Central register of contracts

What it means

The Central Register of Contracts, known as CRZ, is a public online register run by the Slovak Government Office. It publishes contracts concluded by ministries, state bodies, state enterprises and other obliged persons that concern public money or property. Municipalities and regions publish contracts on their own websites or also in the CRZ.

Publication is not a mere formality. A contract subject to mandatory publication generally takes effect only on the day after it is published. If it is not published within three months of signing, it is deemed never to have been concluded. The rule was introduced to make the handling of public funds transparent.

The register contains contracts from public procurement, grant agreements, leases of state property, purchases of services or advice, and their amendments. Anyone can read them free of charge and search by contracting party, amount or date.

How it works in practice

The CRZ concerns a company when it contracts with the state or another obliged person, for example after winning a tender or when receiving a grant. The public party handles publication, but the company should not start performing until the contract is in effect, because work done before then may not be paid.

Before signing we recommend checking which parts of the contract will be published. Trade secrets, technical details or personal data can be excluded, but the price and the subject of the contract are always published. Trade secrets are best clearly marked in an annex.

In partnerships with the state, the CRZ often goes hand in hand with the duty to register in the register of public sector partners if the amounts exceed statutory limits. It makes sense to check both before bidding, so the company is not surprised by the extra cost of an authorised person.

What to watch out for

The most common mistake is starting work immediately after signing in the belief that the contract is valid. Until the public party publishes it, it has no effect, and in a payment dispute the company may find it has no contractual claim for the work done, only a possible claim for unjust enrichment.

Watch amendments too. Every amendment to a contract subject to mandatory publication must also be published, or the change of price or deadline does not apply. Companies often keep an eye on the main contract and forget the amendments, which only comes to light when invoicing.