[fre] La pratique des appels d'offres concurrentiels dans les industries de services publics s'est considérablement développée depuis deux décennies. Le principal argument théorique sur lequel s'appuie cette tendance est que la mise aux enchères du droit de fournir un bien ou un service...

In this paper we investigate the relationship between operating cost and number of bidders for local bus contracts in London. Using an original database on 806 calls for tender on bus routes, we find that a higher number of bidders, whether actual or expected, is associated with a lower cost of...

Why do public buyers use competitive bidding instead of negotiation to select a contractor? To shed light on this question, we consider the impact on the main economic determinants identified in the literature on the choice of auctions versus negotiations, namely competitive intensity, buyer?s...

In many countries, governments are pushing for the introduction of competition in the organization of public services and more broadly in public procurement. The development of public-private partnerships throughout the world is a good illustration of this trend. In order to foster competition,...

This paper investigates the impact of ownership structure and contractual choices on technical efficiency in the French urban public transport sector. The central proposition, which relies on classical contract theory arguments, is that ownership regime and contractual practices are key...