AGEINCO participates in the III Public Procurement CongressoOrganised by the Provincial Council of A Coruña

17 June 2026

Marta Isabel Gallego Ramos attended the event on behalf of the cluster, while Eugenia Calvo López, CEO of SERYE Ingenieros and Member of AGEINCO’s Board of Directors, participated as a panellist in one of the congress discussions.

On Wednesday, 17 June, AGEINCO took part in the III Public Procurement Congress, organised by the Provincial Council of A Coruña and held on 16 and 17 June at the Assembly Hall of the University of A Coruña.

The event was held under the theme “Public Procurement at the Service of Society: The Essential Circle of Administration, Business and Politics” and brought together representatives from public administrations, companies, universities, business organisations, legal professionals, and specialists in public procurement.

AGEINCO was represented by Marta Isabel Gallego Ramos, Secretary General of the association, accompanied by Mar García, representative of Enmacosa Consultoría Técnica, an AGEINCO member company.

The Business and Technical Perspective in Public Procurement

One of the highlights of the second day was the participation of Eugenia Calvo López, CEO of SERYE Ingenieros, an AGEINCO member company, and Member of AGEINCO’s Board of Directors, in the roundtable discussion entitled:

“Tender Specifications as a Technical, Social and Business Tool in Public Procurement.”

Eugenia Calvo shared the panel with:

• Beatriz Méndez López, Head of the Assets and Procurement Department of the Provincial Council of A Coruña.
• José No Varela, Managing Director of Construcciones José No Mantiñán e Hijos.

The discussion highlighted the importance of tender specifications as essential instruments for defining the technical, economic, social, and administrative conditions of public contracts.

Properly drafted procurement documents are crucial for ensuring clarity in tendering processes, facilitating business participation, preventing conflicting interpretations, and supporting efficient, high-quality project delivery.

The session offered both the perspective of public administrations and the experience of companies that participate in public procurement procedures and must translate the technical and administrative requirements of each tender into their proposals.

Two Days Dedicated to the Main Challenges of Public Procurement

The congress featured an extensive programme of presentations and roundtable discussions focused on the key challenges currently facing public procurement.

The first day was opened by Valentín González Formoso, President of the Provincial Council of A Coruña, and began with a reflection on the current state of public procurement, its future prospects, and the changes needed to adapt procedures to the needs of public administrations, businesses, and society.

Topics discussed throughout the event included award criteria, the functioning of procurement committees and expert panels, extensions of concessions and contracts, and the financial consequences arising from contractual invalidity.

The programme also included sessions on measures to promote equality in public procurement, the evolution of social clauses and reserved contracts, and the role public procurement can play in addressing depopulation and urban development challenges.

Another topic explored was the use of salary increases as an award criterion and the need to ensure a clear connection between such measures and the subject matter of the contract.

Artificial Intelligence, Oversight and Fraud Prevention

The second day opened with a keynote presentation dedicated to emerging technologies and the application of artificial intelligence in public procurement, examining the new opportunities and challenges these tools may create in the preparation, processing, award, and monitoring of public contracts.

The congress also addressed public procurement oversight systems at the local level, corruption prevention, anti-fraud measures, and unethical practices that may affect public markets, including monopolistic behaviour, collusion, and anti-competitive conduct.

The business perspective also played a central role through a panel discussion focused on the challenges companies face when participating in public procurement procedures. Topics included possible improvements to procurement systems, ranging from price review mechanisms to contracts awarded through publicly owned entities.

The programme was completed with sessions addressing the relationship between public procurement and local politics, the acceleration of procedures, administrative simplification, the reduction of bureaucracy, and contract supervision from award through execution.

The final session focused on minor contracts, their use, potential misuse, and the need to identify mechanisms that streamline procedures while maintaining transparency, oversight, and regulatory compliance.

Towards Clearer, More Agile and Balanced Public Procurement

AGEINCO’s participation in this congress reflects the association’s commitment to improving public procurement procedures and advocating for conditions that properly recognise the expertise, specialisation, and technical capabilities of engineering, consultancy, and technology services companies.

For AGEINCO, it is essential to move towards a public procurement model that is clearer, more agile, and more balanced, facilitating fair competition and ensuring that contract awards are not based solely on economic criteria.

Technical quality, experience, innovation, team expertise, and the ability to deliver projects successfully should play a significant role in procurement decisions, particularly in contracts that require a high level of specialised knowledge and professional responsibility.

It is equally important that tender specifications clearly define the scope of services, required resources, implementation timelines, and financial conditions, avoiding disproportionate requirements or approaches that may limit the participation of technically qualified companies.

AGEINCO will continue working to share the sector’s experience with public administrations, strengthen public-private collaboration, and contribute to the development of procurement models that deliver better services to society.

The association would like to thank the Provincial Council of A Coruña for organising this valuable forum for dialogue, reflection, and knowledge exchange, as well as for incorporating both technical and business perspectives into the debate on the present and future of public procurement.