Abstenção de empresas em contratações com o setor público: uma análise em relação à participação de empresas de Itajubá-MG em licitações com instituições públicas federais

Abstract

Public procurement is an administrative procedure aimed at establishing objective criteria for public contracting, with the purpose of selecting the most advantageous proposal and promoting sustainable national development. It is noteworthy that the prices of procured products tend to be lower when there is greater participation of companies in bidding processes, as this leads to a wider variety of offers from suppliers, potentially resulting in cost savings for public finances. Additionally, private companies may benefit by expanding their sales opportunities to public entities, potentially increasing their revenue. Considering that approximately 95% of companies in Itajubá, Minas Gerais, do not participate in procurement processes with federal public institutions, this study sought to analyze the perspectives of local businesses regarding participation in bidding processes, particularly in the electronic auction modality. Specifically, it identified the factors that encourage or hinder participation, investigated the level of knowledge non-participating companies have about basic procurement procedures, and compared the perceptions of participating and non-participating companies regarding the feasibility and attractiveness of bidding, to identify the possible causes for the abstention of a large portion of these businesses. To achieve the proposed objectives, a descriptive and quantitative study was conducted, considering two research universes: companies in Itajubá-MG that participate in procurement processes (totaling 585) and those that do not (totaling 10.913). A survey was carried out using probabilistic sampling. The research sample comprised 91 companies in total (43 participating and 48 non-participating). For data collection, two distinct questionnaires were used: one type directed at the group of participating companies and another for non-participating companies. Regarding the statistical analysis of the results, descriptive statistics were applied, utilizing indicators such as mean, percentage, response frequency, and binary logistic regression. As a practical outcome of this study, informational material was developed and distributed to non-participating companies in Itajubá-MG to encourage them to participate in bidding processes. The results revealed the following factors that encourage companies to bid: reliability of payment, user-friendliness of the Federal Government Procurement Portal (Comprasnet), flexibility of public institutions to tolerate occasional delays in product delivery, the importance of legal knowledge, and the maintenance of fiscal and labor compliance, among others. Conversely, the discouraging factors identified included excessive formality, delays in payments, lack of specialized consultancy to assist companies in the bidding process, insufficient dissemination of information on how to participate, among others.