{"id":23396,"date":"2025-03-25T18:27:52","date_gmt":"2025-03-25T17:27:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abante.de\/negotiated-procedure-without-a-call-for-competition-only-with-market-exploration\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T11:33:47","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T10:33:47","slug":"negotiated-procedure-without-a-call-for-competition-only-with-market-exploration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/negotiated-procedure-without-a-call-for-competition-only-with-market-exploration\/","title":{"rendered":"Nego\u00adti\u00adat\u00aded pro\u00adce\u00addure with\u00adout a call for com\u00adpe\u00adti\u00adtion only with mar\u00adket explo\u00adration!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>On March 21, 2025, our lawyer <a href=\"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/team-mitglieder\/anne-grahl\/\">Anne Grahl<\/a> dealt with the deci\u00adsion of the High\u00ader Region\u00adal Court (OLG) Ham\u00adburg of April 6, 2023 (Ref.: 1 Verg 1\/23) in an abante live on pub\u00adlic pro\u00adcure\u00adment law.<\/p>\n\n<p>When there can (alleged\u00adly) only be one\u2026 In pub\u00adlic pro\u00adcure\u00adment law, it hap\u00adpens time and again that con\u00adtract\u00ading author\u00adi\u00adties believe that a cer\u00adtain ser\u00advice can only be pro\u00advid\u00aded by a sin\u00adgle com\u00adpa\u00adny. How\u00adev\u00ader, the deci\u00adsion of the High\u00ader Region\u00adal Court of Ham\u00adburg shows how impor\u00adtant it is to care\u00adful\u00adly exam\u00adine this assump\u00adtion and empha\u00adsizes once again how impor\u00adtant a com\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsive mar\u00adket inves\u00adti\u00adga\u00adtion is in this con\u00adtext. <\/p>\n\n<p>Click here for the video of the dis\u00adcus\u00adsion of this deci\u00adsion:<\/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\/ITVGb3xEi7M\" title=\"Verhandlungsverfahren ohne Teilnahmewettbewerb nur mit Markterkundung!\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ITVGb3xEi7M?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\">The case: Ham\u00adburg\u2019s desire for inte\u00adgra\u00adtion<\/h2>\n\n<p><strong>The Free and Hanseat\u00adic City of Ham\u00adburg<\/strong> intend\u00aded to pro\u00adcure a new elec\u00adtron\u00adic pro\u00adcure\u00adment man\u00adage\u00adment sys\u00adtem (VMS) that was to be ful\u00adly inte\u00adgrat\u00aded into an exist\u00ading ERP sys\u00adtem. The aim was to cre\u00adate a stan\u00addard\u00adized, com\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsive solu\u00adtion for all rel\u00ade\u00advant busi\u00adness areas. Pri\u00ador to pro\u00adcure\u00adment, the City of Ham\u00adburg car\u00adried out an ini\u00adtial mar\u00adket sur\u00advey. Oth\u00ader pub\u00adlic clients were asked about their expe\u00adri\u00adences and nine providers were invit\u00aded to answer a struc\u00adtured list of ques\u00adtions and present their prod\u00aducts. One of these providers was the sub\u00adse\u00adquent appli\u00adcant in the review pro\u00adce\u00addure.    <\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Sur\u00adpris\u00ading twist \u2014 award with\u00adout com\u00adpe\u00adti\u00adtion<\/strong>: Although a ten\u00adder was ini\u00adtial\u00adly announced, this did not take place. Instead, in Decem\u00adber 2021, the con\u00adtract\u00ading author\u00adi\u00adty ver\u00adbal\u00adly announced that it want\u00aded to com\u00admis\u00adsion the sys\u00adtem of a spe\u00adcif\u00adic com\u00adpa\u00adny \u2014 Provider A \u2014 direct\u00adly, as only this com\u00adpa\u00adny had the nec\u00ades\u00adsary unique tech\u00adni\u00adcal posi\u00adtion. How\u00adev\u00ader, a final deci\u00adsion had not yet been made and the mar\u00adket explo\u00adration was still ongo\u00ading, so that an ini\u00adtial com\u00adplaint from the lat\u00ader appli\u00adcant ini\u00adtial\u00adly came to noth\u00ading. This was fol\u00adlowed in June 2022 by an ex ante trans\u00adparen\u00adcy announce\u00adment by the City of Ham\u00adburg, in which the planned direct award was made offi\u00adcial with the jus\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adtion of the unique posi\u00adtion of bid\u00adder A with regard to the nec\u00ades\u00adsary com\u00adplete inte\u00adgra\u00adtion of its soft\u00adware solu\u00adtion into the clien\u00adt\u2019s exist\u00ading sys\u00adtem. The appli\u00adcant object\u00aded to this; the appli\u00adca\u00adtion for review fol\u00adlowed.    <\/p>\n\n<p><strong>The legal frame\u00adwork<\/strong>: Accord\u00ading to Sec\u00adtion 14 (4) No. 2 lit. b VgV, a con\u00adtract can be award\u00aded in a nego\u00adti\u00adat\u00aded pro\u00adce\u00addure with\u00adout a call for com\u00adpe\u00adti\u00adtion if only a spe\u00adcif\u00adic com\u00adpa\u00adny can ful\u00adfill the con\u00adtract \u2014 for tech\u00adni\u00adcal rea\u00adsons. How\u00adev\u00ader, Sec\u00adtion 14 (6) VgV clear\u00adly restricts this: such an award is only per\u00admit\u00adted if there is no rea\u00adson\u00adable alter\u00adna\u00adtive or sub\u00adsti\u00adtute solu\u00adtion and the con\u00adtract para\u00adme\u00adters have not been arti\u00adfi\u00adcial\u00adly restrict\u00aded.    <\/p>\n\n<p><strong>The argu\u00adments of the par\u00adties involved<\/strong>: The appli\u00adcant dis\u00adagreed with the assump\u00adtion of a unique tech\u00adni\u00adcal posi\u00adtion. It referred to its own pro\u00adposed solu\u00adtions to the inter\u00adface prob\u00adlem and empha\u00adsized that oth\u00ader providers could also pro\u00advide com\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adble sys\u00adtems. It also crit\u00adi\u00adcized the mar\u00adket sur\u00advey as incom\u00adplete, as essen\u00adtial require\u00adments \u2014 in par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar for full inte\u00adgra\u00adtion \u2014 had not been asked at all. The client, on the oth\u00ader hand, main\u00adtained its posi\u00adtion. Only provider A met the require\u00adments. The pro\u00adcure\u00adment cham\u00adber fol\u00adlowed this rea\u00adson\u00ading and reject\u00aded the appli\u00adca\u00adtion for review. The appli\u00adcant lodged an appeal against this with the High\u00ader Region\u00adal Court of Ham\u00adburg.      <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The deci\u00adsion: a return to open com\u00adpe\u00adti\u00adtion<\/h2>\n\n<p>The High\u00ader Region\u00adal Court of Ham\u00adburg did not fol\u00adlow the deci\u00adsion of the pro\u00adcure\u00adment cham\u00adber. The judges empha\u00adsized that the require\u00adments for a direct award pur\u00adsuant to Sec\u00adtion 14 (4) No. 2 lit. b VgV in con\u00adjunc\u00adtion with Sec\u00adtion 14 (6) VgV were not met. \u00a7 Sec\u00adtion 14 (6) VgV were not met. Even if bid\u00adder A had had an exclu\u00adsive posi\u00adtion at the time of the invi\u00adta\u00adtion to ten\u00adder, fur\u00adther evi\u00addence would have been required that no oth\u00ader rea\u00adson\u00adable alter\u00adna\u00adtive or sub\u00adsti\u00adtute solu\u00adtion exist\u00aded \u2014 and this was pre\u00adcise\u00adly what had not been pro\u00advid\u00aded. Par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly clear: The OLG crit\u00adi\u00adcized the fact that the orig\u00adi\u00adnal mar\u00adket inves\u00adti\u00adga\u00adtion only con\u00adsid\u00adered sys\u00adtems that could be con\u00adnect\u00aded, but not sys\u00adtems that were ful\u00adly inte\u00adgrat\u00aded \u2014 as ulti\u00admate\u00adly required. This require\u00adment only became appar\u00adent to all bid\u00adders from the ex-ante trans\u00adparen\u00adcy notice. The actu\u00adal pro\u00adcure\u00adment require\u00adments had not even been spec\u00adi\u00adfied at the time of the mar\u00adket explo\u00adration. Rather, this only emerged from the first mar\u00adket explo\u00adration. A sec\u00adond, more pre\u00adcise mar\u00adket explo\u00adration would have been nec\u00ades\u00adsary in order to deter\u00admine whether there were sup\u00adpli\u00aders on the mar\u00adket who could meet the actu\u00adal, now spec\u00adi\u00adfied pro\u00adcure\u00adment require\u00adments or who had suit\u00adable alter\u00adna\u00adtives or sub\u00adsti\u00adtute solu\u00adtions ready. The OLG clar\u00adi\u00adfies: A con\u00adtract\u00ading author\u00adi\u00adty may only dis\u00adpense with a call for com\u00adpe\u00adti\u00adtion and award the request\u00aded ser\u00advice to a spe\u00adcif\u00adic com\u00adpa\u00adny in accor\u00addance with Sec\u00adtion 14 (4) No. 2 lit. b VgV if it can be proven that no oth\u00ader provider is suit\u00adable. The bur\u00adden of pre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtion and proof lies entire\u00adly with the con\u00adtract\u00ading author\u00adi\u00adty. In this spe\u00adcif\u00adic case, this was not ful\u00adfilled \u2014 in par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar due to the lack of a sec\u00adond mar\u00adket inves\u00adti\u00adga\u00adtion. The con\u00adtract may there\u00adfore not be award\u00aded with\u00adout com\u00adpe\u00adti\u00adtion.                <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Con\u00adclu\u00adsion: Pre\u00adcise mar\u00adket research is manda\u00adto\u00adry in this case<\/h2>\n\n<p>The deci\u00adsion once again under\u00adlines how cru\u00adcial a care\u00adful and com\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsive mar\u00adket inves\u00adti\u00adga\u00adtion is \u2014 espe\u00adcial\u00adly if a nego\u00adti\u00adat\u00aded pro\u00adce\u00addure with\u00adout com\u00adpe\u00adti\u00adtion is planned. Any\u00adone claim\u00ading a unique tech\u00adni\u00adcal posi\u00adtion must not only be able to prove this in a com\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsi\u00adble man\u00adner, but also objec\u00adtive\u00adly and ver\u00adi\u00adfi\u00adably. Even if an exclu\u00adsive posi\u00adtion could be affirmed at the time of the award of the con\u00adtract, it must also be pos\u00adsi\u00adble to prove that the ser\u00advice offered has no alter\u00adna\u00adtive. A mere feel\u00ading or the unproven assump\u00adtion that there is no alter\u00adna\u00adtive is not suf\u00adfi\u00adcient.   <\/p>\n\n<p>You can find <strong>fur\u00adther insights <\/strong>and detailed expla\u00adna\u00adtions of var\u00adi\u00adous deci\u00adsions in our oth\u00ader videos on the YouTube chan\u00adnel <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCLY0cjJ9l70mjfHXl_xxi8A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">abante Recht\u00adsan\u00adw\u00e4lte<\/a>. Feel free to take a look! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On March 21, 2025, our lawyer Anne Grahl dealt with the deci\u00adsion of the High\u00ader Region\u00adal Court (OLG) Ham\u00adburg of April 6, 2023 (Ref.: 1 Verg 1\/23) in an abante live on pub\u00adlic pro\u00adcure\u00adment law. When there can (alleged\u00adly) only be one\u2026 In pub\u00adlic pro\u00adcure\u00adment law, it hap\u00adpens time and again that con\u00adtract\u00ading author\u00adi\u00adties believe [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21443,"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":[743,703,248,709],"tags":[],"team_kategorien":[],"lexikon_kategorie":[196,712,200],"class_list":["post-23396","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bidders-and-applicants","category-current-public-procurement-law-in-15-minutes","category-jurisdiction","category-public-procurement-law-in-general","lexikon_kategorie-market-survey","lexikon_kategorie-practical-tip","lexikon_kategorie-public-procurement-law"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23396","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\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23396"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23396\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23398,"href":"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23396\/revisions\/23398"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21443"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23396"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23396"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23396"},{"taxonomy":"team_kategorien","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/team_kategorien?post=23396"},{"taxonomy":"lexikon_kategorie","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abante.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lexikon_kategorie?post=23396"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}