Antwerp Port Authority’s calls for tender now only in electronic form
In recent years Antwerp Port Authority has been working hard to digitise its administrative processes. As part of this effort all its calls for tender will be issued only in electronic form as of 1 July, the Port Authority news release said. This will simplify the administrative process and greatly reduce the amount of paperwork not only for the Port Authority itself but also for tenderers.
Electronic tendering is already obligatory for federal government authorities but not yet for local authorities including Antwerp Port Authority. Despite this the Port Authority already went ahead with e-tendering as of the beginning of this year, as part of its quest for greater efficiency. The first two tenders for a Port Authority contract were submitted via the e-tendering platform on 18 February. Many more followed soon after, with candidates being able to choose either paper or electronic form during a transition period. As of 1 July this option will no longer be available, and all tenders must be submitted in electronic form as of then. “The system is already running so well that we’ll be able to go all-digital sooner than planned,” says Brigitte Piraux of the tenders department. “Thanks to digitisation we’ll be able to process the tenders much more quickly, which will benefit not only the Port Authority but also the tendering companies.”
The e-tendering application has been set up by the federal government. It permits contractors, service providers and suppliers to submit tenders fully electronically, with a secure electronic signature. When a tender is electronically “opened” the tenderer is automatically notified, with confirmation of whether or not it has been received in time.
