EU Procurement Glossary
DEFINITION

SME (Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise)

An enterprise with fewer than 250 employees and either annual turnover below €50 million or balance sheet below €43 million. EU procurement policy actively promotes SME participation through lot division, proportionate selection criteria, and limits on turnover thresholds.

This term is part of the EU public procurement glossary on TenderMetric. To see how it applies in practice, browse live EU tenders or read our procurement insights.

Related Terms

Selection CriteriaSelf-CleaningSocial ValueStandstill Period
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TenderMetric — Independent EU procurement intelligence platform. Not affiliated with the EU Publications Office, the European Commission, or TED (Tenders Electronic Daily). Tender data is sourced from TED for informational purposes only; always verify procurement notices directly at ted.europa.eu before submitting a bid. Full Disclaimer  ·  Last Reviewed: April 2026  ·  Data Methodology