When relocating an office, the following applies: government institutions and semi-public organisations are legally required to tender above certain threshold values. Private companies may in principle always award contracts privately, unless internal governance or subsidy agreements stipulate otherwise. The choice between the two routes has major consequences for lead time, freedom of selection and the ultimate choice of partner. This article answers the most frequently asked questions about tendering and private award for an office relocation.

When is an organisation required to tender?

An organisation is required to tender when it falls under the Public Procurement Act 2012 and the contract exceeds the applicable threshold values. This applies to government services, provinces, municipalities, water boards and semi-public institutions such as hospitals and educational institutions. Commercial companies without public funding are in principle free in their choice of relocation partner.

For services such as relocations, European threshold values apply that are periodically revised. In 2026, the European threshold for services for central government authorities is generally around €143,000, and slightly higher for decentralised authorities. If the contract remains below the threshold, an organisation can opt for a multiple private tender procedure in which it invites a limited number of parties itself. Above the threshold, an open or restricted European tendering procedure is mandatory.

In addition to the statutory threshold values, internal rules also play a role. Many organisations maintain their own procurement or tendering policy with lower limit amounts. A facilities manager would do well to first consult their own procurement policy before choosing the procedure.

What are the steps in a formal tendering procedure for a relocation?

A formal tendering procedure for a business relocation follows fixed steps: preparation and market exploration, publication of the notice, request via a specification or programme of requirements, evaluation of tenders, award decision and contract conclusion. The lead time for an open procedure can easily take three to six months.

Preparation: Draw up a programme of requirements. Describe the scope of the relocation, special items, desired planning, sustainability requirements and service levels.
Market exploration: Explore the market to verify whether the request is realistic. This may be done informally, but must not influence the procedure.
Publication: Publish the notice via TenderNed or the European publication platform, depending on the threshold value.
Note of information: Answer all questions from candidates in writing. All answers are public to all tenderers.
Evaluation: Assess tenders on the basis of pre-established award criteria such as price, quality, sustainability and planning.
Award and standstill period: Inform all tenderers of the award decision. Then observe a standstill period of at least twenty days before the contract is signed.

Transparency and equal treatment are legally required throughout the entire procedure. Deviations from the procedure can lead to legal proceedings by rejected parties.

How does private award work for an office relocation?

Private award means that an organisation approaches one or more removal companies for a quote itself, without a public notice. In a single private tender procedure, you ask one party for an offer. In a multiple private tender procedure, you typically invite two to five parties and compare their quotes based on your own criteria.

The multiple private tender procedure is the most commonly used route for business relocations among SMEs and for public contracts below the threshold value. The organisation sets its own selection criteria, determines which parties are invited and evaluates the quotes internally. There is no statutory publication obligation, but there is an obligation to evaluate objectively if the contract is publicly funded.

The advantage of private award is the speed and the freedom to select a relocation partner based on trust, experience and specific expertise, such as knowledge of the petrochemical industry or experience with complex office environments. The disadvantage is that the procedure is less verifiable and must be accounted for internally in larger organisations.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of tendering versus private award?

Tendering offers maximum transparency and market competition, but requires considerably more time and preparation. Private award is faster and more flexible, but provides less guarantee that the market has been fully explored. The best choice depends on the size of the contract, the organisational structure and the time available.

Advantages and disadvantages of formal tendering

Advantage: Maximum transparency and demonstrable objectivity.
Advantage: Legally protected process that is difficult to challenge.
Advantage: Access to the entire market of removal companies.
Disadvantage: Long lead time of three to six months or more.
Disadvantage: High administrative burden for both the contracting authority and tenderers.
Disadvantage: Limited scope to change course during the procedure.

Advantages and disadvantages of private award

Advantage: Fast procedure, often completed within a few weeks.
Advantage: Freedom to select based on experience, references and trust.
Advantage: Lower administrative burden for both parties.
Disadvantage: Less demonstrable market competition, harder to justify internally for large amounts.
Disadvantage: Risk that the best party is not invited because the market has not been fully explored.

What criteria may you take into account when evaluating relocation quotes?

When evaluating relocation quotes, you may take both price and quality into account. Common award criteria are the total price, the proposed planning, relevant certifications, sustainability performance, references for comparable contracts and the quality of the project plan. In tendering procedures, the weighting of criteria must be established and published in advance.

Quality criteria that are increasingly taken into account for office relocations include:

Certifications: Erkend Projectverhuizer (EPV), VCA, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 are relevant quality marks that demonstrate professionalism and safety.
Sustainability: Due to CSRD regulations, more and more organisations are paying attention to CO2 emissions, the use of electric transport and the circular processing of office furniture.
Social return: Some contracting authorities require a percentage of the contract value to be spent on employing people who are distanced from the labour market.
Project plan and risk management: A concrete plan with clear responsibilities, milestones and a continuity guarantee carries significant weight in complex relocations.
References: Demonstrable experience with comparable clients in the same sector provides assurance about execution.

In a multiple private tender procedure, you may use the same criteria, but you have more freedom in the weighting. Do ensure that an internally recorded evaluation matrix is in place so that the decision can be justified afterwards.

How do you avoid common mistakes when tendering for a relocation?

The most common mistakes when tendering for an office relocation are an incomplete programme of requirements, insufficient time allocated for the procedure and award criteria that are only established after the fact. By recognising these mistakes early, the selection process runs more smoothly and you end up with a partner that genuinely matches the contract.

Concrete pitfalls to avoid:

Too vague a description of the contract: Describe not only the number of floors and boxes, but also special items such as server racks, works of art or climate-sensitive equipment. The more specific the specification, the more comparable the quotes.
Price as the only criterion: A relocation that goes wrong costs more than the difference in quoted price. Always weigh quality, planning and certifications.
Planning too short a lead time: A formal tendering procedure takes months. Start well in advance, especially if the relocation is tied to a lease contract date.
Not including a note of information: Give tenderers the opportunity to ask clarifying questions. This improves the quality of tenders and prevents misunderstandings.
Adjusting award criteria after the fact: Establish criteria and weighting before publication and do not change them afterwards. Adjusting them afterwards is legally vulnerable.
Not conducting a reference check: Always ask for references for comparable contracts and contact the referees before awarding the contract.

We regularly assist organisations with tendering processes for office relocations, from drawing up a programme of requirements to the final execution. With more than a hundred years of experience, certifications including EPV, VCA, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, and a national network through Top Movers, we have the track record that contracting authorities are looking for. Want to know more about what we can do for your organisation? View our offering for business relocations.

Veelgestelde vragen

Kan een commercieel bedrijf alsnog verplicht zijn aan te besteden, ook zonder publieke financiering?

Ja, dat kan. Commerciële bedrijven die subsidies of publieke middelen ontvangen, kunnen op grond van subsidievoorwaarden verplicht zijn een meervoudig onderhandse of zelfs formele procedure te volgen. Daarnaast schrijven sommige corporate governance-richtlijnen of interne inkoopreglementen een aanbestedingsplicht voor bij opdrachten boven een bepaald bedrag. Controleer dus altijd de subsidieovereenkomst én het eigen inkoopbeleid voordat u een route kiest.

Hoe stel ik een goed programma van eisen op voor een kantoorverhuizing?

Begin met een volledige inventarisatie van wat er verhuisd moet worden: aantal werkplekken, bijzondere objecten (serverkasten, kunst, archieven), gewenste verhuisdatum en eventuele fasering. Beschrijf daarnaast de serviceniveaus, duurzaamheidseisen en de gewenste communicatiestructuur tijdens het project. Hoe concreter en vollediger het programma van eisen, hoe beter vergelijkbaar de ontvangen offertes zijn en hoe kleiner de kans op meerkosten achteraf.

Wat gebeurt er als een afgewezen inschrijver bezwaar maakt tegen de gunningsbeslissing?

Een afgewezen inschrijver kan tijdens de standstill-periode van minimaal twintig kalenderdagen een kort geding aanspannen bij de rechtbank om de gunning te laten herzien of te blokkeren. Daarom is het essentieel dat gunningscriteria en wegingen vooraf zijn vastgelegd, dat de beoordeling gedocumenteerd is en dat de afwijzingsbrief een duidelijke motivering bevat. Een zorgvuldig gedocumenteerde procedure is de beste bescherming tegen succesvolle juridische aanvechting.

Mag ik tijdens een meervoudig onderhandse procedure onderhandelen over de prijs?

Bij een puur commerciële meervoudig onderhandse procedure is enige onderhandeling toegestaan, mits alle uitgenodigde partijen gelijk worden behandeld. Bij opdrachten met een publiekrechtelijk karakter of publieke financiering is onderhandelen na indiening van offertes echter risicovol: het kan de objectiviteit aantasten en intern moeilijk te verantwoorden zijn. Leg de spelregels rondom onderhandelen daarom vooraf schriftelijk vast in de uitnodiging tot inschrijving.

Hoe lang duurt een meervoudig onderhandse procedure gemiddeld in de praktijk?

Een meervoudig onderhandse procedure voor een kantoorverhuizing duurt doorgaans twee tot zes weken, afhankelijk van de complexiteit van de opdracht en de snelheid waarmee partijen offertes aanleveren. Plan minimaal één week in voor het opstellen van de uitvraag, één tot twee weken voor het indienen van offertes en een week voor de interne beoordeling en gunning. Door de beoordelingsmatrix vooraf klaar te hebben, voorkomt u vertraging in de besluitvormingsfase.

Welke certificeringen moet ik minimaal eisen van een verhuisbedrijf bij een complexe kantoorverhuizing?

Voor een professionele kantoorverhuizing zijn de certificering Erkend Projectverhuizer (EPV) en VCA (veiligheid) de minimale basisvereisten. Bij grotere of gevoeliger opdrachten is het raadzaam ook ISO 9001 (kwaliteitsmanagement) en ISO 14001 (milieumanagementsysteem) te eisen, zeker als duurzaamheid een gunningscriterium is. Vraag altijd naar geldige certificaten en controleer de geldigheid via de uitgevende instantie, want verlopen certificaten worden in offertes soms niet spontaan gemeld.

Wat is social return en hoe verwerk ik dit als eis in een aanbesteding voor een verhuizing?

Social return on investment (SROI) houdt in dat een percentage van de opdrachtwaarde — doorgaans 2 tot 5 procent — wordt besteed aan de inzet van mensen met een afstand tot de arbeidsmarkt, zoals via leer-werktrajecten of detachering. U verwerkt dit als een uitvoeringsvoorwaarde in het bestek: de opdrachtnemer is contractueel verplicht aan te tonen hoe hij invulling geeft aan de SROI-eis. Vraag inschrijvers om een concreet SROI-plan als onderdeel van hun inschrijving, zodat u de aanpak kunt meewegen in de beoordeling.

How does tendering versus direct award work for an office relocation?