Mykolaiv is once again looking for a contractor to renovate the canteen at Lyceum №3

The condition of the canteen at Gymnasium No. 3. Photo from the DREAM system

The Capital Works Department of Mykolaiv City Council is once again seeking a contractor to renovate the kitchen and canteen at Lyceum №3.

This is according to data from the Prozorro public procurement system, as reported by NikVesti.

The previous tender, worth 27.5 million hryvnias and announced on 23 June, proved unsuccessful. The client rejected the bid submitted by the limited liability company «BK Interbud». The tender documentation states that, during the verification of the documents submitted by the company selected as the tender winner, it emerged that it had proposed using goods and materials manufactured in China and the USA. This does not comply with the requirements of the law or the funding conditions under the European Union programme.

«At the same time, the law and the specific provisions do not provide for the possibility of revoking the decision to designate a winner or reconsidering its tender proposal after the contracting authority has taken the relevant decision. Consequently, the identified breach cannot be rectified within the framework of this procurement procedure,» the document states.

A new tender was announced on 20 July. However, the estimated cost has been reduced to 22.9 million hryvnias.

Screenshot from the Prozorro public procurement system

Oleksii Savchuk, Head of the Capital Construction Department at Mykolaiv City Council, explained that the change in the amount stated in the procurement notice is not related to a reduction in or change to the scope of work.

According to him, amendments to the legislation came into force on 1 July 2026, which altered the procedure for reflecting the estimated value of procurements in the Prozorro system. From now on, the annual procurement plan specifies the amount excluding value added tax (VAT).

«There used to be a discrepancy where the estimated value was calculated including VAT, whereas the tenderer’s quote was exclusive of VAT. There was a difference there. This has now been rectified at a legislative level with effect from 1 July. The amount there (in the tender for the refurbishment of the canteen at Lyceum №3, — note) is exactly the same; nothing has changed in terms of either volume or cost. It’s simply that the amount specified on Prozorro is exclusive of VAT,» says Oleksii Savchuk.

In the new tender, participants will submit their bids by 5 August, after which the winner will be selected.

According to the documentation, the contractor is to carry out demolition work in the canteen, upgrade the utility networks and reinforce certain structural elements of the building.

The condition of the canteen at Gymnasium №3. Photo from the DREAM system

The project also provides for the installation of metal frames and foundations for new kitchen equipment, as well as the fitting of ventilation systems, boilers, water storage tanks and a grease trap. In addition, the project involves relocating a lift, partially replacing floor slabs, installing new processing equipment, and adapting the premises and access routes to the dining hall to meet the needs of people with disabilities and other groups with reduced mobility.

The project is being implemented as part of the state programme to modernise school catering. The works will be funded by a grant from the state budget. The project is also co-financed by the European Union under the Ukraine Facility programme.

The condition of the catering block at Gymnasium №3. Photo from the DREAM system

It was previously reported that the refurbishment of school canteens is continuing in Mykolaiv. In total, refurbishment work is currently underway in the canteens of four schools: Lyceums №3 and №40, and Gymnasiums №46 and №52. Funding has been allocated from European Union funds under the Ukraine Facility programme. The repairs are being co-financed from the local budget.

We would also like to remind you that in Mykolaiv, legal proceedings are underway to recover a fine running into millions from a contractor who delayed the renovation of the school canteen at Lyceum №40 by almost a year.

According to the regional prosecutor’s office, the contract for the canteen refurbishment, worth nearly 25 million hryvnias, was signed in 2024. Under the terms of the contract, the contractor was due to complete the work within three months; however, the deadline was unjustifiably extended by a further nine months. As a result, the canteen remains unfinished to this day.