Abstract

The importance of joint applications for public contracts, especially as a consortium, is rapidly growing in practice because they offer grounds for cooperation of small undertakings with respect lo larger contracts. The lingering difficulties concerning compliance with and application of the public procurement law with respect to a consortium arise primarily from the fact that this legal structure has been absent for a long time in Polish social and political in the latter half of the 20th century. The article defines the notion and types of consortia, the criteria of distinction from other institutions, especially a civil law partnership, status of the parties to this type of agreements, and the principles of their collaboration. To the necessary extent, also the issues concerning the conclusion and structuring of a consortium agreement a,well as joint and several liability of the parties thereto have been discussed.