Acquisitions always come with challenges, according to Mark von Wietersheim
The world of procurement law is undergoing significant changes, with a focus on digitization, streamlined procedures, and better value-based acquisition frameworks in line with EU standards. These reforms aim to modernize, digitalize, and increase the transparency and efficiency of public procurement processes.
At the forefront of these changes is the Forum Vergabe (FoRGED), a platform that facilitates discussion, exchange of expertise, and formulation of recommendations for procurement reform. Founded in 1993 in Cologne, the Forum Vergabe has been instrumental in shaping procurement law and practices for decades.
Mark von Wietersheim, the managing director of the Forum Vergabe, started his career as a lawyer in 1996 and learned the development of procurement law from the user's perspective. He joined the German railway company in 2000 and later took over the management of the Forum Vergabe's affairs in Berlin in 2009.
The Forum Vergabe consists of a 16-member board that includes municipal and state contracting authorities, federal ministries, contractors, lawyers, consultants, and law firms. Notably, the German railway company had one vote in the German Procurement and Contracts Committee for Construction Works (DVA).
The Forum Vergabe offers a neutral platform for the exchange of experience and opinions among its members. It organizes specialist events such as the "Forum Vergabe Discussions," where experts from the entire procurement world gather to discuss the latest developments. During the last reform of the procurement law in 2015, the Forum Vergabe organized an event with 120 experts.
This year, the Forum Vergabe will focus on procurement law reforms in Germany and on a European level. The "Forum Vergabe Discussions" will focus on the handling of increased contract value thresholds in the federal states and the expansion of the "procurement law transformation." The further development of procurement law in light of digitalization, sustainability, and supply chain resilience will also be discussed.
The experts who participate in the Forum Vergabe's events have consistently supported legislation with their inputs. The Forum Vergabe has around 450 members, predominantly from Germany, but also from Austria and Switzerland. The annual Forum Vergabe event has been held in Fulda since 2011.
For more information about the Forum Vergabe, you can contact Wolfgang Leja at w.leja@ourwebsite.
[1] German procurement law evolution: [link to source] [2] Forum Vergabe's role in shaping procurement law: [link to source]
- The following technology-driven reforms in procurement law will be a key focus for the Forum Vergabe in the upcoming year: digitalization, sustainability, and supply chain resilience, aiming to further modernize education-and-self-development in the field.
- With the increase in contract value thresholds, the Forum Vergabe, an influential platform in education-and-self-development for procurement law, is organizing a series of specialists events, such as the "Forum Vergabe Discussions," to discuss the most recent technology-based strategies for handling these changes in the German and European procurement landscape.
