‘Buy Brexit?’ Does ‘cultural fitness’ as an evaluation criterion breach EU and UK public procurement law?

The author reports an article The Guardian on 1 March 2017 which suggested that that the UK's Department for International Trade was tendering contracts where they expected that tech companies should have the right ‘cultural fit’ if they wanted to be hired. This was interpreted in the report as a clear mechanism whereby 'Firms bidding for government contracts [are] asked if they back Brexit'.

The author of this blog says that this would be a worrying requirement due to the clear risk of unfettered discretion and ensuing discrimination that such 'cultural fit' requirement created. In his opinion, the requirement ran contrary to both EU and UK public procurement rules.

• Primary Source

ESO: In Focus: Brexit - The United Kingdom and the European Union http://www.europeansources.info/record/brexit-the-united-kingdom-and-the-european-union/

---