Overview

Registr smluv (Czech Contract Registry) is a legally mandated public database where Czech state bodies, municipalities, state-owned enterprises, and other public entities must publish contracts valued above CZK 50,000. Established by Act No. 340/2015 Sb., contracts that are not published within 30 days are considered void. This makes it one of the most complete sources of public-sector financial relationships in the Czech Republic.

For OSINT investigations, the registry reveals business relationships between private companies and state entities, contract values, counterparty networks, and patterns of public spending. The legal requirement for publication and the void sanction for non-compliance ensure nearly complete coverage of public-sector contracting above the threshold.

The registry has been operational since July 1, 2016, and has accumulated over 5 million published contracts. It covers all ministries, government agencies, regional authorities, municipalities with extended competence, state-owned enterprises, public universities, public hospitals, and other entities subject to the publication obligation. Certain contracts are exempt from publication -- those involving intelligence services, military procurement classified for security reasons, and contracts with natural persons concerning their personal property.

The transparency provided by Registr smluv has transformed Czech public procurement oversight. Independent watchdog organizations like Hlidac statu systematically analyze registry data to identify procurement anomalies, political connections in contracting, and spending patterns. For OSINT analysts, this creates a rich ecosystem of both raw data and analytical tools for investigating public-sector financial relationships.

Data Sources and Coverage

Data Category	Description	Completeness
Contract Parties	Full legal identification of all signatories (name, ICO, address)	Complete (required by law)
Contract Value	Total contract value in CZK, including VAT treatment	Required for all contracts
Subject Matter	Description of contracted goods, services, or works	Free-text, quality varies
Contract Documents	Full-text PDF/DOC attachments of signed contracts	Mandatory attachments
Effective Dates	Signing date, publication date, effectiveness date, validity period	Complete
Amendments	Linked amendments, addenda, and supplementary agreements	Complete with cross-references
Contract ID	Unique identifier in the registry system	System-generated
Publication Metadata	Publishing entity, publication timestamp, format	System-generated
Linked Contracts	References to related framework agreements or parent contracts	Where applicable

Entity Types Subject to Publication

Entity Category	Examples	Coverage
State Administration	Ministries, central agencies, regulatory bodies	Complete
Regional Authorities	Kraje (regions), statutory cities	Complete
Municipalities	Cities and towns with extended competence	Varies by size
State-Owned Enterprises	CEZ, Czech Railways, Czech Post	Complete
Public Healthcare	University hospitals, state health institutes	Complete
Public Education	Public universities, research institutions	Complete
State Funds	SZIF, SFDI, State Environmental Fund	Complete
Constitutional Bodies	Courts, Constitutional Court, Supreme Audit Office	Complete

API Integration

The registry provides an open data API at https://smlouvy.gov.cz/api/v1/ with JSON responses. No authentication is required. The API supports search, filtering, and structured data retrieval.

API Endpoints

Endpoint	Method	Description
`/api/v1/smlouvy/vyhledavani`	GET	Full-text search across contracts
`/api/v1/smlouvy/{id}`	GET	Get specific contract by ID
`/api/v1/smlouvy/ico/{ico}`	GET	Get all contracts for a specific ICO
`/api/v1/prilohy/{id}`	GET	Download contract attachment

Query Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
`dotaz`	string	Full-text search query
`ico`	string	Filter by party ICO
`datumOd`	date	Contract date from (YYYY-MM-DD)
`datumDo`	date	Contract date to (YYYY-MM-DD)
`hodnotaOd`	number	Minimum contract value
`hodnotaDo`	number	Maximum contract value
`strana`	integer	Page number for pagination
`velikostStranky`	integer	Results per page (max 100)

Query Examples

curl Examples

# Full-text search for contracts
curl "https://smlouvy.gov.cz/api/v1/smlouvy/vyhledavani?dotaz=IT%20services&strana=1&velikostStranky=50"

# Get all contracts for a specific company by ICO
curl "https://smlouvy.gov.cz/api/v1/smlouvy/vyhledavani?ico=12345678&strana=1"

# Search with date range and value filter
curl "https://smlouvy.gov.cz/api/v1/smlouvy/vyhledavani?datumOd=2025-01-01&datumDo=2025-12-31&hodnotaOd=1000000"

# Get specific contract details
curl "https://smlouvy.gov.cz/api/v1/smlouvy/12345678"

# Search for contracts between two specific entities
curl "https://smlouvy.gov.cz/api/v1/smlouvy/vyhledavani?ico=12345678&dotaz=Ministerstvo%20financi"

# Download contract attachment
curl -O "https://smlouvy.gov.cz/api/v1/prilohy/attachment-id"

Elixir Integration

# Search contracts by keyword
{:ok, results} = PrismaticOsint.RegistrSmluv.search("cybersecurity consulting",
  date_from: ~D[2025-01-01],
  date_to: ~D[2025-12-31],
  min_value: 500_000
)
# => %{
#   total: 47,
#   contracts: [
#     %{id: "12345", subject: "Cybersecurity audit services",
#       value: 2_500_000, currency: "CZK",
#       parties: [
#         %{name: "Ministerstvo vnitra", ico: "00007064", role: :contracting_authority},
#         %{name: "Security Firm s.r.o.", ico: "87654321", role: :contractor}
#       ],
#       signed: ~D[2025-03-15], published: ~D[2025-03-20]}
#   ]
# }

# Get all contracts for a specific company
{:ok, contracts} = PrismaticOsint.RegistrSmluv.by_ico("12345678",
  date_from: ~D[2020-01-01]
)
# => %{total: 23, total_value: 45_000_000, contracts: [...]}

# Map government supplier network
{:ok, network} = PrismaticOsint.RegistrSmluv.supplier_network("12345678",
  depth: 2,
  include_subcontractors: true
)
# => %{
#   central_entity: "Example Corp s.r.o.",
#   government_clients: [%{name: "Min. dopravy", contracts: 5, total: 12_000_000}],
#   co_suppliers: [%{name: "Partner s.r.o.", shared_clients: 3}],
#   total_government_revenue: 45_000_000
# }

# Analyze contracting patterns for anomaly detection
{:ok, analysis} = PrismaticOsint.RegistrSmluv.analyze_patterns("12345678",
  checks: [:concentration, :timing, :value_clustering, :amendment_frequency]
)
# => %{
#   concentration_risk: :medium,  # 60% revenue from single client
#   timing_anomalies: [],
#   value_clustering: :none,
#   amendment_frequency: :elevated  # 40% of contracts amended
# }

# Cross-reference with beneficial ownership data
{:ok, enriched} = PrismaticOsint.Pipeline.contract_investigation("12345678",
  sources: [:registr_smluv, :ares, :justice_cz, :verejne_zakazky, :hlidac_statu]
)

Data Schema

Field	Type	Description
`identifikator.idSmlouvy`	string	Unique contract identifier
`identifikator.idVerze`	integer	Version number (for amendments)
`casZverejneni`	datetime	Publication timestamp
`schpiloha`	object	Contract document attachments
`smlouva.subjekt.nazev`	string	Publishing entity name
`smlouva.subjekt.ico`	string	Publishing entity ICO
`smlouva.smluvniStrana[].nazev`	string	Counterparty name
`smlouva.smluvniStrana[].ico`	string	Counterparty ICO
`smlouva.smluvniStrana[].adresa`	string	Counterparty address
`smlouva.predmet`	string	Contract subject description
`smlouva.hodnotaBezDph`	number	Value without VAT
`smlouva.hodnotaVcetneDph`	number	Value including VAT
`smlouva.datumUzavreni`	date	Contract signing date
`smlouva.cisloSmlouvy`	string	Internal contract reference number
`smlouva.navlesniCjPrislusneSmlouvy`	string	Reference to parent contract
`smlouva.odkpiloha[].nazevSouboru`	string	Attachment filename

Use Cases

Government Supplier Intelligence

By aggregating all contracts for a target company, analysts build comprehensive profiles of government supplier relationships. This reveals which ministries and agencies are clients, the volume and frequency of contracts, and whether the company is dependent on public-sector revenue. Companies with highly concentrated government revenue face significant business risk from political changes.

Conflict of Interest Detection

Cross-referencing contract parties with company ownership data from Justice.cz reveals potential conflicts of interest -- such as companies owned by relatives of government officials winning contracts from the official's agency. Hlidac statu automates much of this analysis.

Public Spending Analysis

Aggregate analysis of contract data reveals spending patterns across government sectors, identifies the largest suppliers, tracks year-over-year spending trends, and highlights agencies with unusual contracting practices. This supports budget oversight, policy analysis, and investigative journalism.

Shell Company Detection

Companies that exist primarily to win public contracts while having minimal staff, no public presence, and recent registration dates may be shell entities used for corruption or tax optimization. The combination of Registr smluv contract data with ARES financial data and Nahlizeni do KN property records helps identify these patterns.

Supply Chain Mapping

For companies that provide critical services to the state (IT infrastructure, energy, healthcare), contract analysis reveals their role in national supply chains and identifies potential single points of failure or concentration risks.

Limitations

Limitation	Impact	Mitigation
CZK 50,000 threshold	Contracts below threshold are not published	Use Verejne zakazky for smaller procurements
Security exemptions	Intelligence and classified military contracts excluded	These represent a small fraction of total spending
Subject description quality	Free-text descriptions vary in detail and accuracy	Use full-text search combined with ICO-based filtering
Natural person contracts	Some contracts with individuals exempt from full publication	Limited impact for corporate investigation
Attachment format variety	PDFs may be scanned images requiring OCR	PDF extraction pipeline with OCR fallback
No price breakdown	Only total value published; no line-item detail	Request detailed pricing through FOI (Act 106/1999 Sb.)

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Public Data by Law: All data in Registr smluv is published pursuant to Act No. 340/2015 Sb. and is explicitly intended for public access. There are no legal restrictions on accessing, analyzing, or redistributing this data.

Contract Transparency: The registry was created to enhance transparency in public spending. Using it for investigative, analytical, and oversight purposes aligns with its legislative intent.

Personal Data in Contracts: While contract text may contain personal data of signatories, the publication is authorized by law. Downstream processing of personal data extracted from contracts must comply with GDPR.

Commercial Sensitivity: Published contracts may contain commercially sensitive information. While this data is public by law, responsible use includes considering the impact of analysis on competitive dynamics.

Integration with Prismatic Platform

Within the Prismatic Platform, Registr smluv serves as the primary Czech public-sector financial intelligence source.

Supplier Network Mapping: Contract data is analyzed to build supplier relationship graphs showing connections between companies and government entities.
Anomaly Detection: Statistical analysis of contracting patterns identifies unusual behaviors -- concentration, timing patterns, value clustering, and amendment frequency.
Cross-Registry Enrichment: Contract parties are automatically enriched with ARES company data, Justice.cz ownership information, and UOHS competition authority decisions.
Financial Intelligence: Contract values feed into entity financial profiles alongside CEDR subsidy data and Verejne zakazky procurement records.
Watchdog Integration: Platform findings are cross-referenced with Hlidac statu analytics for enhanced insight.

Best Practices

Search by ICO, not name: Company names may vary across contracts. ICO provides precise entity matching.
Check amendments: Many contracts are modified through amendments that change value, scope, or duration. Always retrieve the complete amendment chain.
Analyze temporal patterns: Plot contract signing dates to identify suspicious clustering (e.g., many contracts signed just before elections or budget deadlines).
Cross-reference with procurement: Contracts often result from formal procurement procedures. Cross-reference with Verejne zakazky to understand the competitive context.
Download attachments: The contract text in attachments often contains more detail than the structured metadata. Parse PDFs for pricing, scope, and penalty clauses.
Track subcontractors: Some contracts specify subcontractors. Map the full supply chain by analyzing contract text for subcontractor references.
Use open data exports: For large-scale analysis, download bulk data exports rather than paginating through the API.

ARES - Czech business registry for company identification
Justice.cz - Commercial Register with beneficial owners
Hlidac statu - Government watchdog with contract analytics
Verejne zakazky - Public procurement portal
CEDR - Central Register of Subsidies
UOHS - Competition authority reviewing procurement
Nahlizeni do KN - Property records for asset correlation

Connect & Contribute

Created by Tomáš Korcak (korczis) | Open Source under GHL

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Registr smluv

Capabilities

Try Registr smluv

Overview

Data Sources and Coverage

Entity Types Subject to Publication

API Integration

API Endpoints

Query Parameters

Query Examples

curl Examples

Elixir Integration

Data Schema

Use Cases

Government Supplier Intelligence

Conflict of Interest Detection

Public Spending Analysis

Shell Company Detection

Supply Chain Mapping

Limitations

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Integration with Prismatic Platform

Best Practices

Connect & Contribute

Intelligence Network

Related Content

Agent Ecosystem

Applications

Doctrine

Registr smluv

Capabilities

Try Registr smluv

Overview

Data Sources and Coverage

Entity Types Subject to Publication

API Integration

API Endpoints

Query Parameters

Query Examples

curl Examples

Elixir Integration

Data Schema

Use Cases

Government Supplier Intelligence

Conflict of Interest Detection

Public Spending Analysis

Shell Company Detection

Supply Chain Mapping

Limitations

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Integration with Prismatic Platform

Best Practices

Related Providers

Connect & Contribute

Intelligence Network

Related Content

Agent Ecosystem

Applications

Doctrine