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What We Do
At BESTEK, we provide a deep analysis of public procurement law while also providing simple breakdowns of the complex information for academics, lawyers, and procurement specialists/purchasers.
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Our Approach
We believe that high-quality doesn’t need to mean pretentious or confusing. Because of this standpoint, all information on BESTEK is crafted in a welcoming yet professional manner that is easily digestible, relevant to multiple sectors, and available in multiple formats.
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Our Mission
To make public procurement law accessible, inspiring, and – dare we say – fun.
ABOUT
Bestek
Our ambition is to serve you public procurement law discussions and debates in a light-hearted and at times nerdy form. At BESTEK, you will gain insights into public procurement law, get inspiration, and find opportunities for ongoing training.
Our Podcasts
There are two Bestek Podcasts. One in Dutch and one in English. Both aim to improve the public procurement world.
The English Podcast mimics conversations about public procurement law that usually occur at the conference dinners after the formal parts of these events are over. In 2020, co-hosts Marta Andhov and Willem Janssen realised that perhaps the most intriguing public procurement conversations occur whilst having dinner and a glass of wine. They were even so bold to assume that others outside of the academic world might also be interested in those conversations.
The Dutch podcast was launched by Willem Janssen in January 2019. In 2021, Matanja Pinto joined as a co-host of the Dutch Podcast. In each episode, Willem and Matanja speak to academics, practicioners and public procurement professionals aiming to explore new insights and find innovative solutions for current problems.
Our Research
Research results often do not reach the place in which it matters the most. At BESTEK, we aim to make such findings accessible to the public procurement world. We provide a starting point for discussions between academics, attorneys, public officials, contracting officers, judges and policymakers through our articles on this website. We also publish our own research and share that with our visitors at BESTEK.
Recent News
The Application of Principles of Public Procurement to the Interpretation of National Contract Law – Advocate General Campos Sánchez-Bordona’s Opinion on Case C-82/24 Veolia Water
In this blog post, the author analyses Advocate General (AG) Sánchez-Bordona’s Opinion on Case C-82/24 delivered on 6 February 2025, which concerns Article 2 of Directive 2004/18 (Article 18 of Directive 2014/24) on principles of awarding contracts and its role in the application of provisions of national law to the procurement contract by analogy. In his Opinion, the AG concludes that though principles of procurement do not preclude a clause in a public contract referring to provisions of civil code where the contract remains silent, extending contractual obligations in a way that could not be foreseen by a reasonably well-informed and normally diligent contractor is incompatible with the said principles. In this context, the question referred to the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) concerns the intersection of public procurement law and contract law.
Recent Podcasts
#41 Sustainability Clauses in Public Contracting & Advice for First-Year PhD Students
In this episode, Marta and Willem invite a long-time listener and supporter of the Bestek podcast and a postdoctoral fellow at PurpLE, Ezgi Uysal, to discuss her research on the topic of sustainability contractual clauses (SCCs) in public procurement contracts. The podcast begins with Ezgi briefly explaining what the SCCs are and what makes them unique, before quickly diving into a discussion about the contractualization of sustainability in public procurement. The speakers then examine different types of SCCs as well as challenges concerning enforcement. They discuss the potential consequences of the failure of contracting authorities to enforce said obligations. Additionally, the speakers argue in favour of the need for improvements in contract management to deliver sustainable public procurement and communication between the contract-drafting and contract-managing teams and discuss whether these problems could be solved by a legislative intervention. For dessert, Ezgi reflects on her PhD experience and provides some heartfelt advice for the first-year PhD students and beyond.
Something to Share?
Would you like us to discuss a particularly interesting topic, maybe a new case before the Courts or a legislative development? Maybe something is not really clear to you when it comes to public procurement law? Would you like to contribute to a blog post or get involved with our work? Do not hesitate to get in touch and let us know! We welcome your feedback, suggestion and tips on how to make Bestek the most relevant place for public procurement law.
Kind Words
At a time when the interest in public procurement could not be more intense, while there is also a lot of confusing discussion going on, Marta and Willem have come up with a ‘set menu’ format that makes talking about the challenges of proper and socially progressive procurement both accessible and enjoyable. Their ‘main course’ discussions provide both a clear entry point to the topical issues they cover, and research-based insights that will be relevant to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. Their ‘desert’ is usually of an academic flavour, but not to be missed either. The way they tease each other is quite endearing too. Their podcast is a must-listen for anyone keeping an eye on new regulatory trends in procurement.
Bestek provides us with a diverse discussion about public procurement that benefits both professionals and beginners in the field. The Podcast provides great insight into public procurement, both practical and theoretical and is very useful for anyone involved in pp. I highly recommend the podcast for anyone involved in public procurement. My opinion is that the podcast is a very important part of the theoretical discussion and deepens the knowledge on public procurement.
Bestek is focused on procurement law and therefore interesting for legal executives. But, Bestek is a must for commercial executives like myself involved in public procurement as well. Every marketing and sales expert will benefit from the insights of the hosts and their guests. Personally, the visionary talks in Bestek often show me the various sides of public procurement and help me in understanding the public sector.
I stumbled upon the Bestek podcast at a point in my life when I was academically anxious about life after a procurement PhD. The topic that I stumbled upon was Framework Agreements and advice to Early Career Researchers. After listening to the early career experiences of both presenters and the advice they offered to ECRs, I felt empowered. There are so many things I like about the Bestek podcast. I particularly like the comprehensiveness of the discussions. Topics range from sustainability, framework agreements, contract performance, Covid-19 procurements to general discussions about academia. I always learn something new at the end of the podcast.
Bestek is slowly becoming an institution, as the podcast for the deeper legal backgrounds and perspectives of procurement law, both nationally and internationally. The topics are topical, the guests always knowledgeable, just like the hosts. For example, with current mouth mask knowledge, listen back to that episode with Matanja Pinto, from March 2020, about the possibilities for accelerated tender procedures. Or the one with Noor Huitema and Georg Huith, who inspire you in the field of sustainability and circularity. It always encourages reflection: what do I actually think of that? Bestek always goes a little deeper.
