The procurement process for the planned Serbia–Hungary oil pipeline has encountered another delay after Serbia’s public-procurement review authority partially cancelled the tender procedure for professional construction supervision.
The decision does not affect the selection process for the pipeline construction contractor. It requires state-owned pipeline operator Transnafta to repeat its assessment of bids for the supervision contract.
The procurement was launched in December 2025 and divided into two lots: construction of the pipeline between the Hungarian border and Novi Sad, and professional supervision of the works. The combined estimated value is €131 million excluding VAT, of which approximately €5.1 million is allocated to supervision.
Transnafta had selected a consortium led by SGS, together with Project Biro Utiber, SGS Czech Republic, Petrol Projekt and Preventiva 012. Its offer amounted to €4.7 million including VAT.
A competing consortium led by Bureau Veritas submitted a bid of €5.7 million and challenged the award. Serbia’s Commission for the Protection of Rights in Public Procurement Procedures upheld the complaint and ordered a new evaluation.
The appeal questioned whether SGS Czech Republic had adequately demonstrated compliance with tax and social-security obligations. It also disputed evidence concerning the requirement that the bidder had not experienced an account blockage during the 36 months preceding the tender deadline. Bureau Veritas argued that allowing bidders to supplement such documentation after submission was inconsistent with procurement law.
The complaint also raised questions about whether the proposed engineering personnel met the tender’s qualification and experience requirements. These points are particularly material for a pipeline project where supervision must verify construction quality, welding, testing, environmental compliance and conformity with cross-border technical requirements.
The price difference between the two bids is significant, but supervision represents less than 4 per cent of the wider procurement envelope. Selecting the lowest-priced offer without an unambiguous compliance record could create larger risks during construction and commissioning. Transnafta must now reassess the bids before making a new award, extending the pre-construction timetable while leaving the main contractor lot formally unchanged.
