¿Qué limitaciones hay para empresas vinculadas entre sí?

Alright, let’s cut the legal mumbo-jumbo and get real for a second. When companies that are kinda “related”—like siblings at a family reunion—try to jump into the same public bidding process, things can get tricky. And yeah, a bunch of rules are set up to keep stuff fair, transparent, and above the table. Otherwise, it’d be like letting a bunch of cousins team up in Monopoly and wipe out the rest of the family. Not cool.

But here’s the kicker: every country’s got its own playbook. So, if you run a business, you’d better know the local rules before you hit “submit” on that bid. Don’t go in blind.

A lot of the time, these related companies aren’t even allowed to toss in separate bids for the same contract. Why? Well, duh. If you and your “related” company are both in the game, there’s a chance you could swap secret info, rig the price, or just generally mess things up for everyone else. That’s the opposite of fair competition. Spain, for example, has their LCSP—basically their rulebook for public contracts—which flat out says: “Hey, if you’re linked together by ownership or whatever, you count as one offer. Don’t try to game the system.”

But, plot twist: not every link between companies is a dealbreaker. You can still compete in the same process if you can actually prove you’re doing your own thing—making decisions separately, handling your own resources, not peeking at each other’s homework. Basically, don’t act like you’re joined at the hip.

Heads up, though—some sectors are even stricter. Like, if we’re talking public service contracts, there might be extra hoops to jump through. Say one company’s already running the show as a concessionaire or there’s a whiff of a conflict of interest? Forget it, you might be benched.

Bottom line? If your company’s linked up with another and you wanna go after public contracts, don’t wing it. Talk to a legal pro—seriously, it’s cheaper than getting fined or banned down the line. Oh, and keep things clean and honest. Your reputation’s worth more than landing one dodgy contract. Trust me on that.