Transparency in Public Procurement in Spain and the Third Communication Sector

The Public Sector Procurement Platform (PLACSP) is the central portal for communication and exchange of information on tenders in Spain. As the main meeting and communication point between bidders and the administration, it must operate under the principles of improving competition and transparency of procedures, as well as communication and dissemination. The objective of this study is to analyse the accessibility and usability of the PLACSP using Nielsen's model (1994; 1995; 2020). to check the usability of the website. The results indicate that the current design of the platform makes it difficult to access information on public contracts, limiting effective transparency and compliance with the spirit of the law. Based on these findings, aspects of the platform's design and communication processes are criticised, proposing the incorporation of the Third Sector Communication (TSC) to improve clarity and effectiveness in the dissemination of information, thus advancing social policy, sustainability and innovation in public procurement.