The CO₂ Performance Ladder 4.0 Procurement Guide award criterion helps you apply the CO₂ Performance Ladder in your procurement procedures. To make applying the CO₂ Performance Ladder even easier, the Guide includes a detailed step-by-step plan. This article provides an overview of the four Steps you can take to use the CO₂ Performance Ladder 4.0 as an award criterion in a tender.

Please note: As most organisations will not yet be certified against version 4.0 in 2025, SKAO advises contracting authorities not to tender under version 4.0 before 14 January 2026. Until 14 January 2027, the recommendation is to only start tendering under version 4.0 once the market is truly ready. Read more >

Step 1

Include the CO2 Performance Ladder 4.0 Award Criterion in the procurement

As a contracting authority, you determine for each tender whether applying the CO₂ Performance Ladder as a Best Price-Quality Ratio (BPQR) award criterion is appropriate and aligns with your policy framework. If you decide to use the CO₂ Performance Ladder 4.0 as an award criterion, you must include this in the set of documents in which you inform potential bidders about the procurement.

In these documents, you must specify the following points regarding the CO₂ Performance Ladder 4.0 award criterion:

CO₂ Ambition LevelsAward Advantage
No CO₂ Ambition Level0% or €0 or 0 points
CO₂ Ambition Level 15% or €37,500 or 50 points
CO₂ Ambition Level 210% or €75,000 or 100 points
CO₂ Ambition Level 315% or €112,500 or 150 points
With the absolute scoring method between €800,000 and €1.1 million, out of a total of 550 points.

You can include sample texts in the tender documents. These templates are available in the annexes of the Procurement Guide award criterion CO₂ Performance Ladder 4.0.

Step 2

Bidders offer their bid, including their target CO2 Ambition Level for executing the project

Once the tender is published, you as the contracting authority will receive bids from various parties, each stating their proposed CO₂ Ambition Level. Bidders must also state whether they will demonstrate their chosen CO₂ Ambition Level through a CO₂ Performance Ladder Certificate or a project declaration, and which independent certification body will conduct the audit.

application award criterion co2 performance ladder 4.0
Procurement in four steps using the CO₂ Performance Ladder 4.0 Award Criterion.

Step 3

Contracting authority awards the contract on the basis of BPQR and records the CO2 Ambition Level contractually

From the submissions, the winning bid is selected on the basis of the Best Price-Quality Ratio (BPQR). The CO₂ Ambition Level proposed by the winning contractor is then included in the contract, along with all the conditions specified in the tender documents (see Step 1).

Step 4

Contractor executes the contract and demonstrates the CO2 Ambition Level

The contractor starts executing the project according to the project-specific requirements of the chosen CO₂ Ambition Level. Within the agreed period – usually one year – the contractor must demonstrate compliance with the requirements via a project declaration or a CO₂ Performance Ladder Certificate. For multi-year projects, this must be done annually. If the contractor fails to meet the requirements in time, the contracting authority may impose the predetermined penalty.

The English version of the Procurement Guide for the CO₂ Performance Ladder 4.0 award criterion, tailored to the European context, can be found below. The Dutch version, tailored to the Dutch context, can be found here. The Belgian version (in Dutch and French), tailored to Belgian practice, will be published shortly.

Procurement Guide (EU) 4.0

Project declaration vs CO₂ Performance Ladder Certificate

A bidder can demonstrate it meets its chosen CO₂ Ambition Level in one of two ways:

  • Project declaration

This document, provided by an independent accredited certifying body demonstrates at the project level, that the bidder  meets the requirements for the CO₂ Ambition Level stated in the bid, specifically for the project in question.

  • CO₂ Performance Ladder Certificate

The second option is to provide a valid CO₂ Performance Ladder certificate, where the certification Step corresponds with the proposed CO₂ Ambition Level. This certificate demonstrates that the organisation as a whole operates in a CO₂-conscious manner, including in the project in question, and all other (CO₂ Performance Ladder)projects it undertakes. The certificate is based on the CO₂ Performance Ladder 4.0 Handbook.

CO₂ Ambition Levels explained

Using the CO₂ Performance Ladder as a BPQR award criterion allows bidders to distinguish themselves on quality through their chosen CO₂ Ambition Level.
These ambition levels are a translation of the three certification Steps from the CO₂ Performance Ladder 4.0 Handbook into project-specific requirements. Bidders must specify at what CO₂ Ambition Level they plan to execute the project.

The CO₂ Ambition Levels indicate:

  • the level of ambition regarding CO₂ reduction in the project; and
  • the maturity of the project’s management system in ensuring this ambition is achieved.
CO₂ Ambition Levels vs Steps (Ladder 4.0)

The English version of the Procurement Guide for the CO₂ Performance Ladder 4.0 award criterion, tailored to the European context, can be found below. The Dutch version, tailored to the Dutch context, can be found here. The Belgian version (in Dutch and French), tailored to Belgian practice, will be published shortly.

Procurement Guide (EU) 4.0