- Spain’s Central Administrative Court for Contract Appeals provisionally suspended the macro-tender for managing corporate travel across the General State Administration
- The contract has an estimated total value of €604.8m
- The suspension follows a formal appeal lodged by GEBTA and other sector organisations on 2 September
- The contract is divided into five lots with an initial intended duration of 18 months
- Current travel agency awardees will continue managing services under an extension while the court processes the appeal
Spain’s Central Administrative Court for Contract Appeals (TACRC) has provisionally suspended the macro-tender for managing corporate travel across the General State Administration (AGE). The precautionary freeze halts the procurement procedure while the tribunal reviews formal challenges filed by the industry. The massive public travel contract has an estimated total value of €604.8m.
The contract is divided into five lots with an initial intended duration of 18 months. It covers the official travel, displacements and accommodation bookings for Spain’s central ministries and associated state entities. The suspension follows a formal appeal lodged by GEBTA (the Spanish association of corporate travel agencies) and other sector organisations on 2 September.
The industry groups are demanding the absolute annulment of the bidding documents, denouncing what they state are serious economic, technical and regulatory flaws embedded in the specifications drawn up by the General Directorate of Rationalization and Centralization of Contracting.
The suspension is a precautionary legal measure and does not mean the tender is permanently cancelled. The TACRC will evaluate the legal merits of the industry’s objections before issuing a final ruling. To ensure continuous public services while the court processes the appeal, the management contracts of the current travel agency awardees will be extended until a final decision is resolved.
