The Public Procurement Office is the independent body overseeing the award of public contracts. It reviews the procedures of contracting authorities, decides on bidders' objections, imposes sanctions for breaches of the rules, maintains the register of economic operators and issues methodological guidelines that determine how the law is interpreted in practice. For suppliers, the most important feature is the option to lodge an objection if the tender conditions are discriminatory or if the contracting authority's procedure was incorrect, though the deadlines are short and the filing is subject to a fee in the form of a deposit. For grant recipients, the office matters for a different reason: its findings serve as the basis for financial corrections imposed by the provider, so it is worthwhile to know its methodological guidelines before a contract is announced. Its bulletin and overview of decisions are also useful, as they show which formulations of tender conditions have already been assessed as incorrect.
See also: Public Procurement Bulletin, Financial correction, Procurement of an IT supplier.
