ICGB, the company developing the Gas Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria project, said on Monday its 8.45 million euro ($9.7 million) tender for the selection of owner's engineer has attracted offers from 12 companies and consortiums. "Assigning the procurement for owner’s engineer is a key stage in the realization of the project as it’s one of the last steps before construction activities begin," ICGB said in a statement. The offers for the contract were submitted by Consortium MGV Consultant, a tie-up between Techint Compagnia Tecnica Internazionale and Techfem, Enereco, Consortium "C&M-Asprofos-S Energy-Miks", Consult Eurogas, Consortium RINA, ILF Beratende Ingenieure, Consortium TIBEI, T&T SISTEMI SRL, Consortium VN gazoprovod Greece-Bulgaria, Consortium JV Interconnector 2018 and Technip Italy Direzione Lavori. The tender was suspended in July over a complaint filed with Bulgaria's Commission for Protection of Competition, and was subsequently resumed last month after the Supreme Administrative Court upheld the competition authority's decision to dismiss the complaint. The IGB pipeline will connect the Greek gas transmission system in the area of Komotini to the Bulgarian gas transmission system in the area of Stara Zagora.