What is ESPD?
The (European Single Procurement Document) ESPD is intended by the European Commission to remove some of the barriers to participation in public procurement, especially for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) . It helps to simplify the procurement process on both sides – public sector companies buying goods or services issue an ESPD request and potential suppliers respond to this, if they want to bid for the contract.
It provides the buyers with evidence that the supplier meets minimum criteria to progress to the next stage of the procurement process. The good news is that the ESPD will replace the requirement for suppliers to provide up-front evidence of certificates by allowing them to self-declare. Suppliers will only be asked to provide proof at a later stage – so it helps to speed things up.