EU Procurement Glossary
DEFINITION

Whole Life Cost

Equivalent to Total Cost of Ownership — the complete cost of a product, service, or works over its entire operational life, including acquisition, installation, operation, maintenance, and disposal. Increasingly mandated in construction and major equipment procurement to drive sustainable value.

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

Voluntary Ex-Ante Transparency (VEAT) NoticeWeighting (Criteria Weighting)Works Contract
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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