Nós comparamos o leilão aberto e o leilão selado utilizados para compras públicas na Bolsa Eletrônica de Compras (BEC) do Estado de São Paulo usando dados das transações de açúcar refinado entre 2008 e 2011. O leilão selado gera uma economia para o Estado de aproximadamente 3% em relação ao leilão aberto. Sob a ótica do paradigma de valores privados independentes, nós adotamos um modelo com licitantes assimétricos e aversão ao risco. Ao recuperar a propensão a pagar dos participantes com econometria estrutural, descobrimos que estas hipóteses se encaixam razoavelmente bem aos leilões, ainda que não possamos descartar conluio ou comportamentos gerados por leilões online / We compared the open and the sealed bid auctions used for procurement transaction at the electronic platform Bolsa Eletrônica de Compras (BEC) of São Paulo state using data from refined sugar purchases between 2008 and 2011. The sealed bid generates lower prices in about 3% compared to the open auction. Under the independent private values paradigm, we adopted asymmetric bidders and risk aversion. We recover with structural econometrics the cumulative distribution functions of cost of potential bidders and we found evidence we can fit reasonably well our data, although we cannot reject collusion or behaviors generated by online auctions.

In many procurement auctions, entrants determine whether to participate in auctions accounting for their roles of intermediaries who search for the best (or the cheapest) input suppliers. We build on a procurement auction model with entry, combining with intermediary search for suppliers. The novel feature is that costs of bidders are endogenously determined by suppliers who strategically charge input prices. We show the existence of an equilibrium with price dispersion for inputs, generating cost heterogeneity among bidders. Interestingly, the procurement cost may rise as the number of potential bidders increases. (author's abstract) / Series: Department of Economics Working Paper Series

Nós comparamos o leilão aberto e o leilão selado utilizados para compras públicas na Bolsa Eletrônica de Compras (BEC) do Estado de São Paulo usando dados das transações de açúcar refinado entre 2008 e 2011. O leilão selado gera uma economia para o Estado de aproximadamente 3% em relação ao leilão aberto. Sob a ótica do paradigma de valores privados independentes, nós adotamos um modelo com licitantes assimétricos e aversão ao risco. Ao recuperar a propensão a pagar dos participantes com econometria estrutural, descobrimos que estas hipóteses se encaixam razoavelmente bem aos leilões, ainda que não possamos descartar conluio ou comportamentos gerados por leilões online / We compared the open and the sealed bid auctions used for procurement transaction at the electronic platform Bolsa Eletrônica de Compras (BEC) of São Paulo state using data from refined sugar purchases between 2008 and 2011. The sealed bid generates lower prices in about 3% compared to the open auction. Under the independent private values paradigm, we adopted asymmetric bidders and risk aversion. We recover with structural econometrics the cumulative distribution functions of cost of potential bidders and we found evidence we can fit reasonably well our data, although we cannot reject collusion or behaviors generated by online auctions.

Då den svenska offentliga sektorn handlar kontorsmaterial, idrottsarenor, tjänster eller andra former av inköp hamnar detta under benämningen offentlig upphandling. Den totala summan av offentlig upphandling i Sverige uppskattas överstiga 500 miljarder svenska kronor årligen. När en offentlig upphandling skall genomföras skapas ett förfrågningsmaterial från upphandlaren genom vilket leverantörer får lämna anbud om att kunna slutföra det kontrakt som erbjuds. När anbuden kommer in är det upphandlarens uppgifter att avgöra vilket anbud som är det mest fördelaktiga, detta genom att väga olika faktorer emot varandra. Denna studie undersöker ifall faktorn pris prioriteras i denna beslutsfattande situation från upphandlaren. Resultaten visar på att pris först i slutändan är den faktor som avgör vilken leverantör som blir vinnare i budgivningen, men detta är först efter att andra faktorer redan har blivit beaktade och påverkat faktorn pris. / Program: Civilekonomprogrammet

In Paper [I], we theoretically assess green public procurement (GPP) as an environmental policy instrument and its ability to lead to the achievement of environmental objectives. Central to our analysis is the extent to which polluting firms choose to adapt to the public sector's environmental requirements and to invest in greener technologies. Our main finding is that the potential of GPP to function as an objective-effective instrument of environmental policy is limited and can actually be counterproductive. From an environmental policy point of view, it is crucial that GPP aims for environmental standards beyond just the technology of the polluting firms and that it is designed with reference to defined environmental objectives. In Paper [II], we use data on Swedish public procurement auctions for internal regular cleaning service contracts to provide novel empirical evidence regarding GPP and its effect on the potential suppliers' decision to submit a bid and their probability of being qualified for supplier selection. We find only a weak effect on supplier behavior, and this suggests that GPP, as used in practice, does not live up to its political expectations. However, several environmental criteria appear to be associated with increased complexity, as indicated by the reduced probability of a bid being qualified in the post-qualification process. As such, GPP appears to have limited or no potential to function as an environmental policy instrument. In Paper [III], I examine how GPP is organized in Sweden and how the potential suppliers respond to varying buyer market shares using data on Swedish public procurement auctions for internal regular cleaning service contracts. The level of GPP stringency is found to vary systematically across authority types, buyer market share, and political coalition in the relevant council or in Parliament. The results also indicate quite a substantial dispersion in GPP stringency, suggesting a low degree of coordination among contracting authorities when implementing the policy. After controlling for GPP stringency and other covariates, increased buyer market share is associated with a significant increase in the probability of potential suppliers submitting a bid. The European Commission encourages public authorities to split procurement contracts into multiple contracts in order to increase the competiveness of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). In Paper [IV], I use data from Swedish public procurement auctions for internal regular cleaning service contracts to study the effect of contract size and number of contracts on SME participation and probability of winning. The results indicate that SME participation is negatively related to both contract size and the number of contracts in the procurement. A possible interpretation is that reduced contract size in order to stimulate SME participation is counteracted by reduced incentives for them to enter into procurements with multiple contracts. Medium-sized firms are also more successful when bidding for smaller contracts relative to large firms. Nevertheless, the results indicate that the award rate for SMEs is positively correlated with the number of contracts in the procurement. / Green Public Procurement: An Efficient Environmental Policy Tool?