Hankemenetlustes

Hankemenetlustes is an Estonian term used in public procurement discourse to refer to the procurement procedures or processes that govern how public authorities acquire goods, services, and works. It describes the legal and administrative framework as well as the sequence of actions—from planning and market analysis to tendering, evaluation, and contract management—that comprise the procurement cycle.

The word is formed from hankemenetlus (procurement procedure) with the suffix -tes, a form commonly appearing in Estonian to indicate a plural or contextual sense such as "in procurement procedures." It is frequently encountered in government documents, standards, and legal texts that outline how procurements should be planned, advertised, evaluated, and awarded.

The scope of hankemenetlustes typically includes planning and market analysis, drafting and publishing tenders, submission and evaluation of bids, selection of suppliers, contract award, and ongoing contract management and oversight. Core principles associated with the term are transparency, non-discrimination, proportionality, equal treatment, and accountability, with compliance grounded in national procurement laws and, within the European Union, applicable directives and regulations.

In English, equivalents are usually rendered as "procurement processes" or "procurement procedures." The term is primarily used in Estonian-language materials related to public procurement and governance and may be less familiar outside specialist legal and administrative contexts.