- Data Journalists reveal that certain project components outlined in the proposal have already been completed in the past.
- The Export Helpdesk online platform and its expansion were completed only a few months after its launch.
- Questions have also been raised about the “electronic document management” projects, the customer relationship management (CRM) tool, the virtual data room, and the new digital communication channels.
By Vangelis Triantis
Concerns and questions surround a digitization project of the Hellenic Investment and Foreign Trade Company, also known as Enterprise Greece.
Doubts have been raised about the “Digitalization of the Economic Diplomacy Network” project, which aims to “digitize the national economic diplomacy network” and “strengthen the digital capacity of Enterprise Greece”, as stated in the tender announcement. The project is valued at €9.721 million, including VAT, and will be funded by the Public Investment Program. The contracting authority was identified as Information Society SA, with Enterprise Greece as the project owner.
However, according to a complaint submitted to Data Journalists, the new project involves implementing several components already in place at Enterprise Greece. In fact, Data Journalists’ investigation, supported by official Enterprise Greece decisions published on the Diavgeia platform, shows that some of the components outlined in the tender have in fact already been completed. This raises questions about the total cost of the project and whether additional public funds are being spent unnecessarily.
Let us examine the allegations in detail and what the official documents reveal.
The new project and the tender announcement last summer
Last July, Information Society SA announced an international open electronic tender for the project “Digitization of the Economic Diplomacy Network”. The duration of the contract was set at 17 months, with September 2 as the deadline for participation in the tender. Enterprise Greece is described on its official website as “the national agency responsible for attracting investment to Greece and promoting exports, to position the country as a major global strategic partner”. Specifically, Enterprise Greece “aims to promote Greek products and services in international markets, while assisting Greek companies in reaching new markets and identifying new partners to increase their competitiveness and export activity.”
According to the tender notice, the scope of the project includes “the provision of IT system design and development services, along with a set of related reorganization and consulting services for the technological reform and digitalization of the national economic diplomacy network, as well as for the strengthening of Enterprise Greece’s digital capacity.” The goal of the project is to “simplify, digitize, optimize and automate Enterprise Greece’s processes, affecting both the organization’s internal operations and the outward-facing services it provides to investors and exporters”.
The Tender Notice
According to the tender notice, the new project consists of 16 different components, each of which is described in detail in the document. These include the “expansion of the export help desk for the export department,” the “digitization and technological enhancement of the investor ombudsman service,” the digitization and automation of internal processes, the redesign of the electronic log and document management system, the design and development of a customer relationship management (CRM) tool, and the provision of a secure digital vault for file sharing and storage to facilitate collaboration with investors and other partners, among others.
However, a complaint submitted to Data Journalists alleges that some of these components are effectively duplicates, having been implemented in whole or in part in previous projects for Enterprise Greece.
The Export Helpdesk Online Platform
One of the key components is the Export Helpdesk. Last September, Enterprise Greece launched the “Enterprise Greece – Export Helpdesk” at the 88th Thessaloniki International Fair. According to an official announcement, this new service aims to support Greek companies interested in expanding internationally. The Export Helpdesk is described as “an online platform that provides personalized advice and information to Greek exporters”, offering “access to global databases, statistical analysis, market data and other tools to facilitate entry into international markets”.
A simple search of the Diavgeia platform reveals that the company responsible for implementing the helpdesk is COSMOS BUSINESS SYSTEMS. Specifically, in June 2020, Enterprise Greece awarded the company, through a tender process, the “project for the supply, installation, configuration of the software and support applications for the Export Helpdesk, as well as the necessary setup work to put it into production.” The project cost was €47,500.
In addition, just a few months ago, in June 2024, the same company was awarded a contract to “provide maintenance services for the support applications system of the company’s export helpdesk” for €35,000. This raises the question of what exactly the current expansion of the helpdesk involves, just a few months after it became operational.
Digitization through DocuTracks
Questions have also been raised about the “digitalization and automation of internal processes for services provided by Enterprise Greece to the business community”, as outlined in the new tender. According to sources, Enterprise Greece has already initiated the digitization of some of its processes. This previous project was carried out by the company Dataverse Ltd. A search on the Diavgeia platform shows that in August 2021, Enterprise Greece awarded Dataverse Ltd. – IT Systems and Applications “the provision of the DocuTracks electronic document management tool”. The cost of this contract was €14,770, including VAT.
In May 2023, another contract was awarded to the same company, this time for “the provision of services for maintenance, support, upgrades and customization of the Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) ‘Docutracks’ to facilitate electronic document management for Enterprise Greece”. This contract costs €5,820 including VAT. A few months later, another contract was awarded to the same company for the same services at the same cost.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Tool
Another component of the new tender is the development of a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool. This tool will process and manage the details of individuals and entities that interact with the organization (investors, exporters, potential new stakeholders, exhibitors, etc.) and will cover “the entire process and journey, from the exploration of opportunities, collaborations and investments, to the evaluation of the partnership and the “after sales” process.”
However, documents available on the Diavgeia platform show that Enterprise Greece already has a CRM system in place. Specifically, in December 2017, the organization awarded a contract to ENTERSOFT S.A. PRODUCTION & SOFTWARE SALES for “support services (CRM integration with email, EBS sales opportunity management, consultant services, EBS marketing campaigns) for the financial management information system of Enterprise Greece.” The cost of this contract was €19,585 including VAT.
Virtual data room since 2022
Questions have also been raised about the component of the tender related to the “provision of a secure file sharing and storage environment (digital vault) to facilitate collaboration with investors and other stakeholders”. According to the same sources, in July 2021, Enterprise Greece awarded a contract to ARCHIVE S.A. for the provision and operation of virtual data rooms (VDRs), as well as ongoing support for their organization and management, to meet the organization’s digitization needs and modernize the services it provides. The cost of this contract was €13,000.
In January 2024, the organization again awarded the contract for “technical support of the VDR” to the same company for a cost of 20,400 €. According to the relevant decision published on Diavgeia, the VDR “has been installed and is operational for the submission of investment dossiers to the General Directorate of Strategic Investments – for evaluation”. This indicates that the system is already operational at Enterprise Greece.
New digital communication channels
Another component of the tender is the “design and development of new digital communication channels with investors and, more broadly, with the organization’s public”. Again, however, official documents indicate that the organization already has a presence on all major digital communication channels.
Specifically, last summer the organization awarded ICAP CRIF S.A. the contract for “the renewal of the annual subscription for 2024-2025 for access to the databases: a) Kompass Easy Business and b) D & B Hoovers, for the OEE offices (economic diplomacy), as part of the promotion of the outward-looking nature of the Greek economy and the more effective promotion of Greek exports of products and services”. The cost of this contract was €32,350.
In October 2024, Enterprise Greece awarded a contract to the British company Financial Times Limited for the provision of information services and access to “a database of international investment fund flows at the level of investment projects and investment intentions” for €15,070.
This raises legitimate questions about the cost of the tender, and it remains to be seen whether the €10 million project is largely a rehash of previous Enterprise Greece projects.
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