The Public Procurement in Portugal: Challenges and Opportunities from the Perspective of Companies, a practical case of Knower

This is a process that, although complex for many, becomes enjoyable for me, not only because I have worked in the “other side” in the past, but also because it allows me to put into practice everything I learned during my studies.

However, I recognize that participating in these processes involves facing technical, financial, and organizational challenges that can be decisive for the success or failure of a proposal.

There are three factors in a procedure that are decisive: the value of the tender, the demanding deadlines, and the technical documents requested.

In this article, I would like to highlight the value of the proposal as an almost decisive factor, as it is often quite difficult for a company to find values that are aligned with the service requested. That is, the awarding entities often budget blindly, which causes a discrepancy between reality and the base price of the tender. It is a challenge to capture the attention of business areas for public procurement projects, as when they award services to the private sector, they achieve more advantageous values with less bureaucratic processes.

From a more commercial and growth-oriented perspective, public procurement can be adopted as a strategy to boost the company’s reputation in the market. By participating in procedures, we are giving visibility to the company, not only to our competitors but also to potential partners and even to the awarding entities.

Public procurement is more than a bureaucratic process to serve the state; it is a strategic tool that allows companies to consolidate their position in the market, diversify their activities, and build a solid reputation. Despite the challenges, such as bureaucracy and deadlines, this is an essential bet for any company with ambitions of sustainable growth.