Source: https://tendernation.io/glossary/espd Glossary # ESPD (European Single Procurement Document) The EU's standard self-declaration form for public tenders, which UK buyers replaced with their own selection questionnaire after leaving the EU. Updated 14 Oct 2026 The ESPD (European Single Procurement Document) is a standard form used across the European Union in which a supplier declares that it meets a tender's exclusion and selection requirements. It works as preliminary evidence, so suppliers only provide certificates and full proof if they are likely to win. ## What it means In the UK, the ESPD came in through [regulation 59 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/102/regulation/59/made), which required buyers to accept it as "an updated self-declaration as preliminary evidence" in place of certificates. After the UK left the EU, the UK version was renamed. [PPN 03/24](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ppn-0324-standard-selection-questionnaire-sq/ppn-0324-standard-selection-questionnaire-sq-html) says it replaces the ESPD with the Single Procurement Document (SPD), which is the standard [selection questionnaire](/glossary/selection-questionnaire) template. Under the Procurement Act 2023, neither form is the main tool. Suppliers register core information once on the [Central Digital Platform](/glossary/central-digital-platform) and share it with buyers, and buyers set any conditions of participation under section 22 of the Act. EU public buyers still use the ESPD, so you will meet it if you bid for contracts advertised on TED, the EU's tender journal. ## Why it matters for SMEs For a UK SME, "ESPD" now mostly appears in two places: older UK procurements that began before February 2025 and are still running, and tenders in EU member states. If you see a UK buyer asking for an ESPD in a new procurement, they are probably reusing an old template, and it is worth a polite clarification question. ## Practical tip If you bid into the EU, keep a completed ESPD on file in English and update it whenever your company details change. The ESPD was designed to be reused: regulation 59(6) allowed a supplier to reuse one from a previous procurement as long as it confirmed the information was still correct. For UK work, put that effort into your Central Digital Platform profile instead. Find tenders that fit your business Search UK, EU and World Bank tenders in one place, get AI summaries and a fit score for each one, and track bids in a pipeline. Professional comes with a 14-day free trial, no card needed. [Browse live tenders](/opportunities)[Start free trial ](/register) 14-day free trial, no card required Browse by sector - [Construction work](https://tendernation.io/sectors/construction-work)7180 - [Architecture, engineering & surveying](https://tendernation.io/sectors/architecture-engineering-surveying)4032 - [IT services](https://tendernation.io/sectors/it-services)1784 - [Business services](https://tendernation.io/sectors/business-services)2492 - [Health and social work](https://tendernation.io/sectors/health-social-work)1062 - [Sewage, refuse, cleaning & environmental](https://tendernation.io/sectors/sewage-refuse-cleaning-environmental)3512 [All sectors ](/sectors) ## Nearby terms - [DDirect awardAwarding a public contract to a supplier without a competitive tender, allowed only where a justification in the Procurement Act 2023 applies.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/direct-award) - [DDynamic marketA list of pre-qualified suppliers, open to new members throughout its life, from which buyers run competitions for individual contracts.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/dynamic-market) - [DDynamic purchasing system (DPS)An electronic, always-open list of qualified suppliers under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, replaced by dynamic markets for new procurements.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/dynamic-purchasing-system) - [EEvaluation weightingThe share of the total score given to each award criterion, showing bidders which parts of their tender matter most.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/evaluation-weighting) - [EExclusion grounds and the debarment listThe legal reasons a supplier can or must be barred from public contracts, and the central list of suppliers that Ministers have debarred.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/exclusion-grounds-debarment-list) - [FFind a TenderThe UK government's procurement notice service, which hosts the Central Digital Platform for notices and supplier registration under the Procurement Act 2023.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/find-a-tender) [Read our procurement guides ](/guides)