12/10/2010 - With a small ceremony at the premises of the Contract Advisory Centre Hesse on 4th October 2010, the membership of the Chamber of Engineers was sealed. Previously there was a cooperation between the Contract Advisory Centre Hesse and the Chamber of Engineers Hesse, but now the president of the Chamber of Engineers Hesse, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr.-Ing. E.h. Udo F. Meissner, and the chairman of the Contract Advisory Centre Hesse and CEO of the IHK Wiesbaden, Joachim Nolde signed the contract.

Since 1954, the Contract Advisory Centre Hesse has aimed at supporting an appropriate participation of its members in public procurement regarding the general interests of a free economy. The 13 founding members of the Chambers of Industry and Commerce and Chambers of Crafts appreciated this step explicitly.

The managing director of the Contract Advisory Centre Hesse, lawyer Brigitta Trutzel, stressed that her Contract Advisory Centre is the only one that nationwide numbers a chamber of engineers among its members. "Again and again, we receive inquiries from engineers concerning the processing of procurement procedures. The number of engineering companies is rising steadily. We are pleased that there are now more of them and we can benefit from each other. Because where points of contact are existing, one should absolutely work together and pool expertises "

With the Chamber of Engineers as a member, now for the first time, also freelance professionals are entitled to make demands on the consulting service of the Contract Advisory Centre Hesse comprehensively and to use the free research on the announcement database HAD (www.had.de). Engineers do not only apply for public contracts, they also conduct tendering procedures for public clients increasingly. Therefore, the training offers of the Contract Advisory Centre Hesse are a great advantage for them as well.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr.-Ing. E.h. Udo F. Meißner emphasised the particular importance of this membership for small and medium-sized companies. "Explanatory work has to be performed, especially the pre-qualification is an important aspect!". The Contract Advisory Centre operates in Hesse as a pre-qualification centre for companies who want to be certificated for their suitability as a contractor and to be listed on the database www.hpqr.de. The Chamber of Engineers expects a more intensive support of its members through the membership, especially in getting public contracts and a bundling of protection of interests in public procurement.

The Contract Advisory Centre Hesse already pre-qualifies members of the Chamber of Engineers in terms of their suitability for public contracts based on the Hessian procurement decree from November 2007 (S.2386 StAnz.48/2007) and issues the certificate of the Hessian Pre-Qualification Register (HPQR). The certification can be achieved by any engineer voluntarily to simplify the tendering procedure. The Contract Advisory Centre Hessen reviews the economic and financial capacity and professional competence of the engineer and the absence of other reasons for an exclusion according to VOF.

The Contract Advisory Centre certified on its own behalf and account in accordance with established quality standards and guidelines and the applicable scale of fees. The certification is carried out on behalf of the Chamber of Engineers in Hesse for their members. The search on the procurement platform public contract notices "HAD" is free of charge for members of the Chamber of Engineers. All members of the Chamber of Engineers also receive a free initial advice on procurement law concerning VOB / A and VOL / A, regardless of whether they are involved in a public procurement procedure as a tenderer or as a representative of the public authorities. The Contract Advisory Centre Hesse also acts as a mediator to the public authorities.

Signing of the contract

In the foreground from left to right:
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr.-Ing. E.h. Udo F. Meissner President of the Chamber of Engineers Hesse Joachim Nolde, Chairman Contract Advisory Centre Hesse, and CEO of the IHK Wiesbaden

In the background from left to right:
Lawyer Manfred Günther Splittgerber Deputy. Managing Director, General Counsel Head of Department for legal Affairs Dipl.-Ing. (FH) CEO Rüdiger Lexau management of the Hessian office Lawyer Brigitta Trutzel MD Contract Advisory Centre Hesse eV. Ace-Jur. Bernhard Mundschenk Deputy Chief Executive Chamber of Wiesbaden