The court confirmed a million fine for VUT for CEITEC

Brno - The Regional Court in Brno confirmed a million-crown fine from the Office for the Protection of Competition (ÚOHS) for the Brno University of Technology (VUT). The university made an error in 2011 in a tender for the construction of a Research Center for Information Technologies. This is indicated by the court’s website, and the school has not yet received the judgment.

According to the office, the school's procedure was non-transparent. It was unclear how the university arrived at the results of the evaluation of bids regarding the quality plan evaluation criterion. Its procedure became non-reviewable according to the office and could significantly influence the selection of the most suitable bid.

“From none of the documents prepared in the procurement procedure is it clear why the applicants were assigned the respective number of points, how the quality plans of the applicants differed in the given chapters, and which of the fulfillments better meets the requirements of the assignment and for what reason,” stated the chairperson of ÚOHS, Petr Rafaj, in the decision.

The school acknowledges the court's ruling. “We have not yet received the written judgment. Once it happens, our legal department will familiarize itself with the reasoning, and subsequently, in agreement with the relevant faculty, we will choose the next steps. I cannot rule out that if we do not agree with the court's conclusions, we will consider the possibility of an appeal. However, this cannot be anticipated at this time,” said VUT spokesperson Radana Kolčavová.

The contract was ultimately awarded to the company IMOS Brno. Its bid in the selection procedure was 150 million crowns excluding VAT.

The Research Center for Information Technologies is already in operation. It is located in the premises of the Brno University of Technology in Královo Pole. The Brno center is part of a broader IT4Innovations project. Its aim is to establish a national center for cutting-edge research in information technologies. The entire project includes five entities, including VUT, three in Ostrava, and the Silesian University in Opava.