What Is a Public Contract in the Czech Republic: Act No. 134/2016 Coll. (on Public Procurement) Explained for Suppliers

If your company is considering its first participation in Czech public procurement, you will encounter the abbreviation ZZVZ almost immediately. This refers to Act No. 134/2016 Coll., on public procurement (Czech: zákon o zadávání veřejných zakázek), which replaced the previous Act No. 137/2006 Coll. on 1 October 2016 and transposed EU Directives 2014/24/EU and 2014/25/EU into Czech law. ZZVZ is the foundational legal framework that every public contracting authority must follow when purchasing goods, services or works using public funds.

This guide explains everything that matters: what the law considers a public contract, how contracts are classified by subject matter and value, what procurement procedures exist, and where you can find contracts as a supplier.

Definition of a Public Contract under Section 2 of Act No. 134/2016 Coll.

A public contract is defined under Section 2(1) of Act No. 134/2016 Coll. (on public procurement) as a paid contract concluded between a contracting authority and one or more suppliers, the subject matter of which is the supply of goods, the provision of services, or the execution of works. Three keywords are central: consideration (paid nature), contracting authority, and subject matter of performance.

Who Is a Contracting Authority

The Act distinguishes several types of contracting authorities:

• Public contracting authority (Section 4): the state, state-funded organisations, regional and local self-governing bodies (regions, municipalities), their subsidised organisations, and other legal entities meeting the statutory criteria (e.g. being funded more than 50% from public sources).
• Subsidised contracting authority (Section 5): a private entity that receives a subsidy exceeding CZK 200,000,000 or 50% of the estimated contract value for a specific contract.
• Sectoral contracting authority (Section 6): an entity carrying out so-called relevant activities in the fields of energy, transport, postal services or water management.

For suppliers, it is important to note that the applicable procedure differs depending on the type of contracting authority. Sectoral contracting authorities are governed by Part 3 of the Act and operate under more flexible rules than public contracting authorities.

Subject Matter of a Public Contract

The Act, in Section 14, divides contracts into three subject-matter categories:

Where a contract combines multiple categories, the classification is determined by the so-called main subject matter, which is identified based on the highest estimated value among the individual parts (Section 17).

Every contract must be assigned a CPV code (Common Procurement Vocabulary) — an eight-digit numerical code from the European classification system, for example CPV 72000000-5 for IT services or CPV 45000000-7 for construction works. Correct CPV code assignment directly affects whether your company will discover a contract at all when searching.

Czech Public Procurement Thresholds for 2026

The estimated value of a contract determines which procedural rules the contracting authority must follow. The estimated value is the price exclusive of VAT, estimated by the contracting authority in accordance with Section 16 of Act No. 134/2016 Coll.

Three Basic Value Bands

Below-threshold (small-scale) contracts (VZMR) fall below the lower threshold values. The contracting authority is not required to follow the statutory procedure for these, but must still observe the principles of transparency, proportionality and non-discrimination (Section 6 of Act No. 134/2016 Coll.). Many contracting authorities voluntarily publish small-scale contracts on their profiles, making them relevant for suppliers too.

Sub-threshold contracts sit above the VZMR boundary but below the EU thresholds. A simplified yet still legally regulated procedure applies to them.

Above-threshold contracts exceed the EU threshold values set by EU regulations, which are updated every two years on 1 January of an even-numbered year.

The specific values applicable from 1 January 2026 are as follows (for public contracting authorities other than central government bodies, rounded to the nearest CZK thousand at the EUR/CZK exchange rate):

Note: The precise EUR values are set by Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2495 and the current CZK conversion is published by the Ministry for Regional Development{target="_blank"}. Always verify the current exchange rate before submitting a bid.

For central government bodies (ministries and their subordinate organisations), a stricter threshold applies to supplies and services, historically around CZK 3,867,000.

Types of Procurement Procedures

Selecting the correct type of procedure is the contracting authority's obligation and depends on the contract value, its complexity and other circumstances. For suppliers, the procedure type matters because it determines the length of the process, the method of bid submission and the level of competition.

Open Procedure (Section 56)

The open procedure is the most common form for above-threshold contracts. The contracting authority publishes a call for tenders, anyone may submit a bid, and the contracting authority must evaluate every bid received. The minimum time limit for submitting tenders is 35 days from the publication of the notice in the Official Journal of the EU (for above-threshold contracts). Transparency is at its highest, and market entry for suppliers is straightforward.

Restricted Procedure (Section 61)

The restricted procedure involves a two-stage process: first, the contracting authority invites candidates to submit a request to participate and verifies their qualifications. Only shortlisted candidates (at least 5) then receive the procurement documents and may submit a tender. The contracting authority thus pre-filters competitors. The time limit for submitting requests to participate is at least 30 days.

Competitive Procedure with Negotiation (Section 68)

The competitive procedure with negotiation (JŘSU) allows the contracting authority to negotiate the terms of the contract with suppliers after assessing initial tenders. It may only be used when the statutory conditions are met — for example, where a tailored solution is required or where a complex IT architecture is involved. Suppliers must expect a longer process and active interaction with the contracting authority.

Negotiated Procedure without Prior Publication (Section 63)

The negotiated procedure without prior publication (JŘBU) is an exceptional procedure in which the contracting authority directly approaches one or more specific suppliers without a public notice. Its use is strictly limited to the exhaustively listed grounds set out in Section 63 of Act No. 134/2016 Coll., such as extreme urgency arising from unforeseeable events, a technical monopoly, or follow-on supplies from the original supplier (for a maximum of 3 years). Misuse of JŘBU is among the most frequently identified violations investigated by the Office for the Protection of Competition (ÚOHS){target="_blank"}.

Competitive Dialogue (Section 73)

Competitive dialogue applies to particularly complex contracts where the contracting authority is unable to precisely define the subject matter of performance before the procedure begins. It is typically used for large-scale infrastructure projects or innovative IT systems. The contracting authority conducts a dialogue with candidates, on the basis of which it subsequently formulates the procurement conditions. This is a time-consuming and administratively demanding process.

Simplified Sub-threshold Procedure (Section 53)

The simplified sub-threshold procedure is reserved exclusively for sub-threshold contracts. The contracting authority invites at least 5 suppliers in writing to submit a tender, and must also publish the invitation on its contracting authority profile. The minimum time limit for submitting tenders is 15 days. This is the most common type of procedure that suppliers entering the public market will encounter, and it is less administratively burdensome than above-threshold procedures.

Procedure Comparison Overview

Contracting Authority Profile, VVZ and NEN: Where to Find Contracts

One of the most frequent questions from new suppliers is: where do I actually find public contracts? There are three key sources.

Contracting Authority Profile

The contracting authority profile is an electronic tool on which contracting authorities are required to publish information about contracts (Section 214 of Act No. 134/2016 Coll.). Every public contracting authority must have a registered profile in NIPEZ (National Infrastructure for Electronic Procurement). A list of profiles can be found at portal.nipez.cz{target="_blank"}. On their profile, contracting authorities publish calls for tenders, procurement documents, amendments and results. Regularly monitoring the profiles of relevant contracting authorities is a fundamental part of market research for suppliers.

Public Procurement Journal (VVZ)

The Public Procurement Journal (VVZ) is the central register of notices, available at vestnikverejnychzakazek.cz{target="_blank"}. Contracting authorities are required to publish notices of the commencement of a procedure, its outcome and the conclusion of a contract here for contracts above the statutory thresholds. The VVZ is linked to the European TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) platform for above-threshold contracts.

Basic searching in the VVZ is free of charge and allows filtering by CPV code, NUTS region, type of contracting authority or publication date.

NEN: National Electronic Tool

NEN (National Electronic Tool) is the state-operated platform for electronic procurement, available at nen.nipez.cz{target="_blank"}. Many contracting authorities use NEN — mandatorily or voluntarily — for the entire procurement process: from publishing the call through communication with suppliers to submitting an electronic tender.

Other commonly used certified electronic tools include E-ZAK (originally developed by the South Moravian Region, now used by dozens of contracting authorities), TenderArena, and ezak.cz operated by QCM. Suppliers must be registered on the relevant tool before submitting a tender; registration is free of charge.

Centralised Procurement

Centralised procurement (Sections 9 and 189 of Act No. 134/2016 Coll.) allows a single central purchasing body to procure on behalf of a group of contracting authorities. In the Czech Republic, this role is fulfilled for example by the State Treasury Centre for Shared Services (SPCSS) for ICT commodities, or by regional central purchasing organisations. For suppliers, this means that a single contract can cover the needs of dozens of organisations — but competition is typically more intense and qualification requirements more stringent.

Supplier Qualification and Key Obligations

In order to submit a tender, a company must satisfy the qualification requirements under Section 73 et seq. of Act No. 134/2016 Coll. These consist of two parts:

Basic Eligibility (Section 74)

The supplier must demonstrate that it:

• Has not been convicted of selected criminal offences (criminal records extract).
• Has no outstanding tax liabilities (certificate from the tax authority).
• Has no outstanding social security contribution liabilities (certificate from the Czech Social Security Administration — ČSSZ).
• Is not in liquidation or insolvency proceedings.

Basic eligibility is demonstrated either by a statutory declaration or directly by the relevant documents.

Technical and Economic Qualification (Sections 78 and 79)

The contracting authority may require, for example:

• A list of reference contracts of a similar subject matter and value completed within the last 3 to 5 years.
• Certifications (ISO 9001, ISO 27001, etc.) or professional authorisations (trade licence, authorisation from ČKA/ČKAIT — the Czech Chamber of Architects / Czech Chamber of Authorised Engineers).
• A minimum annual turnover (economic qualification).

Requirements must be proportionate to the subject matter of the contract. Disproportionate qualification conditions can be challenged by filing an objection with the contracting authority (Section 241 of Act No. 134/2016 Coll.) or by lodging a complaint with the ÚOHS.

How to Monitor Contracts Effectively and Never Miss an Opportunity

The Czech public procurement market sees contracts awarded annually with a total value exceeding CZK 500,000,000,000. For suppliers, the greatest practical challenge is information fragmentation: contracts are published across dozens of different contracting authority profiles and several electronic tools simultaneously.

Effective monitoring includes:

• Setting up CPV alerts in the VVZ or in specialised tools that automatically track new contracts.
• Filtering by NUTS region if you operate locally (e.g. NUTS CZ064 for the South Moravian Region).
• Following the profiles of specific contracting authorities you want to work with, such as regional offices, hospitals or state-owned enterprises.
• Regularly checking the VVZ for sub-threshold contracts, which do not appear in the EU Official Journal.

A specialised platform such as mrickwood.cz/docs/leads aggregates data from the VVZ, NEN and other sources, and enables filtering by CPV code, value, region or type of contracting authority — significantly reducing the time spent on manual searching.

Before submitting your first tender, it is also advisable to review the current methodological statements issued by the Ministry for Regional Development (MMR){target="_blank"}, which continuously interpret Act No. 134/2016 Coll. and respond to the decision-making practice of both the ÚOHS and the courts. Understanding the legal framework reduces the risk of formal exclusion of a tender and increases the chances of successful participation in one of the largest segments of the Czech B2B market.