Kilpailutettujen

Kilpailutettujen is a Finnish term used in the context of public procurement to describe parties that have participated in a competitive bidding process. It refers mainly to bidders or tenderers who have submitted proposals in response to a request for bids issued by a contracting authority. The phrase is commonly encountered as a genitive plural form, for example kilpailutettujen tarjoajien ehdotukset, meaning the proposals of the bidders.

The concept stems from kilpailuttaminen, the act of awarding contracts through competition among suppliers. In a typical procedure, a procurement notice is published, eligibility criteria are defined, bids are evaluated, and a contract is awarded to the most advantageous tender. The term kilpailutettujen denotes those entities that have joined the process and may be assessed, shortlisted, or awarded contracts. It is often used in legal or administrative texts to describe this group or their actions within the procedure.

In Finnish procurement language, it is useful to distinguish kilpailuttamisen from kilpailuttamaton sourcing, i.e., competitive versus non-competitive procurement. Kilpailutettujen contrasts with situations where procurement is done without open competition, such as direct purchases or negotiated procedures with limited competition.

Etymology: kilpailutettu derives from the verb kilpailuttaa, meaning “to make or engage in competition (in bidding).” The noun form kilpailutus refers to the bidding process, and the genitive plural kilpailutettujen marks possession or association with the group of bidders.

See also: kilpailuttaminen, tarjous, tarjoaja, toimittaja, hankintalainsäädäntö.