Ukraine’s government said on Tuesday it is bringing back open and public tender procedures for state contracts suspended after February 24 when Russia invaded Ukraine.

The governmental directive #169 commands that all tenders now should be held through an open-source procurement e-platform Prozorro with simplified bidding procedures now applicable to contracts worth more than 50 thousand hryvnas. The update will allow to hold an auction within 6-8 days to fast-track signing a contract with a winning bidder.

Fuel, office supplies and food products’ tenders can now  be held via Prozorro Market application.

The directive updates will also allow direct procurement in ‘critically important situations’. The exemption will work in situations when goods and services are to be bought for government agencies or offices working in the ‘zone of combat operations’ if a regular procurement approach is deemed inaccessible, or when the situation requires  spot purchasing.

It should be noted that direct procurement policy was made effective on February 28 after Ukraine introduced the martial law.