Blogreeks | Aanbesteden: Wat - Hoe?

Transparency is a fundamental principle of procurement law. But what if the contracting authority, in the course of a procurement procedure, makes use of documents originating from third parties that are subject to intellectual property rights (IP rights)? For instance, a scoring methodology where the third party insists that, for reasons of rights and commercial interests, the underlying formulas must not be disclosed?

Article 2.23, paragraph 1, sub e of the Dutch Public Procurement Act provides the possibility to declare a procurement procedure confidential. In practice, this provision is rarely applied, resulting in limited case law. Recently, the District Court of The Hague issued a ruling concerning this article, clarifying the criteria against which a confidentiality declaration must be assessed.

Be cautious when formulating reference requirements. Without realising it, you may unintentionally include ambiguous conditions – and that can be fatal to your procurement process. For example, the term "properly" in a reference requirement recently became the subject of legal discussion. The preliminary relief judge ruled that, as a result, the procurement had to be halted.

Amending a contract during a tender procedure often leads to headaches. What exactly can you change – and how should you go about it? In a recent and highly relevant ruling, the preliminary relief judge in Rotterdam addressed the key question: to whom must a change be disclosed?

Who must submit a European Single Procurement Document (ESPD)? At a minimum, the tenderer themselves. This seems obvious: the contracting authority needs to verify whether the tenderer meets the exclusion grounds and suitability criteria. Moreover, the ESPD contains essential information about the party that will become the contractor if the contract is awarded.

Who must submit a European Single Procurement Document (ESPD)? At a minimum, the tenderer themselves. This seems obvious: the contracting authority needs to verify whether the tenderer meets the exclusion grounds and suitability criteria. Moreover, the ESPD contains essential information about the party that will become the contractor if the contract is awarded.

Is a client allowed to terminate the agreement if a contractual deadline is not met on time and an extension would constitute a material change? The Arnhem-Leeuwarden Court of Appeal rules that they are.

When submitting a price offer, bidders must comply with the contracting authority’s requirements. This means they must include all components that belong in the price. However, when bidders are given the option to determine how to fulfill a part of the scope themselves, the price for that part can vary in different ways. A practical example illustrates how freedom of choice within the scope led to a dispute over the validity of a bid.

Het gelijkheidsbeginsel is een fundamenteel uitgangspunt in het aanbestedingsrecht. Het verbiedt discriminatie op grond van nationaliteit en vereist dat alle deelnemers aan een aanbestedingsprocedure gelijk worden behandeld. Dit houdt onder meer in dat alle inschrijvers over dezelfde informatie moeten beschikken.

'Dwingende uitsluitingsgronden bij aanbestedingen: zo werkt het.'

Joris Bax, advocaat bij Brackmann, deelt in zijn blog 'Aanbesteden: Wat - Hoe?' inzichten en gedachten over actuele onderwerpen binnen het aanbestedings- en bouwrecht.

'AVR Case at the Court of Justice: Scrutiny of Supervision Criteria'

Joris Bax, lawyer at Brackmann, shares insights and thoughts on current topics in procurement and construction law in his blog "Procurement: What - How?".

‘Application of Exclusion Grounds: Mandatory vs. Discretionary’

Joris Bax, attorney at Brackmann, shares insights and reflections on current topics in procurement and construction law in his blog 'Procurement: What - How?'

'The risk of non-enforcement in procurement'

Joris Bax, lawyer at Brackmann, shares in his blog 'Tendering: What - How?” insights and thoughts on current topics within procurement and construction law.

'The risk of non-enforcement in procurement'

Joris Bax, lawyer at Brackmann, shares in his blog 'Tendering: What - How?” insights and thoughts on current topics within procurement and construction law.

'Wijziging zonder aanbesteding: risico's en gevolgen'

Joris Bax, advocaat bij Brackmann, deelt in zijn blog 'Aanbesteden: Wat - Hoe?' inzichten en gedachten over actuele onderwerpen binnen het aanbestedings- en bouwrecht.

'Wijzigingen in klachtplicht en verval van recht. '

Joris Bax, advocaat bij Brackmann, deelt in zijn blog 'Aanbesteden: Wat - Hoe?' inzichten en gedachten over actuele onderwerpen binnen het aanbestedings- en bouwrecht.

'Changes in public procurement: from strict rules to greater flexibility."

Joris Bax, lawyer at Brackmann, shares in his blog 'Tendering: What - How?” insights and thoughts on current topics within procurement and construction law.

'Contract assumption in procurement: what is possible and permissible?'

Joris Bax, lawyer at Brackmann, shares in his blog 'Tendering: What - How?” insights and thoughts on current topics within procurement and construction law.

'Modification of a procurement contract in the event of unforeseeable circumstances.'

Joris Bax, attorney at Brackmann, shares insights and thoughts on current topics within procurement and construction law in his blog 'Tendering: What - How' insights and thoughts on current topics within procurement and construction law.