The Public Procurement Professionals Association (UPVO) operates on the principle of regular communication between individual members in order to meet the goals of the association. In addition to the association’s bodies defined in the Articles of Association, specialized work groups are created in particular public procurement areas and issues. Participation in work groups is voluntary and each member has the right to participate in one or more work groups based on their specification and experience. The outputs of the working groups are discussed by the Executive Board. 

UPVO has the ambition to cooperate with other professional associations or other organisations in the Slovak Republic and abroad; it also creates work groups, and discusses or cooperates with regards to individual topics as an open forum for a wider range of experts in the field of public procurement or in related or follow-up areas. 

On its own initiative or upon request of partners and partner organisations or third parties, UPVO shall provide its experts to working groups, panels or for other cooperation in addressing common, related or follow-up topics.

The General Assemlby is the supreme body of the UPVO, deciding on all key issues of the UPVO’s operation. It consists of individual members of the association (founding members and other members), with all UPVO members having equal status and an equal voice within the operation of the association.

The Executive Board is the executive body of UPVO. Executive Board members are elected by UPVO members from among persons – professionals in public procurement – who are nominated by individual UPVO members. The Chairman of UPVO is elected by the association’s members from among the Executive Board members. The Executive Board works for the benefit of UPVO on a voluntary basis with the aim of developing and improving the position and quality of UPVO. The Chairman and Executive Board Members represent the UPVO. At present, the Executive Board consists of 5 members.

UPVO members work for the benefit of the association as a non-profit organisation on a voluntary basis within their capabilities.

Individual experts participate within working groups and established topics, or submit ideas for new topics that they would like to address within the UPVO platform.

Each member has the same access to information and knowledge and the same opportunity to share information; members can participate on behalf of the UoPPP in different events and initiate various UPVO activities.

UPVO imposes professional requirements on its members that guarantee that each of the members has real experience with and actively implements the public procurement process, as well as strives for continuous improvement of the services provided.

A member of the association may be a natural person - entrepreneur or legal entity seated in the Slovak Republic who:

• is authorised to perform public procurement activities and has public procurement activities registered as their scope of business;
• in the three years preceding the year in which the registration application is submitted, the potential member has implemented at least 1 above-threshold contract as well as 1 below-threshold contract, or 2 above-threshold contracts. If the potential member has not been identified in the Journal as a contact person of the contracting authority, proof of the implementation of public procurement is confirmation from the contracting authority on the implementation of public procurement;
• has obtained a membership recommendation from at least 2 founding members;
• declares on their honour that they will abide by the rules of membership and the Code of Ethics of the Union of Public Procurement Professionals;
• pays the annual membership fee to the association’s account within 5 days of receipt of the association’s decision on admitting them as a member of the association.

If the information contained on this website is not sufficient for you to decide whether to become a member of the UPVO, please contact any member of the UPVO Executive Board. 

If you are interested in becoming a member of UPVO, you only need to apply for membership either formally or informally, e.g. via e-mail at info@upvo.sk or by using our contact form. Your application must state your experience in the field of public procurement – and thus demonstrate the minimum required experience in accordance with the  Articles of Association (at least 2 above-threshold contracts, or at least 1 above-threshold contract as well as 1 below-threshold contract implemented in the three years preceding the year in which the registration application is submitted).