Open Data Albania has investigated into business companies, which have been awarded public contracts by local government units from July 2015 until 30 January 2017. The investigation was conducted as part of the ‘Monitoring Municipality Clients in Public Contracts’ Project, supported by LevizAlbania.

The investigation covers public procurement procedures, which were announced and finalized from July 2015 until 20 January 2017. July 2015 mars the beginning of the new municipalities emerging from the latest territorial and administrative reform. Business companies include all those registered as natural persons or legal entities. Women-owned companies include all business companies, where women own all or some of the shares. The analysis includes also companies owned by one woman only, trying to assess women’s business management skills. Contracts subject to this investigation include all contracts signed by municipalities, their subordinate institutions, or business companies, where they hold shares or quotas.

The main purpose of this investigation is to identify the number of companies owned or managed by women in the process of distribution of the public money. Public procurement consists of contracting companies for the provision of public works, supplies, or services. 

Companies owned or co-owned, or managed by women, which have signed contracts with municipalities, are 144 in total. Out of them, 101 are fully owned by women, 35 are owned by women and men, while 8 are owned by men and managed by women. 


Source: NRC; Open Procurement Albania and Open Corporate Albania
Comments and analysis: Open Data Albania

61 of the companies (44.8%) owned or co-owned by women are registered as natural persons, while the rest (55.15%) as companies with limited liabilities. Most of the men-owned companies on the other hand are registered as companies with limited liabilities, and only 32%  as natural persons. The high number of women-owned business companies registered as natural persons indicates that such companies are usually small, and engaged mostly in small contracts. 

Ranking by contract value of the five largest companies, including at least one women shareholder, July 2015-January 2017



Source: NRC; Open Procurement Albania and Open Corporate Albania
Comments and analysis: Open Data Albania

None of the women-owned companies have signed any concessionary agreements, or public-Private partnerships with the local government. A list of the 50 largest contracted women-owned companies is given below.

Ranking of the 50 largest women owned or co-owned companies contracted by municipalities during July 2015-January 2017



Source: NRC; Open Procurement Albania and Open Corporate Albania
Comments and analysis: Open Data Albania

This article is published in the framework of the ‘Monitoring Municipality Clients in Public Contracts’ Project, supported by LevizAlbania – For a stronger local democracy.

Comments and Analysis: Open Data Albania
Contributed by: R.E