- 55% of 11,692 competitive lab-instrument lots in Europe drew a single bid (Oct 2025 to Sep 2026).
- Greece (80%), Slovenia (72%), Czechia (67%), Poland (62%) and Austria (60%) lead; France (30%) and Ireland (34%) are the most contested.
- Specialised analytical and life-science instruments are the least contested segment: 64% single-bid, 72% to 80% in Greece, Czechia and Poland.
- The least contested markets are also the most closed: 3% or fewer of instrument winners in Poland, Romania and Greece are foreign.
Public buyers in Europe tender lab, analytical and precision instruments under CPV division 38: microscopes, chromatographs, spectrometers, testing machines, sensors and measuring kit. We read every award notice published on TED, the EU's tender journal, between October 2025 and September 2026 and counted how many bids each competitively tendered lot received.
The answer: 55% of lots had exactly one bidder. That is not a market where buyers choose between rivals. In most of these lots the buyer published a call for competition, waited out the deadline and received one offer.
Single-bid rate by country
| Buyer country | Bar | One bid | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greece | 80% | 772 lots | |
| Slovenia | 72% | 168 lots | |
| Czechia | 67% | 1,092 lots | |
| Poland | 62% | 1,998 lots | |
| Austria | 60% | 159 lots | |
| Romania | 57% | 1,486 lots | |
| Croatia | 54% | 429 lots | |
| Spain | 54% | 701 lots | |
| Italy | 53% | 360 lots | |
| Portugal | 51% | 352 lots | |
| Sweden | 50% | 281 lots | |
| Latvia | 50% | 387 lots | |
| Bulgaria | 49% | 640 lots | |
| Germany | 47% | 786 lots | |
| Slovakia | 47% | 427 lots | |
| Belgium | 41% | 199 lots | |
| Hungary | 39% | 281 lots | |
| Ireland | 34% | 168 lots | |
| France | 30% | 373 lots |
Red: 60% or more of lots had one bid. Competitive procedures only (open, restricted, negotiated with a prior call), lots with at least one bid, CPV 38 as the main code, October 2025 to September 2026, countries with 150 or more lots. All countries: 55%, n = 11,692 lots. Source: TED API, analysed by Reblys.
Which instruments are least contested
The segment matters as much as the country. 64% of analytical and life-science lots drew a single bid, against 38% for utility meters, where several large suppliers compete everywhere. Combine the two and the gaps get wide: analytical and life-science lots had one bid in 80% of cases in Greece, 79% in Czechia and 72% in Poland.
Why one bid is common, and what it does not prove
A single bid can mean a specification written around one product, but it often has duller causes: a short deadline, a niche instrument with one local distributor, tender documents only in the local language, or a buyer portal foreign suppliers never check. That last point shows in who wins. In Poland, Romania and Greece, 3% or fewer of instrument contracts go to foreign suppliers, against 38% to 60% in Austria, Belgium and Ireland.
For a manufacturer or distributor that already sells into these countries, the practical reading is simple: many lots go uncontested because no one else saw them in time, in a language they read.
What it means for suppliers
- Look where the single-bid rate is high and the segment is yours. Greece, Czechia and Poland stand out for analytical, life-science, testing and measuring instruments.
- Plan for local partners. Where foreign winners are rare, a local distributor or service partner is often what makes a bid credible.
- Bid below the estimate when you expect a rival. Contested awards land about 10% under the buyer's estimate; uncontested ones at almost exactly the estimate. More on price and competition.
The full report, free
This article covers one figure from the European Lab Tender Report, Q3 2026. The 18-page PDF adds price benchmarks by segment and country, cross-border flows, who wins where, seasonality and what the end of EU Recovery money means for 2027.
Questions
What share of lab-instrument tenders in Europe get only one bid?
55% of competitively tendered lab-instrument lots (CPV 38 as the main code) received exactly one bid between October 2025 and September 2026, based on 11,692 lots published on TED.
Which EU countries have the most single-bid lab-instrument tenders?
Greece (80% of lots), Slovenia (72%), Czechia (67%), Poland (62%) and Austria (60%). France (30%) and Ireland (34%) have the lowest single-bid rates.
Does a single bid mean the tender was rigged?
No. A single bid can reflect a tailored specification, but also short deadlines, niche products with one local distributor, or tenders published only in the local language. It is a signal of low competition, not proof of wrongdoing.
More from the report
Method: our own queries of the TED search API, run on 4 October 2026, covering award notices whose first CPV code starts with 38. Values converted at ECB reference rates. TED covers tenders above EU thresholds only. Reblys is AI-assisted: data processing and drafting are done with AI, and every figure is reviewed by a person before publication.