Guides / Public procurement thresholds 2026-2027: EU, UK, US, Canada
Public procurement thresholds 2026-2027: EU, UK, US, Canada
Thresholds decide which rules apply to a contract. Above them, a buyer must advertise widely (on TED in the EU, Find a Tender in the UK) and follow the full procedures; below them, simpler and often national-only procedures apply. All values below are checked against the official sources linked under each table.
Reviewed 8 Oct 2026 by the Bidstage team.
Threshold tables
EU procurement thresholds 2026-2027
1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027. Excluding VAT.
| Contract type | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Works contracts and works or services concessions | €5,404,000 |
| Supplies and services, central government authorities | €140,000 |
| Supplies and services, sub-central authorities (regions, cities, other bodies) | €216,000 |
| Supplies and services, utilities (water, energy, transport, postal) | €432,000 |
| Supplies and services, defence and security | €432,000 |
| Social and other specific services (Annex XIV) | €750,000 |
| Social and other specific services, utilities (Annex XVII) | €1,000,000 |
Source: European Commission, Delegated Regulations (EU) 2025/2150, 2025/2151, 2025/2152 and 2025/2487
UK Procurement Act 2023 thresholds from 1 January 2026
Procurements started on or after 1 January 2026. Including VAT.
| Contract type | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Works contracts (also utilities, concessions and defence works) | £5,193,000 |
| Goods, services or works for a central government authority | £135,018 |
| Goods, services or works for a sub-central authority (councils, NHS bodies and others) | £207,720 |
| Utilities, and defence and security, goods and services | £415,440 |
| Light touch contracts (for example health, social and education services) | £663,540 |
| Utilities light touch contracts | £884,720 |
Source: Cabinet Office, Procurement Policy Note 023: 2026 Threshold amounts (Annex A)
UK below-threshold notices (Procurement Act 2023, section 87)
In force since 24 February 2025. Including VAT.
| Contract type | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Advertised contracts of a central government authority must get a below-threshold tender notice from | £12,000 |
| Advertised contracts of any other authority (and all devolved Welsh authorities) from | £30,000 |
Source: Procurement Act 2023, section 87 (legislation.gov.uk)
US federal acquisition thresholds (FAR 2.101)
Since 1 October 2025 (FAC 2025-06 inflation adjustment). No VAT; contract value.
| Contract type | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Micro-purchase threshold (government purchase card, no competition required) | $15,000 |
| Simplified acquisition threshold (simplified procedures; generally reserved for small businesses above the micro-purchase threshold) | $350,000 |
Source: Federal Acquisition Regulation 2.101, Definitions (acquisition.gov)
Canada federal trade agreement thresholds 2026-2027
1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027. Excluding taxes, in Canadian dollars.
| Contract type | Threshold |
|---|---|
| CFTA (Canadian Free Trade Agreement), federal departments: goods | C$34,700 |
| CFTA, federal departments: services and construction | C$139,000 |
| CFTA, Crown corporations: goods and services | C$694,700 |
| WTO-GPA and CETA, federal departments: goods and services | C$239,200 |
| WTO-GPA and CETA, federal departments: construction | C$9,200,000 |
Source: CFTA Article 504.3 thresholds (cfta-alec.ca) and Global Affairs Canada threshold table
Switzerland international thresholds 2026-2027
1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027. Excluding VAT, in Swiss francs.
| Contract type | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Federal government (BöB): supplies and services | CHF 230,000 |
| Federal government (BöB): construction | CHF 8,700,000 |
| Cantons and communes (IVöB, under the WTO-GPA): supplies and services | CHF 350,000 |
| Cantons and communes (IVöB, under the WTO-GPA): construction | CHF 8,700,000 |
Source: Federal Act on Public Procurement (BöB, SR 172.056.1), Annex 4 (fedlex.admin.ch)
What changed on 1 January 2026
EU and UK thresholds are revised every two years to match the WTO Government Procurement Agreement, which sets them in special drawing rights. For 2026-2027 they went down by about two to three percent because of currency movements, so slightly smaller contracts now fall under the full rules.
| Threshold | 2024-2025 | 2026-2027 |
|---|---|---|
| EU works | €5,538,000 | €5,404,000 |
| EU central government supplies and services | €143,000 | €140,000 |
| EU sub-central supplies and services | €221,000 | €216,000 |
| UK works (inc. VAT) | £5,372,609 | £5,193,000 |
| UK central government (inc. VAT) | £139,688 | £135,018 |
| UK sub-central (inc. VAT) | £214,904 | £207,720 |
In the United States, the FAR micro-purchase threshold rose from $10,000 to $15,000 and the simplified acquisition threshold from $250,000 to $350,000 on 1 October 2025.
How to use the thresholds
- Value is the buyer's estimate for the whole contract, including options and renewals. EU thresholds exclude VAT; UK thresholds include it.
- Buyers may not split a contract to stay below a threshold.
- Contracts below the EU thresholds are still covered by national rules and EU Treaty principles when they are of cross-border interest, and are usually advertised on national portals.
Questions
What is the EU procurement threshold for services in 2026?
€140,000 for central government authorities and €216,000 for other (sub-central) authorities, excluding VAT, from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027. Social and other specific services have a €750,000 threshold.
What is the UK procurement threshold for 2026?
From 1 January 2026, £135,018 for goods and services bought by central government, £207,720 for sub-central authorities and £5,193,000 for works, all including VAT.
What are the US micro-purchase and simplified acquisition thresholds?
$15,000 and $350,000 respectively, under FAR 2.101 since 1 October 2025, with higher values for some contingency and emergency purchases.
When will EU thresholds change next?
The next revision takes effect on 1 January 2028, published by the European Commission in delegated regulations in late 2027.