Tim Robbe

Tim Robbe is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, specializing in Property Law and Public Contract Law with additional affiliation at the Kooijmans Institute. His research critically examines democratic legitimacy and rule of law principles in government allocation of limited resources including licenses, subsidies, public contracts, and public property.

His academic credentials include:

• PhD in Law (2024) from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam on 'Allocation law and democratic rule of law: Considerations of democracy and rule of law when competitively allocating limited licenses, subsidies, public contracts, and public property'
• Master in Public Administration (2010) from Erasmus University
• Master in International and European Law (2002) from Tilburg University

Robbe's research integrates Public Procurement Law, Administrative Law, and Political Philosophy to analyze tensions between competitive allocation mechanisms and democratic governance. His work emphasizes how public values like fairness and transparency manifest in contexts of resource scarcity, particularly examining subsidy distribution frameworks and public property management through constitutional lenses.

His 2025 publications reveal a methodological shift toward contextual analysis in public procurement law, demonstrating how competition requirements must adapt to specific political and administrative environments. This trend reflects growing scholarly attention to the normative foundations of procurement systems within liberal democracies, especially regarding information technology integration and decentralized decision-making.

Robbe leads the active research project 'Competitive allocation of limited rights by the government: a quest for a coherent legal framework' (2025-2029) with collaborators Burgstede and van Heugten. While no doctoral students are documented, his ancillary role as Director/Owner at Victor Advocaten since 2017 informs practical applications of his academic work. His media contributions, including expert commentary on doctoral traditions in March 2025, demonstrate engagement with legal profession development.

As a Kooijmans Institute member, Robbe participates in interdisciplinary initiatives examining governance challenges at the intersection of public law, political theory, and administrative practice, contributing to the institute's focus on law's role in democratic societies.