How to do Business with CERN

CERN purchases goods and services according to its Procurement Rules. Contracts or orders are awarded to suppliers or service providers following a selective procurement procedure involving Price Enquiries (contracts below 200 kCHF) or Invitations to Tender (contracts above 200 kCHF).

Below 200 kCHF CERN will send a Price Enquiry to selected firms. To be contacted by CERN, firms are encouraged to register in CERN's Suppliers Database and indicate their core activities, or to contact a CERN Procurement Officer.

Above 200 kCHF firms must participate in a Market Survey. Firms will either receive the Market Survey from CERN if they are already known (registered in CERN's Suppliers Database or in contact with the relevant Procurement Officer or Technical Contact) or be able to download the documents from our Market Surveys and Calls for Tender page. Firms are also encouraged to contact the Industrial Liaison Officer in their country.

On the basis of their reply to the Market Survey, CERN will select firms that are qualified and meet its requirements before inviting them to tender. CERN's Procurement rules define two adjudication principles: "lowest compliant" or "best-value-for-money" (for service contracts). The adjudication basis will be specified at the Market Survey stage.

The Country of Origin for supplies and services shall be CERN Member States, unless stated otherwise for an individual contract procedure.

Forthcoming Invitations to Tender are announced and kept up-to-date on the Market Surveys and Calls for Tender page.

Definitions

Service contracts are contracts between CERN and a contractor for the provision of services to be executed on the CERN site.

Supply contracts cover any contract that is not defined as a service contract. Supply contracts include research and development contracts, telecommunications and insurance contracts as well as maintenance and leasing contracts covering data processing, printing and telecommunications equipment.

Country of Origin is defined as the country in which the supplies (including their components and sub-assemblies) are manufactured or undergo the last major transformation by the contractor or his sub-contractor(s). The country of origin for services and civil-engineering work is defined as the country in which the bidder is established.

CERN Member States are currently Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel*, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania**, Serbia*, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

* Associate Member State in the pre-stage to Membership
** Candidate for accession