Unlocking the Strategic Use of Public Procurement in Bratislava, Slovak Republic
Subnational governments carry out more than 60% of total public procurement in OECD
countries. As such, public procurement can offer a powerful tool for cities to boost
local growth and advance their strategic priorities, ranging from innovation and inclusion
to the transition to a low-carbon economy. Bratislava, the most populated and richest
municipality in the Slovak Republic, carried out 39% of its expenditures through public
procurement in 2019. The COVID-19 crisis has enhanced both the urgency and the opportunity
to improve the city's procurement system and to rethink "what" and "how" to procure.
In this context, Bratislava is developing new directives to make its procurement processes
more efficient. This report offers recommendations on how Bratislava can use public
procurement strategically to identify value-for-money solutions, foster competition,
and promote sustainable urban development. The report also includes a concrete case
study on Bratislava’s public procurement for street lighting, which provides methodological
guidance on the analysis of needs, market engagement, and tender design.
Available from December 09, 2021