{"id":23323,"date":"2025-10-24T10:00:29","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T08:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abante.de\/no-artificial-splitting-of-a-uniform-procurement-requirement\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T11:32:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T10:32:10","slug":"no-artificial-splitting-of-a-uniform-procurement-requirement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/no-artificial-splitting-of-a-uniform-procurement-requirement\/","title":{"rendered":"No arti\u00adfi\u00adcial split\u00adting of a uni\u00adform pro\u00adcure\u00adment require\u00adment!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On April 24, 2025, the Thuringia Pub\u00adlic Pro\u00adcure\u00adment Cham\u00adber ruled in its deci\u00adsion (Ref.: 5090\u2013250-4003\u2013500) that the arti\u00adfi\u00adcial split\u00adting of a uni\u00adform pro\u00adcure\u00adment require\u00adment, even in the case of inter\u00adim con\u00adtracts, vio\u00adlates the pro\u00adhi\u00adbi\u00adtion of cir\u00adcum\u00adven\u00adtion under pub\u00adlic pro\u00adcure\u00adment law and that the con\u00adtract val\u00adues must be added togeth\u00ader. This can lead to the appli\u00adca\u00adtion of EU pub\u00adlic pro\u00adcure\u00adment law, even if the indi\u00advid\u00adual con\u00adtracts are below the thresh\u00adold val\u00adue.   <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our video dis\u00adcussing the judg\u00adment:<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe hcb-fetch-image-from=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/SqVsMrz4ohw\" title=\"Keine k\u00fcnstliche Aufspaltung eines einheitlichen Beschaffungsbedarfs!\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SqVsMrz4ohw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Facts: Inter\u00adim win\u00adter ser\u00advice con\u00adtracts put to the test<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The deci\u00adsion sheds light on a com\u00admon chal\u00adlenge: how to deal with an acute pro\u00adcure\u00adment need when the orig\u00adi\u00adnal award pro\u00adce\u00addure is blocked. A dis\u00adtrict invit\u00aded ten\u00adders for win\u00adter ser\u00advices for the 2024\/2025 sea\u00adson in an EU-wide open pro\u00adce\u00addure. Due to a review pro\u00adce\u00addure in the main con\u00adtract, there was a delay, which is why the con\u00adtract\u00ading author\u00adi\u00adty (CA) was forced to award three suc\u00adces\u00adsive inter\u00adim con\u00adtracts to ensure the pro\u00advi\u00adsion of ser\u00advices.    <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The prob\u00adlem arose from the choice of pro\u00adce\u00addure for the last inter\u00adim con\u00adtract. This was car\u00adried out as a nation\u00adal, restrict\u00aded invi\u00adta\u00adtion to ten\u00adder with\u00adout a call for com\u00adpe\u00adti\u00adtion.   <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The unsuc\u00adcess\u00adful bid\u00adder crit\u00adi\u00adcized the choice of the nation\u00adal pro\u00adce\u00addure. It argued that the con\u00adtract val\u00adues of the entire per\u00adfor\u00admance peri\u00adod \u2014 i.e. all three inter\u00adim awards \u2014 should be added togeth\u00ader. If the client had done this, the rel\u00ade\u00advant EU thresh\u00adold val\u00adue of EUR 221,000 net would have been exceed\u00aded, which would have meant that an EU-wide award pro\u00adce\u00addure would have had to be cho\u00adsen. The AG, how\u00adev\u00ader, reject\u00aded the com\u00adplaint with ref\u00ader\u00adence to the iso\u00adlat\u00aded con\u00adsid\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtion of the indi\u00advid\u00adual con\u00adtracts and the pre\u00advail\u00ading urgency.     <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key point of the deci\u00adsion: Incor\u00adrect esti\u00adma\u00adtion of order val\u00adue due to arti\u00adfi\u00adcial split\u00adting<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Thuringia Pub\u00adlic Pro\u00adcure\u00adment Cham\u00adber found that the con\u00adtract\u00ading author\u00adi\u00adty\u2019s argu\u00admen\u00adta\u00adtion was unsus\u00adtain\u00adable and that the bid\u00adder was essen\u00adtial\u00adly cor\u00adrect in its com\u00adplaint. There was a dou\u00adble vio\u00adla\u00adtion.   <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">1. breach of the con\u00adtract val\u00adue esti\u00adma\u00adtion method  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The esti\u00admate of the con\u00adtract val\u00adue must be a seri\u00adous, real\u00adis\u00adtic, com\u00adplete and objec\u00adtive fore\u00adcast based on cur\u00adrent mar\u00adket con\u00addi\u00adtions. The client had not com\u00adplied with the method\u00adolog\u00adi\u00adcal stan\u00addards here, among oth\u00ader things because the esti\u00admate was insuf\u00adfi\u00adcient\u00adly doc\u00adu\u00adment\u00aded and was only made on the basis of a bid\u00adder\u2019s old con\u00adtracts. Old con\u00adtracts alone should not be the only point of ref\u00ader\u00adence.    <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">2. vio\u00adla\u00adtion of the pro\u00adhi\u00adbi\u00adtion of cir\u00adcum\u00adven\u00adtion (Sec\u00adtion 3 (2) sen\u00adtence 1 VgV)  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Cham\u00adber con\u00adsid\u00adered the iso\u00adlat\u00aded award of the inter\u00adim con\u00adtracts to be an inad\u00admis\u00adsi\u00adble arti\u00adfi\u00adcial divi\u00adsion of the pro\u00adcure\u00adment require\u00adments in order to cir\u00adcum\u00advent the appli\u00adca\u00adtion of antitrust pro\u00adcure\u00adment law.  <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Rel\u00ade\u00advance of the func\u00adtion\u00adal approach:<\/strong> A <strong>func\u00adtion\u00adal approach<\/strong> is deci\u00adsive in deter\u00admin\u00ading whether orders belong togeth\u00ader. This takes into account <strong>orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtion\u00adal, con\u00adtent-relat\u00aded, eco\u00adnom\u00adic and tem\u00adpo\u00adral rela\u00adtion\u00adships<\/strong>.   <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Uni\u00adform require\u00adments:<\/strong> The three inter\u00adim con\u00adtracts relat\u00aded to the same sub\u00adject mat\u00adter \u2014 win\u00adter ser\u00advices dur\u00ading the ongo\u00ading review pro\u00adce\u00addure \u2014 and served to <strong>ensure the seam\u00adless pro\u00advi\u00adsion of ser\u00advices<\/strong>. There was there\u00adfore a <strong>clear func\u00adtion\u00adal and eco\u00adnom\u00adic uni\u00adty<\/strong>.   <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Urgency as an insuf\u00adfi\u00adcient rea\u00adson:<\/strong> The urgency cit\u00aded by the client was <strong>not suf\u00adfi\u00adcient<\/strong> to jus\u00adti\u00adfy the allo\u00adca\u00adtion. Instead, the client should have cho\u00adsen an <strong>EU-wide pro\u00adcure\u00adment pro\u00adce\u00addure<\/strong> \u2014 e.g. a nego\u00adti\u00adat\u00aded pro\u00adce\u00addure with\u00adout a call for com\u00adpe\u00adti\u00adtion in the event of par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar urgency (Sec\u00adtion 14 (4) No. 3 VgV).   <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The arti\u00adfi\u00adcial split\u00adting of the over\u00adall con\u00adtract into sev\u00ader\u00adal indi\u00advid\u00adual nation\u00adal awards was qual\u00adi\u00adfied as an inad\u00admis\u00adsi\u00adble cir\u00adcum\u00adven\u00adtion of pub\u00adlic pro\u00adcure\u00adment reg\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtions.  <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Tips for pub\u00adlic clients: clar\u00adi\u00adty and exper\u00adtise in plan\u00adning<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rul\u00ading under\u00adlines that a <strong>prag\u00admat\u00adic, solu\u00adtion-ori\u00adent\u00aded approach<\/strong> to pub\u00adlic pro\u00adcure\u00adment law must always go hand in hand with <strong>pro\u00adfes\u00adsion\u00adal excel\u00adlence<\/strong> and <strong>trans\u00adparen\u00adcy<\/strong>.  <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Inter\u00adim award = addi\u00adtion require\u00adment:<\/strong> If inter\u00adim con\u00adtracts are close\u00adly <strong>relat\u00aded to<\/strong> a main con\u00adtract <strong>in terms of func\u00adtion, con\u00adtent or time<\/strong>, or if they cov\u00ader the same require\u00adments, the con\u00adtract val\u00adues must be <strong>added togeth\u00ader<\/strong> to deter\u00admine the cor\u00adrect thresh\u00adold val\u00adue.  <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Method\u00adol\u00ado\u00adgy of the esti\u00admate:<\/strong> Avoid rely\u00ading <strong>sole\u00adly on old con\u00adtracts<\/strong> when esti\u00admat\u00ading the con\u00adtract val\u00adue. The fore\u00adcast must be <strong>objec\u00adtive<\/strong> and take into account all sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant cost fac\u00adtors and mar\u00adket con\u00addi\u00adtions.   <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Check urgency:<\/strong> Urgency is not a free pass for choos\u00ading a sub-thresh\u00adold pro\u00adce\u00addure. Even if there is time pres\u00adsure, the client must check whether an <strong>EU pro\u00adce\u00addure with reduced dead\u00adlines<\/strong> is pos\u00adsi\u00adble in order to avoid cir\u00adcum\u00adven\u00adtion.   <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Com\u00adplete doc\u00adu\u00admen\u00adta\u00adtion:<\/strong> <strong>Doc\u00adu\u00admen\u00adta\u00adtion<\/strong> is key to legal cer\u00adtain\u00adty. The rea\u00adsons for choos\u00ading the type of pro\u00adce\u00addure, the con\u00adtract val\u00adue esti\u00admate and every deci\u00adsion must be set out in detail and in a com\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsi\u00adble man\u00adner.   <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Tips for bid\u00adders and appli\u00adcants: Pro\u00adtect your rights to fair com\u00adpe\u00adti\u00adtion<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a bid\u00adder, you are enti\u00adtled to <strong>com\u00adpli\u00adance<\/strong> with <strong>the pro\u00advi\u00adsions of the award pro\u00adce\u00addure<\/strong>. This deci\u00adsion pro\u00advides impor\u00adtant argu\u00adments for enforc\u00ading your rights.   <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Crit\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly scru\u00adti\u00adnize con\u00adtract val\u00adues:<\/strong> In the case of nation\u00adal ten\u00adders, check whether the <strong>addi\u00adtion of sim\u00adi\u00adlar, tem\u00adpo\u00adral\u00adly relat\u00aded con\u00adtracts<\/strong> (includ\u00ading inter\u00adim awards) results in the EU thresh\u00adold being exceed\u00aded. If arti\u00adfi\u00adcial split\u00adting is sus\u00adpect\u00aded, a <strong>rep\u00adri\u00admand<\/strong> is required.   <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Demand trans\u00adparen\u00adcy and doc\u00adu\u00admen\u00adta\u00adtion:<\/strong> Demand com\u00adplete and com\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsi\u00adble doc\u00adu\u00admen\u00adta\u00adtion of the con\u00adtract val\u00adue esti\u00admate from the client. If this is miss\u00ading, this con\u00adsti\u00adtutes a breach of <strong>the trans\u00adparen\u00adcy require\u00adment<\/strong>.   <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Exam\u00adine below-cost offers:<\/strong> In the facts of the case, the cham\u00adber also crit\u00adi\u00adcized defi\u00adcien\u00adcies in the clien\u00adt\u2019s <strong>price review<\/strong> in the case of an unusu\u00adal\u00adly low bid price. Make sure that the client has care\u00adful\u00adly and com\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsi\u00adbly checked the ade\u00adqua\u00adcy of a com\u00adpet\u00ading offer.   <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ensure legal pro\u00adtec\u00adtion:<\/strong> Effec\u00adtive <strong>legal pro\u00adtec\u00adtion<\/strong> before the Pub\u00adlic Pro\u00adcure\u00adment Tri\u00adbunals and High\u00ader Region\u00adal Courts applies to the upper thresh\u00adold range and is avail\u00adable in the event of cir\u00adcum\u00adven\u00adtion.  <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On April 24, 2025, the Thuringia Pub\u00adlic Pro\u00adcure\u00adment Cham\u00adber ruled in its deci\u00adsion (Ref.: 5090\u2013250\u20114003\u2013500) that the arti\u00adfi\u00adcial split\u00adting of a uni\u00adform pro\u00adcure\u00adment require\u00adment, even in the case of inter\u00adim con\u00adtracts, vio\u00adlates the pro\u00adhi\u00adbi\u00adtion of cir\u00adcum\u00adven\u00adtion under pub\u00adlic pro\u00adcure\u00adment law and that the con\u00adtract val\u00adues must be added togeth\u00ader. This can lead to the appli\u00adca\u00adtion [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":22554,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[703,248],"tags":[756,752,753,755,708,754],"team_kategorien":[],"lexikon_kategorie":[233,223],"class_list":["post-23323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-public-procurement-law-in-15-minutes","category-jurisdiction","tag--section-3-2-sentence-1-vgv","tag-ban-on-circumvention-of-public-procurement-law","tag-interim-award","tag-order-value-estimate","tag-review-procedure","tag-winter-service","lexikon_kategorie-contract-value","lexikon_kategorie-review-procedure"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23323"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23323\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23325,"href":"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23323\/revisions\/23325"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22554"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23323"},{"taxonomy":"team_kategorien","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/team_kategorien?post=23323"},{"taxonomy":"lexikon_kategorie","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lexikon_kategorie?post=23323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}