appaltante

Appaltante is a term used in procurement to denote the entity that entrusts work, services, or supplies to another party through an appalto (contract). The appaltante can be a public administration, a private company, or any organization that commissions a project and enters into a contract with an appaltatore (contractor). In the context of public procurement, the appaltante is often referred to as the contracting authority or stazione appaltante.

Role and responsibilities

The appaltante is responsible for the entire tender process: defining the object of the contract, setting the value and duration, and drafting the technical specifications and evaluation criteria. It must ensure compliance with principles of transparency, equal treatment, non-discrimination, and proportionality, and publish the tender in accordance with applicable rules. It evaluates bids, awards the contract to the most advantageous offer or the lowest bid as criteria require, and signs the contract. After award, the appaltante monitors performance, manages changes or extensions, enforces penalties for non-performance, and oversees contract closure and any related guarantees.

Relation to other actors

The appaltante is distinct from the appaltatore, the party performing the work or supplying goods. Subappaltatori may be engaged with appropriate authorization. The term committente is sometimes used in broader client contexts, while stazione appaltante refers specifically to the procurement authority managing the tender.

Legal framework

In Italy, public procurement is governed by the Codice dei contratti pubblici (D.Lgs. 50/2016 and amendments) and related EU directives, which define the duties and procedures of the appaltante to ensure competitive, fair, and compliant awarding processes.