Public Procurement Leverage with SMEs : The Case of the Electronic Marketplace of the Italian Government (Il Public Procurement come stimolo alle PMI: Il caso del Mercato Elettronico della Pubblica Amministrazione Italiana)

While e-procurement is widely advocated as an effective tool to promote participation of SMEs in public procurement markets, little evidence exists as to what factors may influence the allocation of contracts to differently sized firms. We analyze transactions – below the EU-thresholds – that took place on the Italian e-marketplace. Although micro suppliers are the most represented group, evidence suggests the largest suppliers display the highest success rates in getting public contracts. Contract value, loyalty and geographical location of players also emerge as relevant factors of success, proving that some features of “physical” procurement are mirrored in the “virtual” markets