Contesting the public works domain: examining the factors affecting presence and success of SMES in public procurement

• DOI: 10.1007/s00181-024-02615-x
• Publication Date: 2024-05-29T03:47:34Z
• Authors: Peter Nemec
• Keywords: Public domain

Abstract This study investigates the effects of procurement tools to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in public contracts by analysing contract awards for works published on Tenders Electronic Daily 2018–2022. Focusing dividing into smaller lots, a key feature 2014 EU modernised framework, this study’s findings reveal that splitting might not necessarily attract SMEs bid but increases their chances winning such contracts. Other factors, as using open unrestricted bidding procedures allowing showcase specialisation awarding based best price-quality ratio, positively affect SMEs’ bidding. The emphasise importance thoroughly considering individual characteristics overall settings accommodate limited resource capacities foster performance marketplace.