Public tenders and RAL quality assurance
Benefits of quality marks at a glance
Contracting parties enjoy the following benefits if they recognise RAL quality marks in their tenders as verification of bidder suitability and technical specifications.
- Reliable criteria to determine bidder suitability
- State of the art standards of performance
- Requirements exceeding standards and statutory regulations
- Faster tendering procedures
- No detailed examination of bids
- Reliable contracting partner and unequivocal delivery conditions
The reason is the stringent quality and test regulations that products and services must fulfil encompassing all of the relevant characteristics before the RAL quality mark is awarded. Reliability and technical standards are equally as important as the technical product requirements or performance requirements. The RAL quality mark verifies that these requirements are fulfilled on a permanent basis. When contracting parties base their invitations to tender on the quality and test regulations, they can objectively accept the RAL quality mark as verification of the qualification of the bidder and the delivery conditions. This process fulfils all requirements of the law on the awarding of contracts.
Quality marks A-Z
The public procurement procedures regulation places strict limits on public tenders. These apply in particular to the transparency of the terms of tender, non-discrimination and equal treatment of bidders, performance and economic principles as well as taking the interests of small and medium-size companies into consideration.
Foreign companies are able to acquire the RAL quality mark for their products. The same conditions apply to all, namely that they must completely fulfil the quality and test regulations. Companies trading in some 30 countries around the globe offer products or services that have been awarded the RAL quality mark.
Quality assurance associations whose quality marks are particularly relevant to government contracts support authorities with regard to invitations to tender, for example, by suggesting wording or concrete performance specifications.
The quality and test regulations that a product or service must fulfil to be awarded a RAL quality mark encompass all of the relevant characteristics of a product or service. For example, these also include the demands placed on the bidder with regard to reliability, efficiency and competence. For that reason contracting parties can take into consideration the quality and test regulations as criteria to objectively judge the suitability of bidders and recognise the respective RAL quality mark as verification of certified standards.
Public invitations to tender based on RAL quality assurance fulfil these requirements completely, because the quality and test regulations are defined on a consensual basis together with impartial institutions such as industrial federations, consumer organisations, federal and state authorities as well as test institutes. That fully excludes preferential or discriminatory behaviour towards individual market participants.
An EU Directive (2014/24/EU) that came into force in 2014 confirms that public contracting authorities are entitled to refer to quality marks when they wish to procure construction performances, deliveries or services.
Public invitations to tender based on RAL quality assurance are open to bidders who are unable to offer products or services bearing the RAL quality mark. A condition is that they must completely fulfil the regulations and that is confirmed in a test certificate. The difference is that due to continuous monitoring and inspections according to the quality and test regulations the RAL quality mark demonstrates permanent verification that the conditions are fulfilled. In comparison, test certificates must be reissued for each new invitation to tender.
Permanently complying with these regulations is the precondition for awarding the RAL quality mark to product and services. Compliance with the regulations is monitored by the bearers of the quality mark themselves as well as impartial test facilities. Quality and test regulations are identical to important specifications of the law on the awarding of contracts, for example the prohibition of discrimination, the principle of equal opportunity and the principle of transparency.
RAL quality assurance associations are an amalgamation of companies that use the RAL quality mark of a goods or service category. Amongst other duties, they award the RAL quality mark, monitor compliance with the quality and test regulations and take action against infringements.
RAL quality assurance is understood to mean the entirety of the processes involved with creating a RAL quality mark: beginning with the founding of a RAL quality assurance association to the development of quality and test regulations and the monitoring thereof, through to awarding the RAL quality mark.
Public invitations to tender issued on the basis of RAL quality assurance safeguard the interests of smaller and medium-sized companies, because it is these companies in particular that use RAL quality marks.
RAL quality marks stand for qualities such as durability, competent personnel and reliable customer service. That fulfils the requirements of public invitations to tender.
Quality and test regulations encompass all relevant characteristics of a product or a service. For example, these also include technical performance descriptions as equally as the demands placed on the bidder with regard to reliability, efficiency and competence. For that reason contracting parties can take into consideration the quality and test regulations as criteria to objectively judge the suitability of bidders and technical specifications, and recognise the respective RAL quality mark as verification of certified standards.
Public contracting authorities are able to use the RAL quality mark to denote a point below or above the contract or threshold value of the invitations to tender. The order of magnitude decides if the invitation to tender comes under national laws governing the awarding of contracts or if European law on the awarding of contracts applies. Foreign competitors have the same access to RAL quality marks as German companies.
As the quality and test regulations encompass all of the relevant characteristics of a product or a service, the same also applies to the technical performance description. For that reason contracting parties can take into consideration the quality and test regulations as criteria to objectively judge the technical specifications and recognise the respective RAL quality mark as verification of certified standards.
RAL quality marks are awarded to products and services only when they fulfil the respective quality and test regulations. These are developed in a wide-ranging open process for each of the RAL quality marks. Then they are published by RAL and made accessible to all.
Companies using a RAL quality mark continuously monitor compliance with the quality and test regulations. In addition, impartial testing facilities carry out regular inspections. That guarantees that the quality requirements associated with the RAL quality mark are fulfilled on a permanent basis.
RAL quality marks are particularly reliable and trustworthy markings. The reason is the constant inspections to which RAL quality mark users voluntarily submit themselves. As a consequence, customers can be sure that RAL quality marks stand for characteristics such as cost effectiveness, environmental sustainability, safety, customer-orientation and competent personnel.