# Contracting authorities

> Check whether an entity is recorded as a contracting authority, including its classification by the Slovak Public Procurement Office.

A contracting authority is an entity obliged to procure under the public procurement act. That includes not only public offices but also commercial companies with state or municipal ownership, which at first glance look like ordinary businesses.

## What the register contains
- Whether the entity is recorded as a contracting authority
- Classification section per the Public Procurement Office
- Text label of the classification

## Fields we return

| Field | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| `is_contracting_authority` | Whether the entity is recorded as a contracting authority. |
| `classification_section` | Classification section per the Public Procurement Office. |
| `classification_label` | Text label of the classification. |

## How to request the data

```http
GET /v1/company/ico/51636549?scope=contracting_authority

{
  "contracting_authority": {
    "is_contracting_authority": false,
    "classification_section": null,
    "classification_label": null
  }
}
```

## How often we update

Daily. The list changes continuously as entities are created and change status.

## What it is used for

If your customer is a contracting authority, it cannot award you a contract above the statutory threshold directly. Knowing that in advance saves time on both sides.

For commercial companies with public ownership this status cannot be read off the business name, so it is exactly the kind of fact a manual check misses.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is every contracting authority a state institution?

No. The list also covers commercial companies controlled by the state or local government. Those are precisely why checking this programmatically pays off.

### Is this related to the register of economic operators?

No. That says an entity is a qualified supplier. This list says the entity is on the other side – that it procures.