Bulgaria Opens Cartel Probe Into Food Suppliers Involved in 350 Public Tenders

Jerusalem, 7 July, 2026 (TPS-IL) -- Sofia (BTA) Bulgaria’s Commission on Protection of Competition (CPC) is investigating a cartel between two companies that have participated in many public procurement procedures for supplying food to kindergartens, schools, universities, social assistance, nursing homes for older people and people with disabilities, and municipalities. CPC representatives carried out surprise checks in the offices of food wholesaler/suppliers STELIT 1 and KILTEKS on Tuesday, CPC member Zhelyo Boychev told a briefing.

He specified that the checks are carried out with the assistance of the Interior Ministry’s Specialized Police Forces and the Gabrovo Regional Directorate of the Interior, because some of the two companies’ offices are in Sevlievo (North Central Bulgaria). Searches and seizure of documentation were carried out during Tuesday’s checks.

Boychev explained that the CPC was alerted some time ago by the Rector of Technical University-Sofia, who suspected manipulation during a public procurement procedure. At a later stage, other contracting authorities also filed complaints with the CPC. This prompted a preliminary large-scale investigation that examined public procurement procedures from the past five years in which these companies had participated.

It turned out that 350 procedures were involved.

Following the CPC’s investigation, it was determined that all indicators of collusive behavior among the bidders were present — similar price offers, synchronized submission of bids followed by their subsequent unsealing, withdrawal of price proposals, and failure to confirm bids in favor of the participant with the higher price. All of this prompted the CPC to initiate proceedings and conduct Tuesday’s inspections, as this behavior by the companies cannot in any way be attributed to the free and independent conduct of market participants, Boychev noted.

He emphasized that the manipulation of public procurement is one of the most serious violations of competition law. The penalty for the most serious violation is up to 10% of the company’s turnover.