site.btaAntitrust Watchdog Probes Alleged Hospital Food Procurement Cartel

The Commission on Protection of Competition (CPC) is carrying out on-site inspections at company offices on suspicion of a cartel agreement in public procurement for the supply of food to hospitals. The regulator said on Thursday that the checks are being conducted with the assistance of officers from the Interior Ministry’s Specialized Police Forces, after a court warrant was issued by the Sofia Region Administrative Court, the CPC added.

According to information from the CPC press office, the inspections are part of proceedings to establish a possible breach of Article 15 of the Protection of Competition Act concerning a prohibited agreement to manipulate public procurement procedures for the “preparation and delivery of ready-made food under various diets for hospital catering”.

The proceedings were opened after the CPC received a report from MP Vasil Pandov of Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria on October 2, 2025. The report raises concerns about alleged manipulation of food procurement procedures for medical establishments by the companies Master-Pik EAD, Balkan Meal EOOD and Party Food AD, the antitrust authority said.

The commission added that, given the potential for serious public harm and severe social consequences, including the risk of worsening the quality of hospital food and infringing patients’ rights, a preliminary inquiry was launched immediately after the report was received. As part of this inquiry, all public procurement procedures for the supply of hospital food in Sofia between 2022 and 2025 in which the companies had competed were examined.

According to the CPC, the preliminary inquiry established sufficient indications of a possible prohibited agreement in the form of bid-rigging, including “market allocation”, as well as the use of so-called “cover bids” to create the appearance of competition.

The direct and indirect evidence gathered during the on-site inspections will be added to the case file. The CPC press office noted that during unannounced inspections, commission officials have the authority to examine and seize documents and records in any format, including through the use of specialised equipment for digital data analysis.

Once the procedural steps are completed, the CPC will rule within its statutory remit, the regulator’s press office said.