The Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE) is pleased to announce the release of a new publication: “A VIEW FROM ABOVE: Comparing Public Procurement Guidelines for Architects.”
This document was created in response to the European Commission’s Public Procurement Guidance for Practitioners(2018), which, while comprehensive, was not tailored specifically to the architectural sector. To address this, ACE reviewed and compared national procurement guidelines for architects from five Member Organisations—Denmark, France, Germany, Latvia, and Sweden—to identify shared priorities and valuable insights.
🔍 What’s inside?
- A synthesis of best practices and recurring recommendations found across national guidelines
- Seven key elements identified as essential for architectural procurement, recognized by at least two of the national guides
- Links to full versions of each national guideline for further reference
This summary is designed to:
- Serve as inspiration for countries looking to revise or develop their own procurement guidelines
- Help local authorities and planners improve the quality and consistency of procurement processes
- Foster greater understanding of how architects can be better included in public procurement procedures
Please note: Specific procedural recommendations were intentionally excluded due to their variation across Member States. For procedural guidance, we recommend consulting our companion publication on open vs. restricted procedures.
📄 From Denmark’s succinct 2-page summary to Germany’s detailed 93-page guide, this comparative review offers something for every stakeholder involved in architectural procurement.
Download the publication here.
