21/01/2010 - The Chambers of Industry and Commerce and the Chambers of Crafts in Hesse have supported companies and crafts for more than 50 years with their common institution "Contract Advisory Centre Hesse" in acquiring public contracts. For 2 years, the Contract Advisory Centre Hesse has discharged the task of a regional, SME-friendly pre-qualification body for companies. There, companies can prove their suitability as a tenderer in advance of a specific tender. They are registered in the Hessian Pre-Qualification Register HPQR and from now on won't have to submit paperwork with detailed proofs to contracting authorities.

At the end of the year, the 200th company was certified. The certificate was issued for the metal company Weinert GmbH domiciled in Rödermark. The managing director of the Contract Advisory Centre, Brigitta Trutzel, is especially pleased with the fact that the award goes to a medium sized family company that was passed in the second generation in 2007 by father Joseph to the son Robert Weinert.

Many small and medium-sized enterprises are afraid to apply for contracts of public authorities because the public procurement procedure has the reputation to be complex and opaque. The tender for a public contract is more complex than for private clients, not even every 10th application leads to a contract. This does not always depends on the price but on formal requirements which are not met. This, in turn, has caused a certain disenchantment of the company with public procurement, although public authorities have to award contract volume of 250 billion yearly.

Reliability, capability and competence are the key words that account for the suitability of a company in a public tender. Instead of repeating presentation of numerous individual certificates and declarations at the public client,the Contract Advisory Centre Hesse reviews such proofs once a year and issues the HPQR certificate about this. This check across sectors is limited to the order-independent criteria. The customer waives a re-examination in procurement procedures, but at any time may view the sngle proofs, if needed, using the certificate number on the HPQR website.

The HPQR means cutting red tape, save time and money on both sides. Experts expect that these savings amount to hundred of millions.

"The experience of the two years has shown that companies haven't got difficulties with regard to the acceptance of the certificate HPQR through contracting authorities. Although the buyer were quite suspicious at first, we have not received complaints any more, "says managing director Trutzel. Weinert confirms this." For 3 months, we have usesd the HPQR certificate without any problems. On average, we paticipate in 20 tenders monthly and we can conclude that all public entities, also outside of Hesse, admit the HPQR entirely. "
Hessian notices admit certificates of pre-qualification principally. Since summer 2009, the demand for certification has increased. significantly. The reasons are not only good experiences, but the impact of the procurement law reform 2009, which recommends the pre-qualification as a means of reducing bureaucracy in all procurement procedures. The procedural rules in the Law Against Restraints on Competition and the procurement regulation of the VOL / A 2010 have been adapted.

The number of HPQR certified companies has developed well in 2009 despite the economic crisis. In 2009, 142 new companies were certified, another 128 new applications are still in process. A total of 360 companies are listed in the HPQR. It is encouraging that almost all companies of the first year applied for an extension of their certification. Thus proved that the HPQR cleary minimises the risk of companies to be excluded from invitations to tenders.

Anyone who is interested in the HPQR, can receive application forms on the website www.hpqr.de. The certification for one year costs € 215 gross, if extended € 50 less.

Also for the 300th company, we promise a second and this time free certification year




Caption:
from right to left: Mrs. Brigitta Trutzel, Managing Director of the Contract Advisory Centre Hesse Middle: Mr. Robert Weinert, metal companies Weinert GmbH Rödermark Left: Marita Schäfer HPQR certification Contract Advisory Centre Hesse