Confidentiality of the Estimated Cost

The confidentiality of the estimated cost is a fundamental principle of public procurement, denoting the obligation to keep the estimated cost calculated by the contracting authority for the work subject to the tender secret from tenderers and third parties until the final tenders have been received. The purpose of keeping the estimated cost confidential is to ensure competition and the effective use of public resources, so that tenderers form their tenders according to their own cost calculations rather than the authority's estimate.