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Digital Economy

Digital Empirical Methods for Cartel and Corruption Screening in Procurement

Learn to Detect Collusion and Corruption in Public Procurement through Data Analysis

10h (5 days)

€675 - €1,175

Face to Face

English

Program date: July 7 - July 11, 2025

Early bird deadline: April 15, 2025

Learn more

Digital Empirical Methods for Cartel and Corruption Screening in Procurement

Applications for 2025 Summer School programs are now open!

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Summer school

Digital Economy

Digital Empirical Methods for Cartel and Corruption Screening in Procurement

This course covers digital methods for detecting cartels and corruption in public procurement. Students will analyze bidding patterns and data to identify collusion, enhancing the efficiency of public spending in competitive auctions and tenders.

Teaching Faculty

Are you interested in exploring recent developments in collusion and procurement?

This course would be ideal for:

Economists working in competition agencies.
Individuals working within procurement agencies.
Individuals working in auditing and compliance functions within firms.

Gain a thorough understanding of the latest developments in the area of corruption and procurement

At the end of the course, participants will have:

Understood digital techniques for detecting cartels and corruption in public procurement processes.
Analyzed bidding patterns and market data to identify signs of collusion in procurement auctions.
Explored how collusion impacts pricing, bidding, and public spending efficiency.
Learned to apply tools for detecting collusion in competitive tendering and procurement.
Examined corruption risks in procurement and their effects on public administration costs and quality.
Developed skills in using data analysis to identify corruption in public procurement processes.
Used advanced data techniques to enhance transparency and efficiency in public procurement.

Program Syllabus for New Digital Empirical Methods for Cartel and Corruption Screening in Procurement

Here is an outline of the topics that will be discussed during the course:

Collusion in Procurement

Auctions and Competition in Procurement.
Bidding rings: theory and cases.
Recent advances in screening for collusion including.
- Those that use regression discontinuity design to detect bid rotation and geographic segmentation.
- Those focusing on gaps in the bid distribution and bid roundness to detect preallocation among bidders.
- Other approaches that are useful for detecting collusion in two-stage auction formats.
- How approaches extend to scoring auctions.
Firm adaptation to screens and whether or not screens can still serve a useful purpose.
Some takeaways for auction design.

Corruption in Procurement

How corruption takes place in procurement.
Detecting corruption: size distortions and renegotiation of procurement contracts.

List of References

The following texts will be useful to help you prepare for the course:

Articles and books

Arozamena, L.; Ganuza, J and F. Weinschelbaum (2023) “Renegotiation, discrimination and favoritism in symmetric procurement auctions,”.European Economic Review, 159.
Burguet, J. Ganuza and J.G. Montalvo (2018) “The Microeconomics of Corruption’’ Handbook of Game Theory and Industrial Organization, Volume II Applications. Edited by Luis C. Corchón and Marco A. Marin. Edward Elgar, 420-450.
Celentani, M. and J. Ganuza (2002) “Corruption and competition in procurement”, European Economic Review, 46, 1273-1303.
Chassang, S., K. Kawai, J. Nakabayashi and J. Ortner (2023) “Using Bid Rotation and Incumbency Patterns to Detect Collusion”, Review of Economic Studies Vol. 90, No. 1, pp. 376-403.
Kawai, K and J. Nakabayashi (2022) “Detecting Large-Scale Collusion in Procurement Auctions” Journal of Political Economy Vol. 130, No. 5, pp.1585-1629.

Why join our Summer School?

All BSE Summer courses are taught to the same high standard as our Master’s programs. Join us to:

1

Network with like-minded peers.

2

Study in vibrant Barcelona.

3

Learn from world-renowned faculty.

Admissions and requirements

Please make sure you are eligible to apply before submitting your application

Program date: July 7 - July 11, 2025

Early bird deadline: April 15, 2025

Requirements

A strong background in Economics or a field closely related to the course topic (Statistics, Law, etc.).
Postgraduate degree or current Master’s/PhD studies related to the course topic.
Relevant professional experience.

Requirements for New Digital Empirical Methods for Cartel and Corruption Screening in Procurement

Basic knowledge of econometrics and industrial organization will be helpful.

Apply now

Schedule

Here is your schedule for this BSE Digital Economy Summer School, New Digital Empirical Methods for Cartel and Corruption Screening in Procurement course

Time

7

mon

8

tue

9

wed

10

thu

11

fri

11:30 - 13:30

Lecture

Credit transfers (ECTS)

Students will deliver a short final project one week after the summer school finishes. It will consist in solving a final problem that will include the practical and empirical issues worked on in class.

Consult the Summer School Admissions page for more information about this option.

Certificate of Attendance

Participants not interested in credit transfer will instead receive a Certificate of Attendance free of charge. These Participants will not be graded or assessed during the course.

Fees for 2025

Multiple course discounts are available, consult our fees and discounts to learn more. Fees for courses in other Summer School programs may vary

Course

The Economics of Artificial Intelligence

Platform Pricing: Strategy and Regulation

Understanding Digital Business Models. Platform Markets and Digital Strategies.

New Digital Empirical Methods for Cartel and Corruption Screening in Procurement

Modality

Face to Face

Total Hours

10

ECTS

1

Regular Fee

1,175€

Reduced Fee*

675€

FAQ’s

Need more information? Check out our most commonly asked questions or contact our Admissions Team.

Is accommodation included in the course fee?

Accommodation is not included in the course fee. Participants are responsible for finding accommodation.

Are the sessions recorded?

Sessions will be recorded and videos will be available for a month once the course has finished.

How much does each Summer School course cost?

Fees for each course may vary. Please consult each course page for accurate information.

Are there any discounts available?

Yes, BSE offers a variety of discounts on its Summer School courses. See more information about available discounts or request a personalized discount quote by email.