BOAMP, explained for firms bidding into France.
If you have only ever watched TED, you have been seeing the top slice of French public procurement. Most of the digital, communications and consultancy work French public buyers put out sits below the EU thresholds and is published nationally, in BOAMP. This page says what BOAMP is, what lands there, and what to expect if you bid.
What BOAMP is
BOAMP stands for Bulletin officiel des annonces des marchés publics: the French State's official journal for public procurement notices. It is published by DILA, the government's legal and administrative information directorate, and it is available at boamp.fr with an open-data feed. A notice in BOAMP is the legal act of publicity for the buyer; it is where a French buyer proves they advertised the contract.
Who must publish there, and from what value
- From 90,000 euros excluding VAT. Once a public buyer estimates a need at 90,000 euros HT or more, and it sits below the EU formal-procedure thresholds, the buyer must publish a call for competition in BOAMP or in a newspaper authorised to carry legal notices (a JAL). In practice most State bodies and many local authorities use BOAMP.
- Above the EU thresholds. When the estimated value crosses the EU thresholds (revised every two years by the European Commission), the notice must be published in BOAMP and in the Official Journal of the European Union, which is what TED carries. So the biggest French contracts appear in both places; the middle band appears only in BOAMP.
- Below 90,000 euros. Buyers choose their own publicity, often only on their buyer platform (profil d'acheteur). Those notices are not in BOAMP and not in TED.
Why this matters for a digital agency. A website rebuild for a regional authority, a communications campaign for a public hospital, a data project for a ministry directorate: these routinely fall between 90,000 euros and the EU thresholds. If your only French source is TED, you never see them. TenderVerdict reads BOAMP directly every night for exactly this band.
What a BOAMP notice contains
The essentials a judge needs: the buyer (acheteur), the object of the contract (objet), the CPV codes, the estimated value where the buyer gives one, the procedure type, the deadline for offers (date limite de réception des offres), lots if the contract is split, and the address of the buyer platform where the full consultation file (the DCE, dossier de consultation des entreprises) sits. The documents themselves live on that platform, not in BOAMP.
BOAMP, TED and buyer platforms: how they fit
| Place | What it is | What you find there | TenderVerdict reads it |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOAMP | National official journal (DILA) | Notices from 90,000 euros HT up, including everything above the EU thresholds | Yes, nightly |
| TED | EU Official Journal supplement | French notices above the EU thresholds only | Yes, nightly |
| Buyer platforms (PLACE for the State, regional and commercial profils d'acheteur) | Where the consultation file is downloaded and offers are submitted | The full tender pack; also small notices below 90,000 euros | No: we judge the notice, you download the pack when you decide to bid |
What to expect if you bid
- Language. Notices and packs are in French. Offers are normally expected in French. A UK or non-French EU firm usually needs a French-speaking bid lead or a local partner.
- Paperwork. French procedures rely on standard declaration forms (the DC1 and DC2 candidate forms, or the European single procurement document, the DUME/ESPD) plus proof of tax and social contributions. Sign-off and submission happen electronically on the buyer platform.
- Deadlines. Adapted procedures (MAPA) between 90,000 euros and the EU thresholds can carry short deadlines. The notice date matters; TenderVerdict shows days remaining on every card.
- Post-Brexit access. UK firms can still bid for French public contracts; above the EU thresholds the UK's access is covered by the WTO Government Procurement Agreement and the UK-EU trade agreement. Below those thresholds it is the buyer's call, and most do not exclude non-French bidders.
How TenderVerdict uses it
We pull every new BOAMP notice in our service categories each night through the official open-data API, store it once, and judge it in French against your capability profile. If France is not in your profile's countries, French notices are filtered before judgment and counted in your footer line, not sent to you. If it is, the verdict tells you in English why the notice fits or does not.
Frequently asked questions
What is BOAMP?
The Bulletin officiel des annonces des marchés publics: the French State's official journal for public procurement notices, published by DILA, available at boamp.fr with open data.
From what value must a French buyer publish in BOAMP?
From an estimated value of 90,000 euros excluding VAT, a buyer must publish a call for competition in BOAMP or in a newspaper authorised for legal notices. Above the EU thresholds the notice must appear in BOAMP and in the EU's Official Journal, which TED carries.
Do French tenders appear on TED?
Only those above the EU thresholds. The large volume of French public work between 90,000 euros and the EU thresholds is published nationally in BOAMP and never reaches TED.
Can a UK firm bid for French public contracts?
Yes. Above the EU thresholds access is covered by international agreements; below them buyers set their own rules and most do not exclude foreign bidders. Expect to bid in French.
Where are the tender documents?
On the buyer's platform named in the notice, not in BOAMP itself. TenderVerdict judges the notice; you download the pack once you decide the tender deserves your time.
Does TenderVerdict translate French notices?
The judge reads the notice in French and writes the verdict and reasons in English. The original notice link is on every card.
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