What is subcontracting in public procurement?

Ok, let's say it without so much formal roll.

The subcontracting in public hiring, to put it simple, is when a company that won a contract with the government decides to pass part of the work to another company, that is, the subcontractor. This happens all the time, especially in large projects where no one is an expert at absolutely everything, you know? Everyone to their own.

The subcontract joke is that the main company can focus on what it really knows how to do and, meanwhile, takes advantage of the specialists' talent for the rest. But be careful, it is not debauchery: there are rules. And many. All this is quite guarded so that public money did not be won or scams.

For example, in the European Union they have the 2014/24/EU directive, which basically says that if you are going to subcontract, you have to say it from the beginning and make sure that your subcontractor meets the same legal and technical requirements as you. And if you laugh, you can't blame the subcontractor: the main company is still responsible for everything to do well.

Do you want to avoid headaches? Then you better choose your subcontractors. It's not about hiring the first one you find. It is necessary to check that they are solvent, responsible, and that they do not go into corruption bronchs or exploit workers. If not, then the problems come.

And it's not just a matter of choosing well. The relationship with the subcontractors must be clear. No assumptions: all in writing, well defined who does what and how the work will be reviewed. Communication is key, if not, then nobody knows what the thing is about and everything ends up being chaos.

Anyway, subcontracting in public contracts can be a great idea if you handle it well and follow the rules. But it is not to improvise or make favors to quadates. Do it well, and take off trouble. Do it badly ... and get ready for the drama.