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Dutch central government policy on open procurement data

Dutch central government publishes public procurement data so that everyone can see what it is buying, and from whom. This provides assurance that taxpayers’ money is being spent in the right way. It also helps safeguard against favouritism and corruption.

Public procurement data online

All data on central government procurement is accessible through a free online portal, Zakendoen met het Rijk (in Dutch). It directs visitors to information about:

  • category managers’ purchasing strategies; 
  • upcoming tenders;
  • opportunities to influence how tenders are shaped and brought to market;
  • parties that have been awarded contracts.  

More than 100,000 visitors have visited the portal since its launch. In 2023 the portal registered 54,303 visitors, rising to 61,561 in 2024. An increase of more than 13%. 
 

Making more information available

The government wants to make more public procurement data available to citizens. And to present this information and the impact of procurement in an understandable way. This includes information on whether the contracted parties delivered what they promised.

Transparency about public procurement increases trust in its outcomes and, by extension, in the public sector. This helps strengthen the democratic system.

With this in mind, the Dutch government has set out several actions in the Open Government Action Plan (in Dutch), concerning, for example:

  • the publication of data about contract compliance. For example, information about the achievement of contract milestones;
  • open procurement data (requested by stakeholders);
  • assessment of what data is necessary and available (by performing a gap analysis).

These efforts are based on the research and recommendations of the Open State Foundation (OSF), Utrecht University and the Open Contracting Partnership (OCP).

International collaboration on public procurement

The Netherlands participates in international conferences aimed at sharing insights into how to generate and publish data on procurement by public institutions. Topics discussed at these conferences include visions on open procurement, AI technologies, stakeholder engagement and best practices. Conferences also bring together an international community of dedicated experts on public procurement.

Documents on open procurement data