Public contracts awared to cooperative societies in the Basque Country between 2010 and 2012

Abstract

Public Procurement is a major source of demand for goods and services, especially in the Basque Country where the autonomous government, also called the Basque General Administration, plays a key role as contracting authority. On the other hand, the Social Economy, and especially the cooperative movement, also plays a role of great weight in the Basque Economy because of their employment and contribution to GDP figures, as well as because of tradition and social roots. It is worth considering about the role of cooperatives in Basque Public Procurement, what kind of contracts are awarded to them and how is this done, the amounts involved in these contracts and, ultimately, if this awarding role matches the one they play in the whole Basque Economy. Through the review and analysis of e-published contracts awarded by the Basque Government, relevant data are obtained, processed and analyzed in order to be displayed in tables and percentages which are the basis of a complete diagnose. By doing so, all those questions raised before are answered and, at the same time, the role played by cooperatives in the area of the public procurement in the Basque Country is exposed.