• The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) has launched an investigation into big-rigging.
• Three entrepreneurs may have been able to influence the results of public tenders for the transport of students to schools.
• The wronged party might have been municipalities in Lesser Poland.

The Office has initiated proceedings against three entrepreneurs who competed in tenders for the transport of students to schools in Małopolskie Voivodeship. They are: Firma Transportowo Turystyczna „Jakubas” Krystyna Jakubas, Firma Transportowo Usługowa Magdalena Jakubas and Euro Bus Marek Jakubas.

- The entrepreneurs could have influenced the results of several tenders in 2014-2017. We suspect that they may have used a bid rigging and withdrawal mechanism. If their proposals were the most advantageous, then the winner of the tender would withdraw from signing the contract. This could have been an intentional measure which was supposed to lead to selection of a more expensive bid by the municipality - Says Vice-President of UOKiK, Michał Holeksa.

The value of contracts announced by local governments ranged from several dozen to several hundred thousand złoty. The maximum penalty for practices restricting competition may amount to 10% of the entrepreneur's turnover.

Do you know about a collusion? Notify UOKiK

Competition-restricting practices are subject to a financial penalty of up to 10% of turnover. Please remember about our programme of collecting information from anonymous whistleblowers, e.g. from former and current employees of companies that violate the law. If you know about competition-restricting practices, notify the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection. Contact us anonymously on 22 55 60 500 or at sygnalista@uokik.gov.pl. All data on the programme for whistleblowers can be found on konkurencja.uokik.gov.pl.

Additional information for the media:

UOKiK Press Office
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warszawa, Poland
Phone +48 695 902 088, +48 22 55 60 246
E-mail: biuroprasowe@uokik.gov.pl
Twitter: @UOKiKgovPL