Frequently asked questions

Each of our purchasing agents is responsible for a certain product range. Another purchasing agent may be responsible for you depending on the product or service. Our supplier helpdesk will gladly help and find out which purchasing agent is responsible for you.

That depends on your product or service. The current award procedures section on this website provides more information.

If you have questions about services and products that are currently not featured in any tender procedures, please contact our staff on the supplier helpdesk.

The documents section under our Information Service heading contains the conditions of use for our Award Portal and the eMp electronic market place for the procurement of building services platform. Please contact our supplier helpdesk if you have any more questions.

To be a DB supplier, you need a D-U-N-S® number (Data Universal Numbering System). This is a numerical code developed by Dun&Bradstreet and used today on an international scale as the standard for unique identification of companies. The D-U-N-S number is valid all over the world as a unique identification code for currently 120 million companies; it is used, acknowledged and recommended by the United Nations, the European Commission, the VDA (Association of the German automotive industry), the VCI (Association of the German Chemicals Industry) and the ISO (International Standardisation Organisation). Before applying for a D-U-N-S® number, please check under the right link (http://www.upik.de) to see whether your company already has a D-U-N-S® number.

A D&B D-U-N-S® number can only be applied for by the respective company itself. Applications for the D-U-N-S® number are processed by D&B Partner UPIK®. To apply for the D&B D-U-N-S® number, it is not necessary to register with UPIK so that a simple request for a D&B D-U-N-S® number can be submitted by e-mail.

The D&B D-U-N-S® number is used only to identify companies and their units, together with small businesses and other self-employed persons. It is not applicable to private individuals.

This platform informs you about DB's current award procedures. As registered user, you can submit participation applications, download award procedure documents and submit electronic quotations.

The purchasing volume of Central Procurement (TE) encompasses among others the purchasing requirements for Infrastructure, Material, Capital Goods and Services. This is a broad range from general through to highly specialised supplies and services.

In the medium and long term, the on-going development of our supplier portfolio optimises the security of supply, cost levels and process efficiency in the DB Group.

The appraisal process allocates the suppliers to classes. The scope of the appraisal varies according to the supplier class: high (high appraisal intensity and frequency), middle (middle appraisal intensity and frequency), low (low appraisal intensity and frequency). The supplier class that your company is allocated to depends on the risk class of your DB-relevant supplies and services, and on their strategic significance.

The supplier appraisal results in a rating on the following levels: outstanding, i.e. the supplier's supplies and services fulfilled DB's requirements, good, i.e. the supplier's supplies and services mainly fulfilled DB's requirements, restricted, i.e. the supplier's supplies and services partly fulfilled DB's requirements´, poor, i.e. the supplier's supplies and services did not fulfil DB's requirements.

Our development measures can therefore take place before or during qualification, after orders have been placed or after the supplier appraisal process.

Your best application is your performance! Candidates for the DB Supplier's Award are proposed by the procurement organisations. One key criterion in the process is the appraisal given in the framework of Group-wide Supplier Management. The selection process includes reaching consensual agreement on the proposals with the business units and with DB's internal Compliance, Legal Affairs, Quality and Environmental Organisation.

The commended company is entitled to use the accolade in its advertising, just for the commended product, until the presentation of the next DB Supplier's Award, but at the most for two years.

The qualification is usually valid for two years. After this time, you can arrange for requalification, again using the WebPortal.

In justified cases, it is possible for the DB Group to withdraw a supplier's qualification. In this case, requalification is only possible after the end of a six-month waiting period.

General supplier qualification is free of costs for you. However, you will incur costs through specific qualification such as the prequalification procedure. Detailed information can be obtained from our supplier helpdesk.

Keep yourself informed about current events via our Information Service.

You are welcome to have a closer look at the section Information Service/ Documents on this website. Maybe you can find the needed documents there. In either case our supplier helpdesk will be pleased to help you!