Possible choices regarding the bid invitation
Laws regarding public procurement restrict public sector clients’ bid invitations to
open invitations in which all contractors are welcome to submit bids. The purpose is
of course to enhance competition and transparency. The drawback is that it hampers
long-term development in lasting relationships since actor constellations are changed
in every project (Dubois and Gadde, 2000). Hence, private sector clients often utilize
the possibility to invite a limited amount of trustworthy contractors, or even negotiate
directly with only one selected contractor (Lam et al., 2001, Eriksson, 2008a).