Public Procurement
Discover what public procurement means in legal practice: how lawyers guide public authorities and companies through tender procedures, what they do day to day, the career ladder, and how students prepare for an internship or traineeship.
Introduction
What is public procurement?
Public procurement is the practice area setting the rules for how governments and other contracting authorities purchase works, supplies and services. Its purpose is fair, transparent and non-discriminatory access to these contracts for businesses.
A tender follows a fixed procedure: from the contract notice to the assessment of bids and the final award. Companies that disagree with an award decision can challenge it, often in summary proceedings.
Procurement lawyers advise both contracting authorities and bidding companies. The field touches administrative law because the counterparty is often the government, and competition law because fair competition is central.
The practice
Three settings where you practise this field
The breakdown below mainly says something about the type of client and which side of the table you sit on, not about the quality of the work.
At Dutch full-service firms, the procurement practice often sits close to administrative law, with clients on both sides of the table. Boutique firms specialise fully in procurement law. At the legal department of a contracting authority, you work in-house on the tenders the organisation itself runs.
What they do
What procurement lawyers do
The work differs by matter, but the building blocks below come up in almost every tender.
Legal framework
The key legislation
Public procurement revolves around a set of core statutes that keep recurring, even though application differs by sector and type of contract.
Practice areas
The main sub-areas
Public procurement is broad, and most lawyers specialise within one of the sub-areas below.
Step by step
How a tender procedure unfolds
Most public tenders follow a similar path, from the contract notice to the final award. For more complex contracts, assessing bids can take considerable time.
Who does which step depends on seniority. Junior lawyers work out the tender documents and assessments in detail, while senior lawyers set strategy and conduct summary proceedings.
Not every tender proceeds unopposed: a rejected bidder can start summary proceedings during the standstill period, which can significantly delay the final award.
Roles
Roles in the procurement practice
Each step up the ladder shifts the emphasis further from drafting documents toward setting procurement strategy and conducting summary proceedings. Most lawyers climb this ladder at the same firm, though moving between firms at any level is common.
Student intern
Supports lawyers during an internship alongside or after studies.
Trainee lawyer
The mandatory three-year traineeship straight after graduating.
Lawyer / Associate
Handles matters independently after being admitted to the bar.
Senior Associate
Leads more complex procurement matters and mentors junior lawyers.
Partner
Holds ultimate responsibility for clients and the practice group.
Career timeline
How long each step takes
The legal profession has a fixed statutory basis for the first step: a traineeship in the Netherlands generally lasts three years and is mandatory for every starting lawyer, regardless of practice area. After that, the pace of progression depends heavily on the firm and on individual performance.
After the traineeship, the emphasis shifts from drafting documents to independently leading tender matters and conducting summary proceedings. Making partner takes more than ten years of legal experience at most firms.
Not everyone climbs the whole ladder at the same firm. Some lawyers move into a legal role at a contracting authority, bringing their experience with them.
| Level | Typical time in role |
|---|---|
| Advocaat-stagiair | 3 years, mandatory by law |
| Advocaat / Associate | 3 to 5 years |
| Senior Associate | 2 to 4 years |
| Partner | top level, 10+ years in total |
Compensation
Compensation in the legal profession
Compensation in the legal profession usually consists of a fixed salary that rises with seniority, and at some firms a variable bonus tied to individual and firm performance. Public procurement does not differ materially in pay structure from other practice areas at the same firm.
The ranges below are general indications for larger Dutch and international firms, and do not apply specifically to this practice area or to any particular firm. Actual pay varies by firm, region and role, and is listed where known in the individual vacancies on this site.
From partner level, the nature of compensation changes. A partner typically shares in the firm's profits rather than receiving a fixed salary, which ties pay more closely to their own client portfolio and the results of the practice group as a whole.
| Level | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| Advocaat-stagiair | €60.000 – €75.000 |
| Advocaat / Associate | €75.000 – €110.000 |
| Senior Associate | €120.000 – €160.000 |
| Partner | €200.000 – €500.000+ |
Ranges are general indications for the Dutch legal profession, not specific to this practice area or a particular firm. See the vacancy pages for concrete salary figures where a firm publishes them.
A day in the life
A typical day for a junior lawyer
The day often starts with reviewing tender specifications or preparing advice on whether a contract is subject to tendering. On days without a hearing, much of the time goes into drafting tender documents and assessing bids.
A procurement lawyer often works on several procedures at once, each with its own deadlines fixed tightly in the procurement rules. That requires strict planning, since a missed deadline can invalidate a bid.
On a day with summary proceedings, the pace shifts entirely. The lawyer prepares the pleading, anticipates the other side, and supports the client during the hearing.
Juniors
What trainee lawyers do
Junior lawyers carry much of the research and drafting work a procurement opinion or proceeding rests on, under the supervision of a supervising partner.
- Helping draft tender documents
- Drafting draft advice
- Case law and literature research
- Checking bids against stated requirements
- Preparing information notes
- Tracking procedural deadlines
- Sitting in on hearings
- Correspondence with the counterparty
Much of this work goes back and forth several times between trainee and supervisor before a document is filed. That repetition is not inefficiency, it is how a junior lawyer learns which requirements in a tender really matter.
Skills
Skills you will need
Legal knowledge gets the most attention in training, but the lawyers who stay longest often stand out through precision: being able to draft and review a tender document correctly down to the last detail.
Getting in
How you get into public procurement
Most routes run through a law master's with a specialisation in administrative law or European law, followed by an internship or traineeship at a firm. An affinity with government as a client is a plus.
Preparation
How to prepare as a student
Preparation works best when it starts well before the application. Firms test not only legal knowledge, but also whether someone can think precisely and procedurally.
Compare
Public Procurement versus other practice areas
These practice areas often overlap in the same matters, which is why students sometimes mix them up. The distinction mainly lies in who the client is and which part of the process is at the centre.
Public Procurement vs Administrative Law
Administrative Law covers the broader legal relationship between a citizen or business and the government. Public Procurement focuses specifically on a contracting authority's purchasing procedure.
Public Procurement vs Commercial
Commercial drafts the contract after award. Public Procurement oversees the process that precedes that contract.
Public Procurement vs Dispute Resolution
Dispute Resolution conducts the broader procedural law. Public Procurement applies that procedural law specifically to disputes over an award decision.
Public Procurement vs Antitrust, Competition & Trade
Antitrust protects fair competition between businesses generally. Public Procurement protects fair competition specifically in public contracts.
Public Procurement vs ESG
ESG covers sustainability regulation broadly. Public Procurement touches this specifically through sustainable public purchasing by contracting authorities.
Employers
Firms with a procurement practice in the Netherlands
A selection of firms with a verified public procurement practice in the Netherlands. We only name firms whose practice group has been confirmed.
Both firms combine procurement law with a broader administrative or corporate law practice.
Dutch full-service firms
Pels Rijcken
Van DoorneVacancies
Public Procurement vacancies
We only show real, current openings with a link to the employer. Internships, traineeships and lawyer roles appear here. In the meantime, browse all current vacancies.
View all vacanciesResources
Recommended resources
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is public procurement?
Public procurement is the practice area setting the rules for how governments and other contracting authorities purchase works, supplies and services.
Why does procurement law exist?
Procurement law ensures fair, transparent and non-discriminatory access to public contracts, so that businesses from across the EU can compete on equal terms.
What does a procurement lawyer do day to day?
Procurement lawyers set up tender procedures, draft tender documents, assess bids, conduct summary proceedings against award decisions, and advise on the duty to tender.
What is a standstill period?
The standstill period is the mandatory waiting time between the provisional and final award, during which a rejected bidder can challenge the award decision, for example in summary proceedings.
What is the difference between classic sectors and utilities sectors?
Classic sectors concern regular public contracts for works, supplies and services. Utilities sectors concern tenders in water, energy, transport and postal services, with their own EU directive and partly different rules.
What is the Committee of Procurement Experts?
The Committee of Procurement Experts handles complaints about tender procedures as a low-threshold alternative to going to court.
What skills do you need for public procurement?
Precise writing, analytical thinking, procedural instinct, attention to detail, and the ability to work under the pressure of tight tender deadlines.
How do I get into this field as a student?
Take electives in administrative law or European law, do an internship at a firm or contracting authority, and apply to structured traineeships that offer a rotation in this field.
Related
Related legal paths
Start your journey in public procurement
Browse open vacancies or discover the other legal career paths.