Estonia, Internet, Markets and Companies, Technology

The bill completed in December aims to establish that public procurements of goods and services worth less than 30,000 and those of construction works worth up to 60,000 would no longer be required to be announced in the public procurement register, and could be conducted via e-mail instead. The same applies for small competitions held as part of framework agreements.

The amendment would enable for the contracting entity to significantly facilitate the procurement process, according to the Ministry of Finance. Pursuant to the bill, the contracting entity and the bidder would no longer be required to communicate electronically or in writing. Bids in small competitions must presently be made in a format that can be reproduced in writing and are made public only after the deadline for tenders. 

The Estonian Association of Information Technology and Telecommunications deems the amendments unjustified as they may result in the unequal treatment of bidders in low-cost procurements and in reduced tender reliability. If it is a matter of reducing administrative burden, the public procurement register should be made more user-friendly instead of attempting to find alternative means for communication, the association said.

Under the said amendments, the association deems it particularly detrimental in terms of tender reliability that the contracting entity would no longer be denied access to tenders before bid deadline.