Public procurement and state aid
Public Sector bodies are bound by certain rules and regulations when purchasing goods, works and services or when giving financial assistance to businesses.
Public Sector bodies are bound by certain rules and regulations when purchasing goods, works and services or when giving financial assistance to businesses.
Suzanne is a Partner, based in Edinburgh.
The rules on public procurement and state aid are complex and, for businesses contracting with the public sector, it can often be difficult to know whether the purchasing body has broken those rules. Our team can steer you through these complex issues. There are strict time limits for challenging a procurement procedure and it is vital that you seek legal advice at the earliest possible opportunity.
We have experts who can help. The problem can often be interpreting the legal terminology being used. We will:
Given the tight timescales that can often be involved in procurement procedures, you can expect us to be accessible and direct in our approach.
We have considerable knowledge and experience in both procurement and state aid matters. We can guide you through the process and check your documentation to ensure that it is compliant.
We are also able to advise whether the purchasing body is likely to have breached the rules and speak to them to see whether a negotiated resolution can be reached (such as a re-run of the process) or assist in litigation matters should you ultimately decide to raise a challenge.
We recognise that the tendering process can be costly to your business and that you don’t want to throw good money after bad in challenging a process. To help you decide whether to pursue a challenge, wherever possible we will provide you with a fixed fee before starting the work. If we can't offer a fixed fee, we will give you a clear indication of fees based on an agreed scope of work.