PRESS RELEASE

ANTITRUST AUTHORITY OPENS INVESTIGATION ON COMPANIES COMPETING FOR PUBLIC SERVICES INFORMATION AUTHORITY (PSIA) (CONSIP) CONTRACTS IN THE EDUCATIONAL SECTOR AND TRAINING IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR

The Antitrust Authority, following the investigations carried out with the collaboration of the Guardia di Finanza, has launched an investigation against the companies NCS (National Consortium Services), Manutencoop Facility Management, EXITone and Kuadra to ascertain whether these companies have an agreement in place concerning the co-ordination of procedures for participation in the tender launched by the PSIA for the award of cleaning services in the educational institutions, of all levels, and in the training centres of the public sector. This coordination would seem to face a breakdown of almost all the 10 lots awarded to date in violation of European legislation to protect competition.

From the analysis of the offers submitted and the outcome of this process, in particular, there emerges the systematic absence of effective competition between the TAC (Temporary Association of Companies) formed by NCS, EXITone and Kuadra on one hand and, on the other hand, by Manutencoop Facility Management, both in terms of no-show and also the low aggressiveness of bids in relation to the different lots.

The process will be completed by 31 December 2015.

Rome, 15 October 2014