B2RLaw advises CMT Group UK on an EUR 27M EU-Funded Humanitarian Project (ECHO) for the delivery of power generators to Ukraine

CMT Group UK was founded in 2010 and is based in the United Kingdom. The company’s main line of business is the supply of a comprehensive range of construction equipment. CMT is one of the fastest growing companies in this sector, the most reliable supplier in the UK that also operates globally with over 10 locations worldwide and supplies a variety of industries.

The European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) provides relief in all major crisis zones around the world including Syria, South Sudan, Yemen and Ukraine. The humanitarian assistance funded by the EU is delivered in partnership with UN agencies, international organisations and NGOs. EU humanitarian aid covers intervention areas such as: food and nutrition, shelter, health care, water and sanitation and education in emergencies.

We advised and represented the client in complex cross-border negotiations that spanned many jurisdictions and practice areas. These efforts led to the conclusion of a supply contract and a separate donation contract with the Polish Government Agency for Strategic Reserves concerning power generators intended for Ukraine as humanitarian aid. The EUR 27M contract was financed by EU funds under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (project: Procurement of emergency energy supply capacities to generate and/or provide energy on site).

CMT advises, “As part of the EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid grant and in cooperation with the Polish Government Agency for Strategic Reserves, we are proud to support Ukraine with energy assistance, including free-of-charge donations. Power generators are a vital resource in the current conflict, with many Ukrainians struggling without electricity, running water and heat. Power generators are also essential to save lives in hospitals. We are grateful to B2RLaw for their support on this project and for their expertise in dealing with detailed state procurement processes in Poland. They have gone above and beyond throughout the entire process and we will not hesitate to work with them again.”

B2RLaw Partner Roman Iwański comments, “We at B2RLaw take great pride in both our commercial and pro bono work. Seldom is it the case that commercial projects have such an immeasurably positive social impact as this one. The fact that our assistance to our client also ultimately benefited the war-torn Ukrainian civilian population provided us with additional impetus to successfully complete this project.”

B2RLaw’s team was led by Roman Iwański (Advocate, Partner) and included Bogdan Duda (Attorney-at-law, Partner / Public Procurement, Regulatory), Filip Badziak (Counsel / Banking), Piotr Leonarski (Advocate, Tax Advisor, Counsel / Tax, Tariffs, Customs), Paulina Milewska-Mróz (Advocate, Senior Associate / Risk Assessment, Compliance) and Bogusław Długowolski (Junior Associate / Commercial law).