Let's discover the Mepa, the electronic market of the PA.

The Electronic Market of Public Administration (Mepa) is a computerized system that allows suppliers of goods and services to participate in telematic procedures initiated by public administrations. The Mepa offers businesses the opportunity to participate in online tenders, in order to manage the purchase of goods and services by public administrations more efficiently and transparently.

In particular, the Mepa aims to simplify the procedures related to the supply of goods and services to the Public Administration, ensuring greater transparency and a more effective selection of suppliers. Furthermore, the system allows companies to save time and energy in preparing technical offers as all the necessary information to participate in the tender is available on the platform.

The Mepa is also a way to reduce purchasing costs for public administrations, providing faster access to competitive prices compared to those available in the free market. Finally, the system contributes to the fight against tax evasion as it constantly monitors payments made by public entities, ensuring that the amounts paid comply with current regulations.

Moreover, public administrations can access more favorable economic conditions compared to the free market.

Consip is a public company owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance that focuses on making public spending more efficient. Its main objective is to develop the digitalization of public administration, simplifying and reducing costs for the purchase of goods and services. In addition to MEPA, Consip is also responsible for managing electronic tenders, which allow qualified users to participate in public procurement bids, offering them the opportunity to bypass barriers to entry in the public administration sector.

The main difference between MEPA and Consip is that MEPA is an electronic marketplace intended for the purchase of goods and services by public administrations, while Consip is a company that operates in the public administration sector on behalf of the Ministry of Economy and Finance. MEPA was created in 2007 to replace traditional purchasing methods based on public procurement. Additionally, MEPA offers buyers the opportunity to compare prices of different products and choose the most convenient one. Consip, on the other hand, is a public law entity that is responsible for researching, negotiating, and managing contracts for the direct purchase of the PA at advantageous prices. The main mission of Consip is to reduce costs and simplify the procedures related to purchases made by the PA.

Since 2016, all public administrations are required to turn to the Mepa to purchase goods, services, and supplies with a value exceeding 5,000 euros (excluding VAT). Furthermore, all contracts concluded with a value below this threshold must be published on the Mepa website within 60 days of their completion. Contracts with a value exceeding 150,000 euros must also undergo a public procurement procedure. These rules also apply to contracting authorities that use the Mepa for simplifying the purchasing process. Therefore, when the purchase amount exceeds 5,000 euros, it is mandatory to turn to the Mepa.

Searching for a public contract on MEPA is easy and requires just a few simple steps. First of all, you need to register on the MEPA platform with your personal details. Once registered, the user will need to choose the category of products or services. Subsequently, you can consult the available offers by providing details such as start date, price, and quantity required. Finally, it will be enough to select the desired offer. MEPA thus represents a simple and efficient way to find a public contract and submit your offer transparently.