Inetum develops AI solution for faster, more objective tender analysis

Public tenders—procedures in which companies compete to deliver a product or service—demand a great deal of time from civil servants: every file must be complete, accurate and submitted on time. Inetum’s new solution eases that burden by automatically analysing tender dossiers and giving officials more space to make well-considered decisions.

“We originally built this tool for a project in France. After talking with Het Facilitair Bedrijf, which supports Flemish government departments, we saw an opportunity to bring it to the Belgian market,” says Steven Peirsman, Business Unit Leader Data & AI at Inetum. “We then decided to refine the concept and turn it into a concrete solution.”

Three smart features that save time

Built on the Azure OpenAI platform, Inetum’s out-of-the-box tender-management tool streamlines procurement with three key features—saving employees roughly 30 percent of time per dossier.

1. Completeness check – The AI verifies whether each bidder meets all requirements and whether the tender file is complete. It automatically checks that the right certificates, declarations and insurance documents are present and valid.
2. Objective scoring – The tool evaluates the content of every file in an objective, structured way, matching each answer to the technical and administrative requirements. For every criterion, the AI extracts the relevant passage and assigns a score on a scale of one to ten.
3. Side-by-side comparison – It can also compare dossiers against one another, automatically highlighting differences for each requirement. This gives staff a rapid view of every proposal’s strengths and weaknesses.

The AI solution does not replace civil servants; it supports them so they can focus on higher-impact, substantive tasks.

Est Ensemble puts the AI tool to work

Est Ensemble—a public cooperation entity uniting nine municipalities in north-eastern Paris— is the first client to deploy Inetum’s tool. Since 2010 the municipalities have worked together on projects that drive regional progress, from urban development and environmental management to housing and economic growth. In the same spirit, Est Ensemble sought a way to apply generative AI to public procurement.

“With this tool, staff no longer have to focus on repetitive, time-consuming tasks that add little value,” says Thierry Moisson-Bonnevie, CIO of Est Ensemble. “Every dossier now follows the same steps, with the same precision, from start to finish. That guarantees a fair and consistent assessment. With Inetum’s support, we’re making our services both faster and more accessible.”

“This project is a major step towards modern, accessible public services—for citizens, officials and partners alike,” concludes Steven Peirsman. “The tool has already come up in several procurement procedures and discussions with other clients, and feedback has been very positive, mainly because of the efficiency gains. And this is only the beginning: other local authorities—well beyond Paris—stand to benefit from the same approach.”

About Inetum

Inetum is a European leader in digital services. Its 28,000 consultants and specialists work every day to create digital impact for businesses, public institutions and society. Inetum’s solutions aim to boost its clients’ performance and innovation while contributing to the common good. Present in 19 countries with a dense network of offices, Inetum partners with major software vendors to tackle digital-transformation challenges with proximity and flexibility. Driven by its growth and scale ambitions, Inetum recorded revenue of €2.5 billion in 2023. For more information, visit [Inetum].