What each one is
BASE.gov.pt is operated by IMPIC and is where Portuguese contracting authorities record procedures and, crucially, the contracts they have actually executed — including direct awards. Its award data is unusually complete, which makes it the better instrument for understanding what a Portuguese authority really buys.
PLACSP is operated by Spain's Ministerio de Hacienda and aggregates state authorities plus the regional and local bodies that have adhered to it. It is oriented towards live procedures: publication, clarifications, deadline changes, formalisation.
Where each one is weak
- BASE publishes procedure documents inconsistently — the actual pieces often live on the electronic platform the authority uses, not on BASE.
- PLACSP does not cover every Spanish regional platform; several autonomous communities run their own and syndicate partially or not at all.
- Neither replaces TED. Above the EU thresholds, publication in TED is what makes the procedure valid EU-wide.
Practical consequence
If you monitor only one, you will systematically miss a category of opportunity rather than a random sample of it. Monitoring BASE alone hides live Spanish procedures; monitoring PLACSP alone hides the Portuguese award history that tells you whether a buyer is worth pursuing.