Results of monitoring public procurement in the Kherson region for October 2025

 


October 2025 became one of the most active months in the area of public procurement in the Kherson region since the beginning of the year. In the Prozorro system, the “Union” Foundation has recorded 245 procurements, which include both concluded contracts and procedures that have not been completed or are still under consideration.

The overall picture is as follows:

  • 149 procedures took place for the amount of almost UAH 875 million;
  • 81 procurements did not take place for more than UAH 60 million, primarily due to the lack of proposals.

These figures indicate an increase in funding, but at the same time, systemic problems with competition and attracting contractors, especially in the front-line region.

As in previous months, the majority of funding is concentrated in infrastructure. Only three contracts for road maintenance and repair in October amounted to more than UAH 781 million.

The most significant amounts were received by:

  • Rostdorstroy LLC - a contract for almost UAH 467 million;
  • European Road-Construction Company LLC - two contracts totaling more than UAH 314 million.

Both contractors are well-known in the public procurement market, having won hundreds of tenders across the country, as well as a significant number of journalistic investigations, court cases, and reputational risks. In the Kherson region, this exacerbates the problem of large contracts being concentrated in the hands of a limited number of companies.

One of the key trends of October is low competition or its complete absence.

This applies to:

  • repairs and design of thermal infrastructure;
  • services for government bodies;
  • socially important purchases for communities.

For example, the repair of the regional prosecutor's office's official car for UAH 620 thousand was carried out by an entrepreneur registered only in 2025, who wins almost all his tenders without competitors; services for transporting children, translations for the university, and repair of official cars of the Kherson City  Administration - often take place with one participant, who becomes the winner.

The situation with heat supply is especially indicative. Two contracts for the design of the heating point reconstruction in Kherson were awarded without a competitive bidding process. In one of them, the price reduction was only UAH 2,000, effectively rendering the auction purposeless. In the conditions of preparation for winter, this created additional risks for the city.

An equally alarming trend is the disruption of procurements, which has a direct impact on the quality of life in communities.

In October, the following did not take place, in particular:

This means that communities are either forced to re-announce tenders or are left without critical services - even when funding is provided.

Despite the general problems, October also showcased examples of responsible fund use.

One of them is the purchase of a lifting platform for people with disabilities for the Kherson Regional Oncology Center. The medical facility operates in wartime conditions, not at its main address, in a dangerous zone, but the administration is investing in barrier-free and accessible services. The contractor has a clean reputation, and the purchase itself demonstrates that even in a front-line region, transparent and socially significant solutions are possible.

Overall, October confirmed a key problem in the Kherson region: the restoration of various sectors is proceeding at different speeds. Roads and extensive infrastructure facilities receive hundreds of millions of hryvnias. Education, medicine, utilities, and social services often face a lack of participants, low competition, or cancellation of purchases. Individual contractors consistently concentrate large amounts of funds, despite reputational risks. For frontline communities, this means not just a management problem, but a real impact on security, access to services, and the pace of recovery.

In such conditions, it is essential to:

  • enhance the transparency and quality of tender documentation;
  • more widely involve reputable suppliers, including those from other regions;
  • systematically monitor high-risk contractors and inform the community, regulatory authorities, and donors about this.

Our monitoring enables us to promptly record both positive examples and problem cases, allowing the communities of the Kherson region to not only see where budget and donor funds are allocated, but also to demand their effective and fair use in the recovery process.

You can read more about the report here.

We have also prepared simple but understandable instructions for citizens, which help everyone get involved in monitoring public procurement in their community. The steps are easy to follow, even without specialized knowledge. Still, even a basic understanding of how to track procurement affects the transparency of processes and strengthens public control in the frontline region.

This material has been produced with the support of the European Endowment for Democracy (EED). Its contents do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of EED. Responsibility for the information and views expressed in this publication lies entirely with the author(s).

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