Open ProcedureS
28.—(1) In an open procedure, a contracting authority must permit any interested economic operator to submit a tender in response to a call for competition within the time period set by the authority in accordance with this regulation.
(2) The tender must be accompanied by the information for qualitative selection that is required by the contracting authority.
(3) Subject to paragraphs (4) to (6), the minimum time period for the receipt of tenders shall be 35 days from the date on which the contract notice is sent for publication.
(4) Where a contracting authority has published a prior information notice which was not itself used as a means of calling for competition under regulation 27(8) (choice of procedures), the minimum time limit for the receipt of tenders may be reduced to 15 days, provided that—
(a)the prior information notice included all the information required for the contract notice in section I of Part B of Annex V to the Directive insofar as that information was available at the time the prior information notice was published; and
(b)the prior information notice was sent for publication between 35 days and 12 months before the date on which the contract notice was sent for publication.
(5) Where a state of urgency duly substantiated by a contracting authority renders it impracticable to apply the minimum time limit set out in paragraph (3), the authority may fix a time limit which must not be less than 15 days from the date on which the contract notice was sent for publication.
(6) A contracting authority may reduce the minimum time period referred to in paragraph (3) by a period of up to 5 days where it accepts that tenders may be submitted by electronic means in accordance with regulation 23 (rules applicable to communication).