Public Contracts Code (CCP)
Short definition
The Public Contracts Code is the Portuguese law, approved by Decree-Law 18/2008, that governs how public and equivalent bodies choose suppliers and enter into and perform contracts.
In plain language
It defines who must comply with it (the contracting authorities), the available procedures, such as direct award, prior consultation and open tender, and the rules for the documents and for performing the contract. It transposes the EU public procurement directives. It was revised by Decree-Law 177/2026, in force since 1 October 2026, which raised the thresholds for direct award and prior consultation and introduced the concept of estimated contract value.