Bratislava has published new rules for cooperation with contractors when investing in municipal property

The new construction legislation, which comes into effect from 1 April, gives local authorities the opportunity to enter into agreements with contractors who can then build investments in the public interest on behalf of the municipality and on their own account. Bratislava, in the interest of openness and transparency, has published draft terms and conditions for the conclusion of such Investment Cooperation Agreements ↗︎. In this way, the city aims to reduce the investment debt on the city's property in association with the contractors, to jointly build new infrastructure projects (including transport projects) or to evaluate and upgrade old infrastructure, and at the same time to balance any perceived negative aspects of the development for the residents by means of a positive input into the area. This transparent procedure is a further step towards advancing the development of the city and creating conditions for affordable housing in line with public interest.

The draft transparent terms and conditions for the conclusion of Investment Cooperation Agreements were designed for all legal entities. The city ensures equity for contractors by paying the development fee and sees the Investment Cooperation Agreements as a tool for negotiating terms and conditions between the city and the investor for either the creation of new assets or the enhancement of current city assets. Any investor may submit an application for an Investment Cooperation Agreement.

City Hall aims to use the Investment Cooperation Agreements, especially if the constructions are subject to EIA and/or have more than 30 new flats and/or plan to have more than 50 new parking spaces and/or plan to have more than 1.000m2 of new commercial/administrative space and/or demonstrate financial advantage for the city and meet the condition of exemption from the tax on the occupation of public space in accordance with the Regulation on Tax on the Use of Public Space.

These investors are recommended by the city to proceed with the investment project, especially in preparation for the new legislation and acceleration of the binding opinion process. The transparent terms and conditions for Investment Cooperation Agreements are not retroactive. They set the framework for cooperation between the capital city and investors from their effective date, i.e. from 15 October 2023 onward.