České Budějovice reconstruction tender faces legal disputes

A major reconstruction tender in České Budějovice has faced significant legal and procedural hurdles. Following two failed attempts, a third bidding process was successfully completed, resulting in a price reduction of 104 million CZK.

The initial procurement processes were marked by controversy. The first tender was canceled by city leadership due to high costs, while the second was struck down by the Office for the Protection of Competition (ÚOHS) for illegal discrimination. Critics and market participants alleged that the city set overly specific and restrictive qualification requirements—such as mandatory experience with high-pressure water mist systems and specific asbestos removal values—to narrow the field of eligible contractors.

During the problematic stages, criminal police reportedly questioned city representatives regarding the non-standard nature of the proceedings. The initial rounds left only two companies with controversial histories in corruption cases, Metrostav and Geosan, as viable options before the subsequent legal interventions.