The regulation is the latest in a line of measures being introduced by the Commission. These aim to reduce the burden for contracting authorities and suppliers, particularly for SMEs.
The ESPD allows economic operators to electronically self-declare if they are unaffected by mandatory exclusion grounds and can meet the selection criteria. It removes the immediate need to produce certificates and other supporting documents.
While economic operators should be prepared to provide this information on demand to contracting authorities, only the successful bidder will need to submit all the documentation proving the statements made.
A separate ESPD should be submitted:
To enable the use of the ESPD, a free web based system is being developed by the Commission (e-Certis). This will allow for documents to be created, edited and reused, provided the information remains correct.
The obligation to exclusively use electronic means of communication has been delayed in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to 18 October 2018. Until then, the ESPD may be printed, filled in manually, scanned and sent electronically to contracting authorities and entities.
This is the latest procurement development aimed at reducing the administrative burden on contracting authorities and bidders by streamlining the way in which bidders evidence they meet pre-qualification requirements. It will be interesting to see how the ESPD (and e-Certis) are adopted in the UK market in practice.
VWV can help you with any aspect of procurement advice.