life in months' isn't arithmetic — production and delivery may share the same calendar month
The Council of State refuses to suspend the award of 5 million surgical face masks to YNK Group, because the winning bidder credibly explained that its 60-month shelf life from delivery holds when production and delivery fall within the same month — even though Protect and Care chose to deduct production and transport time from its own offer.
Sign the site-visit certificate, accept the consequences — even when your own staff member made the mistake
The Council of State suspends the award because Toit & Moi declared a bidder's offer irregular for an incomplete site visit, while the contracting authority itself had signed a visit attestation confirming exactly the opposite — and the award decision nowhere explains why that signed attestation suddenly carried no weight.
Use the workaround without protest, lose the right to attack it later
The Council of State refuses to suspend an award where both BAFOs were submitted by email after the e-tendering platform failed, because the complainant itself used that very same workaround without any objection and therefore has no standing to invoke the irregularity against the winner.
An unreasoned notification is not an unreasoned decision — and that distinction sinks your appeal
The Council of State dismisses an appeal against the cancellation of a vehicle-towing tender because the contested decision itself was formally reasoned, even though the bidder only saw those reasons four months later — a tardiness that costs the police zone the procedural costs but does not affect the legality of the decision.
'We have no budget left this year' is a valid reason to freeze a four-year framework agreement
The Council of State refuses to suspend a non-award decision for a four-year framework agreement on hydraulic lifts, because insufficient budget for 2024 — the year carrying the bulk of the contract — is a sound ground to refuse to conclude a contract under article 85 of the 2016 Public Procurement Act.
One precautionary clause too many in your bid = a zero on the entire criterion
A bidder who notes that its 42-calendar-day delivery time 'may be extended by annual public holidays and factory shutdowns' does not get its bid declared irregular — but is awarded 0 out of 5 on the entire 'Delivery Time' criterion, which cost it the contract.
Annulment of concession award for Memorial 1815 due to errors in catering assessment and unequal treatment in offer comparison
The Council of State annuls the decision of the Intercommunale Bataille de Waterloo 1815 to award the service concession for the operation of the Memorial of the Battle of Waterloo to Kléber Rossillon, because the assessment of the catering plan was based on factually incorrect data (500 covers per day instead of the 371 stated in the offer) and because the comparison of offers regarding Dutch-speaking market development and the definition of 'cover' was conducted unequally.
Suspension request for VRT occupational health service contract rejected: innovation assessment within broadly formulated award criterion not unlawful
The Council of State rejects the suspension application under extreme urgency by VZW Premed against VRT's award of an External Service for Prevention and Protection at Work contract to VZW IDEWE, finding none of the three pleas serious — neither the alleged unlawful inclusion of 'attention to innovation' as an assessment element, nor the claimed substantial irregularity due to a sustainability scan, nor the alleged failure to meet the selection criterion regarding public sector experience.
Partial annulment of remarketing domain concessions Genk-Zuid: halting the procedure justified, but new minimum transhipment volume of 20,800 tonnes per hectare not substantiated
The Council of State annuls De Vlaamse Waterweg's decision to organise a new award procedure for domain concessions at the Genk-Zuid industrial site with a mandatory minimum annual transhipment volume of 800 TEU or 20,800 tonnes per hectare, finding that the realistic character of this volume — nearly four times higher than the minimum for the first-line plot — was not examined, but rejects the appeal against the decision to halt the original procedure.
Suspension request for calendering machines rejected: applicant fails to prove non-conformity with air flow funnel specification
The Council of State rejects the suspension request under extreme urgency against the award of a framework agreement for calendering machines to Kannegiesser France, as Jensen Group fails to demonstrate that the selected tenderer's offer does not include the air flow funnel required by the technical specifications for the feeders of lines 2 and 3.
Rejection of challenge against termination of Roosdaal childcare procurement — wish to re-evaluate debtor risk after three years rightly qualified as substantively irregular reservation — uncertainty about commitment suffices regardless of limited financial impact — specifications did not provide for regularisation — withdrawal of award decision undoes prior regularisation
The Council of State rejected 3WPlus Kinderopvang's urgent suspension request against the municipality of Roosdaal's decision to terminate the childcare procurement, ruling that the tenderer's stated wish to re-evaluate the debtor risk after three years was rightly qualified as a reservation rendering the commitment uncertain and constituting a substantive irregularity, that the limited financial impact was irrelevant, that the specifications did not provide for regularisation of substantive irregularities, and that withdrawal of the earlier award decision meant the prior regularisation was deemed never to have existed.
Bike lease suspended: three assessment errors on quality criterion bridge the points gap
The Council of State suspends the award of a framework agreement for operational bike leasing because the contracting authority made three errors in assessing the quality criterion — an unreasonable minus for mandatory maintenance, an unmotivated plus for social employment, and a non-comparative plus for a discount voucher — which together bridge the 2.5-point gap.
Loss of a chance quantified lot by lot: EUR 147,264 for three bailiff firms excluded from an information meeting
The Council of State awards reparatory damages of EUR 147,264.38 to three bailiff firms excluded from a service contract for tax recovery by the Walloon Region, quantifying their loss of chance lot by lot — from 50% to 75% depending on the number of tenderers per lot — and applying a 10% profit margin on unrealised turnover.
Loss of a chance compensated at 50%: legal error in rejecting an insurance certificate is not a purely formal defect
The Council of State awards reparatory damages of EUR 28,126.32 to a tenderer excluded from a public works contract, finding that the contracting authority's legal error — rejecting an insurance certificate solely because it was dated after the bid opening — resulted in a 50% loss of a chance of obtaining the contract.
Partial suspension of a railway bearings contract: the minimum ten-day deadline also applies to subsequent offers in special sectors
The Council of State suspends the execution of the award decision for a railway bearings contract (121 lots out of 404) because, on the one hand, the seven-day deadline granted for submitting a third offer falls short of the minimum ten-day period provided by Article 120(2) of the Act of 17 June 2016 and, on the other hand, the formal statement of reasons is insufficient both regarding the substantial nature of the irregularity found in the offer and regarding the per-lot comparison of tenders.
Wase Werkplaats suspension request against Sint-Niklaas weed control framework agreement award moot after withdrawal of challenged decision — costs charged to respondent
The Council of State dismissed Wase Werkplaats's urgent suspension request against Sint-Niklaas's award of a preventive weed control framework agreement to Krinkels, as the challenged decision had been withdrawn by the municipal executive on 15 January 2024, rendering the request moot, with costs charged to the respondent.
Suspension of tender annulment and Spoelepark Lokeren award — price justification rejected based on single negligible element (concrete slabs as profit item 0.37% of total price) without examining other justification elements is careless and inadequately motivated — specification clause on material recovery is not a clear ownership reservation
The Council of State suspended the City of Lokeren's decision to annul Hertsens Infra's tender for Spoelepark construction and award to De Saegher & Zoon, ruling that rejecting the price justification solely because the tenderer treated removable concrete slabs as a profit item was careless, since the item represented only 0.37% of total price, the specification clause was not a clear ownership reservation, and the authority had failed to examine any other justification elements.
Rejection of suspension request against University of Liège Apple IT supply award to Econocom — price verification of Apple Care discounts lawful after withdrawal of first decision — combining Apple Care and hardware prices admissible as warranty extensions have no independent economic value — discount differences alone do not establish manifest error of assessment
The Council of State rejected Lab9 Pro's urgent suspension request against the University of Liège's award of an Apple IT supply contract to Econocom, ruling that the authority had, after withdrawing a first decision tainted by inadequate price verification, conducted a concrete verification of Apple Care discounts under article 35 of the 2017 Royal Decree, that the justifications — combining Apple Care with hardware, referencing similar markets, and maintaining profit margins — explained why prices were not considered abnormal, and that significant discount differences between tenderers did not alone establish a manifest error of assessment.
Suspension of geophysical soil survey framework agreement award to Ghent University — non-selection of TM Terra Engineering for lacking resistivity projects under company name inadequately motivated — technical capability to apply techniques must be assessed based on executing team members' experience not solely on company-name projects — competition restricted as three of five tenderers not selected
The Council of State suspended the Flemish Region's award of a geophysical soil survey framework agreement to Ghent University, ruling that rejecting TM Terra Engineering for lacking electrical resistivity projects in the company-name portfolio was inadequately motivated, since the capability to apply geophysical techniques can only be assessed through the education and experience of the individuals who will execute the contract, and the interpretation led to the aberrant result that projects by former team members no longer employed would qualify but current team expertise would not.
Aertssen Infra's suspension request against Heindonk dike works award to Herbosch-Kiere rejected — expired supplier quote does not make tenderer's commitment uncertain — for negative soil prices a credible supplier quote suffices as price justification — overhead on negative price components justified — differentiated overhead percentages not contrary to article 28
The Council of State rejected Aertssen Infra's urgent suspension request against De Vlaamse Waterweg's award of Tien Vierendelen dike works to Herbosch-Kiere, ruling that the expiration of a soil supplier's quote before the commitment period ended did not make the tenderer's commitment uncertain (internal business matter), that for negative soil prices a credible supplier quote can suffice as price justification, that applying overhead to negative price components is justified, and that article 28 does not prohibit differentiated overhead percentages by cost category.
Fuzer's annulment action against Enghien telephony contract award to BE IP rejected — first plea inoperative as applicant did not contest all substantial irregularities — second plea unfounded as conformity mention constitutes adequate formal motivation — appeal deadline not yet running due to missing dual communication
The Council of State rejected Fuzer's annulment action against Enghien's decision to award the telephony renewal contract to BE IP, declaring the first plea inoperative since the applicant did not contest the substantial character of the irregularities and admitted three were well-founded (each sufficient for exclusion), and the second plea unfounded as BE IP's offer did specify colour screens and the mention of CSC conformity constituted adequate formal motivation.
Suspension request by Waterways Assistance against ADN expertise framework agreement award to G.V. rejected — assessment elements within quality criterion are not sub-award criteria — internal scoring document with weightings does not relate to challenged decision — emphasis on certificate renewal for extra experience not unreasonable — post-opening experience excluded — use of case study as internal document does not prove it was better
The Council of State rejected Waterways Assistance's urgent suspension request against De Vlaamse Waterweg's award of lot 2 (ADN expertise) of a cascade framework agreement, ruling that the assessment elements (required experience, extra experience, case study) were not sub-criteria with own weightings but part of a global evaluation, that an internal scoring document with separate weightings did not relate to the challenged decision, that emphasising certificate renewal in assessing extra experience was not unreasonable given rapidly changing ADN legislation, and that use of the case study as an internal working document did not prove it was better than the first-ranked tenderer's.
Suspension of school construction contract award in Jemeppe-Sur-Sambre — obligation to formally motivate the non-negligible character of a post goes beyond mere mention and requires indication of the identification method — confidential document not communicated cannot cure motivation deficiencies — balance of interests rejected despite EU PRR funding
The Council of State suspended the Communauté française's decision to award the school construction contract in Jemeppe-Sur-Sambre to the Bemat – Les Entreprises Gilles Moury consortium and to exclude Tradeco Belgium's bid for substantial irregularity, ruling that the formal motivation of the non-negligible character of post 71.11.1.a (ORES coordination) was insufficient as neither the award decision nor the tender evaluation report notified to tenderers contained explanations on the method for identifying non-negligible posts, this method appearing only in a confidential document not communicated to the applicant, and rejecting the balance of interests despite the alleged risk of losing EU PRR funding.
Suspension of award of Medical First Responder scientific evaluation to KU Leuven — Federal Public Health Service breached patere legem by rejecting EVapp project reference as too one-sided based on requirements not stated in tender documents — specifications imposed no sub-domain requirements while the contract itself specifically targeted cardiac arrest
The Council of State suspended the award of the Medical First Responder evaluation follow-up contract to KU Leuven RD, ruling that the Federal Public Health Service breached patere legem by rejecting Prior-IT's EVapp project reference as too one-sided because it only covered cardiac arrest, while the specifications imposed no requirements regarding which sub-domains the reference had to cover and the contract itself specifically targeted an MFR system for cardiac arrest situations.
Suspension request rejected — Theux municipality did not commit manifest error in rejecting Roberty's justification for abnormally high price on post 30 of La Reid – Le Thuron cycle path — subcontractor quote decomposing the price without identifying elements explaining the 46.51% deviation does not constitute sufficient justification
The Council of State rejected Roberty's urgent suspension request against Theux municipality's decision to exclude its bid for substantial irregularity in the cycle path works contract, ruling that the authority did not commit manifest error in finding that the subcontractor's quote decomposing the price of post 30 without identifying elements explaining the significant 46.51% deviation from the average did not constitute concrete, detailed and argued justification, and that neither execution capacity nor bid ranking were relevant in price verification.
Urgent suspension request by Faway against new award of school fruit and vegetable supply contract to Frescho rejected — non-compliance with chicory seasonality constitutes a substantial irregularity — chicory has a natural production cycle despite year-round forcing possibility
The Council of State rejected Faway's urgent suspension request against the Walloon Region's new decision to award school fruit and vegetable supply lots to Frescho, ruling that the authority could, without manifest error, consider chicory has a natural production cycle and that proposing delivery in June — outside the authorized September-March period — constituted a substantial irregularity nullifying the bid, as product seasonality was an essential market requirement.
Urgent suspension request by Bouwwerken De Ruyck against award of youth hostel renovation in Ronse rejected — category D contractor accreditation rightfully required for complex renovation spanning multiple subcategories — Article 5 §7 accreditation decree not applicable to complex contracts
The Council of State rejected Bouwwerken De Ruyck's urgent suspension request against Tourism Flanders' award of the De Fiertel youth hostel renovation in Ronse to Algemene Bouwwerken Sadones, ruling that the required category D accreditation was justified as the contract concerned complex renovation works of various types (asbestos removal, roof renovation, insulation, drainage, PV panels, electrical) requiring coordination, and that Article 5 §7 of the accreditation decree did not compel classification under subcategory D12.
Annulment of award of highway maintenance contract MI62 to SA Krinkels — performance thresholds set retroactively and arbitrarily by SOFICO for price examination of SA A2 violate patere legem quam ipse fecisti and transparency principles — shortened annulment procedure after suspension
The Council of State annulled, through the shortened procedure of Article 17 §6 of the coordinated laws, SOFICO's decision to award the MI62 highway maintenance services contract (brushing, cleaning, green space maintenance) to SA Krinkels and to declare SA A2's bid irregular, on the ground that SOFICO had retroactively and arbitrarily set performance thresholds (post 81) and duration thresholds (post 82) that modified the scope of the tender requirements in violation of patere legem quam ipse fecisti and transparency principles.
Urgent suspension request by tm Envisan – Aertssen Infra against award of Blaasveldbroek soil remediation works granted — OVAM accepted price justification for apparently abnormally low total price of tm Deme Environmental – Aclagro with insufficiently concrete and distinguishing motives — high productivity and low overhead do not suffice without feasibility assessment
The Council of State suspended OVAM's decision to award the Blaasveldbroek soil remediation works in Willebroek to tm Deme Environmental – Aclagro, because OVAM had accepted the price justification for the apparently abnormally low total price (40.44% deviation from average) with merely general and abstract motives (experience, own equipment, own grounds, economies of scale, low overhead percentage) without concretely assessing technical and financial feasibility, while the same justification elements had been invoked by the applicant parties rendering the assessment lacking in distinguishing character.
Suspension request by In Continu et Services against nullity of bid for Automatic Border Control systems for Belgian federal police rejected — functional tests can validly verify compliance with essential technical requirements — absence of document reader at e-gate suffices as substantial irregularity
The Council of State rejected the urgent suspension request by In Continu et Services (Ingroupe) against the Interior Minister's decision to declare its bid null for the procurement of Automatic Border Control systems (e-gates and kiosks) for the federal police, ruling that the tender documents validly provided for functional tests to verify compliance with essential technical requirements, that the absence of a document reader at the e-gate entrance during the demonstration constituted a sufficient substantial irregularity to annul the bid, and that the grounds challenging other irregularity motives and the price verification of the winning bid (SA Zetes) were not serious.
Annulment action by Pierre Frère et Fils against rejection of bid for village development and drainage works in Polleur rejected — price justifications not matching bid prices — abnormal posts not negligible at 6.75% of estimate — discretionary power on negligibility assessment
The Council of State rejected Pierre Frère et Fils' annulment action against the commune of Theux's decision to discard its bid as substantially irregular for the village development and drainage works in Polleur, holding that price justifications whose amounts did not match the bid prices (discrepancies of 1.51% to 43.51%) were rightfully considered unacceptable and that the assessment of non-negligibility of the nine posts concerned (6.75% of estimate, 4.96% of bid amount) did not constitute a manifest error of assessment.
Urgent suspension request by Lab9 Pro against discontinuation of Apple laptop procurement by Hogeschool PXL rejected — contradictory assessment methodology and ambiguity about zero prices are valid grounds for non-award
The Council of State rejected Lab9 Pro's urgent suspension request against Hogeschool PXL's decision to discontinue the procurement of Apple products (lot 3 of laptop supply), ruling that the contradictory assessment methodology for the 'Discount Percentage' award criterion and the ambiguity about zero prices for alternative service and warranty each constituted valid grounds for discontinuation.
Urgent suspension request by BAM Interbuild against award of Design Build and Maintain Technical Cluster North Antwerp rejected — increase of estimated investment budget does not create new requirement on penalty of irregularity — no violation of prohibition on negotiating award criteria — price review and quality assessment not manifestly unreasonable
The Council of State rejected BAM Interbuild's urgent suspension request against AG Vespa's award of the DBM contract 'Technical Cluster North' (central workshop for Antwerp's technical services, estimated budget €50.7-60.5M) to Team 't Noord, ruling that the increase of the estimated investment budget from €50.7M to €60.5M did not create a new requirement on penalty of substantial irregularity, that the prohibition on negotiating award criteria was not violated, that the price review of the chosen tenderer was sufficient, and that the applicant could not plausibly bridge a 19-point gap with limited quality assessment criticisms.
Urgent suspension request by Ibens-Detoo against award of Design & Build primary school Overijse granted — restriction to one preferred bidder after first offer violates competition — only two-point difference — BAFO after eleven negotiation rounds not comparable with unchanged first offers
The Council of State suspended GO! Education's award decision for the Design & Build contract for a new primary school in Overijse, because GO! had only admitted the top-ranked tenderer (tm Dethier) to negotiations after the first offers and placed Ibens-Detoo in a waiting room, while the score difference was only two points, Ibens-Detoo's first offer was regular, and Dethier's BAFO after eleven negotiation rounds could not be compared with unchanged first offers.
Urgent suspension request by Pure Advocaten against substantial irregularity declaration for legal services tender Sint-Niklaas rejected — identical rate for senior and junior rightfully questioned — correction mechanism on hours modifies lump-sum pricing — speculative commitment
The Council of State rejected Pure Advocaten's urgent suspension request against Sint-Niklaas's decision to declare its tender for legal services (social law, tax law, building law and administrative law lots) substantially irregular, ruling that the price inquiry was justified given the identical hourly rate for senior and junior staff combined with a low rate, that the price justification was insufficient, and that the practice of reducing junior hours 'as needed' modified the lump-sum pricing of the price-list contract and rendered the commitment uncertain.
Annulment appeal against withdrawal of medical gases award rejected for failure to file counter-reply
The Council of State rejects the annulment appeal of Air Products and Dräger Medical Belgium against UZ Gent's withdrawal of the award for Lot 2 (NO/N2 gas mixture) of a framework agreement for medical gases, because the applicants failed to file their counter-reply within the statutory sixty-day deadline.
Urgent suspension request by Aqualiner against award of water passenger transport De Waterbus Antwerp rejected — revolving door not proven — selection references via third-party capacity accepted — abnormally low price refuted after financial analysis
The Council of State rejected Aqualiner's urgent suspension request against the award decision by the Maritime Services and Coast agency (MDK) for 'De Waterbus' water passenger transport in and around Antwerp, ruling that the alleged revolving door was not proven (the person concerned worked in a different entity within the agency and the two-year term had expired), that the chosen tenderer lawfully relied on third-party capacity for selection references, and that the price was not abnormally low after financial analysis.
Urgent suspension request by Heckler & Koch against strategic partnership FN Herstal light weapons systems rejected — Article 346 TFEU justifies negotiated procedure without publication — national DTIB as essential security interest — transparency principle yields
The Council of State rejected Heckler & Koch's urgent suspension request against the Council of Ministers' approval and the Minister of Defence's agreement for a twenty-year multinational strategic partnership with FN Herstal for light weapons systems (estimated at €1.7 billion) via negotiated procedure without publication under Article 346(1)(b) TFEU, ruling that Belgium plausibly demonstrated the partnership was necessary to protect essential security interests (national defence-technological and industrial base, supply security, strategic autonomy) and that the transparency principle must yield in this context.
Urgent suspension of SEPPT occupational health services contract French Community — zero delay for document transmission after health evaluation is impossible and renders evaluation formula inapplicable — substantial irregularity — balance of interests rejected
The Council of State urgently suspended the French Community's award of an occupational health services contract (SEPPT) to CESI, ruling that CESI's offer contained substantial irregularities by proposing zero delays for document transmission and IT interface updates for three sub-criteria, which was impossible under the specifications requiring these operations to take place after the health evaluation appointment, and rendered the evaluation formula Cmax × (Mmin/M) inapplicable since dividing zero by zero is undefined.
Urgent suspension request IT services energy supplier roles Fluvius rejected — discount in price table not included in total cost is not a calculation error when tenderer confirms discount relates to existing SAP contract — restrictive interpretation of subcontracting prohibition for speciality
The Council of State rejected TheValueChain's urgent suspension request against Fluvius System Operator's award of an IT services contract to Ferranti Computer Systems, ruling that a €527,154 annual discount not included in the total cost was neither a calculation error nor a purely material error since the tenderer itself confirmed in response to a clarification question that the discount related to an existing SAP/PSLE contract without indicating any error, and that the subcontracting prohibition for the tenderer's speciality must be interpreted restrictively.
Urgent suspension of pellet stove lot awards MEBAR Walloon Region — contractor classification must be assessed on cumulative value of all awarded lots — no analogous application of framework agreement case law
The Council of State suspended the award of five pellet stove lots to Au Coin du Feu under the MEBAR contract because the contracting authority failed to verify the contractor classification against the cumulative value of all awarded lots (€769,811.32, requiring class 4 while the tenderer only held class 2), and rejected the analogy with framework agreements as the contract involved a single procedure with one offer and one award decision.
Four paragraphs of motivation that all repeat 'it's a different molecule' is not motivation
The Council of State suspends a €138 million framework agreement for cancer drugs at CHU Liège because the contracting authority rejected TEVA's equivalent offer (lipegfilgrastim instead of pegfilgrastim) without explaining why two molecules that serve the same therapeutic purpose are not equivalent in this case.
When the law names the decision-maker, you cannot sideline that authority through a public procurement procedure
The Council of State suspends RTBF's award for appointing its statutory auditor because the law explicitly assigns that competence to the French Community government — and a purely formal post-hoc approval cannot replace that government's actual decision.
Two different references, two identical scores: that needs an explanation
The Council of State suspends the award because Idelux gave the same 5/5 score to a 134-seat reference and a 156-seat reference without any explanation — and because a different score on that single sub-sub-criterion was just enough to flip the ranking.
Mentioning 'our trusted partner' in your method statement = implicitly relying on third-party capacity — UEA or no UEA
T&D Security loses the City of Ghent parking surveillance tender because their method statement names a licensed alarm centre (nv P.G.) as a partner without filing a UEA and capacity-commitment letter for that partner — result: substantial irregularity and mandatory annulment of the offer.
When a non-selection rests on multiple independent grounds, you must attack each — or your appeal is doomed
Flying Group Holding only challenged the optional exclusion ground about Chinese ties, but Defence had two other — unchallenged — grounds for non-selection, and those alone were enough to keep the decision standing.
A Flemish licence for non-urgent reclining patient transport doesn't grant mutual recognition for seated transport in Brussels — if Flanders doesn't regulate that activity, it has nothing to transfer
An ambulance company with a Flemish licence for reclining patient transport loses a Brussels framework contract for seated patient transport in light medical vehicles, because its provisional GGC accreditation expired during the procurement procedure and its definitive accreditation was only notified after the award decision — bad timing, says the Council of State, but no illegality.
Director-company, permanent representative, special mandate: Charleroi skipped the entire chain and wrongly voided the offer
The city of Charleroi declared the TAROS-TRBA offer null because it 'could not confirm' the signing power of the natural person who signed — yet the chain of director-companies, permanent representatives and special powers of attorney was right there in the offer's annexes.
When the contracting authority 'loses' your offer, your stamped envelope saves you
The Berchem-Sainte-Agathe public welfare centre awarded a medication contract to Pharma Force on the ground that 'two offers were received' — but Multipharma had filed its offer on time, as proven by a stamped envelope with date and time, and the Council of State annuls the award.
A statutory delegation clause won't save you if you don't include the delegation decision itself with your bid
The Council of State rejects contractor De Cock's appeal because he had the board resolution granting his managing director signing power published in the Belgian Official Gazette but failed to include it with his bid for the City of Charleroi — and the contracting authority is under no obligation to search the Gazette on its own.
If you first declare a bid irregular and then accept it anyway, you must say more — not less
The Council of State suspends the award of six artificial football pitches to Sportinfrabouw because the municipality of Beveren, after having declared two bids substantially irregular, changed its mind without properly justifying that reversal.
A retracted award does not reset your UDN clock: you have 15 days for the replacement decision — not one more
The Council of State declares ARAMIS's extension of its extreme-urgency action to the replacement award decision of 21 October 2023 inadmissible due to lateness (filed on day 18 whereas article 23 of the 17 June 2013 act allows only 15 days), and shelves the case sine die regarding the retracted original decision of 13 October 2023.
Communicating only points for the price criterion is motivation theatre: without the percentages, nobody can verify your 'rule of three' was correctly applied
The Council of State annuls via the expedited procedure (art. 17 §6 coordinated laws) the STIB decision of 3 May 2023 awarding a tax consultancy contract to Forecast Consulting, because the reasoned decision merely listed points per bidder for the price criterion without showing the proposed percentages or the application of the price formula.
A contracting authority can cancel and restart a procedure — even if that costs you a near-guaranteed award
The Council of State dismisses Theis Marcel's challenge against SOFICO: under Article 85 of the Belgian procurement law, a contracting authority has broad discretion to cancel and restart a procedure, even after two previous awards have been suspended and a competitor is next in line.
Parallel judgment on lot 2 Spy: the contracting authority's broad power to cancel and restart applies equally here
In the same SOFICO saga as judgment 258.032, but for lot 2 (Spy district), the Council of State confirms that Theis Marcel cannot claim the award: Article 85 of the procurement law allows the authority to abandon and restart the procedure with a corrected specification.
The government communicates only the 'eviction' — hiding the award in the same decision. The Council of State breaks through this formalism.
The Council of State rejects the Belgian State's inadmissibility objection: a rejected tenderer who challenges only the 'eviction letter' procedurally attacks the entire award decision contained within it — even if the award itself was never formally communicated.
Winning a suspension isn't enough: if you don't bid in the replacement tender, you lose your standing — and you pay the costs
Five years after the Council of State suspended the award of the 'Silver Tower' lease to Ghelamco, the Council declares Fedimmo's annulment action inadmissible because Fedimmo (WTC IV) did not participate in the new procurement procedure launched by the Brussels Region in 2019, nor did it challenge the new specifications or the new award.
If your own cover letter states you cannot meet the specifications, a mere promise to 'comply' won't fix the irregularity
The Council of State dismisses Veolia's emergency suspension request against Ghent University, the incumbent contractor's bid for the HVAC maintenance framework being declared substantially irregular because Veolia's cover letter expressly stated that some specifications were 'not feasible' and proposed an alternative working method — defects going to the very essence of the bid that could not be cured by a mere statement of intent to comply.
An EU regulation alone doesn't make a tender 'substantially irregular' — if the contract documents don't say the requirement is essential, you have to explain why it is
The Council of State suspends the award of a Walloon school-fruit contract to Fresho because the Walloon Region rejected Faway's bid as 'substantially irregular' (proposing chicory in June) without explaining in the award decision itself why seasonality was an essential requirement — a reference to the EU regulation didn't suffice, since the contract documents nowhere classified seasonality as substantial.
Filing a suspension within 15 days without a lawyer costs you 994 euro if 'extrême urgence' is missing from the title
The Council of State declares a graphic design firm's suspension request inadmissible because the title of the petition lacked the wording 'extrême urgence' — even though it was filed within the 15-day deadline and the contracting authority's own notification letter referred to a 'suspension request'.
Even when the auditor, the scheduling order and the opposing party all speak of 'extrême urgence', your request remains inadmissible without those words in the title
The Council of State declares Solidairement vzw's suspension request against the award of school-fruit lots to Fresho inadmissible because the title 'requête en annulation et demande de suspension' makes no mention of extreme urgency — despite warnings from the auditor, a proactive correction by the registry, and explicit extreme-urgency references by the opposing party.
Compensating an expired VCA certificate with an ISO certificate you'll only receive two months later? RESA lost the award
The Council of State suspends the Liège grid operator RESA's selection and award of a tree-pruning contract to Bois & Travaux because, on the application deadline (4 August 2021), Bois & Travaux had neither a valid VCA certificate — it had expired seven days earlier — nor the 'equivalent' ISO 45001:2018 certificate, which it would only obtain on 4 October 2021.
Software that still 'needs adapting' to NMBS's TPST platform is not a substantial irregularity — and you cannot include energy consumption from the TCO formula in the abnormality test
The Council of State dismisses Moser-Baer's appeal against the award to Westerstrand of a 4.57 million euro framework agreement for industrial GPRS clocks at Belgian railway stations, and also rejects the 726,092.80 euro damages claim.
Signed eight days too early: an award to an attorneys' temporary association annulled because the director-general's delegation was published in the Official Gazette only six days later
The Council of State annuls the award of debt-recovery services by intercommunale RESA because the director-general signed on 21 June 2019 on the basis of a delegation that was only published in the Belgian Official Gazette on 27 June 2019 — and was therefore not opposable to the rejected bidder at the moment of the award.
Even when your contract falls outside the procurement law: awarding 64 out of 100 points on publicly available financial ratios is discriminatory
The Council of State rejects RESA's appeal against the Walloon Minister's annulment of its award of a judicial debt-collection contract to bailiff firm Tintin: even for 'excluded' legal services (article 28 §1 4° of the 2016 Procurement Act), the equality principle applies, and using 64 of 100 points on publicly available balance-sheet ratios while you yourself select which firms to consult means you can predict the winner before any bid arrives.
'Will have to comply with the tender requirements' is not a compliant bid — it's a future promise, and that means substantial irregularity
The Council of State suspends in extreme urgency the Régie des Bâtiments' award of a framework contract for detention-house containers to the ALHO/Hendrickx/C2O consortium because the winning bid said nothing concrete about the mandatory 'water management' minimum requirement — the award decision itself acknowledged that ALHO 'will have to comply with the tender requirements', and the move to recast that requirement as a 'special performance condition' did not persuade.
A price check that only looks at total bid amounts isn't a price check — unit prices don't quietly fall under 'all normal'
The Council of State suspends Charleroi public-health intercommunal ISPPC's award of its medical-mail contract to Postalia Belgium because the bid analysis report compared total bid amounts but contains no proof of any concrete unit-price verification — and an 'all normal' line in the observations note does not cure that.
Withdrawing your decision after a suspension still leaves you with the full bill
The Flemish Region withdraws its award decision itself after a UDN suspension, but is nonetheless fully ordered to pay Profacts' procedural costs — and Ipsos pays 150 euros for its intervention.
A won UDN suspension without follow-up is a lost UDN suspension
The Council of State lifts the previously ordered suspension of Lantis' selection decision because Proximus failed to file an annulment appeal within the statutory deadline — with reimbursement of procedural costs to the contracting authority as a consequence.
'Public contract' in the title, concession in the facts — only the second matters
The Council of State dismisses LED AD's appeal against the award of an LED-screen concession to Cityscreen because the city legally treated the contract as a concession, despite the term 'public contract' in the heading of the award decision.
An award decision is not a contract — until closing, the authority can always backtrack
The Council of State confirms that the Flemish Region was allowed to withdraw its award decision to Zidis five months after notification, because the contract had not yet been concluded and Article 85 of the Public Procurement Act 2016 gives the authority the power to halt the procedure at any time before closing — regardless of irregularity.
A price justification can be in words — but not in clichés
The Council of State suspends the award of the Bosvoorde racetrack renovation to Heyrman-De Roeck because Leefmilieu Brussel accepted a price justification consisting of purely generic elements ('experience', 'cooperation', 'CO2 reduction'), without numerical substantiation and without any substantive evaluation by the contracting authority itself.
Mini-competition under a framework agreement? A price ceiling is not a price examination
The Council of State suspends the award of a 224,400-euro IT contract because the Walloon Region failed to verify the prices submitted in a mini-competition and limited the motivation of the quality criterion to repeating the rating scale.
Wrongly declared irregular? Don't count on 10% — the Council calculates your 'lost chance', and here it landed at 90%
The Council of State awards BV Rezuni 22,695.30 euros in restitution damages (90% of 10% of its offer price) after an earlier annulled award, because the flat-rate 10% rule does not automatically apply and the chance of being awarded the contract is concretely estimated.
A social award criterion without a link to the subject matter and without a control mechanism: doubly unlawful
The Council of State annuls a road-marking contract awarded by the city of Enghien because the social-employment award criterion was not linked to the subject matter of the contract and was insufficiently precise to allow control — the winner offered 700 hours of social employment on a contract whose total work volume was estimated at barely 480 person-hours.
Selection criterion '3 references on non-navigable waterways' for an earthworks contract: not disproportionate, even if <1% of the work touches the waterway itself
The Council of State rejects TRBA's challenge against its exclusion from a Walloon contract for the construction of a retention zone on the Senne, and confirms that a selection criterion requiring 'references on non-navigable waterways' is not disproportionate when the contract is executed in such a geographical context — and that bidders must explicitly demonstrate in their offer that their references meet the criterion.
Want to challenge a technical evaluation? First calculate whether your grievances can bridge the score gap — otherwise you lose your standing
The Council of State rejects Frontforce's appeal against the award of a dispatching software contract to BV Verdi: one branch was declared inadmissible because a hypothetical recalculation showed that the 7.11-point score gap could not be bridged even if all grievances were upheld.
Confidentiality is no excuse to black out the assessment of the winner
The Council of State suspends an award because the contracting authority redacted nearly all of the winner's evaluation in the version of the award report given to the unsuccessful bidder, and only filed the unredacted version once court proceedings had started.
Challenging a scoring error is pointless if you can't catch up with the winner anyway
The Council of State rejects an extreme-urgency suspension against the award of seven electric service vehicles because even a possible error in the distance calculation would not bridge the 16.59-point gap with the winning bidder.
A reference threshold that excludes 6 out of 8 candidates is not automatically disproportionate
The Council of State rejects the action of cleaning incumbent Misanet against its exclusion at the selection stage, because requiring three cleaning references for buildings with intermodal transport hubs of at least 30,000 persons per day is properly linked and proportionate to the subject-matter of the contract — and because a non-selected bidder has no standing to challenge the award itself.
You can't 'edit out' a late offer component — if one piece arrives late, the entire offer is tainted
Intradel tried to rescue a previously-annulled award to Strabag by simply excluding the late-submitted performance note from the scoring, but the Council of State confirms that a late component poisons the whole offer — you can't reason away the contamination by ignoring the contaminated piece.
Rewarding a bid for being 'better than the specifications require' is discrimination
The Council of State annuls a €4.2 million award for the construction of the Parc des Colombophiles in Anderlecht because Brussels Environment awarded the winning bid higher scores precisely because it deviated from a technical requirement in the specifications.
Rejecting a bid for abnormal prices? You must also state why those items are 'non-negligible'
The Belgian Council of State suspends the award of a green-space maintenance contract to Eurogreen because Bruxelles Environnement explained in detail why two of Krinkels' unit prices were abnormal — one assumed a gardener mowing eleven football fields a day — but nowhere motivated why those items qualified as 'non-negligible' under Article 36 of the Royal Decree of 18 April 2017.
Six abnormally low prices, six times 'answer satisfactory' — that is not a price review
The Belgian Council of State annuls a €655,708 award to GBM because the contracting authority dismissed six abnormally low prices with the same boilerplate line 'la réponse a été jugée satisfaisante', without obtaining a single purchase document or supplier catalogue.
When two bidders in a three-player market suddenly claim twice as many partners, you have to verify — not explain it away
The Council of State suspends an electronic meal-voucher award to Edenred because the French Community uncritically accepted Edenred's dramatically higher partner numbers (39,103 vs 20,592 in Flanders) when Edenred's own offer signaled those figures included MasterCard merchants without genuine affiliation contracts.
A reference 'since 1969' built from one-off jobs can still qualify as a 'long-running contract/framework agreement'
The Council of State rejects the extreme-urgency suspension against the City of Ghent, accepting that 'Ghent University — since 1969, mainly student housing, always one-off jobs' qualifies as a long-running contract under the tender's selection criterion.
Two sister companies, one signature and a score of 5/10 on a 0-2-4-6-8-10 scale: double suspension
The Council of State suspends the award of a 6.7 million euro framework contract for police trousers to Sioen Nederland because the federal police inadequately reasoned the link between Sioen NV and Sioen Nederland BV, and because one competitor (Seyntex) received intermediate scores on an evaluation scale that only allowed even-numbered points.
An oral statement during the site visit doesn't amend the tender — and so cannot make an offer irregular
The Council of State suspends the award of an asbestos-removal contract to Laurenty because the Régie des Bâtiments rejected SBMI's offer based on an oral instruction given during the site visit and only partially addressed SBMI's price justification in its reasoning.
Same ADN certificate: 'extra experience' for the winner, ignored for the loser — that doesn't hold
The Belgian Council of State suspended an award by Flemish Waterways because in the quality criterion motivation, the same elements (an ADN certificate, government experience, examination committee work) counted positively for one bidder and were ignored for another, without anywhere explaining the difference.
Rejecting a bid for one item worth 0.12% of the total? Then you really must explain why that's 'substantial'
The Belgian Council of State suspended the award of a bike path in Seraing because the city declared Colas Belgium's bid void over a single irregular item representing 0.12% of the bid total, without anywhere explaining why that irregularity was 'substantial'.
Hide your purchase price in the rental cost, and you write your own bid into the bin
The Belgian Council of State dismisses Symobo's challenge: by openly admitting in its price justification that it had shifted part of the purchase price into the rental items 'for commercial reasons', it made its bid incomparable with the competitor's — and therefore substantially irregular.
A Proof of Concept with a dual role — compliance check and technical scoring — needs two separate reading lenses
The Council of State dismisses Orange Belgium's challenge to Infrabel's €23.3 million CyberSOC framework award, because Orange's claim that Thales failed the POC rests on a confusion between the POC's compliance check (where everyone scored 'YES') and the technical evaluation (where Thales scored mid-range).
Three references that together cover all disciplines — not enough when the selection guide says 'both … and …'
The Council of State suspends the selection of KRAS Architecten because the municipality of De Pinte 'added up' disciplines from three different reference projects, while the selection guide explicitly required each reference to cover all disciplines on its own.
When the contracting authority offers a chance to regularise and you refuse — that equals 'I do not accept the contract terms'
The Council of State dismisses Verhoeve Marc's challenge to the rejection of his lowest bid for the redesign of the Waaitjesstraat in Lebbeke: he read item 5 of the bill of quantities (600 m² of cobblestone surfacing) as covering only the repair of the ~50 m² still in place, refused the formal offer to regularise, and stuck stubbornly to his own reading — a stance the Council equates with non-acceptance of the contract terms.
What the tender documents functionally require is a minimum requirement — even if the word 'mandatory' or 'module' never appears
The Council of State refuses suspension: a tool that the specifications require to perform 'native' analyses against ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 is a minimum requirement under article 76 of the placement royal decree — failing to demonstrate that functionality renders the offer substantially irregular, even if the documents never used the word 'modules'.
Citing the winner's patent report is not a motivation — even if the report is confidential
The Council of State suspends the award by AGSO Knokke-Heist because the contracting authority dismissed a substantiated patent objection from a losing bidder by merely stating that the winners 'confidently affirm' their offer infringes nothing — without explaining why it found their report more convincing.
In a negotiated procedure you may refuse regularisation — but the file must show you considered it
The Council of State suspends the award of lot 2 of La Louvière's parks-guarding contract because the contracting authority, when finding Seris Security's offer substantially irregular for an 'abnormally low' price, failed to demonstrably weigh whether to allow regularisation under article 76, § 5, of the placement royal decree — a discretionary power that must actually be exercised.
'The Price Bureau looked at it' is not a price check — especially not when that opinion itself asks for your own analysis
The Council of State suspends an award by the Walloon Region to Colas Belgium for road works in Biercée because the contracting authority motivated its price check with the bare statement that 'the Price Bureau intervened' — while that bureau's own opinion expressly required a separate analysis from the road directorate that nowhere appears in the file.
A 'request for clarification' is not a price investigation — only a real suspicion of abnormality triggers the wage / CLA check
The Council of State refuses to suspend the award of the OTW guarding contract for Namur station to Securitas: a request asking the bidder to explain price differences between rate items does not constitute a formal price investigation under article 44 of the special-sectors royal decree — and without that investigation, no obligation to verify wage and collective-bargaining compliance is triggered.
SOFICO reads a binding yield threshold into its own tender documents — and loses the same award for the third time
The Council of State suspends the €3.17m award of a road-verge maintenance contract to SA Krinkels because SOFICO turned 'estimated' figures from Annex D of its own tender documents into binding yield and duration thresholds during the price review — leaving bidders unable to know in advance that any deviation would automatically signal an abnormal price.
A €9.93m bid against a runner-up of €17m is not automatically an abnormal price — the Council of State leaves the Flemish electronic monitoring award to Attenti standing
The Council of State refuses to suspend the award of the Flemish electronic monitoring contract to Attenti for €9.93m — barely half the runner-up's bid — because economies of scale, proprietary technology and incumbent status can plausibly explain the gap, and because SuperCom cannot credibly close its 42.86-point shortfall on the quality criterion.
A 100 ml bottle of paracetamol is not 100 ml of storage space — Swisslog forgot the bottle, the air gap and the packaging, and lost a Charleroi hospital contract
The Council of State refuses to suspend the award of automated medication cabinets for CHU Charleroi because Swisslog Healthcare based its capacity figures on the volume of medication contents alone — not on the volume of bottles, vials and packaging — leaving its offer prima facie three drawers short on a single cabinet.
School logo on cleaners' uniforms is no hidden sub-award criterion — three rounds of re-awarding confirm it
The Council of State rejects Iris Facility Solutions' suspension claim against GO! Scholengroep Huis 11: assessing 'staff policy', 'wearing the school logo on work clothes' and 'mandatory refresher training' under the award criterion 'quality control' does not create hidden sub-criteria as long as those elements were listed in the specifications as attention points.
€1 million cheaper and still excluded: forgotten road signalling in item B.01.01 makes the bid irregular
The Council of State confirms that Wallonia rightly excluded the lowest bidder (€4.52M) because one major item of its price justification did not include the legally required road signalling — and may simultaneously accept the winner (€5.80M) on the basis of a short but concrete reasoning.
Trade secrets are not a free pass for a boilerplate clause when prices look abnormally low
The Council of State suspends the award of two SNCB lots because the contracting authority itself flagged the winner's prices as apparently abnormally low, requested justification, and then dismissed the response with a single sentence in the award decision.
Discount for multi-lot award? Then you must rank three times — not once
The Council of State suspends Idelux's award of nine waste-collection lots to Remondis because the intercommunal compared all offers against a single reference point (Remondis with discount) instead of ranking each scenario separately — a calculation error that shifted the outcome in Remondis's favour.
A services concession does not oblige you to conduct a price examination — even if prices differ markedly
The Council of State rejects EMG's claim against the Belgian State concerning the IPC audiovisual concession and explicitly confirms that neither the concession law nor the principles of due care, equality or competition trigger an obligation to conduct a price examination in concessions — a key difference from public procurement regulation.
70 points for service, 30 for price in a book tender: acceptable when the market justifies it
The Council of State dismisses Standaard Boekhandel's challenge against the award to Distri-Bib for the Antwerp public library's book framework, accepting that service may weigh 70 out of 100 points because 85% of deliveries fall under the regulated book price.
The cheapest and best-quality bid still loses. The culprit: how the price criterion was split
The Council of State dismisses Canon's challenge against the award of the Farys printer fleet framework to Ricoh, despite Canon submitting both the lowest overall price and the highest-quality offer — because Farys split the price criterion into three sub-criteria (devices 50%, management software 10%, additional services 5%) based on a documented market study and needs survey, and the weights stand 'in reasonable relation' to the likely importance of each component.
Bruxelles Environnement invented a 'competitive advantage' the law does not recognise — the Council suspends the re-tendering of the climbing-rock case
The Council of State suspends Bruxelles Environnement's decision to abandon the award and re-tender the 'Aménagements paysagers' contract for Anderlecht's Colombophiles park, because the contracting authority committed three legal errors: a deviation from the specifications was wrongly called a 'variant', an irregularity was declared substantial under a non-existent category 'competitive advantage', and a material specification (resin concrete) was wrongly treated as a brand reference under art. 53.
A young company may bid — but if you select it, you have to explain explicitly why you see no continuity risk
The Council of State suspends the award of Sport Vlaanderen's framework agreement for pop-up skateparks because the contracting authority justified its choice for a company able to submit only one truncated financial year — while the tender required three years — with the perfunctory line 'there is no reason to assume that the continuity of the contract cannot be guaranteed'.
Saying a lawyer has 'no State aid experience' while crediting his teaching of competition law that includes State aid is a contradictory motivation — and it gets annulled
The Council of State annuls the award of lot 18 (State aid) of the Walloon framework agreement for legal services because the evaluation panel wrote that Lexing's lawyer 'lacked practical experience in State aid' while in the same motivation acknowledging that he taught a university course on economic aspects of competition law and was a member of a research centre studying State aid.
A volume threshold of 70,000 cases a year is fine — but 'for one and the same client' is a separate decision that needs its own justification
The Council of State suspends the non-selection of bailiff Bordet for the joint debt-collection contract of SWDE and CILE because the selection criterion requiring 70,000 cases per year handled 'for one and the same client' lacks an independent justification and unduly restricts competition — while the previous tender allowed cumulation across multiple clients.
If your tender allows subcontracting and the bidder names Bpost as subcontractor, you cannot reject them with 'you don't have the BIPT licence'
The Council of State annuls the award of Defence's multi-year postal services contract to Bpost because Postalia Belgium's offer was declared irregular for lacking a BIPT licence, while that offer explicitly designated Bpost as subcontractor for distribution — a possibility the tender itself expressly allowed.
An offer without a minus sign is not a negative price — and 'clarifying' it by email after the evaluation report does not save the award
The Council of State suspends the award to Oxfam-Solidarité of a textile collection contract in BEP-Environnement's recycling parks because the contracting authority assigned eleven points to a price of '€1' it treated as negative, while the bid carried no minus sign and the bidder's written confirmation arrived five days after the evaluation report on which the award is based.
Three weeks faster than the winner — and yet the same 20/30: a bonus clause for early delivery you don't apply costs you the award
The Council of State annuls the City of Halle's award of the floor renewal of CC 't Vondel to Phenix Group: the specifications stated that an early delivery would have a 'favourable influence' on the execution-time criterion, but the City gave both Phenix Group and Stals en Zoon Parketvloeren — whose delivery was three weeks shorter — an identical score of 20 out of 30 with the sole motivation 'falls perfectly within [the] requested period'.
BAFO by email instead of e-Tendering: prima facie unlawful — but if you take the email yourself, you can no longer claim an interest in challenging it
The Council of State rejects Spikes NV's extreme-urgency action against the award to Skyhaus BV of an IT contract for the pseudonymisation and automatic summarisation of court decisions — three 'clever' attacks (wrong award amount, price evaluation method, BAFO by email) all fail, and the ruling confirms in passing that e-Tendering is also mandatory for BAFOs, even though the contracting authority is saved here by lack of interest.
An offer 54% below the average still gets awarded — because the 15% rule targets the total price, not every unit price
The Council of State refuses to suspend a Sofico award to Men At Work for €456,120.80 — even though the offer was 54% below the average — because Article 36, §4 of the Procurement Royal Decree only requires verification of the total price and the contracting authority enjoys broad discretion in doing so.
A second 'reasoned decision' that fixes the numbers does not save the first
On 4 May 2023 STIB sent MoneyOak a reasoned award decision listing only the scores per bidder — and on 26 May, after the action was already filed, a 'complete' version including the percentages; the Council of State suspends nonetheless because the first version is the one that must be assessed legally.
Requested toilet-replacement simulation rescues bid with installation coefficient 0.2 against price challenge
Imtech bid installation coefficients of 0.2 to 0.5 for sanitary works in Brussels — far below competitors — compensating with a higher materials coefficient; the City asked for a simulation on concrete line items and accepted the justification, and the Council of State follows: in a unit-price contract, what counts is the combination of elements, not one isolated low number.
UHasselt withdraws spectrometer award decision – urgent suspension application rendered moot, university bears costs
The executive board of Hasselt University withdrew the contested award decision on 2 June 2023, three weeks after Te Lintelo Systems filed its application; the 12th chamber found the case moot but ordered the university to pay the costs (994 euros).
No asterisk, still substantial: Council of State confirms safety-related holster specs are inherently essential
Radar argued that its holster bid could not be irregular because the disputed specifications 4.2.20 and 4.3.18 bore no asterisk, but the 6th chamber held that the explicit link to "a secure grip on the weapon" made the specs inherently essential, even without a formal nullity sanction.
Bulk delivery with or without on-site cooking: Fedasil catering goes to Aramark, and Umami's irregular offer blocks every further grievance
The Council of State rejects Umami's urgent suspension against the award to Aramark of the Fedasil catering contracts for the reception centres in Jabbeke (€2,150,283.80 incl. VAT) and Glons (€3,803,491.88 incl. VAT): because Umami was itself substantially irregular for cooking on site rather than delivering prepared bulk meals, it cannot invoke the difference in treatment on the Excel calculation errors as unequal treatment.
The €50,000 bar concession fee is a 'deduction', not an add-on: Alice Events' award for Belgium's national day stands
The Council of State rejects Shadow To Live's urgent suspension against the award to Alice Events (€999,953.56 incl. VAT) for the 21 July 2023 national day festivities: the €50,000 bar concession fee prescribed by the specifications must be deducted from the global price, not added to it, so Alice Events remained below the €1,000,000 ceiling.
49% under estimate, no price justification requested — a two-page internal memo suffices
Eqos Energie lost to De Witte-Vandecaveye, who bid 27% below the average and 49% below the estimate — without STIB-MIVB requesting a price justification; the Council held that the internal memo analyzing market fluctuations and historical prices was sufficient, even without a formal challenge.
Annulled award gives second-ranked bidder no 10% lump sum, but 50% chance × 10% margin
Three years after the Council of State annulled the award to Dillen Bouwteam because of un-investigated abnormal unit prices, VMG-De Cock receives not the 10% statutory lump sum (it was not the lowest regular bid) but 55,716.56 euros: 50% chance of being awarded × 10% profit margin × 1.1 million.
An Apple discount only meaningful when bundled with a laptop: post-factum motivation does not count
PXL university college awarded an Apple supply contract to Econocom because of an unusually high discount on one specific product; the Council suspends because the administrative file lacks any explanation — and the argument that 'this product is only ordered with a laptop' was raised only in the procedural notes.
€21M versus €36M and €40M: a price matching the estimate is not an abnormal price — even when competitors quote double
SNCB awards an 8-year framework agreement for ticket machines to Conduent at €21.4 million while Almex bid €36.2M and Scheidt&Bachmann €39.7M — and the Council refuses suspension under extreme urgency because Almex did not directly attack one essential reason given by SNCB: that Conduent's amount matches the original estimate, and that single reason suffices to remove any appearance of abnormality.
A contracting authority can require its bidders to work with a supplier who never submitted a bid — provided that supplier falls under a statutory exclusion ground
The Belgian Council of State rejects the action of three competing bailiffs against a TMVW tender that imposes cooperation with 'central bailiff Philip Scheir bvba' (appointed without competition) for the legal leg of external debt management — statutory bailiff tasks fall outside procurement law via art. 28 §1 4° e) of the 2016 Act, and without a cross-border element European transparency obligations also do not apply.
12 Nuctech customs scanners have been running for years — but for the 5 new ones, Chinese ownership was suddenly a security risk, and the Council sided with customs
The Council refuses the suspension of the award to Rapiscan Systems for mobile X-ray scanners for the Belgian customs (port of Antwerp and the entire Belgian territory) — Nuctech Warsaw, Polish-law subsidiary of the Chinese state-owned Nuctech group, was not even invited under article 33 §2 of the Procurement Act 2016 ('essential security interests of the realm'), supported by a confidential profile analysis from the State Security Service on the Chinese national intelligence law of 2017 and ties to Tsinghua University.
€262 million or €120 million in 'real-estate development turnover'? Adding holding income to clear the threshold — and losing under extreme urgency
The CIT BLATON – GHELAMCO consortium was not selected for the redevelopment of the former town hall of Etterbeek (a competitive dialogue requiring €120 million in 'real-estate development turnover' over three years), and the Council refuses suspension under extreme urgency because Ghelamco's attempt to add holding income (classes 74 and 76A of the annual accounts) to its actual sales turnover (class 70) does not match the accounting definition of turnover and because 'managing shares is not in itself a real-estate development activity'.
BNP downloaded, signed with Adobe Sign and re-uploaded — Treasury said 'not signed', the Council sided with BNP
BNP Paribas Fortis was excluded from the federal payment-accounts procedure because its submission report was not signed directly via e-tendering, but downloaded, signed locally with Adobe Sign by two authorised representatives and re-uploaded — a workflow that is precisely described as valid in the official FOD BOSA e-Tendering Handbook, and that neither the 2017 Procurement Royal Decree nor the selection guide prohibits.
Authority withdraws award after extreme-urgency suspension — yet still loses and pays €1,216 in costs to the challenging bidder
Infrabel had on 23 August 2022 awarded a contract to TOTAL ENERGIES and declared Modalizy's bid irregular; the Council suspended under extreme urgency on 7 October (judgment 254.700), Infrabel withdrew the contested decision on 18 October and the case became moot — but the Council still ordered Infrabel to pay full procedural costs (€770 + filing fees + contribution) because a withdrawal is 'a form of substitute for an annulment in litigation'.
Strict for the excluded bidder, lenient for the winner — a contracting authority cannot apply the same rule both ways at once
The Belgian Council of State suspends the award of Walloon red-light speed cameras because the Walloon Region rejected Jacops's offer over a technical detail, while simultaneously scoring the winner just above the exclusion threshold for a software demonstration 'essentially given via PowerPoint' — when the tender required a live demo on penalty of exclusion.
Below the European threshold a contracting authority is not required to ask for price justification — but 'not required' is not the same as 'forbidden'
The Belgian Council of State suspends an award because the Province of Antwerp rejected a sole trader's offer for an abnormally low hourly rate of €34.70 without first questioning the bidder — when the tender concerns intellectual services without any indicative quantity, mere price difference is insufficient to unilaterally conclude the price falls 'below cost'.
An 'abnormally high' negative price is just as suspicious as an abnormally low one — IVAGO learned that the hard way
The Belgian Council of State suspends a textile collection contract because IVAGO accepted the winning bid of €1 million (in a contract where bidders pay the authority) without numerical substantiation, while that price was double what the same bidders had offered in comparable contracts.
A third cheaper than you is no proof of dumping — if you don't read what the tender precisely changes between BAFO rounds
The Belgian Council of State rejects Postalia's suspension claim against a postal services award to Mestrabel: the 33% price gap is largely explained because between BAFO rounds the tender clarified 'item 40 Genk' as 'mainly magazines' — which Mestrabel and Bpost picked up, but Postalia did not.
Submit a class-1 accreditation where class 2 is required, then ask whether the authority should have flagged it — that doesn't work
The Council of State rejects NV COS's extreme-urgency suspension against its non-selection for the renovation of the GC De Zandloper grandstand: the contract is indeed a works contract, and a bidder who supplies the wrong accreditation class without invoking article 3, first paragraph, 2° of the Accreditation Act cannot blame the authority for not asking.
What 'equivalent dimensions' means is in the specifications — not in your head: three projects with two Ku/Ka 6m Cassegrain antennas isn't an example, it's the definition
The Council of State rejects the extreme-urgency action of Spanish company Indra Sistemas against its non-selection for the Defense satellite antenna procurement (Singa IV): when the specifications precisely define what 'projects of equivalent dimension' means, the bidder cannot afterwards rely on a broader reading based on its general sector experience.
Winning a suspension is only half the job: fail to file an annulment action within three months and your suspension vanishes
After Telecom Integrated Technologies NV obtained the suspension of the award to Hanssens Telecom for the Aalter telephony contract in July 2022, it never filed the required annulment action; on 5 May 2023 the Council automatically lifts the suspension — even though the municipality had already withdrawn the decision itself.
Asking for a specification change does not extend the 15-day deadline: challenge the selection criteria within two weeks of publication
The Council of State declares bailiff Alain Bordet's extreme-urgency action against the selection criteria and GDPR clause in tender specification 3380-CSC Recouvrements créances 2024-2031 of SWDE and CILE inadmissible as out of time: the 15-day deadline of Article 23, § 3 of the 17 June 2013 Act also applies to specification conditions and cannot be extended by first sending a correction letter.
Challenging non-selection pays off: Lebbeke withdraws its award and pays 924 euros in costs, even though Verhoeve Marc gets no contract
A week before the Council of State hearing the Municipality of Lebbeke withdraws its award for the Waaitjesstraat slow-road redevelopment; the Council formally dismisses BV Verhoeve Marc's extreme-urgency action for loss of object but orders the municipality to pay 924 euros in costs, including the requested procedural indemnity of 700 euros.
Action dismissed, but the university pays the bill: the economic reality of a last-minute withdrawal
The University of Antwerp withdraws its award decision for a SOAR cybersecurity platform the day before the extreme urgency hearing and halts the entire procurement procedure; the Council of State formally dismisses TrueGen's action for loss of subject matter but orders the contracting authority to bear all costs, including a procedural indemnity of 770 euros.
Rejecting bidder A for a specific shortcoming while admitting bidder B with exactly the same shortcoming is not allowed
The Council of State annuls the award of a Liège public works contract because the city declared Genetec's offer irregular for missing a detailed cost calculation of safety measures, while the winning Yvan Paque offer on that very point contained only two lump sums — without any detail.
Unilaterally redrawing the price structure of an offer and calling it 'arithmetic-error correction' doesn't work — article 34 only covers errors whose result is contrary to the bidder's intention
The Council of State suspends the award of Charleroi's contract for rental and maintenance of work clothing because the city unilaterally 'corrected' CWS Workwear's prices under article 34 of the Procurement Royal Decree — while the alleged 'error' did not produce a result contrary to the bidder's intention, and the city did not seek the bidder's real intention but applied its own conception of what was acceptable.
Between article 35 and article 36 of the Procurement Royal Decree lies a threshold: an explanation that smoothly passes the general price examination doesn't have to become a formal price justification
The Council of State rejects the extreme-urgency action against the award of an architectural study contract in Boom: a contracting authority that, in the context of the general price-and-cost examination (article 35), receives an explanation it finds convincing — adequately motivated — does not have to launch the heavier procedure of article 36 (formal price justification).
A price examination that says 'normal' in the award decision and just repeats the same sentence elsewhere in the file is not a price examination
The Council of State suspends the award of the Fedasil meal-catering contract to Aramark because the Federal Public Service Internal Affairs only states in the award decision that the prices are 'normal' and merely repeats that statement verbatim in the technical analyses — while Aramark bid more than 15% below the estimate for lot 2 and the Council finds no concrete trace of an actual general price examination in the file.
A price analysis discussing only the more expensive offers leaves the winner out of frame — and missing the winner is missing the essence of the price examination
The Council of State suspends the award of the AViQ statutory auditor contract to L&S Réviseurs because the award report explains why the more expensive offers (RSM Inter Audit and the applicant) were higher, but says nothing about the price examination of the winner — while AViQ had built a 25% indexation into its estimate and the winner bid below that level.
Subsidising authority says no — award withdrawn — and the motivation 'in view of the letter from the subsidising authority' is enough
The Council of State rejects Genetec's extreme-urgency action against the withdrawal of the Marche-en-Famenne LED-bike-path-lighting award: a conflict with the Walloon subsidising authority over the specifications is in itself a valid reason for the city to abandon the contract, and the municipal decision need not repeat the subsidising authority's reasons — a reference to the letter is sufficient as 'motifs des motifs'.
An award report that also voices criticism of the winner is no reason to overturn the award — what counts is what the report puts beside it
The Council of State rejects an extreme-urgency action against the award of an architecture contract for a Schaarbeek crèche: the fact that the award report also expresses reservations about the winner does not mean the score of 4 out of 5 is unjustified, when alongside it five concrete advantages are listed that the applicants' bid does not offer.
Complaining that the specifications are unlawful while simultaneously demanding the contract be awarded to you — that does not work
The Council of State rejects a third extreme-urgency action against Ghent University Hospital: after the contracting authority withdrew earlier awards to a competitor and ultimately cancelled the entire procedure to fix a flaw in the specifications about INAMI/RIZIV reimbursement, the bidders who had themselves pointed out that flaw cannot now claim a 'direct' award.
A withdrawn award decision legally no longer exists — so there is no 'change of position' to motivate
The Council of State rejects the suspension of a second Infrabel award decision, ruling that a contracting authority that withdraws its first decision and re-examines the offers does not have to explain why it now reaches a different conclusion — the first decision retroactively disappeared upon withdrawal and cannot serve as a reference point for a 'change of position'.
If the tender documents make award conditional on a homologation 'before award', its absence is automatically a substantial irregularity
The Council of State rejects the suspension of a contract for 60,000 LED luminaires for the Liège grid operator RESA: by stating in the specifications that the luminaire model must have obtained the Synergrid '005' homologation 'before award of the contract', the specifications themselves qualified this as a minimum and substantial requirement — so Lightwell and Axioma's offers could be excluded as substantially irregular even though they had been invited to a BAFO and offered competitive prices.
A price 25% below the average survives — and the winner can still ask for an extra €100,000 once the bid commitment period expires
The Council of State rejects an extreme-urgency action against the award of the Bruges artificial-turf contract to Lesuco: a total price 25% below the average can be justified by 'market leadership, turnover and expertise', and when the bid commitment period expires, the winner may request price increases due to market conditions without the other bidders getting a chance to revise their bids.
Deciding not to negotiate in a competitive procedure with negotiation: only if you concretely prove the bids meet your needs
The Council of State suspends the decision of the municipality of Auderghem to discard an architects' team's bid for exceeding a page limit in a competitive procedure with negotiation, because the municipality cannot show anywhere that it actually assessed whether the regular bids met its needs before deciding not to negotiate.
Being invited to bid is not the same as being selected: Jacobs learns the hard way that qualifying for one job won't shield you on the next
The Council of State confirms that ORES rightly excluded Établissements Jacobs from lot 17 of the WQBLAAWA framework — being qualified in the system and invited to tender does not mean you have been selected for the specific contract.
A natural-stone boulder where the spec required 'resin concrete': Brussels-Environment punished the compliant bidder, rewarded the deviant — and lost the contract
The Council of State suspends the award of a €4.2 million park redevelopment in Anderlecht because the contracting authority gave the winning bidder bonus points for a natural-stone climbing rock when the specifications explicitly required 'resin concrete' — and so pushed the rule-compliant competitor into second place by 1.68 points.
Demoing 'the wrong product' at your clarification session is not an innocent slip — it cost Roba Pharma 22 points and the contract
The Council of State rejects Roba Pharma's request for suspension because the contracting hospital plausibly assessed its offer for two lots of medicine cabinets worth €2.6 million as poor — partly because Roba Pharma spent its clarification session demonstrating a product that wasn't even in the offer.
A two-sentence 'urgency' section in your urgency proceedings costs you €770 — and the €680,000 award won't even be examined
The Council of State rejects a bailiff's suspension request without ever examining the award — the two paragraphs on 'urgency' in his application fall short of the proof obligation in article 17 §1 of the coordinated laws.
A legally required authorisation does not have to be present at the time of the offer — even for emptying septic tanks — if the specifications do not impose it as a selection criterion
The Council of State refuses to suspend the award to TPRecup of lot 3 (waste collection and septic tanks) at Spa-Francorchamps, holding that the absence of the Walloon authorisation as 'vidangeur agréé' at the time of the offer does not constitute irregularity when neither regulation nor specifications impose it as a selection criterion.
A selection criterion may require you to have personnel — not to set aside a specific number of people for this contract
The Council of State suspends the award of BEP Environnement's textile collection contract to Oxfam because the selection criterion '4 drivers and 2 supervisors for the management of the contract' is not a general capacity criterion but a requirement on the specific deployment of personnel — which selection criteria are not allowed to be.
When lots are involved, the contracting authority may require references to fit the lot — even if the specifications do not say so explicitly
The Council of State refuses to suspend Spa-Francorchamps' decision not to select TPRecup for lots 1 (track maintenance) and 2 (cleaning of internal roads), holding that it is reasonable to require references relevant to the specific lot — even where the specifications do not differentiate between lots.
You cannot dismiss an offer as 'abnormally priced' when that price, by your own formula, is not abnormal at all
The Council of State holds that SOFICO wrongly declared the offer of Sotraliège (€4.5 million for cleaning storm-water basins in Liège) irregular for 'abnormal price', because the contested unit prices were — by SOFICO's own mathematical criteria — not abnormal at all; but the Council nonetheless refuses suspension because of flooding risk.
Whoever lost the 12-year IRISnet3 contract gets no second chance in extreme urgency — five grounds, all 'not serious'
The Council of State rejects Proximus' extreme-urgency suspension claim against the award of the IRISnet3 contract to Orange Belgium: all five pleas — alleged irregularity of the winner's free tools, abnormal pricing, regularisation issues and evaluation of qualitative criteria — are deemed 'not serious'.
A forgotten check of exclusion grounds for company directors can be cured during the proceedings — stripping the applicant's interest in the ground
The Council of State rejects the suspension of a 59 million euro framework agreement for fibre to Flemish schools, where the applicant discovered that the contracting authority had only requested the criminal record of Telenet as a legal entity, not of its directors as required by article 67 §1 paragraph 5 — but the authority had since obtained those extracts during the proceedings, depriving the applicant of its interest in the ground.
Your bid is for 4 million — but it must be signed for the framework agreement's estimated 12 million
Equans lost a 12-million-euro lot because its Division Manager and Department Manager could only sign offers up to 10 million; the Council of State rules that the relevant value is the estimated value of the entire framework agreement, not the value of the test case the bid is based on.
A specification that puts 'non-recoverable judicial costs' on the contractor effectively excludes judicial officers
The Council of State annuls a debt-collection contract because the specifications placed the burden of judicial costs that could not be recovered from the debtor on the contractor — a condition that judicial officers, bound by the 1976 royal decree on their tariff, cannot legally bear.
A physical test piece as award criterion for restoration works? Permitted — even if the assessment of craftsmanship feels subjective
The Council of State rejects the extreme-urgency suspension against the award of the 'Maçonneries' lot of the restoration of the Sainte-Croix Collegiate in Liège to the temporary association Galère / Liégeois because a 'pièce d'épreuve' — a physical test piece in carved tuffeau stone — and the accompanying methodological note, together worth 20 points out of 100, are a valid award criterion and no manifest assessment error by the jury was demonstrated.
Did a tender clause look unclear? Ask for clarification during the procedure — afterwards is too late
The Council of State rejects the extreme-urgency suspension against the award of the digitisation of Verviers' civil registry to Vanden Broele because ADM Village only complained about 'incomprehensible' tender clauses after losing — while during the procedure it never asked for clarification and in its reply to the contracting authority's question even showed it understood the requirements, only that it found its own interpretation to offer more 'added value'.
Filling in 'included' for 11 lines of your bill of quantities can be lawful — if you can justify each clustering separately
The Council of State rejects the extreme-urgency suspension against the award of a kindergarten construction contract to VMG-De Cock because the contracting authority correctly accepted the eleven 'included' lines in the winner's bill of quantities after a substantiated justification was given per line and the tender documents did not require a separate price for any of those lines.
Withdraw a first award decision and re-award to the other bidder? The motivation has to genuinely explain why you changed your mind
The Council of State suspends Verviers' second award decision because the motivation — a string of 'stereotyped formulas' on the conformity of the offers — does not show that the contracting authority actually carried out a fresh regularity check after withdrawing its first award, which had been based precisely on the substantial irregularity of that same offer.
Your offer was irregular, you lost the contract — and you still get €10,261 in damages
The Council of State orders the municipality of Heers to pay €10,261.43 in damages to Idemasport despite the fact that its own offer was irregular, because the winning offer also turned out to be irregular and in a new award procedure Idemasport would have had a real chance — assessed in fairness at 50%.
Concession or public contract? The difference comes down to one question: who loses money if the market collapses?
The Council of State rejects Clear Channel's extreme-urgency suspension against the award to JCDecaux of the Antwerp concession for 150 city advertising signs (8 years, 85% price / 15% sustainability) because the operational risk lies entirely with the concessionaire — who must invest in the infrastructure, pay an annual retributie even for signs without advertisers, and bear what the Court of Justice calls 'the whims of the market'.
If you don't check your e-Notification dashboard, the contracting authority can reject your bid — 'I didn't get the email' is no defence
The Council of State dismisses the extreme-urgency challenge by Tectum Constructors against the award to SCTD for the roofs of the Mons Music Academy: when the procurement is run via e-Notification, a bidder who does not consult its restricted file on that official platform cannot later claim it missed a price-justification request — the authority is not required to prove that the bidder actually received or opened the invitation.
A 'pool of staff' is not a valid use of the personnel-experience award criterion — references about the bidder belong in selection, not in award
The Council of State suspends OCMW Tervuren's award to Compass Group for the meal-catering contract at WZC Zoniën because the sub-award criterion 'References' (10/100) measures the bidder's existing contracts — a selection element — and not the experience of the staff that will execute the present contract; Compass's 'pool of staff' argument hollows out the statutory exception.
Pointing wrongly to 'an appeal to the Council of State' in your rejection letter cannot create that Council's jurisdiction — and costs you your procedure indemnity
The Council of State declares itself incompetent to hear Philippe Lesur's extreme-urgency challenge to the award of a scrap contract to BST, because Bruxelles-Energie — a cooperative in which Agence Bruxelles-Propreté holds only 40% of compartment A — is not an 'administrative authority', and immediately penalises Bruxelles-Energie for wrongly referring to the Council in its rejection letter by stripping it of its procedure indemnity.
A 'required option' rules your bid out, an 'allowed option' does not — and what the tender does not impose as a minimum, bidders are free to limit
The Council of State dismisses Siemens Mobility's extreme-urgency challenge to the award of the Hermelijn tram midlife revision to CAF (76.75 vs 70.94 out of 100): CAF was free to limit its corrosion treatment to 20 m² of light rust per tram and 3 cracks because the tender set no minimum surface area, free to overlap its study and prototype phases because the tender only required a 40-day gap between document submission and prototype start, and free to offer an incomplete anti-collision system because that was an 'allowed' (not 'required') option — and Article 56 § 2 of the Royal Decree on special sectors 2017 only sanctions the option itself in that case, not the base bid.
An 'analogous contract' is not automatically a 'public contract', and calling a bid 'irregular' without examining the substantial nature of the irregularity is not a reasoning — Vivalia sees its award suspended
The Council of State suspends Vivalia's decision to exclude C-Consult Advice from its RHM software contract because Vivalia added two conditions that were not in the tender — references had to come from public (not private) contracts and could not concern a software update — and, on the irregularity ground, did not examine whether the irregularity was substantial, with reasoning resting on undocumented phone calls absent from the administrative file.
You lost on 10 lots, won 1 lot via withdrawal — and still get the full procedural indemnity for that one lot
The Council of State awards Johnson & Johnson the full €770 procedural indemnity for lot 29 after ISPCC withdrew that lot — even though J&J had lost in an earlier judgment on the other 10 lots of the same procurement.
If the contracting authority withdraws after your appeal, you still get the procedural indemnity
The Council of State doesn't rule on the award of a body-cam framework contract to Proximus because the State withdrew its decision — but it orders the State to pay €700 procedural indemnity to Securitas, because withdrawal counts as 'equivalent' to annulment.
A scoring formula that amplifies point differences is allowed — provided the tender documents disclose it upfront
The Council of State rejects an appeal against the award of a €125 million Flemish postal services framework agreement and rules that tender documents may rescale scores on a qualitative criterion so the best bid automatically receives 100% — even if this significantly amplifies the point differences.
If you allow Art. 66 §3 supplementation of references, your motivation must show that the supplement actually meets the threshold
The Council of State annuls the award of the Charleroi maintenance contract for high-voltage cabins because the city let two competitors complete their qualitative selection file but failed to show in its motivation that the supplemented references actually reach the required threshold of 50,000 € HT per year.
Your 10/10 from last year doesn't entitle you to the same score this year
The Council of State rejects Royal Eijkelkamp's emergency suspension request against the award of a €465,850 water-quality contract to Koenders Instruments — the fact that the applicant scored 10/10 on two sub-criteria in an earlier similar procurement does not constitute a serious ground.
Statutory representation isn't the same as 'daily management' — don't conflate the two when nullifying a bid
The Council of State suspends Charleroi's decision to declare the lowest bid (€195,200) null for 'unproven signature authority' because the city wrongly conflated 'external representation power' with 'daily management'.
Telenet bids 50% cheaper, Proximus demands a price review — the Council: with two bidders, cheap is not yet abnormal
The Council of State rejects Proximus' extreme-urgency challenge to Belnet's award to Telenet of a 5-year connectivity framework, because a price gap of more than 50% and €5 million does not automatically signal an abnormal price — certainly not with only two bidders and a winner that substantiated its pricing in detail.
A social award criterion for painting white lines on the road: too far from the object, too vague to score
The Council of State suspends the award by the city of Enghien of a framework agreement for road marking because it included socioprofessional integration of vulnerable groups as an award criterion that lacked a real link to the object of the contract and was insufficiently precise to compare offers.
A '<' sign before your deadline turns your times into a range — and costs you a major SEPP contract
Cohezio, an established occupational health and prevention service provider, loses its SEPPT contract with the Province of Liège because it used formulae like '< 24h' instead of fixed intervention times — which the province read as a prohibited time range, and which the Council of State found not manifestly unreasonable enough to suspend.
In a negotiated procedure you may let the winner cure a missing electronic signature — provided you motivate it 'in pure opportunity'
ETNIC was allowed to let BONJOUR INC cure its missing qualified electronic signature and then award the Pix promotion campaign — the Council finds the short motivation ('we regularise as a matter of opportunity') sufficient in a negotiated procedure without publication.
0.11 points apart on a DBM contract worth hundreds of millions — and the Council sides with the authority
Two Belgian construction heavyweights clashed over the new defence headquarters tender; Futureproof Defence finished 0.11 points behind Be Defence and raised five substantial-irregularity grounds, but the Council held that Defence stayed within its broad margin of appreciation and rejected every ground.
Losing the suspension AND forgetting to pursue the annulment: Newin pays 992 euros to the Province of Luxembourg for work not done
SA Newin loses its suspension against the award of the 2021-2025 ICT connectivity framework to Orange Belgium, forgets to file a 'request to pursue' within 30 days, and sees its annulment action automatically converted into a presumed discontinuance with 992 euros in costs.
'Prices were adjusted where necessary': three words in a tender evaluation report enough to suspend De Lijn's printing framework
The Council of State suspends LijnCom's award of the framework contract for printing and adhesive advertising on De Lijn buses to 3Motion, because after the price justification round the contracting authority 'adjusted' some of the winner's unit prices — whereas article 36, § 3 of the 2017 placement royal decree offers only three options: reject the tender, reject the tender, or give reasons why the total amount is not abnormal.
Withdrawal four days before the hearing — and still a 994 euro bill: the price of a quick course change in extreme urgency
Days before the hearing, SA Entreprises Herphelin withdraws both its extreme-urgency and annulment action against SOFICO over the E429 motorway maintenance contract, but still bears 994 euros in procedural costs.
220 euros in filing fees not paid = claim struck + 700 euros to the municipality: the most expensive week in a cat-services provider's life
SRL Jonckers-Thoumsin challenged the Chièvres cat sterilisation contract award in May 2018 but never paid the 220 euro filing fee; in January 2023 the Council declares the annulment action 'non-accomplished' and orders it to pay 700 euros in procedural indemnity to the municipality.
The width requirement was 'crucial' for Hilton and a 'target' for Vanderr — with no paper trail, De Lijn has to start over
The Council of State suspends the award of an overhead line maintenance vehicle for the Ghent tram network to Vanderr, because De Lijn first labelled the width requirement (2300 mm) as 'crucial' to Hilton Engineering and then treated it as a 'target' for Vanderr, without any written trace of that change of treatment in the administrative file.
'Yes / no / in order': checkboxes in a table are no motivation for technical regularity — certainly not when the Synergrid homologation is wobbly
The Council of State suspends RESA's 10 million-euro award for 60,000 LED luminaires to Axioma-Lightwell and Schreder because the evaluation report substantiates the technical regularity of the winning tenders merely with three checkboxes reading 'non', 'non' and 'en ordre' — whereas at the hearing it emerged that the driver in the winning offer is not the one with which the luminaire obtained its Synergrid 005 homologation.
Extracting a 500 mm centre-to-centre distance from a BIM model while the specifications show a figure with 122 mm: that bet Franki lost
The Council of State rejects Franki Construct's extreme-urgency action against the award of the cycle bridge at the N75 in Dilsen-Stokkem to Stadsbader: deriving a centre-to-centre spacing of 500 mm from an enlarged detail of the layout plan, while the specific specifications twice show a figure with 122 mm and safety requirements rule out a large opening, does not create a contradiction between the plan and the specifications that could be resolved via the precedence rule.
A hospital non-profit awarding a supply contract: which court do you turn to when you want to challenge the award?
The Council of State declares the action without object after Clinique Saint Luc Bouge withdrew its award decision — but in passing makes clear that the non-profit is likely not an 'administrative authority' and that the action should probably have been lodged with the civil court.
'By submitting its bid the bidder accepts all clauses of the tender' — that clause does not save Janssen-Fritsen when it imposes its own payment terms
The award of the sports-hall flooring in Heers is annulled because the winning bid from Janssen-Fritsen imposed its own payment schedule — 30% on order, 50% at site start, 20% on handover — where the tender required a single payment on completion, and the standard 'by submission the bidder accepts the tender' clause cannot erase that deviation.
33 x 48 x 81 cm with 10% tolerance: a coffee machine ten centimetres too big does affect the price and maintenance criteria
Liège's Citadelle Hospital awarded a five-year framework for coffee and 90 coffee machines to Illico, but the Council of State suspends the award because it is unclear which machine model Illico actually offered, and the tested model exceeded the bespoke dimensions by ten to twenty per cent with no reasoning given for that deviation.
Your bid was declared irregular? Then you can no longer challenge the award to the competitor — unless you also challenge your own rejection
Écoterres had its bid for a Walloon framework agreement for soil processing rejected as substantially irregular; the Council of State dismisses its extreme-urgency action for lack of interest in the two pleas — an important reminder of the line between 'interest in the action' and 'interest in the plea'.
G4S loses by 1.38 points and receives three 'negatives' — the Council finds two of them indistinguishable from weaknesses in the winning bid
The Council of State suspends the award of security services for the South Tower to Seris Security because the reasons given for three negative marks against incumbent G4S do not explain why it scored 3.5 points less than the winning bidder on the quality criterion — when the same weaknesses appear in the winning bid too.
After bpost files an extreme-urgency action, the Ministry of Finance quietly withdraws its award decision — and pays the costs
bpost had been downgraded from first to second place in a framework agreement for federal printing services following a recalculation; it filed an extreme-urgency action with the Council of State on 17 May 2022, and on 2 June the Minister of Finance withdrew the contested ranking decision — with costs awarded against the State.
When four out of five bidders deviate from the zoning plan in identical fashion, the problem is not with the bidders
The Council of State suspends under extreme urgency the award of the design-and-build contract for the new Neptunus swimming pool in Ghent because TMVW declared the bids of four of the five bidders substantially irregular — after eight months of negotiations — for a zoning-plan deviation that the specifications never expressly excluded, and then refused the regularisation opportunity the specifications themselves promised.
After a successful suspension, Liège withdraws the award — and in the restart awards the contract to the original challenger
The Council of State holds the annulment action by Liège Dépannage et Services moot after the City of Liège, following a successful extreme-urgency suspension by that same bidder, withdrew its award to U.C. Automobiles, restarted the procedure and ultimately awarded the contract to Liège Dépannage itself — but still grants the challenger a €700 procedural indemnity.
STIB awards a GDPR tool to Infhotep, is suspended, withdraws — and awards the same GDPR tool to Infhotep again
The Council of State holds One Trust Technology's annulment action against STIB's award of a GDPR compliance tool to Infhotep moot because STIB withdrew the award after a successful suspension but then awarded the contract back to Infhotep — while still granting the challenger a €700 procedural indemnity.
CHR Verviers withdraws its award of medication cabinets, serves it correctly on every bidder — and the matter is finalised on the spot
The Council of State holds Touchpoint Medical's extreme-urgency challenge against CHR Verviers's €316,867.06 award of automated medication cabinets to Roba Pharma moot after the hospital withdrew its award and served the withdrawal on every bidder with proper reference to remedies, forms and deadlines — leaving no one able to contest it — while still granting the challenger a €700 procedural indemnity.
'Per-lot ranking' can also mean 'global ranking with per-lot derivation' — and if you don't clarify in advance, the authority decides
The Council of State dismisses Ghent University's suspension against the award of the VDAB GLOW contract because the specification allowed all 18 bidders to be ranked globally — not per lot — meaning Divergent lost its two East-Flemish lots to organisations that bid for other provinces.
Four Limburg training organisations lost all their home lots to Randstad and Emino — and the Council of State can't do anything about it
The Council of State dismisses the extreme-urgency suspension by a consortium of four Limburg specialised training, coaching and mediation services against the award of the VDAB GLOW contract because the specification permitted a global ranking of all 18 bidders and because their local entrenchment and 'evidence-based I care' programme do not oblige the contracting authority to award a higher score.
A bank statement that the bidder 'has sufficient means' is not a selection criterion — without a threshold, the entire award falls
The Council of State suspends the award to SA Billy of the 'Smart mobility BW' bike-sharing service because the financial-capacity selection criterion is limited to a bank statement without a fixed threshold and there is no second financial criterion — a double breach of article 65 of the Royal Decree on Procurement.
A 'NOK' that becomes 'OK' after follow-up questions is not automatically an unlawful regularisation — if it concerns selection, not the offer itself
The Council of State dismisses Coeman Repatriëring's suspension against the award to Depannage Lybaert of the South-East towing lot, because the additional information the contracting authority requested on staff, premises and intervention vehicles did not fall under the strict regularisation rules for offers, but under the more lenient rules for requesting evidence of technical capacity.
'We are the largest sand trader in the Netherlands' is not a price justification
The Council of State rejects Hye-Boskalis' extreme-urgency challenge against the award of the Zandvliet waiting dock to Herbosch-Kiere–Hens: negative unit prices of -€4 and -€5 per m³ for the disposal of dredged sand cannot be substantiated with Boskalis' market position and a single comparison contract from another project — when you deviate sharply from the estimate AND from the competitors, your justification must be cost-component-by-cost-component, not story-by-company.
Filing no reply memorial means losing your interest automatically — even if the award decision was problematic
The Council of State rejects BV Serendipity's annulment action against the award of the supply contract for the Turnhout vaccination centre to New Balls Please, not on the merits but procedurally: Serendipity failed to file a reply memorial within the statutory sixty-day period after notification of the response memorial, and thereby automatically lost the required interest.
The contracting authority that would have 'rescued' Flowbird with a question would have breached the equal treatment principle itself
The Council of State rejects Flowbird's extreme-urgency challenge against Parking Brussels' award to Be-Mobile of the Business Rules Engine contract: a 'technical note' of five pages required on pain of nullity cannot be replaced by a 114-page Technical Memorandum or a 14-page Helicopter Vision — and the contracting authority would have been wrong to ask Flowbird about it.
Winning extreme-urgency suspension is not enough — without a follow-up annulment request the suspension is automatically lifted, even if the contested award has been withdrawn
The Council of State lifts the previously ordered suspension of VDAB's award to 3S because Alfa-Zet, having obtained the suspension, never filed an annulment action — a mandatory lifting under Article 17, §4 — although VDAB still bears the costs because it had withdrawn the contested decision itself.
A withdrawn decision makes your action moot — but the contracting authority still pays 1,840 euro in costs
The Council of State declares Haezebrouck's annulment action against its non-selection for three lots of mowing and clearing works to be without object because Westkustpolder withdrew the contested decision in the meantime — but the polder bears the full procedural costs for both the successful suspension and the annulment action, totalling 1,840 euro.
The province withdrew its water-cooler award on 4 February, Aqualex filed annulment on 5 February anyway — and recovered 1,140 euro in costs
The Council of State declares Aqualex's annulment action against the award to Waterlogic of lot 1 (water coolers on tap water) of a Province of Flemish Brabant framework agreement to be without object because the provincial executive withdrew its decision on 4 February 2021 — one day before the annulment action was filed — but the province nonetheless bears all 1,140 euro in procedural costs.
Before filing an extreme-urgency action, do the maths: AGA challenged 3.06 points across six questions while the total gap was 3.24
The Council of State rejects AGA's extreme-urgency action against the award to Modero of an eight-year framework for bailiff services to the city of Antwerp, because its complaints about the page limit, the demo duration and the motivation are either factually wrong or — for the motivation challenge — leave AGA without sufficient interest: the contested points cannot bridge the total score gap.
A concession with no written criteria can still be annulled four years later — even when the defendant doesn't bother to fight back
The Council of State annuls, via the abbreviated procedure, two decisions of the City of Dinant distributing quays and boat moorings on the Meuse between tourist boat operators, because no selection criterion or reason was ever formulated — and the City didn't even ask the procedure to continue.
The tender requires integration with one supplier's hardware — and that supplier bids and wins. That alone is not bias
The Council of State refuses to suspend an award to French company Timescope for a VR application about Le Grognon in Namur, even though the tender expressly required integration with Timescope hardware — because that specification appears objectively justified by the subject matter of the contract and the applicant cannot demonstrate a concrete advantage.
The winner built the very quality framework the tender relies on — and that alone is not a reason to exclude them
The Council of State refuses, in extreme urgency, to suspend an award where the winning bidder (IPSO) had previously drawn up the quality reference framework and supporting database that the new tender re-used — because the applicant could not concretely demonstrate a competitive advantage.
Hide your previous terminated contract and you lose the next one too — even if you're contesting that termination in court
The Council of State refuses to suspend the exclusion of an architectural firm by social housing company Toit & Moi based on an earlier contract terminated by another contracting authority (La Sambrienne), holding that the firm should have spontaneously disclosed the termination in its bid and submitted self-cleaning measures — even though it is contesting the termination itself before the ordinary courts.
A reference 'does not belong to the candidate' — that line alone is not enough to exclude a firm relying on its founder's past role
The Council of State suspends the City of Tournai's non-selection of architecture firm SEA for the passerelle de l'Arche tender because the motivation — two references (La Belle Liégeoise, l'Enjambée in Namur) are in Greisch's name and therefore do not belong to SEA — does not allow verification whether the City held that founder V.S. cannot rely on those references, or that SEA cannot rely on the professional experience acquired by one of its founders at another firm.
A payslip does not prove where your worker lives — and without that home address, your 25-minute response time falls apart
The Council of State rejects Aquastructo's suspension request against its exclusion for unjustified abnormally low prices in the road-salting and snow-clearing tender for the Aarschot district, because the payslips Aquastructo submitted to evidence its short response times only state the place of employment — not the home addresses of the workers from which the claimed central location would have to be inferred.
Schrems II does not automatically make any award to a US cloud partner irregular — if the DPO has analysed the data flow concretely, the award stands
The Council of State rejects the second suspension request against the award of the Flemish Mobility Centre to ViaVan (subsidiary of a US parent, using AWS) because, after a first suspension, the Flemish Region extended its motivation with a concrete review by its Data Protection Officer, and the bidders' contention that no supplementary GDPR measure could ever cure the situation — not even encryption with key control retained in-house — is not credible.
Awarding 'excellent' because a bid is better in 'at least 3 domains' — without ever saying which 3 — costs the award
The Council of State suspends Defence's award of the multi-year green-maintenance contract for the Florennes military zone to Krinkels because the formal motivation lists qualitative strengths per bidder but does not allow verification that the score 'excellent' (reserved for offers better than the others in at least 3 domains) was actually attributed in line with the announced evaluation method.
Challenging a tender as 'tailor-made for incumbent X' fails when the harm comes from a clause you did not actually attack
The Council of State rejects routing-services provider Easypost's suspension request against the IPFBW postal-services tender because the alleged harm in fact stems from the broader requirement that affiliated entities pre-frank their own mail — a requirement Easypost did not actually challenge — rather than from the cumulative obligation to offer two franking methods (stamp + franking machine) that it did challenge.
Repeating a price is not justifying it — the City of Kortrijk loses its four-year HVAC framework agreement
The Council of State annuls the City of Kortrijk's award to Vergote bvba because the city accepted a 'price justification' that consisted merely of a repetition of the offered price — a fixed hourly rate of 45 EUR (21.19 % below the average) was justified with the sentence 'our standard rate is 47 €/h for private clients, because we can deploy someone full-time on this project we can apply 45 €/h'.
Lowest tariff, best price — and lost anyway: how four small minus points cost a 10-year bicycle-sharing concession
The Council of State dismisses Marfina's extreme-urgency suspension against the award of the Antwerp bike-sharing concession to Donkey Republic — Marfina won on price and on tariff, but lost 14 points on quality because of an accumulation of details (a coaster brake that did not exist, a maintenance app not available in Dutch, a vague description of a social-employment partner) that each looked minor in isolation.
May the contracting authority allow a flawed subcontractor to be replaced — or must it? The Belgian Council of State refers the question to the CJEU
The Council of State reopens the debate in the annulment action against the award of a Ghent restoration contract and refers two preliminary questions to the Court of Justice on whether a contracting authority is obliged, or merely allowed, to require a tenderer to replace a subcontractor that does not meet the selection criteria.
Filing an extreme-urgency suspension works: six days later the Flemish Community withdraws its non-selection decision itself — and pays 920 EUR in costs to the applicant
Ikanbi Group was not selected for the Flemish multi-channel customer contact centre, filed an extreme-urgency suspension on 8 October 2020, and six days later — before the hearing — the Minister-President of the Flemish Government withdrew the non-selection decision: case dismissed as having no object, but the Facilities Agency must bear the applicant's full procedural costs (920 EUR).
Replacing the tender's templates with your own is allowed — provided every colour in your legend is defined and every frequency is linked to a specific cleaning task
The Belgian Council of State dismisses the extreme-urgency suspension filed by cleaning company Misanet against the award of the cleaning contract for the Mechelen police complex to Care: Misanet had not filled in the mandatory tables 1-9 for the cleaning regime but had replaced them with its own colour-coded tables, and had failed to define a frequency for the colour white while certain rooms (sanitary facilities, cell complex) required a daily regime — substantial irregularity confirmed.
'Clarifying' a signature mandate after the opening can be done — but if the award decision is silent about what you received, you lose the award
The Belgian Council of State suspends Defence's award of a VSAT satellite housing to Metracom because, although the mandate of the signatory had been 'clarified' after the opening of bids, the award decision did not explain what documents were received — and those documents appeared to contradict an earlier 'acte de désignation du signataire' filed by Metracom in a previous proceeding.
Withdrawing your award decision after being sued costs you €920 — even if the applicant never wins on the merits
The Council of State holds that IPSOS's urgent suspension request against an NMBS award is moot because NMBS withdrew its award decision before the hearing — but NMBS still bears the full costs of the applicant.
You won the first suspension — and you think the contracting authority is now obliged to award to you? The opposite can happen: in round two you fall out on irregularities
The Council of State rejects Fire Technics's second urgent suspension request against the Hainaut-Centre rescue zone: after a successful first suspension in February 2020, the contracting authority may withdraw its decision and issue a new award decision in which Fire Technics's bid is excluded for substantial irregularities — even if that bid was found regular in the first round.
Three Infliximab bids ranging from €68.89 to €405.22 — and your motivation reads 'two are generics'? That's a 'gross error' that brings the award down
The Council of State suspends the award to Sandoz of an Infliximab framework agreement for the CHR de la Citadelle hospital because the contracting authority wrongly classified the two cheapest offers as 'generics' while they were in fact 'biosimilars' — a substantive distinction that should have underpinned the price justification of an 80% price gap.
A 'selection' by a selection committee is not automatically a challengeable decision — wait for validation by the competent body
The Council of State declares the application of Step Group and Mimob against the selection of a competing project on the Prés de Tilff site inadmissible: a 'décision de sélection' of a parity selection committee is here only a preparatory act, and the final decision of the competent bodies did not yet exist when the petition was filed.
A 'loose list of grievances' is not a ground — an urgent suspension petition cannot be repaired later through a reply note
The Council of State rejects Frontforce's urgent suspension request against the award of dispatching software by the Flemish Brabant West rescue zone to Verdi: a petition that merely lists points without explaining why a recalculation would change the ranking does not meet the structure and specificity requirements — and what is missing in the petition cannot be added via a reply note.
96 parking spaces against a requirement of 100 is not a substantial irregularity — and a 6.5% architect fee is not abnormal, even when 27% below the runner-up
The Council of State rejects D E Architecten's urgent suspension request against the award to M4 Architecten of a study contract for a local service centre and child-care facility in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw: a bid with 4 parking spaces fewer than required and a fee of 6.5% (against 8.25% for the second-best) is not substantially irregular in this context — and the price examination needs no explicit motivation as long as the contracting authority finds no appearance of abnormality.
An €800,000 framework agreement can be awarded to a class 2 contractor — as long as each call-off stays below the threshold
The Council of State rejects TECNOFLEX's urgent suspension request against the award to HOME PERSPECTIVE of a framework agreement for window replacement at the Port of Brussels (€324,387 ex. VAT, total €800,000 over 4 years): for a framework agreement, the certification class is assessed per call-off, not on the overall budget — even when the contracting authority decides to free up €400,000 for the first year.
A 'reservation' about air freight and customs in your masks bid wasn't a useful clarification — it was a deviation from the delivery schedule that cost you the award
The Council of State rejects I'll Be Bag's challenge against the Covid mask procurement of 50 million Community masks (awarded to Avrox and Tweeds & Cottons): tendering with 'reservations' about transport and customs on a strict delivery schedule is legally a deviation — and challenging that deviation only later, in a supplementary note, comes too late and forfeits the right to attack the remaining grounds.
A 'final' email from a Category Buyer can amount to a challengeable exclusion decision — even when the author was not authorised to take it
The Council of State suspends the exclusion of AGC Glass from the SNCB tender for M6 train window frames because the email by which a Category Buyer 'definitively' rejected the bid does constitute a challengeable administrative decision — but was taken by someone who, as SNCB itself admits, lacked the authority, leading the Council to suspend on an ex officio ground.
One abnormal unit price knocks your whole bid out of the race — even if your total amount looks competitive
The Council of State rejects De Vriese's urgent suspension request against the award of bicycle-path maintenance in Ostend to Adiel Maes (€635,072.36): bidders who limit their price justification to a breakdown of activities, or to a reference to their subcontractor's offer, risk having their bid declared irregular on a single item — losing the entire contract.
A price justification rejected in a first procedure cannot be recycled in the next — not even when the price has since been 'adjusted'
The Council of State suspends the award of the urban renewal works in Charleroi (€30.1 million excl. VAT) because the city relied, for a suspiciously high unit price of the winning bid, on a price justification it had itself rejected as unacceptable in an earlier procedure — while the price had since been 'adjusted' without any new inquiry.
In a joint procurement the costs follow the actual contracting authorities — not those who only provided 'technical assistance'
The Council of State holds that BEDIMO's urgent suspension request against the award of office furniture for PEREX 4.0 is moot after withdrawal of the contested decision, dismisses the Walloon Region from the case (it provided only technical assistance), and orders the two real contracting authorities — SOFICO and the Belgian State — to share the €920 procedural costs equally.
Thirteen days between petition and withdrawal — a textbook example that filing an urgent suspension request is sometimes enough
The Council of State holds that LUX GREEN's suit against its non-selection for the redevelopment of rue des Remparts in Virton is moot — the City of Virton withdrew its non-selection decision thirteen days after the petition was filed and now bears the full €920 procedural costs.
A commitment letter from your parent company is NOT a formality — leave it out of your application and you lose the contract, even after four years of proceedings
The Council of State rejects Chantiers Allais's urgent suspension request against its non-selection for the river patrol boats: any candidate relying on the financial capacity of its parent company must include a formal commitment letter from that parent in its application — group affiliation does not suffice, and post-deadline supplements are worthless, even when the contracting authority initially missed the flaw.
A two-phase bid where phase 1 fails the minimum requirements is simply irregular — phase 2 will not save you, however brilliant
The Council of State rejects French supplier TONWELT's urgent suspension request against the award of multimedia devices to TAPART: even openly disclosing that your first delivery has a screen smaller than the specifications require (4.3 instead of 4.5 inches) is a substantial irregularity that voids your entire bid — a phase 2 with a 6.3-inch screen in 2020 does not cure it.
If you don't request continuation after a suspension, your decision is annulled automatically — AGB Deinze let its theatre-seats award be annulled without a fight
AGB Deinze tried to award a sub-lot for theatre seats as 'additional works' to the main contractor Strabag, was suspended in October 2019, and three months later saw the entire award annulled because it failed to request continuation of the proceedings.
Announcing a new Design & Build procedure between the urgency request and the hearing makes the applicant's interest evaporate — but the City of Veurne still pays the costs
The Council of State dismisses Antwerps Architecten Atelier's challenge to the cancellation of the Veurne arts academy architect contract because the city announced a new Design & Build procedure six days before the hearing — yet still orders the city to pay the costs.
'Site preparation costs spread across unit prices'? Not when the specifications say 'TP' — VMG-De Cock pays €53,376 and slips to fourth place
VMG-De Cock left item 02.00 'site preparation — general' blank, arguing the cost was already spread over all unit prices, but the specifications expressly said 'TP' (total price); the gap formula pushed the bidder from third to fourth and the Council of State refused to suspend.
Selling a €1.17 million plot to a competitor — the lost profit you claim cannot float between €594,000 and €950,400, or there is no 'urgency'
The Council of State refuses to suspend the municipal sale of a 14,443 m² plot to Immo-3B because Caselia Development fails to substantiate its economic loss concretely — a profit range of €594,000 to €950,400 is no proof of urgency.
An award criterion pointing to a specifications article that doesn't exist, plus headline scores with no breakdown — Villers-la-Ville loses its cleaning tender on a misapplied 30-point criterion
The Council of State suspends the cleaning contract awarded by Villers-la-Ville because the third award criterion ('management and emergency interventions', 30 points) refers to an article 3.1 of the specifications that simply doesn't exist — and the authority gives identical 25/30 scores to bids with manifestly different quality.
Withdrawing your extreme-urgency two days before the hearing still costs €920 — Dumay-Mior learns the lesson in the Toit & Moi fire-detection file
Dumay-Mior voluntarily withdrew its extreme-urgency request against the irregularity finding for its fire-detection maintenance offer to social housing operator Toit & Moi before the hearing — and was still ordered to pay the enrolment fee, the contribution and the full €700 procedural indemnity.
Sorting in Lokeren counts as 'processing', pre-treatment in Hamme doesn't — Verko's own contradiction suspends the award
Verko unilaterally moved Van Werven's 'processing site' from Hamme (8.6 km) to Lanaken (149 km), wiping out 20 environmental points — but accepted Renewi's sorting as 'processing'; that asymmetric reading sinks the award.
‘Material aid’ as an award criterion for textile collection: what happens to the collected textile after pickup still counts as ‘link with the subject of the contract’
The Council of State dismisses Recutex-Victrans’s challenge against the award to Televil because a social award criterion that measures how much collected textile a bidder makes available for poverty relief does have a sufficient link with the public contract — it forms part of the final stage of the processing chain, and in a reserved contract for social-economy operators it measures the quality of the service itself.
The Flemish Community asked for €2,800 in procedural costs after a forfeiture of action — the Council reduced it to the standard €700
Henk De Four missed the thirty-day deadline to request continuation of his annulment proceedings against being declared irregular in the Flemish Disaster Fund tender; the Flemish Community got its forfeiture, but only the basic procedural indemnity.
Lost the extreme-urgency on 26 July, did nothing in August — Heyrman-De Roeck loses its appeal against three lots of waterway maintenance and pays €1,070 in costs
Heyrman-De Roeck filed a combined appeal against three lots of unnavigable-waterway maintenance, lost the extreme-urgency request on 26 July 2019 and let the deadline for requesting continuation lapse — the Council establishes the forfeiture and orders her to pay both the principal and the intervener's costs.
'Clustering' unit prices across three related items is allowed — Middelkerke keeps its €685,683 award to Penninck
Norré-Behaegel argued that the winner had priced all the labour into a single item and left the other two empty, but the Council of State accepts 'clustering' of unit prices across related items as long as the contractor backs up the productivity figures with concrete data and invoices.
No supporting documents, no defence: a contracting authority that cannot justify its accreditation requirement sees the award suspended
The Council of State suspends — under extreme urgency — the award of lot 2 because EV-ILVO submits no document explaining why the electrical and data works fall under accreditation sub-category P1 rather than P2, while RDR Infra demonstrates with a meticulous four-page table that the bulk of the works actually sits under P2.
What the contracting authority calls a 'wish' and what is a binding requirement — in 'Espace Rogier' that distinction costs the City of Namur a full suspension
The Council of State suspends the award of a 14 million euro combined contract to Cœur de Ville because the general programme — repeatedly and unambiguously — imposed an R+3 height for the private housing blocks, while the winning bid proposed R+5: a binding specification, not a 'wish', and the overshoot affects the price award criterion.
A price justification that combines the Bureau des Prix estimate with the requested unit-price justifications suffices, even if the analysis covers less than two thirds of the offer amount
The Council of State rejects the annulment of the award to Colas Belgium for the E411 rehabilitation (€8.89m), because a contracting authority that bases its price examination on a Bureau des Prix estimate combined with reasoned justifications of certain unit prices it queried with the bidder satisfies its examination and motivation duty — even if that analysis covers less than two thirds of the offer amount.
A selected candidate who fails to submit a first offer is in principle out of the race — unless the contracting authority fully reopens phase two with a fundamentally amended specification
The Council of State rejects the suspension of the award of the Zorg Leuven central kitchen contract to Compass Group, because the contracting authority did not 'continue' phase two of the negotiated procedure but fully halted and reopened it with a fundamentally amended specification — allowing the other selected candidate (who had not submitted a first offer) to participate again.
The 15% threshold of article 37 applies per lot — not per project. And theatre seats are not 'extra work' to a structural-build contract
The Council of State suspends AGB Deinze's decision to award sub-lot 8 (theatre seats, €219,359.80) — after a failed procurement procedure — 'as extra work' to the structural-build main contractor Strabag, because the 15% margin of article 37 of the Royal Decree on the General Rules of Execution 2013 must be calculated on the originally awarded lot, and supplying theatre seats is moreover a substantial extension of a contract for 'architecture and stability'.
Switching to the intercommunal entity after the bids have come in — then you must have actually compared the prices, and that comparison must show in the file
The Council of State suspends the decision of Morlanwelz to halt the award of eighteen waste lots and continue cooperation with the intercommunal HYGEA, because the reasoning ('the offered conditions are not sufficiently interesting compared to what HYGEA can offer') is a boilerplate clause that leaves no trace of an actual price comparison.
Calculating the fee percentage on a fixed reference estimate rather than on the actual proposed project budget is no manifest error — it is a legitimate choice of the contracting authority
The Council of State rejects the suspension of the award of the Tournaisis police-station architecture contract to BAEB-BAG-VK Engineering, because a contracting authority that calculates the fee percentage on a common reference estimate (€10m) rather than on each bidder's individual project estimate stays within its discretionary freedom — even if the winner can thereby work with a much higher project budget (€14.3m) than the other bidders.
Forgot the ESPD? There's no way back — even if the tender documents stay silent on the sanction
The Council of State confirms that omitting a European Single Procurement Document (ESPD/UEA) from a bid automatically renders the bid substantially irregular — even when neither the tender documents nor the information session mention that consequence.
Confirming is not the same as recalculating: how Bidfood lost its food deal with the best of intentions
The Council of State dismisses Bidfood Flanders's appeal against the City of Ghent: a clarification request from the contracting authority ('can you confirm your prices are per kg?') does not give the bidder the right to submit a new Excel with revised unit prices for 23 line items.
When your own counsel can't explain your own document: how Limburg.net lost its bin-bag award
The Council of State suspends the award by waste utility Limburg.net to Sphere Belgium because applying the price formula is not the same as the legally required price examination — a defect that became obvious when the contracting authority's counsel admitted at the hearing that he could not explain his own document.
A 'public lease' is not a public contract: the Vandeputte brothers run into the law's scope
The Council of State dismisses the request for suspension under extreme urgency against a public agricultural lease by the Ieper PCSW (OCMW) because the Public Procurement Act does not apply — the lenient 'urgency presumption' of the Legal Protection Act 2013 is reserved for procurement and concessions above the European threshold.
Two questionable subcontractors in your file? The contracting authority does not owe you a second chance
The Council of State dismisses Monument Vandekerckhove's appeal against the award of the Ghent gas-holder restoration: article 73, §1, second paragraph of the Royal Decree on Award gives a bidder no unconditional right to replace a non-compliant subcontractor — the contracting authority retains discretion, and the equality principle may oppose replacement.
Admitted to negotiations ≠ your bid is compliant
The Council of State dismisses the suspension request of a vendor whose bid for a hospital laboratory information system was declared substantially irregular at the final stage — even though it had earlier been admitted to negotiations without objection.
An award criterion that lets the winner pick which prices actually count is no criterion at all
The Council of State suspends the award of four lots of an advertising-vitrine framework agreement for Brussels bus shelters because the financial criterion 'redevance' was calculated using indicative weightings on a product mix that the operator was never required to commit to — making the criterion speculative and invalid.
Intervening to defend your contract costs you €150 even if the authority withdraws — Liantis learns it at ONE
When ONE withdrew its award to Provikmo (now Liantis) after an initial suspension, applicant SPMT received €1,140 in costs — but Liantis, which had intervened to defend its contract, must bear its own €150 intervention fee.
No annulment filed, but still €920 awarded: how an implicit withdrawal via municipal council deliberation saves Mignone from 'formalisme excessif'
Mignone obtained a suspension against Binche but never filed an annulment — yet still receives €920 in costs because Binche's municipal council deliberation halting the procurement procedure counts as an implicit withdrawal, and the Council holds it would be 'formalisme excessif' to require an additional annulment.
Request €840 in procedural costs, get €700: a withdrawal blocks any uplift above the base amount
After OTW withdrew its award to WOLF OIL, BELUB requested €840 in procedural costs — the Council awards only the base amount of €700 because article 67, §2(3) of the Regent's Decree excludes any uplift when the contested act is withdrawn.
Withdrawing your decision eight days before the hearing still costs you €920 in procedural fees
The Council of State declares SDS's suspension application moot because the Flemish Land Agency had already withdrawn its award decision — but still orders the contracting authority to pay the full €920 in procedural costs.
You can't 'tailor' the gap-filling formula to save your preferred bidder
The Council of State suspends the award of the Boom artificial turf contract because AGB Plus replaced the gap-filling formula of article 86, §2 of the Royal Decree on Award with its own variant — and didn't even establish that all bidders understood item 71 the same way.
Damages after annulment: the principle is accepted, the amount isn't — debates reopened
The Council of State dismisses six admissibility objections against the damages claim of three 'reserve' bailiffs after the annulment of the award decisions for lots 1-4 of the Walloon bailiff framework — but cannot quantify the loss on the Walloon Region's untested figures and reopens the debates.
The 60-day deadline runs from dispatch — not from receipt, not from a double notification that wasn't required here
The Council of State declares an annulment action against an award decision inadmissible because it was filed on 3 February 2016 against a decision sent by ordinary mail on 3 December 2015 — three days late.
One office outside the service area: that's not a hidden sub-criterion, it's just less accessibility
The Council of State dismisses the application of a lawyer partnership that lost the Pidpa debt-collection contract — taking into account the spread of offices within the service area is not a hidden sub-criterion but a legitimate reading of 'accessibility for customers'.
An 'additional tool' whose cost you leave out of your price gets no second chance
The Council of State refuses to suspend the award of the SPW hosting contract to NRB: ATOS had listed OpenShift in its bid as an 'additional tool' but did not include its licensing cost in the price — that is a substantial irregularity, not an ambiguity in the specification.
Between 'incorrect statement' and 'gravely false statement' there is a motivation gap the contracting authority must fill
The Council of State annuls the exclusion of a cleaning company on the ground of 'gravely false statements' (article 61, §2, 7° of the 2011 Royal Decree) because the Walloon Region had only established that the bidder's environmental management evidence did not meet the requirements — never explaining where the 'gravity' lay.
Evaluating an excavator while 'abstracting away the boom': that does not work
The Council of State annuls the award of an excavator contract to Luyckx because, at the specification-mandated demonstration, Luyckx brought a Hitachi with a two-piece boom while its bid (and the specification) called for a monoboom — the City of Genk's defence that it 'abstracted away the boom option' during the evaluation does not stand.
If you ask before the deadline whether your certificate is good enough, a 'no' on paper is hard to challenge later
The Council of State dismisses an extreme-urgency suspension by a window installer who was excluded because his ATG and ISO 9001 did not match a specific quality-label requirement in the specification — precisely because he had asked the question himself six weeks earlier and received a written 'no', he could no longer invoke a defective statement of reasons.
If you withdraw your decision after a suspension is granted, you pay the legal costs for both procedures
Defence awarded a framework agreement for printers and multifunctionals to Konica Minolta and Ricoh, Canon obtained an extreme-urgency suspension, and the minister then withdrew the award decision — making the appeal moot but also picking up the entire bill for both procedures.
Winning the suspension does not protect your award — De Vlaamse Waterweg withdraws anyway, and pays the costs
De Vlaamse Waterweg won the interim proceedings against Envisan/Jan De Nul over dredging works on the Beneden-Durme, but withdrew the award decision itself seventeen days later — making the annulment moot and shifting the costs onto the contracting authority.
An intercommunal bidding 30% cheaper is not an abnormally low price — even when working at cost
The Council of State dismisses TV Willer/ABOG's extreme-urgency challenge against the award of twelve street-drain cleaning lots to intercommunal Intradura, ruling that an intermunicipal cooperative may bid outside its members' territory, that 'no commercial character' does not mean 'no public procurement', and that a 30% price difference explained by a lower hourly wage and higher productivity is not an abnormally low price.
Waiting for an 'implicit modification decision' until you read in the press that the winner brings a new partner — that's 60 days too late
Inter Real Estate Trusty waited two and a half months after being notified that its bid for the sale of the Muntcentrum had been rejected, then read in the newspaper that the winning consortium WCCS had brought Immobel on board, and tried to file an extreme-urgency challenge against an 'implicit modification decision' — the Council dismisses both the original decisions as out of time and the implicit modification as non-existent.
'Yes' on the bid form and 'no' on the ESPD: not a calculation error, but a ground for exclusion
Dockx Movers lost its extreme-urgency challenge against Artesis Plantijn Hogeschool because it ticked 'yes' to subcontracting on the bid form but twice answered 'no' in the attached ESPD — a contradiction the Council qualifies as a substantial irregularity that can no longer be cured under article 34 of the Royal Decree of 18 April 2017.
Writing 'we think 13 to 16 FTE would be good' to a bidder who has 5 is not clarification — it's coaching
The Brussels Region awarded the Collecto night-taxi concession to newcomer Victor Cab, which had only 5 FTEs at offer opening, after the Region wrote that 13 to 16 FTEs 'would be a good approach' and even suggested how (article 60, interns, students) — the Council of State suspends because this falls far outside what article 48, §3 of the concession law allows.
If your tender writes 'no negotiation if the winner stands out', then 1.4 points out of 100 is not standing out
AIVE wrote in the tender that it would skip negotiation if the top-ranked offer 'stood out' from the others — then awarded directly to Van Wingen, 1.4 points ahead of Bergerat Monnoyeur, without even explaining why that counted as standing out. The Council of State suspends.
A withdrawal after filing works in your favour — but only if you actually claim costs at the hearing
Ghent University Hospital awarded a framework agreement for endoscopes to Olympus, Onis filed an extreme-urgency suspension, the hospital quickly withdrew the award itself — and because Onis told the court at the hearing that it was not claiming costs, the de facto winner ended up paying its own EUR 220 bill.
An award criterion is not there to check who meets the spec, but to identify who meets it BEST
The Walloon water utility (SWDE) awarded an 11.6 million euro sludge-treatment contract to SEDE/ATOX based on reasoning like 'sufficient qualified staff' and 'clearly identified resources' — the Council of State suspends because such formulas verify whether bidders meet requirements rather than rank who meets them best.
The same fact can weigh on two award criteria — as long as those criteria measure genuinely different things
Alinea Interieurarchitectuur claimed it was 'sanctioned twice' for the Flemish House in London project because its lack of international experience cost points on both 'design team' and 'references' — the Council of State replies dryly that this is not a double sanction, but the same factor being relevant for two distinct assessments.
A cleaning rate of EUR 20.49 per hour cannot be brushed away with 'we know that company from the previous contract'
Hogeschool PXL awarded a four-year cleaning contract to Köse Cleaning at 30 % below the average bid price without any documented price scrutiny — the Council of State annuls the award because in a fraud-sensitive sector like cleaning, the contracting authority must also verify whether the minimum wage is achievable.
A photo of a bicycle is not a 'description of the equipment' — and with five defects in your bid you don't get a second chance
The City of Ghent excludes SGI Security from a EUR 3 million parking-control contract because of five cumulative defects in its bid (deviating walking routes, no planning tool, only a photo of a bike, only a photo of a uniform and contradictory hourly rates) — the Council of State confirms: a contracting authority is not obliged to plug every gap in a bid with a clarification request.
When a court president strikes you off the list of sworn translators, he effectively excludes you from public contracts — but the Council of State itself is not sure it has jurisdiction
On 25 July 2014 the President of the French-speaking Brussels Court of First Instance strikes translator Benhachem off the informal list of sworn translators; after a first suspension judgment, a cassation and a referral, the Council of State now refers three preliminary questions to the Constitutional Court — is a striking-off from such a list a 'public-procurement act' or not?
EUR 1,904 for one metre of pipe is obviously wrong — but 'we took the average of the competitors' is not a valid correction
The Province of Hainaut corrected one unit price in ENVISYS's bid from EUR 1,904.40/m to the average of the other bidders (EUR 26.30/m), bumping ENVISYS from fourth to first place — the Council of State suspends the award because the average of competitors does not prove what ENVISYS actually intended.
Opening half an hour too early costs FILBOIS eight lots — 'we always did it that way' is no longer a defence under the new Royal Decree
INTRADEL excludes long-time partner FILBOIS from all 8 lots for wood-waste processing because its facility opens and closes half an hour outside the specifications — the Council of State confirms: when the tender documents say 'essential', they mean essential, even if the same hours were accepted in previous years.
Bidding stricter than the special specifications require gives no advantage – not even when the Standard Specifications 250 are stricter
ADEDE loses the contract for clearing WW explosives on the Flemish coast by a single point to a construction company that bid with only one CTE expert, and hears from the Council of State that the special specifications may deviate from the Standard Specifications 250 which normally require two CTE experts.
An irregular bidder gets only the extract on its own exclusion – not the award decision behind the winner
Heyrman-De Roeck is excluded for an unaccepted price justification and wants to scrutinise the price justification of the winner – who won with a price 100,000 euros higher – but the Council of State explains that the law of 17 June 2013 only entitles an irregular bidder to an extract setting out the grounds for its own exclusion, and that scrutiny of abnormally HIGH prices may anyway be more lenient than scrutiny of abnormally LOW prices.
A reference of 3.2 million euros for a commercial park does not count as a 'watercourse project' when only 299,000 euros were actually performed on the stream
T.R.B.A. submits references of 3.2 million euros (Estaimpuis) and 817,000 euros (Braine-le-Comte) for a selection criterion requiring '2 projects of 600,000 euros on non-navigable watercourses', but the Council of State reads the criterion as 'projects whose main object concerns works on watercourses' – and the Estaimpuis file (a commercial park where only 299,318 euros were actually performed on the Esperlion) does not meet that bar.
Contracting authority withdraws its decision before the extreme-urgency hearing: application 'rejected' but you still recover 920 euros
OVAM withdraws the contested award decision eight days before the hearing after Terra Engineering & Consultancy files an extreme-urgency application; the Council of State rejects the application as moot but orders OVAM to pay roll fee, contribution and 700 euros procedural indemnity.
Winning an extreme-urgency suspension and then failing to file an annulment: three months later the Council of State automatically lifts your own suspension
Antwerp Recycling Company suspends the award of a framework agreement for construction and demolition waste in late October 2018, fails to file an annulment afterwards, and four months later watches the Council of State lift its own suspension under art. 17, §4(3).
A bailiff firm wins the extreme-urgency suspension, forgets the annulment and pays its opponents 920 euros — while the Council lifts the suspension
BVBA G. De Wilde suspends in September 2018 the award of lot 1 of the Ghent bailiff services contract to the GDW-Gent/Modero joint venture, fails to file an annulment, and four months later watches the Council of State lift its suspension under art. 17, §4(3).
The Council reopens the debate — and then the contracting authority just withdraws: you win 920 euros, your intervening competitor pays its own roll fee
CVBA Vergauwen & Helderweirt files an extreme-urgency application in September 2018 against lot 1 of the Ghent bailiff services contract; the Council reopens the debate, but on 11 October 2018 the City of Ghent withdraws the award decision itself, leaving the application moot and the intervening parties to bear 300 euros of roll fee themselves.
Not showing up at your own UDN hearing costs you the suspension — but you keep the €700 indemnity
Gilles Moury attacks the award of a military construction project to Wust, Defense withdraws the award two weeks later, but Moury fails to appear at the hearing a year later, which procedurally rejects the suspension — yet she still receives €700 indemnity because the withdrawal had already made the Belgian State the losing party.
A 'facilitating' agreement with Rotterdam turns out to be a disguised public procurement — no invoice ≠ no procurement
The Port of Antwerp directly concludes a 'storage agreement' with the Port of Rotterdam without any tender, convinced that it merely 'facilitates' for its dredging contractors, but the Council of State holds after almost six years of litigation that the agreement — combined with the related EVOA contract and a €1.2 million guarantee — is in fact a public service contract and annuls the approval.
You win because the contracting authority withdraws — but asking for €5,600 gets you €700
Bruxelles-Environnement withdraws its award decision after the Council had already ordered suspension, so CERAA wins the annulment proceedings — but its claim for €5,600 in procedural indemnity (max amount, doubled for suspension + annulment) is reduced to the base amount of €700.
One judgment for suspension and annulment when the contracting authority withdraws mid-stream — no continuation tax
Cofely Services attacks an irregularity finding and an award by the Federal Police via extreme-urgency suspension; when the police withdraw the decision during the proceedings, the Council handles suspension and annulment in a single judgment without Cofely needing to file a continuation request or pay the related tax.
Ask the base amount, get the base amount — a €700 case wrapped up in twelve weeks
Intermédiance & Partners files an extreme-urgency suspension against Momignies' award of a bailiff services contract to an individual; the municipality withdraws within two weeks, and the Council grants exactly the €700 indemnity the applicant requested without discussion.
Suspension won, annulment lost over a single missed deadline — and the procedural indemnity is split
The temporary partnership Putman Frères/Stapotech won the suspension of the Leietheater award in March 2018, but ten months later lost its interest for the annulment because it filed no explanatory memorandum within the sixty-day period — the Council splits the costs: the contracting authority pays for the extreme-urgency phase, the applicants for the annulment.
Two bidders challenge the same award: the Council suspends for the first and adjourns the second sine die — as an insurance policy
On the same day the Council suspends the award to VENTURIS on application of INTERMÉDIANCE & PARTNERS, it handles EURO FIDES's parallel extreme-urgency application against the same decision — not by dismissing it as moot, but by adjourning it sine die so EURO FIDES retains its own procedural protection should the first suspension later fall away.
A contracting authority may keep the price justification confidential — but must show that it actually examined it
ISPPC awarded a debt-recovery contract to VENTURIS at €1.98 per file — twice cheaper than the runner-up and three times cheaper than the field average of €1,438,448 — but the award decision nowhere explained why the price justification was convincing, and the Council of State suspends.
Four years of competitive dialogue stopped — and the Council says: one solid reason is enough, here there were two
After four years of competitive dialogue over a GFT processing plant Verko stops the procedure on four grounds — the Council of State holds that the lack of competition (one regular offer left) and the major budget overrun (€31m against an estimate of €13.6m) on their own already support the cancellation, regardless of whether the other two grounds are correct.
Negotiating below the €30k threshold is allowed, but not with one bidder alone — even if that bidder doesn't change its price
Woluwe-Saint-Pierre asked only the French winner whether it would deliver 36 instead of 24 anti-truck barriers at the same unit price, without asking PITAGONE the same — the Council of State suspends, even though the winner kept its price unchanged.
A university-college non-profit applying public procurement law does not thereby become an 'administrative authority' — the Council of State has no jurisdiction
ITZU Cleaning went to the Council of State because its rejection letter said so, but UC Leuven and UC Limburg are private non-profits without unilateral binding decision-making power towards third parties — the Council has no jurisdiction, although UCLL is ordered to pay the costs because it misled the applicant.
If your specifications ask for 'recent certificates from the manufacturer', you cannot later accept a supplier's own technical sheet
OTW required 'recent certifications' from the constructor for ZF gearbox oil, but awarded to WOLF OIL which only attached its own technical data sheet — the Council of State suspends with immediate execution: a contracting authority cannot loosen its own specifications after the fact.
After a suspension, the contracting authority often simply withdraws the award — and the annulment claim becomes moot, but you still get your procedural costs
The municipality of Ans had awarded its external prevention service contract to PROVIKMO; after SPMT-ARISTA obtained a suspension, the municipality withdrew its award decision and the annulment claim became moot — but SPMT-ARISTA is treated as a 'successful party' and is awarded €700 in procedural costs plus €400 in other costs.
One disabled worker out of two is exactly half — and half is not a majority
Groenservice Marissen was the cheapest bidder on a contract reserved for sheltered workshops in Schoten, but was excluded because it could not show that a majority of its workers — or even of the two workers it would actually deploy on site — were disabled; the Council of State dismisses the appeal.
Move a comma one position too far and end up €379,000 above the market — and you can't blame the contracting authority later
Renotec quoted a unit price in thousands instead of hundreds for the temporary signage on the Zelzate tunnel — €379,000, or 15% of its entire bid — and demanded that AWV correct this 'obvious material error'; the Council of State refuses, because the error was not 'apparent' and both the numeric and written-out price showed the same wrong figure.
Withdrawing your award decision to dodge a suspension judgment still costs you €1,500 — to the Council you remain the losing party
The Council of State holds that the action has lost its purpose because Etterbeek itself withdrew the contested non-selection decision, but still orders the municipality to pay €700 procedural cost award plus €800 court costs — because withdrawal is treated as a substitute for annulment — and refunds €800 to the bidder who had paid the registry fees twice.
Suspension granted, then the contracting authority withdraws — the suspension must be lifted, but the authority still pays €900
The Council of State lifts its earlier suspension of the award to Lambert Frères/Deumer/Mathieu because Bastogne itself withdrew the contested decision and no annulment action followed, but still orders the city to pay €700 procedural cost award plus €200 court costs — withdrawal remains a 'substitute for an annulment in litigation'.
Withdraw your contested award and immediately re-award to the same firm — legally allowed, but you pay the costs of the first action and trigger a second one
The Council of State holds that Illico's action has lost its purpose because the Haute Ecole Robert Schuman itself withdrew its contested award to Vending Euro Products on 18 June 2018 — even though the same instrument also re-awarded the contract to that same firm — and orders the school to pay €700 procedural cost award plus €220 court costs; meanwhile the re-award itself was also challenged and suspended.
'Correcting' a contradiction in your bid after you've seen the competitors' prices is not a material error — it breaks the equal-treatment principle
The Council of State suspends the re-award to ETS BERTRAND, because the city of Philippeville treated a contradiction in its bid (cover letter 'excl. VAT', form '€ incl. VAT' for the same figures) as a 'purely material error' — while the bidder only sent its 'clarification' after reading OCTA+'s prices in the first award decision.
'Proof of professional risks insurance' without amount or ceiling is no selection criterion — the Council suspends the award to Misanet and Atalian
The Belgian State had set 'proof of a professional risks insurance' as a financial selection criterion for the cleaning contract for the Immigration Service's closed centres and FITT housings, without any requirement on insured amount, ceiling or excess — the Council of State suspends the award because article 65 of the 2017 Award Royal Decree requires an appropriate level of requirement.
A 'purely material error' is not just any error — if the contracting authority must guess to correct it, it falls outside article 96 §1
Veolia had wrongly allocated biomass cogeneration costs to the central boiler in its offer for the ULiège HVAC maintenance contract; the Council of State holds that such a misallocation is not a 'purely material error' when the contracting authority cannot redistribute without speculation — the extreme-urgency suspension is rejected, Cofely keeps the contract.
A remark in your offer about delivery times or revisions doesn't automatically make it irregular — provided the specifications allow it and your opponent can't link it to the award criterion
Ghent University awarded the €8.5 million Capture new-build to Cordeel-Imtech despite two remarks in their offer (longer delivery times for reinforcement plans and €100/hour from the third revision of production drawings); the Council of State rejects Wyckaert/SPIE's challenge because the specifications do not exclude the remarks and the applicants cannot directly link the alleged competitive advantage to the sole award criterion — price.
Rejecting an offer 35% above your budget as 'unacceptable' is not an irregularity — certainly not when that budget was nowhere in the tender documents
The City of Antwerp rejected Antwerp Recycling Company's offer as irregular because the total price was 35% above the available budget, without mentioning that budget in the tender documents and without price questioning — the Council of State suspends the award to Bruco Containers for breach of the price examination regime under the 2017 Award Royal Decree.
Withdrawing your case isn't always losing — when the contracting authority signs a settlement with 'procedural costs on its account', that can mean the full €1,390
The International Polar Foundation withdrew its annulment action against a Council of Ministers procurement decision after settling, and the Council of State imposes the €840 procedural-cost award plus €550 court costs on the Belgian State — not on the withdrawing applicant.
Once you require a bank declaration in the tender, you must enforce it — otherwise your award decision is empty motivation
The Council of State annuls the award to AGS Coussaert of lot 6 (diplomatic packing) of a five-year framework agreement of the Belgian Foreign Ministry: the award decision contained no motivation for accepting an offer without the bank declaration and without the ISPM15 and SEI/HPE certificates expressly required by the specifications, while the report simultaneously denied and confirmed that offer's regularity.
Going bankrupt mid-procedure? Then your damages claim has to be on the table from day one — wait, and you lose everything
The Council of State dismisses the appeal of the bankrupt company Belgaze against its non-selection and the award of a VMW framework agreement: because Belgaze had not filed a damages claim under article 11bis with or during its annulment action, its standing to sue evaporated when bankruptcy was declared.
One signature short — and no second chance, even when a competitor got one
BUUR lost a contract worth nearly EUR 200,000 because its tender was signed by only one delegated director where the company's articles required two — and the Council ruled the awarding authority was under no obligation to allow regularisation, even though it had granted regularisation to another bidder at an earlier stage.
An extreme-urgency appeal can sink an award before the Council even examines it
The Belgian State withdrew three catering awards to Compass Group six days before the hearing, leaving UMAMI Catering's emergency appeal 'without object' — but the State still had to pay the costs.
Withdraw your award decision after a successful suspension? You still pay the costs
The Council of State dismisses the annulment appeal against the award of a EUR 21.7M quay wall in Zeebrugge because the contracting authority had already withdrawn its award decision — but charges all procedural costs and lawyer's compensation to the Maatschappij van de Brugse Zeehaven.
Withdrawing a framework-agreement award after a suspension: appeal moot, but EUR 1,140 in costs to the city
The Council of State declares Roto Smeets Belgium's annulment appeal against the framework-agreement award for printing the City of Antwerp's magazine to Roularta moot — the city had already withdrawn its decision after an earlier extreme-urgency suspension and now bears all procedural costs.
File an extreme-urgency suspension and don't show up: request rejected, three pages later
The president of the VIth chamber rejects Eureca Mobile's extreme-urgency suspension request because neither the requester nor its lawyer attended the hearing — automatic default under article 11 of the Royal Decree of 2 April 1991.
'Number of public clients in 2016' is not an award criterion — that is history
The Council of State suspends the award of a bailiff-services contract by the City of Andenne because three sub-criteria assess the bidder's existing client portfolio — data the bidder cannot influence and that say nothing about this specific contract.
It's the authority's job to send you the full motivation — not yours to request it
The Council of State suspends the award of a stucco-restoration contract at Gaasbeek Castle because the award report was sent with redacted figures and assessments — with only one point separating winner and runner-up.
Lost your extreme-urgency appeal? Don't forget to request continuation, or the annulment procedure dies on its own
After the Council of State on 25 January 2018 dismissed ABO's extreme-urgency appeal against a framework agreement of De Vlaamse Waterweg, ABO forgot to file a request to continue — result: presumption of abandonment and EUR 900 in costs.
Auditor proposes dismissal: no continuation request within 30 days = abandonment and EUR 900
Trigion challenged the award of the FOD Finance's security services contract, but after first auditor Jos Stevens proposed dismissal of its appeal, it forgot to file a request to continue — result: presumption of abandonment and EUR 900 in costs.
Suspension won, award withdrawn, appeal dismissed — and still EUR 1,240 in costs for the city
The City of Brussels lost the suspension procedure against Buggenhouts Tegelhuis in March 2017, filed no continuation request after the auditor proposed annulment, and then withdrew its own award decision — result: the appeal is dismissed as 'without object' but the city pays EUR 1,240 in costs.
'Impossible to assess' is no motivation when the file contains all the data
The Council of State annuls a Brussels rejection for the second time because the selection jury refused to perform the analysis prescribed by its own call for tenders — even though the Council itself shows it could be done, on the very same file.
Four out of five JV members is not enough — one absentee makes the appeal inadmissible
The Council of State declares an extreme-urgency appeal by four architecture firms against the award of the Brussels Music Conservatory project (13 July 2018) inadmissible because the fifth member of their joint venture — SWECO Belgium — did not join the action, and the 'subcontracting cooperation protocol' did not sufficiently prove that SWECO had actually withdrawn from the joint venture.
Accepting an 'abnormally high' price is permitted under softer rules than rejecting an 'abnormally low' one
The Belgian Council of State dismisses the appeal against the award to Van Wellen for the structural maintenance of the E19, and explicitly establishes for the first time that an examination of abnormally HIGH prices is fundamentally different from an examination of abnormally low prices — the contracting authority may take a softer stance on accepting price justifications, and the grounds in art. 36 §3 of the Royal Decree of 18 April 2017 are not exhaustive.
RENEWI's price went up by EUR 113,000 after 'correction' — and the file does not say how
The Belgian Council of State suspends the award of a 4-year waste management contract to RENEWI because CHR Citadelle did motivate why a correction was needed but never explained how the price was actually recalculated — and without those calculation details, a 'rectification' of EUR 113,000 may in reality be a new price offer.
Demanding insurance of 3× your tender price is allowed — the '2× rule' from the directive only applies to turnover
The Belgian Council of State dismisses FALCO's appeal and confirms that a contracting authority may require bidders' professional liability insurance to cover at least 3× the tender amount — the proportionality rule that applies to minimum-turnover requirements (max 2× the estimated contract value) is not transposable to insurance guarantees.
'Spontaneously' correcting a bid upward by 40% is allowed — provided the contracting authority explains why it is not a new offer
The Council of State suspends the award of a public works contract to LECOMTE because the municipality of Meix-devant-Virton accepted that LECOMTE corrected its bid after opening from EUR 119,973 to EUR 167,628 — an increase of nearly 40% — without any single word in the award decision explaining why this qualified as a correctable error rather than a modification of the bid.
One kilometre counts for the price criterion, 287 km do not — an open invitation to speculation
The Council of State suspends the award of a multi-year coach transport contract to TRANSIBUS because the price criterion of the city of Mons added only the unit price for a single kilometre, without taking into account the actual distances to be driven — a method that allows structurally different price structures and invites speculation.
An EUR 2,681 omission made the difference between winning and losing — and the Council of State sided with the bidder who reported it
The Council of State dismisses Bekaert's appeal against the award to Wyckaert for the construction of a police building, and confirms that the duty to report under article 81 of the Royal Decree of 18 April 2017 applies only to insurmountable defects in the contract documents — not to small omissions in the bill of quantities that a diligent bidder spots only when pricing.
You can complain about the absence of a price check even if you submitted the lowest bid — and a comparative price table is not a price check
The Council of State suspends the award to Malysse of a framework contract for the rental and maintenance of workwear for VIVALIA because the administrative file nowhere shows that the contracting authority carried out an effective price check, and rules that even Servitex — the lowest bidder — has standing for this plea.
Withdrawing an award decision to dodge an extreme-urgency procedure — and still paying the costs
When a contracting authority withdraws its contested award decision during a suspension procedure and that withdrawal becomes final, the Council of State holds that the application has lost its purpose, but still orders the authority to pay 1,700 EUR in procedural costs because the withdrawal acts as a 'substitute for an annulment'.
An amicable settlement during a document-access procedure: mutual waiver of procedural costs is valid, but the EUR 200 filing fee stays with the withdrawing party
The Council of State records Energys' withdrawal after it reached an amicable settlement with the municipality of Habay-la-Neuve over the refused communication of tender documents for a biomass district-heating contract — a mutual waiver of procedural costs is accepted, but the EUR 200 filing fee remains payable by the withdrawing party.
If you trail by 8.01 points and can recover at most 8, you don't even get a substantive ruling
The Council of State rejects Conceptexpo's suspension request against the award to Potteau for a furniture contract for the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences because, even if all challenged points were corrected in its favour (gaining 5 points itself, removing 3 from Potteau), it would still finish 0.01 points behind the winner — and a plea with no possible impact on the ranking is no plea.
Family business, simple project, lower recognition class, nearby sites — four soft arguments together suffice to justify an abnormally low price
The Council of State rejects Swinnen's suspension request against the award to the family contractor Nelis for a youth meeting centre in Zaventem, confirming that a contracting authority may accept a price justification based on non-numerical arguments — such as a family structure, a simple project and synergy through proximity — provided those elements are plausible and reasonable when read together.
First suspended, thirteen months of silence, then withdrawn anyway: the Port of Antwerp pays 2,200 EUR for two years of litigation
The Council of State had already suspended on 22 November 2016 the award of dredging works in the 4th Port Dock to Martens en Van Oord; the Port of Antwerp waited until 18 December 2017 to withdraw the decision itself — and now bears 2,200 EUR in costs for both the extreme-urgency and the annulment procedure.
Withdrawing your annulment action five months after the hearing date: 900 EUR for the contracting authority
Dileoz brought the City of Vilvoorde before the Council of State on 15 September 2017 over a 36,980 EUR recruitment software contract awarded to A&S Solutions; after all briefs were exchanged and the audit report drafted, Dileoz withdrew on 6 February 2018 — and must pay 900 EUR in procedural costs to the City.
Withdrawing the award one day before the hearing: case dismissed, but the hospital pays 920 EUR in costs
AZ Sint-Jan Brugge-Oostende withdraws on 18 April 2018 — the day before the extreme-urgency hearing — its award to Gerechtsdeurwaarders BTO for the amicable collection of patient invoices; the Council of State holds the application has lost its purpose but orders the hospital to pay 920 EUR in costs and the intervening bailiffs to pay 150 EUR in court fees.
A ESPD with only the odd pages scanned: a scanning slip, not grounds for exclusion
The Council of State suspends the award to Roularta because the City of Antwerp excluded Roto Smeets' bid for an incomplete ESPD (only odd pages scanned), although the scanning error resembles 'an inadvertent slip' and the equality of bidders was not at stake.
A police HQ from 8 to 12 million euros: the Council of State refuses to rule on amendments when the 'in house' arrangement was never put on paper
Four members of the Boraine police council challenge a 550,000 EUR amendment and a 11.8 million EUR final account for a police HQ in Colfontaine originally awarded for 8 million; the Council of State declares itself incompetent because the 'in house' delegation to IDEA was contractual — even though the contract was only signed 18 months AFTER provisional acceptance.
If you say you verified the prices, you must be able to prove it with documents in your file — otherwise the verification has not been established
The Council of State suspends, for the second time, the same award decision by the Brussels Region for a six-building cleaning contract, because the Region had neither preserved any trace of price verification for Köse Cleaning in its administrative file, nor could explain why an 'exceptional' use of student workers was suddenly accepted as a structural price justification for the winner Jette Clean.
Two suspension actions against the same award decision on the same hearing day — what does the Council do with the second?
When Misanet and Köse Cleaning each demand a suspension on the same hearing day against the same Brussels award decision, the Council suspends the award once (in judgment 241,061) and adjourns the second case sine die, so that Köse remains protected if the suspension in 241,061 is later lifted.
Waiting for the full evaluation report does not stop the suspension clock from running
The Council of State dismisses as out of time an extreme-urgency suspension against the designation of a preferred bidder in a PPP negotiation procedure: the fifteen-day period had already started to run on 27 November 2017, even though the temporary partnership only obtained the complete evaluation report on 16 January 2018.
A 'side note' attached to a tender is not innocuous — if the contracting authority does not examine its impact, the award falls
The Council of State suspends the award to Aannemingen Van Wellen for the structural maintenance of the E19 North motorway, because the Flemish Region did not examine in its decision whether a separate note from the winner — proposing changes to the assumed quantities of three items — undermined the certainty of its contractual commitment.
Giving everyone a perfect score is not an evaluation — and a tennis court contract falls under sub-category G4, not G
The Council of State suspends the award of a contract for two clay tennis courts in Herzele to Sportsbuild, because the municipality de facto neutralised two of its three award criteria by giving every bidder the maximum score, and because the contract fell under sub-category G4 — meaning that classification of the contractor was required, which the winner did not have.
An unauthorised quantity change can't be 'corrected' — the bid must be excluded
The Council of State suspends the BIM's award to BDO because BDO had unilaterally reduced the estimated quantity in the inventory without the specifications authorising it — the contracting authority should have excluded the bid as substantially irregular instead of 'restoring' the original quantity under article 86.
Adding a correction note to your bid isn't post-opening regularisation — it's how the system is meant to work
The Council of State rejects VIABUILD's appeal: KRINKELS had attached an explanatory note 'Errors and/or omissions' to its bid from the moment of submission to correct certain items — a procedure expressly provided for in article 83, §2 of the 2011 Royal Decree, not a prohibited post-opening modification.
'We meet all the requirements' is not a legal ground — an extreme-urgency petition must cite specific articles
The Council of State rejects PanStreet's appeal due to inadmissible legal grounds: vague claims that 'specifications were not respected' without reference to specific provisions of the specifications or which deviations were wrongly accepted do not meet the formal requirements of an extreme-urgency petition.
You can't challenge specifications you only downloaded on the bid opening day
The Council of State declares INSTELE's appeal inadmissible: contradictions between the contract notice and the specifications (3 vs 24 months duration, 6 vs 7 December as opening date) do not turn the specifications into a challengeable 'decision' — INSTELE knew of the tender from 22 November but only downloaded the specifications on 6 December and asked no questions.
Submitting no ISO certificate? You don't need to prove why you couldn't get one
The Council of State rejects Sodexo's appeal: a tenderer who does not submit a quality certificate and instead provides 'equivalent measures' implicitly proves that the certificate could not be obtained in time — no separate 'negative' burden of proof is required.
A site visit for 'contract A' can't double as a site visit for 'contract B' — even if it's the same site
The Council of State suspends the award to Move & Play – MP Solutions of the redevelopment of the Scheutbos playground: the specifications required a site visit 'on pain of nullity', and the certificate the winner attached from an earlier visit for the parallel supplies contract does not satisfy that requirement for the works contract.
'A sound financial basis' is not a level of requirement — not even in a negotiated procedure
The Council of State suspends the award to Köse Cleaning of the cleaning of SNCB management buildings in Brussels because the contract notice fails to specify a level of requirement for several selection criteria — an obligation that applies fully to the negotiated procedure with publication too.
Refusing the government commissioner's visa is no detail — it can flip the entire ranking, and that's allowed
The Council of State rejects the extreme urgency challenge against the award of an orthopedic concession at Ghent University Hospital: after the government commissioner refused his visa on the first award report, the authority could re-evaluate, swapping the winner (V!GO) and runner-up (Aqtor!) — without the commissioner exceeding his powers.
A 'social' award criterion looking at what happens to the textile after the contract — that's allowed, if it fits within the lifecycle
The Council of State rejects the suspension of Dilbeek's textile collection contract awarded to vzw Televil, ruling that the award criterion 'material aid' — which assesses how the contractor uses collected textiles for poverty alleviation — does relate to the contract's subject under the broad lifecycle reading of article 81 of the 2016 Public Procurement Act.
The contracting authority withdraws its award decision and still pays — a withdrawn act is a 'substitute for annulment'
The Council finds that Arcadis Belgium's appeal against the award of the Arlon mobility plan to TRANSITEC has lost its object because the Walloon Region withdrew its award decision on 4 May 2017, but nevertheless orders the Region to pay €700 procedural indemnity and €200 in other costs because the withdrawal constitutes 'a form of substitute for annulment'.
Claiming in a pre-litigation letter that the winner used 'wrong measurements' can backfire — unless you put it in your application
The Council reopens the debate in VMG-De Cock's challenge to the award to Himpe (€2,671,181 for the new local services centre De Mantel in Zwijnaarde) and rejects OCMW Ghent's argument that VMG's own bid would be irregular because she based her price on a different undermining width than the bill of quantities — a legal appreciation in a 26 October 2016 letter does not bind the Council.
The price on the bid form and the price in the award report differed by 60,000 euros — and nobody explained why
The Council rejects Monument Vandekerckhove's appeal against the award to PPR-Vibed (€1,752,813), but rules that the duty to state reasons was breached because the contracting authority failed to explain why PPR-Vibed's price in the award report was suddenly €59,469 lower than at the opening session — and orders the Flemish Community to pay costs.
Intervene to defend an award that's later withdrawn? Then you share in the costs — €150 on your name
The Council finds that INSTANCES' annulment appeal against the award of lots 'public procurement law' (€16,528.93 excl. VAT) and 'public/administrative law on urban planning' (€33,057.85 excl. VAT) to lawyer Marie Bourgys by the city of Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve lost its purpose after withdrawal, awards INSTANCES the €700 base procedural indemnity — and orders €200 in other costs against the city plus €150 against intervening lawyer Bourgys.
Want to plead 'we're a poor authority' to cut your costs order? Not without proof — and certainly not if you yourself consulted lawyers before withdrawing
The Council finds that INTERMÉDIANCE & PARTNERS' extreme-urgency appeal against two CENTR'HABITAT decisions (urgent extension of the previous bailiff contract and launch of a new specifications procedure) lost its purpose after withdrawal, but rejects CENTR'HABITAT's lengthy plea to cut the €700 base procedural indemnity to the €140 minimum — and awards the full €700 (€350 per applicant) plus €400 in other costs.
Four days after the extreme-urgency request, STIB withdraws its award decision — but still pays €900 to BELGORAIL
The Council finds that BELGORAIL's extreme-urgency request against STIB's 25 April 2017 decision not to retain its bid for monitoring the construction of MR-M7 metro trains lost its purpose after withdrawal, and orders €700 procedural indemnity plus €200 other costs against STIB.
H is not H2 — anyone challenging a railway contract's accreditation category must not compare apples with pears
The Council rejects Strukton Rail's extreme-urgency appeal (€12,486,148.88) against the award of a railway contract to Putman Frères (€9,955,008.05) for finishing works at Klein-Eiland station: Strukton accuses Putman of having only category H accreditation instead of H2, but confuses 'overhead lines' (general H accreditation) with 'placing contact wires' (specific subcategory H2) and therefore fails to provide a usable calculation showing H2 was required for the whole contract.
Two bidders, both lacking the required certificates — yet the rejected bidder still has standing to seek suspension
The Council suspends the award to AGS Coussaert of lot 6 (packaging of diplomatic cargo) of the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs: both the absence of an explicitly required bank statement and of two explicitly required certificates (ISPM15 and SEI/HPE) in the winning bid were left unmotivated in the award decision — and the contracting authority cannot hide behind the fact that BKSI's own bid was also incomplete, because with two bidders BKSI gets a new award opportunity if both are rejected.
Three documents may be requested after opening — provided they add nothing to what the bid already substantively committed to
The Council rejects the extreme-urgency appeal of THV IJzerpoort against the award of the Nieuwpoort storm-surge barrier (€50,108,070.70 incl. VAT, awarded to Herbosch-Kiere – Jan De Nul) over the post-opening request to other bidders for three documents (10-year LED-module warranty certificate, lift maintenance contract proposals, fire-detection certification): article 96, § 4 of the 2011 Award Royal Decree allows this where the documents bring no change to the bid or merely provide 'additional assurance' for commitments the bidder had already entered into by signing.
The contracting authority withdraws five days before the hearing — and itself acknowledges that 'the arguments in the appeal cannot be contested'
The Council stays the proceedings and adjourns sine die after CAHC withdraws — two days before the extreme-urgency hearing — its award of the architect contract for a Stoumont/Trois-Ponts retirement home, citing 'arguments in the appeal that cannot be contested' — a textbook example of how an extreme-urgency appeal makes a contracting authority fold without any merits ruling.
The dictum kept the documents confidential, but the body of the ruling 'forgot' to say why — six weeks later the Council adds the missing sentence
Six weeks after dismissing in extreme urgency Clear Channel Belgium's challenge against the Commune of Uccle's award of bus shelters to JC Decaux, the Council of State corrects an omission-style material error in ruling 239.056: the conclusion justifying the provisional confidentiality of the two bids and the correspondence with the bidders was missing from the 'Confidentiality' section, while the dictum (Article 4) already drew the consequences from it.
An item on the Synergrid list is a combination, not a single component — swap the driver and you're no longer on the list
The Council rejects Schreder's extreme-urgency application against Eandis' decision to declare all seven bids for LED street lighting (lots 1, 2 and 3) substantially irregular because the offered combination of luminaire, LED module and driver does not appear as such on the Synergrid 005 list — even though the separate driver is itself 005-certified.
A radiation-shielding block estimated at €800/m³ when it costs €5,000 on the market — two years after the suspension was rejected, the €47.8m Jules Bordet award is annulled
The Council of State annuls the award of the structural-shell lot for the new Jules Bordet Institute to the temporary association CFE-Blaton-Entreprises Louis De Waele (€47.8 million) because the contracting authority accepted a unit price of €1,163/m³ for a radiation-shielding block that the market sells at around €5,000/m³ — the benchmark used (a prior estimate of €800/m³) rested on a misreading of a Veritas quote as if it included 357 invisible tons of lead.
When your own specifications say 'data collection is not an end in itself', your €2.5 million works contract turns into a services contract
The Council of State upholds the Walloon Region's tutelage decision annulling the City of Namur's award of a €2.57 million Intelligent Transport System — the 'works contract' classification fails even though works represent 83% of the budget, because the specifications themselves describe data collection as a mere means serving a mobility-management end.
UDN dismissal with €900 in costs — five days later the Council rectifies its own ruling: costs reserved because the annulment procedure is still pending
Five days after the UDN dismissal of Constructiewerkhuizen De Meyer's application against Waterwegen en Zeekanaal, the Council corrects a material error in original ruling 239.468: the definitive order to pay €200 court fee and €700 procedural indemnity is removed because the 'further course of the procedure' (the parallel annulment) requires the costs decision to remain open.
Leaving an unsigned offer on e-procurement isn't a double submission — it's an abandoned half-finished project
Aswebo had uploaded documents to e-Tendering without ever signing the submission report, then joined THV Stadsbader-Aswebo for a 7-million-euro road works tender — Roads and Traffic excluded both offers as 'double bids', but the Council of State suspended that decision: art. 54 §2 requires a purpose-related test, not textual punishment.
A bid 31% below the average survives price scrutiny thanks to a single 32-page annex
Stadsbader bid 31% below the average for an Infrabel rail works contract — and survived price scrutiny because they spontaneously included a detailed calculation of their ten largest line items, six of which actually proved more expensive than the complaining competitor's.
Skip your own extreme-urgency hearing? Your suspension is dismissed automatically — even if the contracting authority already withdrew its decision
KITRY challenged the award of an EMPREVA IT contract to EONIX, but failed to appear at the rescheduled hearing of 7 September 2017 — result: suspension dismissed, even though the contested decision had already been withdrawn two months earlier.
The contracting authority withdraws its award during your suspension procedure — and you get a 700 euro procedural indemnity for free
DUO Catering challenged the award of a school catering contract to TCO Service; before the hearing, the OCMW of Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve withdrew the decision — result: case moot, but full procedural indemnity and costs charged to the OCMW.
A price justification based on 3 hours of work — when the specifications require two buses — isn't analysis, it's negligence
The City of Ninove awarded a school transport contract priced at €107,611 (GEO) to a competitor at €41,190 — almost 2.5 times cheaper — after a 'price justification' based on three hours of service, even though the specifications required two separate buses on separate routes.
If you only attack your own exclusion and leave the higher-ranked bidders alone, you have no interest left
The Council of State rejects Ethias's extreme-urgency application against its exclusion in a Federal Pension Service hospital-insurance tender without ruling on the merits — Ethias was not the lowest bidder for any lot and did not raise any ground against the regularity of the higher-ranked AXA and AG Insurance, so even a winning application could never have got it the contract.
Failing to compare yourself with the winners loses your case
The Council of State rejects an extreme-urgency application by an architect joint venture against Ghent University's selection of five other study teams for a €29.6 million student housing project — not because the reasoning was flawless, but because the petitioners nowhere concretely show why the five selected were not better than they.
A contracting authority that changes its mind only has to motivate the NEW position — not defend the old one
The Brussels-Capital Region invited Orange into a negotiated procedure without prior publication on the ground of exclusivity, received its BAFO, and then decided to abort the procedure because 'other operators can also handle this' — the Council of State upheld that about-face: a changed position only requires reasoning of the NOW, not an explanation of the THEN.
Two grounds for exclusion? One weak link can break the whole decision
The Council of State suspends the award of shower-renovation works to RECO+ because the Communauté française excluded VAEL on a combination of a tax debt that the tax administration itself had repeatedly denied existed, and a Social Security debt that did stand up — but without saying that either ground sufficed on its own, the weakest link drags the whole decision down.
If you ask one bidder to clarify an 'abnormal' offer, you must ask every bidder with the same ambiguity — selective questioning is unequal treatment
The Council of State suspends a Brussels Environment Institute award because only Oneliner was questioned about its 'abnormally high' translation volumes, while another selected bidder had explicitly not committed in its own offer either — selective questioning over an ambiguous tender clause is unequal treatment of bidders.
You win in extreme urgency, the authority withdraws its decision, and you think you're done? Watch out: without an annulment application, the suspension lapses automatically
The Council of State lifts a previously ordered suspension of an award by the City of Genk because Trendhuis filed no annulment application after its extreme-urgency win — but Genk still has to pay the court fee and €700 in costs because it had withdrawn its decision itself.
Lose extreme urgency at the federal Finance Ministry? Withdraw your award and pay €900 — no annulment proceedings, no stain on the file
The Council of State lifts the suspension of the award to Cemre for the cleaning of the WTC III building (Federal Public Service Finance) because MisaNet filed no annulment application after its extreme-urgency win — outcome: €200 court fee + €700 lawyers' costs to be paid by the Belgian State, and a procedure withdrawn by Finance itself before any further blow.
Filed your annulment four days too soon — and you pay €200 in court fees for proceedings that lapse for lack of subject matter
Shanks Belgium won extreme urgency on 24 January 2017 against IMOG's award to DEME for the processing of waste-incinerator residues, filed an annulment application on 17 February 2017, and saw IMOG withdraw the contested decision four days later on 21 February 2017 — outcome: the Council declares the proceedings without object and orders double court fees (€400) plus €700 lawyers' costs against IMOG.
An increased lawyers' costs award (€2,800) is not granted by claiming the authority 'knew it was wrong' — you must adduce concrete circumstances
The Council of State lifts the suspension of an award by the Province of Flemish Brabant to BVBA Geerts for waterway maintenance works, and grants only the basic €700 in lawyers' costs — not the requested €2,800 — because Audenaert adduced no concrete circumstances justifying the fourfold uplift.
Withdrawing a tender notice without clear communication costs you €1,500 — even when the Council declares the action 'devoid of purpose'
The Council of State finds that an extreme-urgency action against a launch decision by the municipality of Dilbeek is devoid of purpose because the municipality had already withdrawn the decision ten days before the action — yet it orders Dilbeek to pay €1,500 in costs because that withdrawal had never been clearly communicated to the bidders.
You can't explain away unit prices that are 81% above and 68% below the average by saying 'the total price is normal'
The Council of State suspends the award of a demolition and new-build contract in Lommel because the city had not investigated unit prices ranging from 81% above to 68% below the average — a 'normal' total price and a vague reference to 'clustering' between items cannot replace that investigation.
Withdrawing an award decision after an extreme-urgency action costs you €700 procedural indemnity plus the docket fee — even though no one wins on the merits
The Council of State finds that Coca-Cola European Partners Belgium's extreme-urgency action against the award of a vending-machine concession to Pelican Rouge is devoid of purpose because the federal Finance Ministry has withdrawn its award decision in the meantime — and orders the Ministry to pay the docket fee and €700 procedural indemnity, since Coca-Cola counts as the 'successful party'.
A turnover requirement of fifty times the contract value is striking — but if one valid exclusion ground holds, the appeal does not fly
The Council of State rejects VR Conteneur's extreme-urgency action against Intradel: even if the requirement of €10 million annual turnover for a contract worth €200,000 is debatable, the non-selection also rests on the absence of a welding robot — a requirement Intradel was entitled to set — and the awardee ANG could rely on its Polish subsidiary's consolidated turnover under article 74 RD 15/07/2011.
Withdraw your award decision just before the urgency hearing? You'll bear the costs — even though the Council formally rejects the application
OVAM withdraws its award decision seven days before the urgency hearing: the Council formally rejects the application as without object, but orders OVAM to pay the court fee and €700 procedural indemnity because the Jan De Nul–Envisan joint venture is regarded as the prevailing party.
Withdrawal before judgment in an ordinary suspension action — no cost recovery as in extreme-urgency cases with withdrawal
The Council of State records that BVBA ASBO withdraws its ordinary suspension action against the award of a green-maintenance contract to De Vlieger for €972,300.01 excl. VAT, without ruling on costs or procedural indemnity.
The same degressive percentage does not automatically apply to every award criterion — read where weighting per item exists
The Council of State rejects the extreme-urgency action of Moments Furniture, which argued that Vivalia should also have applied the degressive percentages (100%, 70%, 40%...) globally to the 'technical aspects' criterion of 45 points — whereas the specifications applied those percentages only item by item, because there was a separate weighting per item in column D of the inventory.
Want one project to count as a reference for every discipline? Say so in your application — not at the Council of State
The Council of State rejects the extreme-urgency action of an architectural firm that only afterwards claimed that its single restoration reference 't Schaliken was actually meant as a reference for architecture, technical studies and stability as well — while the city of Oudenburg had asked for four separate references in the call for applications and the firm's own application maintained that distinction.
Attaching outdated articles of association to your bid is having your own bid declared void — and the contracting authority is not required to protect you against it
The Council of State rejects Blue-Mobility's extreme-urgency action against the City of Ghent's award of the bike-sharing contract to vzw Bycykel, because Blue-Mobility's bid turned out to be signed by a proxy whose authority came from a director who, under the amended — but not attached — articles of association, had no power to represent the company.
Caught off guard by an unannounced tasting visit with no warm meal ready? Then your bid was the problem, not the contracting authority
The Council of State rejects Compass Group's extreme-urgency action against the award of a €4 million catering contract for the OCMW Aalst care homes to Sodexo, because the specifications expressly provided for an unannounced tasting visit at the production site stated in the bid — and the fact that Compass could only serve cold-line dishes at that visit is its own problem.
Crossed out the binding clause on the bid form? Then you submitted no bid, even if you signed everything else
The Council of State rejects Horeservi Catering's extreme-urgency action against the award of a four-year framework agreement for student catering to Prorest, because on the bid form the essential clause by which the bidder commits 'on its movable and immovable property' to performing the contract had been crossed out — no commitment, no bid, no interest.
Not every public contract goes to the Council of State — a free Catholic school is not an administrative authority for its public procurement
The Council of State declares itself incompetent to hear an extreme-urgency action by two architectural firms against the award of an architecture contract by a free Catholic school (asbl Collège Sainte-Marie), because an award decision by such a private asbl creates no obligations toward third parties and the school is therefore not an administrative authority within the meaning of article 14 — challenging such an award requires going to the civil courts.
Cheapest bid (€42,350), 40/40 on price — and still loses, because the work plan didn't spell out the 'obvious' tender requirements
The Council of State rejects Abesim's extreme-urgency suspension, the lowest bidder for an OVAM phytoremediation study: it scored a perfect 40/40 on price (€42,350 vs €77,755 for the winner) but lost so heavily on quality that OVAM was entitled to award the contract to the more expensive consortium of UHasselt-Bio2clean-Arcadis-Witteveen+Bos.
If you know the auditor finds your winner's permit unlawful, you cannot rush the award — even under the presumption of legality
The Council of State suspends the Port of Antwerp's award of 8 million euro of dredging works in the 4th dock to Martens & Van Oord, because the Port — despite known auditor reports finding the crucial OVAM permit unlawful — did not wait for the Council's ruling before proceeding.
A publication error in the Belgian Official Gazette ('annual meeting' instead of 'board of directors') does not invalidate an offer — what counts is the actual mandate
The Council of State refuses to suspend the City of Aalst's award of 5.2 million euros of sewerage works to the joint venture Audenaert-Audebo, because an erroneously drafted Official Gazette extract does not undo the fact that Samuel Auquier's power of attorney had been granted — by the competent body, the board of directors of Audebo NV — long before the offer was filed.
One unpaid 200-euro filing fee — and the entire suspension proceeding is deemed 'not undertaken'
The Council of State deems ACB-WJ Product Services' extreme-urgency suspension against the Flemish Region's award to Trafiroad 'not undertaken', because the 200-euro filing fee was never paid — not even after the auditor explicitly warned the applicant.
The Council of Ministers has no 'hierarchical power' to substitute itself for an autonomous decision-making body — not even for an emergency mission to Antarctica
The Council of State suspends the Council of Ministers' decision to have the 2016/2017 maintenance mission to the Antarctic Princess Elisabeth Station carried out by Defense together with Science Policy, because under article 4 of the Royal Decree of 20 May 2009 that task falls within the exclusive competence of the Strategic Council of the Polar Secretariat — and the minister has no 'hierarchical power' to bypass that body.
Aanbestedende dienst mag aanbestedingsprocedure niet herdoen omdat prijs van favoriet te hoog is gevonden
Een aanbestedende dienst kan niet zomaar een aanbestedingsprocedure voor goederen opnieuw starten omdat de gekozen aanbieders een prijs hebben gesteld die naar mening van het openbaar bestuur te hoog is.
Selectiecriteria voor architectendiensten op façaderestauratie moeten gelijkwaardig erkende buitenlandse diploma's erkennen
Een aanbestedende dienst mag bij selectiecriteria voor architectendiensten niet zonder meer alleen nationale diploma's erkennen, maar moet gelijkwaardig erkende buitenlandse diploma's ook accepteren.
Gemeente mag gewicht van mededingingscriterium voor incassoservices bepalen op basis van efficiencyoverwegingen
Een gemeente mag bij de selectie van incassodiensten het gewicht van criteria naar eigen inzicht bepalen, zolang dit rationeel is beredeneerd.
Gemeente mag referentieverlanging voor crematoriumbouw niet arbitrair toepassen op kleine kantoren
Een gemeente mag referentieverlanging stellen, maar niet op een manier die alle kleine architectenkantoren automatisch uitsluit.
Raamovereenkomst voor snelwegschoonmaak moet duidelijke procedures hebben voor herhaalde gunning van onderdelen
Bij een raamovereenkomst voor schoonmaakservices moet helder staan hoe nieuwe werkpakketjes (bijvoorbeeld per seizoen of per regio) worden gegund: ofwel automatisch aan enen partij, ofwel via nieuwe miniaanbesteding.
Aanbestedende dienst mag anti-voertuigbarrières aanbesteden op basis van functionele eisen, niet alleen op basis van merk en model
Een aanbestedende dienst mag voor anti-voertuigbarrières functionele eisen stellen (bijvoorbeeld: moet trekvermogen minimaal X hebben) maar mag niet zeggen 'alleen merk Y model Z'.
Ziekenhuis mag voor farmaceutische levering alleen erkende apotheek-grossiers accepteren, niet alle farmabedrijven
Een ziekenhuis mag voor farmaceutische voorraden specifieke eisen stellen (bijvoorbeeld: enkel erkende apotheek-grossiers), zolang deze eisen rationeel gerelateerd zijn aan het product.
Schoolbestuur mag evaluatiecommissie niet willekeurig afwijken laten van evaluatiehandleiding bij elektronische maaltijdkaarten
Een evaluatiecommissie mag bij IT-systemen voor maaltijdkaarten niet zomaar afwijken van voorgegeven evaluatiecriteria, ook al vind zij dat één aanbod 'praktischer' zou zijn.
Gemeente mag evaluatiecommissie niet zwijgen laten over waarom ene softwarepakket beter scoort dan ander
Een evaluatiecommissie moet in het gunningsbesluit voor civiele registersoftware exact verklaren waarom het ene systeem hoger scoorde dan het andere op criteria als integratie en gebruiksvriendelijkheid.
Evaluatiecommissie moet zorgvuldig blijven bij beoordeling van cateringleveranciers, ook al zijn de verschillen klein
Een evaluatiecommissie mag bij cateringservices niet willekeurig aannemen dat alle aanbiedingen 'eigenlijk hetzelfde' zijn alleen omdat de prijzen dicht bij elkaar liggen.
Metrobedrijf mag hoge technische en veiligheidseisen stellen voor tunnelrenovatie, zolang deze met projectomvang en risico's corresponderen
Bij metrowerk moet de aanbestedende dienst strenge selectiecriteria hanteren, maar mag geen onredelijke of disproportionele eisen stellen.
Fabriek mag CNC-machine niet aanbesteden op basis van merk en model, maar op basis van functie en duurzaamheid
Voor aanschaf van een CNC-nestelingsmachine moet de fabriek functionele eisen stellen (nauwkeurigheid, snelheid, materiaalafval) in plaats van 'alleen merk X model Y'.
Brandweer mag voor schoonmaak en herstelling brandweerkleding zware eisen stellen op basis van veiligheidsvereisten
Een brandweer mag voor schoonmaak en herstelling van brandweerkleding hoge veiligheidseisen stellen (bijvoorbeeld: bereikbaarheid 24/7, speciale behandeling brand-weerspray).
Gemeente mag parkeermeters niet aanbesteden op basis van één merk, maar moet open normen hanteren
Bij aanschaf van parkeermeters (horodateurs) mag een gemeente niet zeggen 'alleen merk X' maar moet zij functionele en interoperabiliteitseisen stellen.
Two procedural errors by the OCMW — yet no suspension, because without a proven impact on the ranking there is no standing
The Council of State refuses to suspend the OCMW Jodoigne's award to TCO Service for meal delivery to Le Clair Séjour, because ISS Catering shows neither through the unverified honour declaration nor through the 'impossible' 10.59% VAT rate that it should have won the contract.
Suspension automatically lifted because no annulment was filed — and yet the applicant still gets the procedural indemnity
The Council of State lifts the previously ordered suspension because no annulment action followed, but still orders the Belgian State to pay 700 euro procedural indemnity and 200 euro costs because, by a corrective decision of 22 July 2016, the State implicitly admitted that the original tender conditions had been set by an authority that was not competent.
Contracting authority withdraws its award after the Council suspends? The case becomes moot — and you still pay 700 euros in procedural costs
After a suspension order against the award of a lot for legal recovery services, ORES Assets and RESA withdrew their award decisions; the Council of State declares the annulment action moot, lifts the suspension, but charges the procedural costs to the contracting authorities.
A case ending without object still costs 700 euros — and when there are multiple applicants, there are clear rules for splitting the indemnity
On the same day and in the same context as arrest 236.111, ORES Assets and RESA also withdrew their award decision for lot 8 (Mons); the Council of State declares the action moot, but explains how the procedural indemnity is shared among four jointly-filing applicants.
A specification you didn't label 'essential'? That doesn't give you a free pass to ignore it at award time
The Council of State suspended the award of a towing contract because the police zone knew the winning towing service did not comply with the spec requiring premises inside the zone, and never motivated in the award decision why that requirement had suddenly become non-essential.
Withdrawing your urgent suspension at the last minute? You still pay the court fee and the other side's procedural costs
IGEMO filed an extreme-urgency suspension against an award decision by the Flemish Region, withdrew four days before the hearing, and was ordered to pay 200 euros in court fees plus 700 euros in procedural indemnity to the defendant.
An uninvited bidder who still submits an offer can win — below the EU threshold a spontaneous bid is fair game
The Council of State refuses to suspend the award of the gym-floor renovation in De Alk because the Municipality of Alken, after severe flooding, could legitimately use the urgent procedure via the college of mayor and aldermen, and because a spontaneous bid from a non-invited company in a negotiated procedure without publication below the EU threshold may be considered.
25 references earn 10 out of 20 — when the contracting authority adds a hidden sub-criterion after the opening
The Council of State suspends the award of the design of the Terhagen community centre because AGB Rumst, after opening of the bids, split the fourth award criterion into two weighted sub-criteria — a split that gave Evolta (25 references) only 10/20 and the winner Signa (2 references) 9/20.
Eight references from your Swiss supplier? Without a written commitment, none of them count
The Council of State refuses to select Medtradex because the bidder could not produce three of its own references for a detergent dispensing system, and the references of its Swiss supplier Borer Chemie were unusable without a written commitment under article 74 of the 2011 procurement-placement royal decree.
No reply to the auditor's report within 30 days? Appeal lost — and 900 euros of costs
When the Council of State serves an auditor's report recommending rejection, the applicant has thirty days to request continuation of the procedure — silence creates a legal presumption of withdrawal, and the applicant pays the costs.
Two parallel procedures for the same contract? The Council sees through the urgency excuse
The Council of State suspends the award of a directional drilling under the Albert Canal to Van Vulpen because Eandis ran the same contract simultaneously through a mini-competition within its framework agreement and through a parallel negotiated procedure without prior publication with other companies — a setup that fatally undermines the 'imperative urgency' required by article 53, § 2, 1°, c) of the 15 June 2006 Procurement Act.
Suspension denied? The 30-day clock starts ticking — silence costs you 900 euros
Eurotech Benelux loses not only the contract but also pays 900 euros in costs because, after its suspension request was denied, it failed to file a request to continue the proceedings within the legal 30-day deadline.
The other side's last memorandum is not an extension — your 30-day clock runs separately
Groentotaal loses its annulment action against the non-award of the Kasterlee green-maintenance contract because, even though the municipality filed a final memorandum, it failed to file a continuation request within 30 days of the auditor's report — total cost: 900 euros plus any chance at the contract.
Auditor's report proposes dismissal — silence costs you the intervening party's fees too
Joëlle Salens loses her action against the award of the towing contract to BVBA Antak because, after the auditor's report proposed dismissal, she failed to file a continuation request within 30 days — leading to a costs order in favour of both the contracting authority and the intervening successful bidder.
From 30/30 to 12/30 in the BAFO — when the contracting authority drops a hint and you ignore it
The Council of State refuses to suspend the award of the MIVB Erasmus metro depot (77.98 million euros) to THV CFE-Blaton, ruling that in a negotiated procedure with BAFO it is normal for scores to swing dramatically between the first offer and the final offer — particularly when one bidder responds to a mid-procedure signal from the contracting authority and the other does not.
Two foundation rigs for 664 days — 'planning risk' costs Jan De Nul second place, and the 35-point gap kills the rest of the case
The Council of State refuses to suspend the award to THV CFE-Blaton, ruling that an execution period of 664 days with only 2 foundation rigs could reasonably be flagged as a 'planning risk', and that a 35-point gap with the winner deprives the petitioners of standing on every ground that — even at best — cannot put them in first place.
Two companies in joint venture wanting to intervene? Pay 150 euros twice — otherwise no intervention
MONUMENT HAINAUT and MONUMENT VANDEKERCKOVE jointly try to intervene against the suspension of their award by the City of Charleroi, pay only one 150 euro fee for the two requesters — and see their intervention declared inadmissible.
A denied suspension is not the end — fail to continue within 30 days and you owe 700 euros to the other side
BLUE PLANET PROMOTIONS loses its annulment action against the rejection of its offer for police promotional items — not on the merits but because, after losing the suspension, it failed to file a request to continue the proceedings, and is hit with 900 euros in costs on top.
Ask the contracting authority to justify your price — and they discover where your offer doesn't match the specifications
ENERGYS, ranked first with the lowest offer for the HVAC of the Iris-Sud hospital, is declared irregular for abnormally low prices — and the Council of State refuses to suspend because its own price justification revealed it had not bid on all technical specifications.
Arguing the specs were written for a competitor? Then your own bid had better not contradict that claim
The Council of State rejects Vita Nova Supra's suspension of the award of a five-year AED supply contract to Half Blue: a bidder who claims the tender specs are tailored to one product cannot simultaneously state in its own offer that it weighed that very product and chose to bid a different one.
Your offer was 915 euros cheaper than the winner — and you still lose your suspension over one missing line above the signature
Dranken Pede comes within 916 euros of Inbev Belgium's winning offer for a three-year water contract at Aalst's public welfare centre, but loses its suspension without any review on the merits: the offer was signed by 'Mark Pede in his capacity as director', whereas only the company bvba Pede was statutorily authorised to bind the bidder — a substantial and unfixable defect that voids the offer and removes any standing.
If you think the selection rules are unfair, file at the Council immediately — don't wait until the winner is in sight
MICAS, the outgoing casino operator of Middelkerke, argued that the municipality's integrated DBFMO design — bundling construction with operation — squeezed solo gambling-hall operators out of the market, but because it attacked the design eighteen months too late instead of at the announcement, the Council of State holds it has no standing.
A bidder admits its own price doesn't add up — you cannot then award 'as submitted' without a reasoned answer to the question whether that price is still normal
POM Antwerpen could not push through the award of a 7.8-million-euro infrastructure contract to Deckx after Deckx itself, one month after opening, admitted in writing that its unit prices for water-retaining sheet piling did not include the purchase or depreciation of the steel sheets — because the award report nowhere reasoned why those self-confessed low prices were nevertheless normal.
Certificates of good execution are not in principle confidential — appellants can request access when challenging the selection
In an annulment procedure against a €27 million award, the Council of State holds that certificates of good execution are not secret documents and reopens the debates so the parties can examine those documents — under strict conditions.
A forgotten methodology document is not an 'arithmetic error' — even when the contracting authority already knows the content
The lowest bidder received 0/10 for technical centre maintenance because the methodology document was missing; the Council of State refuses to qualify this as a material error and confirms that regularisation would alter the offer — which is forbidden.
Withdrawing your award decision after a suspension request? You're still the losing party — and you pay the costs
The City of Liège withdraws its award decision during a pending extreme-urgency procedure; the appeal becomes moot, but the contracting authority bears the procedural indemnity and other costs as if it had lost the case.
A contracting authority that secretly factors budget allocation into a methodology criterion rewrites its own specifications — and gets suspended
The Walloon Region scored the methodological award criteria partly on the basis of budget allocation and person-days that were nowhere announced as criteria in the specifications; the Council of State suspends the award because this modifies the criterion a posteriori or makes it unforeseeable.
Vlarema requires municipalities to conclude an agreement with a recycling centre — that creates no monopoly and does not displace the procurement law
ILVA awarded the collection of household textile waste for ten years exclusively to three recycling shops on the basis of an alleged 'statutory delegation' under the Flemish Vlarema regulation, but the Council of State suspends: neither the 2005 recognition decree nor article 5.1.7 of Vlarema confers an exclusive right on recycling centres — a public procurement procedure was required.
Excluded for tax debt? A VAT credit relating to the closed quarter can save you — even if the document is dated after the opening
The City of Brussels excluded MW-Cars from a school transport contract because it had over €3,000 in tax debts on 7 January 2016 and its VAT declaration only reached the City on 18 January, but the Council of State suspends the exclusion: the €21,517.30 VAT credit related to a quarter closed before opening and therefore existed on the opening date.
The decision to launch a tender procedure is not subject to appeal — not even by the incumbent service provider
The International Polar Foundation tries to suspend the Council of Ministers' decision to launch a negotiated procedure for logistical support of the Antarctic BELARE campaigns, but the Council of State dismisses the appeal as inadmissible: a decision to launch a procedure is merely preparatory and produces no definitive legal effects for potential bidders.
Asking for a €48,275 price supplement after the bid validity period? You may lose your awarded contract to a competitor
Devagro had won the demolition of the Veurne sugar factory for €574,887.92, but its registered request for a €48,275 price supplement prompted the contracting authority WVI to let all bidders revise their prices — and Aertssen took the contract at €610,625.42 while Devagro fell to second; the Council of State dismisses the challenge to that new award.
Two valid scoring errors in your offer count for nothing if the points gap remains too wide to close
Besix Park persuades the Council of State on two scoring errors — three wrongly deducted points on award criterion 1 and a possibly understated score on criterion 4 — but loses anyway, because even after correction 82.24 points cannot catch Apcoa's 90.
Maintenance during the warranty period is not a 'service contract' — Skoda eliminated for 175 MIVB trams
The Council of State rejects Skoda's extreme-urgency suspension against its non-selection for the MIVB framework agreement for 175 trams: Skoda's satisfaction certificates concerned the supply and warranty-period service, while the third selection criterion required a reference to a separate service contract on life-cycle management — two different things that Skoda had bundled into one.
Suspension granted, decision withdrawn: the annulment action loses its object — and the 20% bonus on procedural costs is gone
When the contracting authority withdraws its award decision after the Council of State has already suspended it, the subsequent annulment action loses its object — the applicant still receives the basic procedural indemnity of 700 euros, but not the 20% surcharge that the Procedural Regulation grants to a 'normal' winner.
Justifying a price by saying 'this is what my subcontractor charges' is no justification — and miss the 30-day clock after a rejected suspension, and you lose your annulment too
Wanty's bid for the rehabilitation of the Oignies mine site was declared irregular because three items had been justified by simply pointing to the subcontractor's price — a justification that does not satisfy art. 21 of the RD of 15 July 2011 — and after the extreme-urgency suspension was already rejected, Wanty filed no request to continue the annulment within 30 days, so the Council of State records the abandonment of the action.
The specification asked for a birthday menu, the bid promised 'a culinary attention': one point less, contract lost
The Council of State rejects Compass Group's suspension request against OCMW Tervuren's award of lot 1 (hot meals) to ISS — at a difference of only 1.10 point between the two offers, small substantive deviations in the bid wording (a 'culinary attention' instead of the birthday menu required by the specifications, a thin treatment of ethnic diversity) fully justify why Compass loses two points on the quality criterion.
One reviewer does 80% of the hours in a 'college of two': no problem according to the Council of State
The Council of State rejects the extreme-urgency suspension against FOREM's re-award to KPMG/Joiris, even though one signing reviewer would perform 584 of the 730 'reviewer hours' — the requirement of a 'college of reviewers' is assessed at the firm level, not at the level of the individual signing reviewers.
A 'maintenance contract' for cycle paths sounds like services — but the CPV code decides, and CPV 45233141 is works
The Council of State rejects the extreme-urgency action by a cleaning company without contractor accreditation against the award to Sotraplant of the maintenance contract for the cycle paths of Namur province, because a contract under CPV 45233141 'road maintenance works' is works — not services — and a bidder without personal accreditation cannot be awarded the contract, even if its subcontractor presents a (partly fitting) accreditation.
Press coverage of fraud at your competitor isn't enough to have them excluded — the contracting authority needs concrete proof
The Council of State rejects Alfa-Zet Systems' extreme-urgency suspension request against the award of the Fedorest cash-register contract to Euro-Tap-Control-Verkoop, because a fraud investigation reported in the press without concrete criminal-law evidence does not establish a 'serious professional misconduct' under article 61, §2, 4° of the Royal Decree on Procurement.
A live software demo is allowed — but the bidder cannot score for features that surface for the first time during that demo
The Council of State annuls the award to Randstad of the HYGEA temp-staffing contract because IDEA scored Randstad on two software features — integrated priority lists and cancellation up to 15 minutes before deployment — that were not in the bid itself but only emerged during the product demo a month after bid opening.
'The prices are confidential' is not a valid reason to redact them from an award decision
The Council of State suspends the award to Witteveen+Bos of an ecological restoration contract, because the Flemish Region had redacted both the bid prices and the score per award criterion from the award report it sent — leaving only total scores — and because handing the unredacted version over later does not cure that lack of formal motivation.
The lowest bidder loses a €105,982 school renovation because seven mandatory documents were missing — and the specifications offered no second chance
The Council of State dismisses the suspension request against the award of the renovation of the KA Berchem classrooms to Creative Resin Solutions for €105,982.08: the fact that the contracting authority allowed the winner to add a missing reference list but not Verboven-Reynders does not breach the principle of equal treatment — a bidder who omitted seven mandatory selection documents is not in a 'comparable situation' to one who only missed a single formality.
A reference number ending in '040' costs a contractor a €2.1 million contract
The Council of State refuses to suspend the award of the Pivert 2 renovation of 65 social housing units in Anderlues to Lixon, because the insulation panel that Hullbridge offered under the reference 'RHINOPOR PS 15 SE 040 120 mm' prima facie has a lambda coefficient of 0.040 W/m²K — whereas the specifications require 0.032 — and the bidder should have verified this when asked to justify its prices.
If you want a suspension, first prove that there is something to suspend
The Council of State dismisses the extreme-urgency suspension request brought by eleven judicial officers against the alleged award of penal-fines collection to the Gerhanko firm, because they fail to show that the contested award decisions even exist — an email invitation to a software demo and a self-drafted account of a phone call are not enough.
The National Lottery claims it withdrew the award decision itself — but without proof, the Council of State annulled anyway
After a suspension in extreme urgency the National Lottery let the 30-day window to request continuation of the procedure expire unused, later claimed the award decision had been 'withdrawn' but produced no document evidencing that — result: the Council of State annulled the decision for the sake of legal certainty.
Lost your extreme-urgency suspension? Don't forget to request continuation within thirty days — otherwise you have, by law, abandoned your entire action
After the Council of State rejected its extreme-urgency suspension, PRESTA SERVICES did not within 30 days request continuation of the annulment procedure — under article 17, § 7 of the Council of State laws this triggers a legal presumption of desistment and closes the entire action.
Social housing, public procurement, millions in renovation work — and yet incompetent: a Brussels SISP is not an 'administrative authority' for the Council of State
When challenging an award decision of a Brussels public real-estate company (SISP), the Council of State declines jurisdiction — a Brussels SISP is not an administrative authority within the meaning of article 14 of the Council of State laws, so rejected bidders must turn to the civil court, even when the award concerns a public works contract for 58 social housing units.
Letting a suspended contract run on — and refusing to file an administrative file 'for security reasons'? The Council of State suspends again, without any balance of interests
After the Council of State on 1 February 2016 suspended the award of the WTC III guarding contract to H-SECURITE, the Belgian State simply let the same service provider continue and refused to disclose any administrative file on the 'new' period — result: a second suspension in four weeks, with the applicant's facts accepted as proven and no vague 'safety of asylum seekers' balance to offset it.
Cutting five 'superfluous' sub-studies from the winning offer to make the price acceptable? That is not correcting a clerical error — that is rewriting the offer
The Council of State suspends the award of the design contract for the redevelopment of municipal buildings in Schoten to Jef Van Oevelen, because the municipality — without any formal procedure and without applying the same exercise to the other bidders — removed five 'unrequested' sub-studies (€96,075.95) from his lump-sum price, thereby lowering Van Oevelen's offer from €506,000 to €409,924 and elevating him to the top of the ranking against what the analysis report showed.
An email from the contracting authority does not amend the specifications — bidding below the minimum capacity remains a substantial irregularity
The Council of State rejects Stago BNL's extreme-urgency appeal against the award of four haemostasis analyzers to Siemens, because Stago offered devices with 260 and 100 analyses per hour where the specifications required 300 and 150 — and because a clarifying email from the hospital to Stago alone, which did not address capacity, could not override the specifications.
What was first 'insufficient' cannot suddenly become 'satisfactory' without explanation — in the absence of both a minimum threshold and a reasoned assessment, the selection collapses
The Council of State suspends the award of the design/build of a municipal school in Godarville to MIGNONE, because the municipality first found MIGNONE's reference lists insufficient, then without any visible assessment declared after additional information that they were 'satisfactory and sufficient', and in its written observations to the Council brought up — for the first time — five references, three of which had already been in the first list deemed insufficient.
Class 4 is in the specifications, class 3 is not — but you cannot pull such a minimum threshold out of a hat
The Council of State suspends the award to Groenservice of the installation of an artificial-turf football pitch for the municipality of Anderlecht, because the municipality had excluded the lowest bidder BVBA MAB on the basis of an unpublished minimum threshold — references had to exceed €500,000 — that appeared nowhere in the specifications or the notice.
Accepting a 7-year-old town hall reference? Yes, as long as the final acceptance still falls within the three-year window
The Council of State rejects the extreme-urgency action by architectural firms Alinea Ter and Atelier de l'Arbre d'Or against the award by IDELUX of the project author contract for the Mardasson polyvalent hall in Bastogne, because the reference of the winning team — the Durbuy town hall from 2009 — remains acceptable as long as final acceptance (9 December 2012) falls within the three-year window of article 72, 7° of the Royal Decree of 15 July 2011.
No board decision, no appeal — the CEO's signature alone is not enough
The Council of State dismisses VigotecAkatherm's challenge to the gas-detector contract awarded to Dräger without examining the merits, because the application was signed only by the managing director while the company's articles reserve the decision to sue to the board of directors.
Giving everyone 30 out of 30 for methodology? Then you've switched off your own award criterion
The Council of State suspends the 36-month auditor college contract awarded by FOREM to KPMG–Joiris Rousseaux, because the contracting authority gave all four ranked bidders the maximum score (30/30) on the 'audit approach and planning' criterion without concretely explaining why their methodologies were considered equivalent — even though the gap between the first and third ranked bidder on the other two criteria was only 1.08 points.
If your consulting engineer says 'request a price justification' and you don't — explain why
The Council of State suspends a EUR 4.05 million road-works award because the city of Nieuwpoort dismissed without explanation its own consulting engineer's advice to request a price justification for seven abnormally low unit prices.
Three years of identical works as a subcontractor for the same contracting authority — yet your price is declared 'abnormal' without that fact being assessed
The Council of State annuls the award of motorway maintenance in Flemish Brabant (A-roads West, EUR 450,000) to Deckx Algemene Ondernemingen because the Roads and Traffic Agency dismissed the price of the lowest bidder, Norré-Behaegel (–72.60% discount), as abnormal without addressing its central justification — that it had executed the very same lot for three years as a subcontractor for ABOG at comparable prices.
Withdrawing after a UDN suspension: you don't just lose the contract, you also pay EUR 900 to the bidder
After the Council suspended the award to FLUX of Ostend's Christmas lighting contract (judgment 232.491), the city withdrew the award decision — whereupon the Council declared the subsequent annulment action without object and ordered the city to pay EUR 200 in court fees plus EUR 700 in basic procedural indemnity to the applicant, without the increase that normally applies for the combination suspension + annulment.
You won your urgency suspension, but forgot the annulment action — then the Council lifts your suspension automatically
Two months after the Council suspended in extreme urgency the award to SCA Hygiene Products of the three-year framework agreement for incontinence material at the public welfare centre of Kampenhout (judgment 233.088), it lifts that suspension automatically because ONTEX failed to file an annulment action within the legal deadline — a purely procedural automatism that did no harm in this file because the welfare centre had already withdrawn the award decision in the meantime.
Strict reference requirement in the call? Then 'OK' and 'who can do more can do less' aren't motivation
The Council of State suspends the award to KONE of the lift lot for the new Jules Bordet Institute, because KONE submitted as its technical-capacity reference the renovation of existing lifts at ZNA Middelheim hospital — while the call for tenders explicitly required a 'rigorously comparable' reference in the context of building a new hospital institution, and the administrative file contained no reasoned trace of why that deviation was acceptable.
An 'amendment' of €270,000 per month to a €4,965-per-month contract isn't an amendment — it's a new contract
The State Secretary for Asylum and Migration signs an 'amendment' to an existing FEDASIL security contract and in reality awards a new contract without publication, without a reasoned award decision, for a different building, at a monthly amount exceeding the entire original contract.
The winner doesn't charge VAT — and the contracting authority believes it without a single document in the file
The Flemish Region awards a contract to a temporary partnership that doesn't charge VAT on most of its bid because of a supposed 'flat-rate agricultural scheme' — but that justification turns out to be factually wrong and rests on no document in the file.
You challenge your non-selection — but let the award to a competitor pass. What then?
A non-selected candidate for the truck toll system tender litigates against its non-selection but lets the award to Sky-ways stand unchallenged — the Council applies the Amec Spie doctrine and declares the action no longer admissible.
A 2006 conviction used to exclude in 2015 — while the same contracting authority awarded in 2011
Flemish Waterway authority W&Z excludes Heyrman-De Roeck on the basis of a nine-year-old environmental conviction, but fails to explain in its award report why the same conviction was not a problem in 2011 — the Council of State suspends the exclusion for inadequate reasoning.
A comparative unit-price table can be price investigation — even if the runner-up feels nothing has been checked
The Council of State rejects VMG-De Cock's challenge against the award of a school construction contract to a competitor €116,000 cheaper, because the contracting authority did carry out a price investigation with a detailed comparative unit-price table — even though it asked no formal price justification.
Same authority, same bidder, same nine-year-old conviction — and a second suspension
On the same day the Council suspends the exclusion of Heyrman-De Roeck under specifications 16EI/15/26, it also suspends a parallel exclusion of the same bidder by the same authority under specifications 16EI/15/71 — for an identical inadequacy of reasoning under the discretionary exclusion ground.
A contracting authority that overrules its own jury must own the deviation — not rewrite the jury
After an initial suspension, the city of Sint-Niklaas gets a green light for a second award to the same bidder because the council may set aside its jury's advice on the second award criterion in a reasoned way — provided the new reasoning stands on its own.
A 'concession' without real operating risk is just a public service contract — but if you don't claim extreme urgency, you can't suspend it
Charleroi's public welfare body launched a 'service concession' for managing its food procurement, but the Council of State requalifies it as a public service contract — even though the suspension is still rejected because the application did not mention 'extreme urgency'.
A food supplier cannot suspend a procedure to appoint a purchasing agent because it never intended to win that role
BIDVEST — a food supplier — could not obtain an extreme-urgency suspension against the appointment of a 'partner' for food procurement because it lacked the standing to fill that role, and the ordinary suspension failed for lack of urgency.
Including a formal requirement in the specifications is not the same as making it essential
The fact that a contracting authority explicitly includes a formal requirement (Excel file, file naming convention) in its specifications does not automatically make a deviation a substantial irregularity — the authority retains discretion and may judge that comparability is not affected.
A social security debt is a discretionary exclusion ground — automatic exclusion without a weighing is insufficient reasoning
The Council of State annuls an award because the French-speaking Brussels Parliamentary Assembly excluded cleaning company ACTIVA over social security debts without considering its ongoing repayment plan and a contested rectification debt — and without explaining why it exercised its discretionary exclusion power that way.
Two different discount percentages for the same catalogue = irregular tender — and being right doesn't help if you can't name the law
The Council of State dismisses Centr'Auto's suspension request: its bid for carrosserie tooling was rejected because the discounts on the catalogues differed from those in the dummy order — a self-inflicted inconsistency that prevented price verification — and its plea was partly inadmissible for failing to identify which legal provisions had been breached.
Forget 'extrême urgence' in the heading of your application — and your entire suspension case dies on a single typographic error
The Council of State refuses to suspend the award of a clothing contract to a social workshop because the applicant didn't identify the application as 'extrême urgence' in the heading — turning it into an ordinary suspension, which is simply inadmissible for public procurement.
€140,000 over budget and the only bidder: the social welfare centre was allowed to abort and re-tender
The sole bidder for a four-year catering contract came in €140,000 above the estimate — the OCMW Geraardsbergen overrode the favourable recommendation of its own procurement office, stopped the procedure, and the Council of State accepted that decision.
Claim your procedural compensation no later than 5 days before the hearing — otherwise the request is late, even if you win the case
The Walloon Region withdrew the contested award decision before the annulment ruling; the Council declared the action moot, but refused the €2,800 procedural compensation because the applicant only requested it at the hearing.
'Negotiated procedure without publication' does not make the tender document optional
A bidder argued that the social welfare centre could not apply the standard rules on irregular tenders in a negotiated procedure — and lost on every front: even without those rules, the authority must apply the tender document it wrote itself.
A red flag in DIGIFLOW is not an exclusion decision — call the tax office before kicking out the lowest bidder
The Council of State suspends in extreme urgency the award decision of BMWB after AIB-Vinçotte — the lowest bidder — was excluded on the basis of a DIGIFLOW certificate contradicted by positive certificates from both before and after the same date.
A 'service provider's declaration' is not a logo on your reference sheet — it must be clear, signed and attributable
The Council of State upholds the disqualification of an architects' consortium from Uccle's renovation contract because their reference for a private client was not accompanied by a real 'service provider's declaration' — an undated 'preamble' and a fact sheet bearing only the Archi 2000 logo are insufficient.
A price of €0.04 for a demand letter is not a real answer to a price-justification request — accepting it is a manifest error
The Council of State annuls the award of TEC Charleroi's debt-recovery contract: the contracting authority too readily accepted that a €0.04 price per demand letter could be justified by saying letters would be delivered during the bailiffs' regular rounds.
Negotiated procedure 'lighter' than an open one? Not for qualitative selection — that step is mandatory
The Council of State annuls an award by the Ixelles municipality for distributing its town magazine because the tender contained no qualitative selection criteria — an obligation that also applies to the negotiated procedure with publicity.
Challenging a points-table gap in the specifications — when your own bid sits in that gap, you lose standing
The Council of State dismisses an extreme-urgency challenge by Dolmans Landscaping against Eandis's awarding of green-maintenance contracts because the specification gap Dolmans attacked — no points for 'exactly 50%' sheltered-workshop capacity — applied to Dolmans itself on the disputed lot, removing its standing.
Two equal scores of 90/100, another 'concrete case' to break the tie — and the Council annuls: that's adding a new award criterion
The Council of State annuls the award to Luxtax for transporting the National Orchestra's instruments, because the contracting authority — faced with two tied scores of 90/100 — did not follow the procedure of article 101 §3 of the Placement Decree (request for improvement from the two tied bidders) but instead asked all four bidders for a price on a new monthly schedule and used that to build a second comparison table, which amounts to adding an award criterion during the procedure.
A minister signs off on the negotiated procedure, but the full government should have decided — four years later, the award is annulled ex officio
The Council of State annuls ex officio the award to Marsh of the third-party liability insurance for Walloon airports, because the Minister for Airport Policy alone approved the choice of the negotiated procedure while the estimate for this joint procurement exceeded the 290,000 euro threshold for which the full Walloon Government was competent.
A 'se réserve le droit' clause is a faculty, not an obligation: the SRWT was not required to mistrust the guaranteed 81,000 km
The Council of State dismisses Michelin's annulment challenge against the awarding of lot 1 of the TEC bus tyre framework to Bridgestone, because the specifications clause 'la SRWT se réserve le droit de corriger ou écarter toute soumission faisant état d'un kilométrage garanti anormal' is a faculty and not an obligation, and Bridgestone's guaranteed 81,000 km — backed by the previous model's average of 79,132 km on the TEC network — is not manifestly unreasonable.
Lowest price with a submersible pump that doesn't meet the specifications: technical non-compliance costs you the standing to litigate
The Council of State dismisses the extreme-urgency challenge by the joint venture WeGroSan/Antea against the awarding to Sportinfrabouw, because the joint venture — the lowest bidder at 1.39 million euros — submitted three items technically non-compliant with the specifications (submersible pump, irrigation control cabinet, sports underlay) and failed to contest this finding in its petition, depriving it of standing to challenge the award.
Three pages of approach against seventeen: an offer that refers to the specifications gets 6 out of 40
The Council of State refuses to suspend the award of a contract for the preparation of the Flemish primary-care conference to Möbius, because Ghent University submitted only three pages of offer for the criterion 'quality of the approach plan' — largely cross-references to the specifications — while Möbius delivered seventeen pages of detailed methodology, making 6 out of 40 versus 40 out of 40 a defensible point allocation.
Challenging a non-profit's award before the Council of State? Wrong court — time wasted
The Council of State declares itself incompetent to hear an emergency suspension against the award of lot 7 (sanitary cells) of a Ciney nursing home: the contracting non-profit is not an 'administrative authority' under article 14, §1 of the coordinated laws, and the competent court is the civil court.
A reference for 2,200 parking meters in Seattle does not prove experience with licence plate entry — if the functionality only goes live in 2016
The Council of State rejects IPS Group Benelux' challenge against its exclusion at selection stage for a Gent parking-meter tender and rules that a reference where the required functionality (licence plate entry) is not yet operational does not prove technical experience — even if the bid documents show the equipment supports it.
Wider opening hours beat 'always by appointment' — and a ground that does not flip the ranking is dead on arrival
The Council of State rejects the emergency suspension by Sita Treatment & Recycling against the award of a bottom-ash processing contract to IMOG and rules that broad standard opening hours can rationally be deemed more flexible than 'on appointment outside narrower hours' — and that a ground without effect on the ranking fails for lack of interest.
Missing 100 ml is a detail, missing 700 ml is an irregular bid — proportionality cuts both ways
The Council of State rejects SCA Hygiene Products' challenge to the award of a public welfare centre's nursing products framework to Ontex and rules that a 700 ml absorption shortfall against a 3,800 ml specification is materially different from a 100 ml shortfall — no breach of equal treatment.
Five years of maintenance required in the tender, but only one year in the price formula — not contradictory if the end user signs the maintenance contracts
The Council of State rejects Presta Services' challenge and rules that the contracting authority could include only one year of maintenance in the price formula, even though the tender required bidders to offer at least five years — because the maintenance contracts are signed by sports clubs (the end users), not by the authority itself.
Even if you let your appeal lapse by not requesting continuation, the authority pays your roll fee if it withdrew first
The Council of State finds Fire Technics presumed to have abandoned its appeal after a rejected emergency suspension — but still orders the Kontich municipality to pay the €200 roll fee because the municipality had meanwhile withdrawn the contested award decision.
Lose your emergency suspension, do nothing, and the authority bills you €900 for the privilege
The Council of State finds OIL nv presumed to have abandoned its appeal after its emergency suspension against the award of the Jabbeke bridge painting to De Medts was rejected — and orders OIL to pay €200 roll fee and €700 procedural indemnity to the Flemish Region.
A 'this RFP is not a public contract' clause doesn't make you a private player — BPOST remains an administrative authority
The Council of State holds it has jurisdiction over BPOST's award of a water-fountain contract (estimated €150,000 over 5 years) to John Martin despite the express RFP clause that 'public procurement legislation does not apply' — but dismisses Aquacare's appeal for lack of interest in its grounds.
If you request documents via both freedom-of-information and art. 877 Judicial Code, you implicitly pick one track
The Council of State declares itself incompetent to rule on Jérouville's appeal against SRWT's partial refusal to provide documents about modifications to the Charleroi metro contract, because Jérouville was already requesting the same documents via art. 877 of the Judicial Code in her damages procedure before the Namur court.
You can't count the same 8 staff for two different personnel profiles — or you lose your selection
The Council of State dismisses K. Verstraete & Zoon's annulment appeal against the €6.5 million road-lighting contract awarded to nv VSE because Verstraete used the same 8 staff for both 'defects/breakdowns' and 'new construction', while the specifications required 29 separate profiles for lot 5.
For public procurement at the Council of State, there's only one track — emergency suspension, nothing else
The Council of State rejects Niezen Traffic's suspension request against a €5,541 radar contract from the Brunehaut municipality because it was filed under the 'ordinary' procedure, while public procurement only allows the emergency suspension procedure.
Two of four partners cannot drag the temporary association to the Council of State alone
The Council of State dismisses the emergency suspension request against the award of the Halle al Chair (Namur) restoration design because only two of the four original members of the temporary association 'Sébastien Mouffe Subway - Carole Brunin' had filed the appeal.
Won a suspension earlier? Make absolutely sure to file the annulment in time — otherwise your win evaporates
The Council of State lifts the earlier suspension (judgment 229,104) of a CPAS Brussels medicines procurement because the applicants never filed an annulment request — and refuses the requested procedural indemnity because the amount was never specified.
What you didn't impose 'on pain of substantial non-conformity' you can't later treat as essential
The Council of State suspends SPGE's decision to retroactively declare Carmeuse's bid irregular for deviating from a technical specification that the specifications had NOT marked 'on pain of substantial non-conformity' — and which cannot be promoted to essential after the fact.
Announcing four award criteria and quietly using three — voidable
The Council of State annuls the award to Alineater because the municipality of Aubange had announced four award criteria in its tender documents but completely ignored the fourth (energy references) when comparing bids — and admitted having done so.
A clarification sheet the contracting authority asked for itself — then ignored: without explanation, the award cannot stand
The Council of State suspends in extreme urgency the award of the design team for the Grand Théâtre in Verviers because the city set aside a clarifying table it had itself requested from a candidate team, without explaining why, and additionally failed to motivate the rejection on scenography.
A 'bankruptcy' from Digiflow dating from when you were 7 years old: blind trust in a database costs Verviers the award
The Council of State suspends in extreme urgency the exclusion of an architects' team from the Verviers contract because the city declared an architect 'bankrupt' on the basis of a Digiflow record that actually referred to an automotive activity closed in 2003 — and to a start date (1965) when the man was 7 years old.
Awarding points with 'value added' and 'value lost' without saying how many — does not hold up
The Council of State suspended the award to Sefac for tram lifting columns at De Lijn because the evaluation report assigns points using labels like 'value added', 'significant value lost' and 'very large value added' without ever explaining how many points each is worth.
If your own bid says 'average 100 dB', the authority can use that against you
The Council of State dismissed Fire Technics' urgent application: the specifications required 'less than 100 dB(A)' as an essential requirement, and Fire Technics' own bid said 'average 100 dB(A)' and elsewhere '100.1 dB(A)' — so the authority could reject it based on Fire Technics' own documents, without first testing.
Cancelling a procedure because the specifications are unclear is allowed — even if you weren't confused
The Council of State confirms: a contracting authority may decide not to award a lot and to relaunch with improved specifications, and a bidder saying 'but I understood it' is not enough to overturn that decision.
'Cheap Indian subcontractor' isn't a price justification — especially when the buyer checks your sample and finds it full of errors
CICADE bid less than a quarter of the estimate and about a third of winner Pixelius's price for digitising Wallonia's landscape features, and justified it with one sentence about an Indian subcontractor at "just a few dollars per hour" — the Council of State upholds the exclusion for abnormally low price because the justification wasn't quantified, gave no hourly rate, and didn't include correction time after quality control.
When your consultant becomes your supplier: that doesn't break the award — but only if your procurement design has already flattened the advantage
The Belgian National Office for Annual Leave first had A.O.S. (later Colliers) draw a dynamic-office concept for its new Rigoletto building, then awarded the furniture contract to that same Colliers, and the Council of State refuses to suspend: a prior-involvement situation under article 64 of the Royal Decree on Placement 2011 doesn't automatically force the buyer to formally verify the competitive advantage, provided the procurement architecture itself neutralizes that advantage.
If you withdraw your award after a UDN is filed, you still pay the costs — even if the case becomes 'moot'
The City of Antwerp withdrew its award to Ferro-Seaport after Wolters-Mabeg filed for extreme urgency — the Council dismisses the application as moot, but still orders the city to pay €700 procedural indemnity and €200 court fee to the applicant.
Refusing to bid because the specifications are 'clearly unlawful' and then complaining — the Council calls that a lack of diligence
A competitor that filed no application for the reissued helihaven concession and only sought suspension four months after publication came up empty — anyone who genuinely considers a tender specification unlawful must first raise it with the authority or the Council, not let the deadline lapse and then complain.
'Best on two criteria beats best on one' is not a motivation — it's an arithmetic error
The Council of State suspends Infrabel's award to Schenck Process for 15 train weighing systems because the contracting authority simply added up two of three criteria against one, without weighing the actual gap between bids per criterion — while Lloyd's Register was €1.65 million cheaper.
A lowest price is not 'abnormally low' when it sits 45% above the authority's own estimate
Although the winning bid on a single sub-item was seven times lower than the applicant's, the Council of State refused to suspend the award — because the price still sat 45% above the contracting authority's estimate, and thus did not trigger the statutory duty to seek price justification.
Declaring a bid 'substantially irregular' requires more than a copy-paste sentence
The Council of State suspended the award because IFAPME declared Froireca's bid irregular using a generic phrase about 'comparability' and 'competition', without concretely explaining why the deviation was material — and what was added later in pleadings does not count.
Cover letters count: "valid for 1 month" alongside your bid = materially irregular, bid binned
Dolmans Landscaping wrote in the cover letter accompanying its bid for weed management across seven Limburg municipalities that "this offer is valid until 1 month after the offer date" — Infrax declared the bid materially irregular for deviating from the bid validity period of 90 days set out in the specifications, and the Council of State agreed: the cover letter could be read as part of the offer, even though it was not a completed tender form.
An authority need not publish its estimate — and need not separately warn the previous contractor
The Council of State rejects the urgent suspension by a supplier who filed no bid and complained afterwards that the City of Ghent had not included its estimate in the notice and had not warned her personally about the new fruit and vegetables framework agreement.
Punishing a water thief is fine — but not as a ground to withdraw an earlier award decision
The Council of State suspended both the award to SACE and the withdrawal of the earlier award to Marcel Theis, because the Commune de Gouvy tried to undo the original award based on a water theft only discovered afterwards — breaching the retrait doctrine.
'Removing' a sub-item at evaluation because it won't be executed is not allowed — even if it changes the winner
The Council of State suspends IGEMO's award to Gebroeders Van Den Bogerd because the authority simply set aside sub-item 20 (raising with imported soil) at evaluation — while article 100 of the Royal Decree on procurement requires that all sub-items count in the total sum.
An authority that did not know the winner needed a licence cannot say 'the rival should have warned us'
The Council of State annuls the award of parking-meter emptying to Apcoa Belgium because Apcoa, since a 2012 amendment, did not hold the required private security licence — a public order law the authority itself should have checked at selection.
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