Link to the National Chamber of Architects and/or Professional Associations: https://www.arching.at

Link to the Competition and Procurement Platforms: https://www.architekturwettbewerb.at

Link to the main ADCs Regulations:
Bundesvergabegesetz 2018 (BVergG – Federal Procurement Act)
 Wettbewerbsstandard Architektur der BKZT

Short description of the legal framework based on Study 0:
The Federal Procurement Act, Bundesvergabegesetz (BVergG) 2018, serves as the primary regulatory framework governing procurement, incorporating the EU Directive 2014/24/EU. Specific provisions regarding Architectural and Design Competitions (ADCs) are delineated in BVergG 2018, Section 5, §§ 163, 164, and 165. Additionally, the Austrian Federal Chamber of Architects and Engineer Consultants offers the WSA 2010 (Wettbewerbsstandard 2010* neu, revised in 2022) as a voluntary guideline for ADC regulation. However, if a competition is organized in collaboration with the Austrian Federal Chamber, adherence to the WSA 2010 becomes mandatory.

Other useful links:
 Introduction to the Austrian ADC system and potentials of transferability
Grenzüberschreitendes Kompetenznetzwerk Architekturwettbewerbe

Definition of Architectural Competition:
The term Architectural Competition is used both for urban planning competitions and competitions in the field of building construction or landscape planning. Architectural competitions deal with planning, construction and design tasks and create a competitive situation between different approaches to finding the best planning concept for the given task.

Professional Qualification Criteria:
Professional access in Austria requires a completed Master Degree in Architecture, that is listed in Annex 5 of the EU Professional Qualifications Directve which lists the notified EU diplomas that fulfil the minimum requirements of the Directive. After the degree three years of practical training and a professional exam are required. To practise the profession, registration in one of the regional Chambers of Architects and Chartered Engineering consultants is required.

• Academic degree | Masters degree in Architecture according to Annex V of Professional Qualification Directive (all Austrian curricula have 5 years)
• Practical experience | 3 years
• Professional Access Exam
• Membership in an architects chamber

To participate in public ADCs a professional authorization for the required (planning) task is necessary. The check will take place after the jury decision, nevertheless the qualification needs to exist already for the participation deadline. Additional qualification can be required, e.g. references, defined by the procuring authority and announced before ADC