The deadline for submitting bids expired after just three calendar days, two of which were weekend days and one a public holiday. Only one bid arrived, from the company that already maintains the agency's software system.
The Croatian Agency for Small Business, Innovation and Investment (HAMAG-BICRO) has come under public scrutiny due to a tender with an estimated value of 200,000 euros, which attracted only one bid, from the existing supplier. The tender for the upgrade and maintenance of the operational software system was publicly announced on August 14, 2026, with the deadline for bid submission expiring on August 17 at noon.
According to information available to Stijena.info, the only bid was submitted by INSA Investment Software AG, which currently maintains HAMAG-BICRO's software system. The quoted price was nearly identical to the estimated procurement value of 200,000 euros.
The timeline of the procedure reveals an extremely short deadline. HAMAG-BICRO sent the tender notice for publication on August 13, and it was publicly announced the following day, August 14. Then came the weekend: August 15 was a Saturday and the public holiday of the Assumption of Mary, and August 16 was Sunday. The deadline for bid submission expired on August 17 at noon.
As a result, potential bidders had practically only Friday and part of Monday to review the documentation, analyze the existing IT system, check technical requirements, secure qualified personnel, verify their references, calculate costs, and prepare a formally correct application.
The Public Procurement Act stipulates special rules on minimum deadlines for small-value procedures, and the relevant minimum deadlines can be shortened to 20 days. However, HAMAG-BICRO publicly allowed potential bidders access to the tender from August 14, while bids had to be submitted by August 17 at noon, which is only three calendar days.
Before publishing the article, Stijena.info sent a journalistic inquiry to HAMAG-BICRO and its Management Board, which includes President Vjeran Vrbanec, Deputy President Ante-Janko Bobetko, and members Želimir Kramarić and Marijana Baršić Barun. No response was received before the article was published.
INSA Investment Software AG is not a company new to HAMAG-BICRO. It is an existing supplier that already knows the system that needs to be upgraded and maintained. As Stijena.info learns, the only bid received was nearly identical to the estimated procurement value of 200,000 euros.
The three-day deadline, which included a weekend and a holiday, from publication to bid submission, coupled with the fact that the only bid came from the existing supplier, raises serious doubts about genuine market competition. The bid amount itself does not indicate collusion nor confirm that INSA knew in advance there would be no rivals, but it is difficult to view these circumstances in complete isolation.
HAMAG-BICRO is not a private company that can arbitrarily choose business partners. It is an agency that manages public funds, so its procurement procedures must be transparent and compliant with regulations. Stijena.info states that if HAMAG-BICRO later provides a response, it will be published.
