Architects and master builders call for tenders that reward quality

Today the Royal Association of Dutch Architects (BNA) organized the Tendering Debate in Nieuwspoort, focusing on the urgency of a fairer tendering climate for architects. Architectural firms experience that the current practice leads to arbitrariness and unhealthy competition, with negative consequences for both the quality of the built environment and the firms.

During the meeting, organized in cooperation with BNI, BNO, BNSP, NVTL and TU Eindhoven, BNA presented two new initiatives to improve tendering procedures and architect selections:

• BNA opens the Municipal Procurement Desk. This will be available from January 1, 2026 for municipalities that want to have their proposed tenders tested. By doing so, BNA wants to increase the knowledge of municipalities and prevent unnecessary or unreasonable requirements in tenders. 
• BNA presented the draft version of the Guide to Proportionate Selection of Architects in Tendering (formerly the Directive on Tendering for Architect Selection) and invites market participants to contribute to the final version.

Jeroen de Willigen, chairman of the BNA, stressed the importance of change: "We need to move towards a tendering climate in which quality weighs more heavily than procedure. Architects no longer want to face each other in a competition where nobody wins, but want to work together on a built environment of high quality. That requires clear rules of the game and fair play. We are now taking the initiative ourselves to improve tenders and architect selections, but we are asking the government and parties in the construction column to contribute as well. We are counting on the parties in the Lower House who are debating new procurement rules with the Minister of Economic Affairs this week to take our experiences on board."

During the debate in Nieuwspoort, speakers included: Francesco Veenstra (Rijksbouwmeester), Marianne Loof (Spoorbouwmeester), Leendert-Jan Visser (MKB-Nederland), Annemiek Bleumink (Paul de Ruiter Architects), Eric Luiten (Politiebouwmeester) and BNA directors Jeroen de Willigen and Jan Peter Wingender.

Also presented was the ARCH-E research of prof.ir. Juliette Bekkering (TU Eindhoven) was presented, which provides insight into current procurement practices and their effects on the sector.

The debate in Nieuwspoort took place ahead of the Market Regulation and Consumer Protection Committee debate in the Lower House on October 2, where procurement is on the agenda. BNA calls on politicians to underline the urgency and to opt for a procurement climate in which quality is rewarded.