Switzerland
Switzerland publishes public procurement on simap.ch — the Information System for Public Procurement (Informationssystem uber das offentliche Beschaffungswesen).
Data source
Otnox retrieves tenders from simap.ch every 2-4 hours, covering federal, cantonal, and municipal procurement.
Procurement framework
Switzerland is not an EU member but has bilateral agreements that open some procurement to international competition:
- The WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) applies to above-threshold tenders
- Federal procurement follows the BoeB (Bundesgesetz uber das offentliche Beschaffungswesen)
- Cantonal procurement follows IVoeB (Interkantonale Vereinbarung uber das offentliche Beschaffungswesen)
- Currency is Swiss Franc (CHF)
- Three official procurement languages: German, French, and Italian, depending on the region
Typical tender volume
Switzerland publishes approximately 1,000-1,500 new tenders per month. Despite the moderate volume, contract values tend to be high given Switzerland's cost of living and strong public budgets.
Key sectors
High-value procurement areas:
- Rail infrastructure (SBB/CFF/FFS)
- IT and digital services for federal agencies
- Healthcare and pharmaceutical
- Construction and building maintenance
- Environmental technology and clean energy
- Defence and security
Swiss tenders are published in the language of the region. German-speaking cantons dominate volume, but French and Italian regions have their own opportunities. Use Otnox keyword search in all three languages for complete coverage.
Tips for foreign bidders
- Quality standards are extremely high — lowest price rarely wins
- Swiss authorities value reliability and references from comparable projects
- International bidders must comply with Swiss labor and environmental standards
- Consider partnering with a local Swiss firm for cantonal-level tenders