Tenders, Government Funding and Competition

For many companies and government bodies procurement is a major budget item. Procured products and services contribute substantially to the achievement of objectives and results. It is therefore important to manage procurement and tendering procedures as carefully as possible.

When calling for tenders, government bodies are bound by laws and procedures, dictated partly by European regulations. Acting transparently and honestly is a means of guaranteeing that the tendering process runs smoothly between the tendering parties. Competition authorities (ACM) and the European Commission also closely monitor compliance with the rules for competition and government funding. Government funding and competition agreements such as cartel formation can severely disrupt the internal European market, so strict rules are imposed for that purpose.

The regulations make it complicated to issue a call for tenders. At the same time, strict rules are imposed on market parties that wish to submit a tender. Tender, government funding and competition rules are complex. . Thanks to our extensive experience in procurement law, government funding, and competition law we are able to provide sound advice. Our experience includes the following areas:

• calls for tender and submission of tenders
• tender, exclusion and award disputes
• government funding, subsidies, and commercial transactions
• unfair competition, cartel formation, and abuse of a dominant position
• acquisitions and mergers vis-à-vis the competition authorities