Simap

What is simap?

simap (Informationssystem uber das offentliche Beschaffungswesen) is Switzerland's official platform for public procurement publication. It's the central source for Swiss government tenders at federal, cantonal, and municipal levels.

While Switzerland isn't an EU member, its procurement rules align substantially with EU principles through bilateral agreements. simap serves a similar function to national EU portals, providing transparency and access to Swiss public sector opportunities.

Who runs it?

simap is operated jointly by the Swiss Confederation, cantons, and municipalities through the Association simap.ch. This shared governance reflects Switzerland's federal structure, where procurement authority is distributed across levels of government.

The platform has been operational since 2003, making it one of Europe's longer-established e-procurement systems.

What contracts are published?

Mandatory publication:

• Federal government contracts above thresholds
• Cantonal contracts above thresholds
• Contracts covered by GPA (WTO Government Procurement Agreement)

Voluntary:

• Below-threshold opportunities (increasingly common)
• Municipal contracts
• Public enterprise procurement

Switzerland applies GPA thresholds rather than EU thresholds, though the values are broadly similar.

Language requirements

Switzerland has four national languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh. simap operates in German, French, and Italian. Tender documentation is typically published in the language of the issuing authority's region:

• German-speaking cantons: German documentation
• French-speaking cantons (Romandie): French documentation
• Italian-speaking Ticino: Italian documentation

Federal tenders may be published in multiple languages. International tenders sometimes include English, but this isn't standard.

Access for international suppliers

Switzerland's participation in the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) means suppliers from GPA member countries (including EU, US, Canada, Japan, and others) have access rights to Swiss procurement above GPA thresholds.

In practice, Swiss procurement is accessible to international suppliers, particularly in sectors like IT, consulting, infrastructure, and specialised equipment.

Strengths

• Comprehensive national coverage: Federal, cantonal, and much municipal procurement
• Multi-language interface: German, French, Italian
• Good search functionality: Filter by region, category, value
• Transparent: Award notices and statistics available
• Free access: No cost to search and view opportunities

Limitations

• Not EU-integrated: Swiss tenders don't appear on TED
• Multi-language complexity: Need capability in relevant language for each tender
• Registration for bidding: Account required for document access and submission
• Swiss-specific rules: Procurement law differs from EU directives

The Swiss procurement market

Switzerland's public procurement market is substantial relative to its size, with high-value opportunities in infrastructure, healthcare, IT, financial services, and specialised manufacturing. The market is known for quality requirements and competitive pricing.

Our coverage

We monitor simap daily, providing coverage of Swiss procurement alongside our European sources. As Switzerland operates outside the EU framework, simap monitoring is essential for Swiss market access.

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