18. April 2025
The awarding of public printing contracts is increasingly caught between EU legal requirements and the desire for regional value creation. A new guideline has been published to provide public contracting authorities with legally compliant and practical guidance:
“Guidelines for the consideration of SMEs in the print and media industry when awarding print contracts”
The guide was developed by the Austrian Printing Media Association together with the Printing Section of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber in cooperation with the public procurement law team at PHH Rechtsanwält:innen. The aim is to design tenders in such a way that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Austrian print and media industry in particular can be given appropriate consideration – in accordance with the requirements of European public procurement law.
“It is essential to make the best possible use of the leeway provided by the Federal Procurement Act and to define qualitative award criteria – such as eco-labels, sustainability concepts, delivery times or quality assurance measures,” emphasizes Theresa Karall, lawyer at PHH and specialist in public procurement law.
By applying the best bidder principle, public contracting authorities can select not only the most economically advantageous provider, but also the best overall provider – and thus promote responsible, sustainable and future-oriented procurement practices.
As experienced consultants in public procurement law issues, we at PHH support public institutions, corporations and companies in the planning, implementation and review of tendering procedures – always with the aim of legal clarity, efficiency and fairness.