$300 million for procurement: where Mykolaivvodokanal allocated the most funds

Throughout 2026, the municipal utility company "Mykolaivvodokanal" announced and concluded dozens of procurement contracts worth hundreds of millions of hryvnias. The enterprise spent the most on electricity, fuel, network repairs, and maintaining water supply and wastewater systems.

Intent analyzed the department’s largest procurements via the Zakupivli.pro platform. It is worth noting that the analysis is based on the expected value of the procurements, as the starting price may decrease during auctions.     

The Start of the Year and Fuel Reserves

The start of the year is usually accompanied by the formation of strategic reserves. For the municipal enterprise "Mykolaivvodokanal," the main challenge of the January tenders was concluding an agreement for the supply of oil and distillates. It was this tender, worth over 15.7 million hryvnias, that topped the month’s spending ranking.

The second critical area was preparing for winter weather—nearly 3 million hryvnias were allocated for mechanized ice removal and road salting following the resolution of network emergencies. At the same time, the company attempted to duplicate fuel purchases, but the additional tender worth nearly 3.9 million hryvnias never took place, forcing management to make do with existing resources.

Network Design and Expansion

February saw a lull in the number of contracts, but not in their capital intensity. The main financial focus shifted to capital construction of pipelines and communication lines. The most expensive tender of the month exceeded 4.1 million hryvnias and was for infrastructure construction work.

At the same time, February revealed difficulties in procuring construction materials: tenders for metal sheets, foil, and rebar totaling 3 million hryvnias fell through due to a lack of bids.

A peak in spending

March set an absolute record for the first half of the year in terms of planned investments, surpassing the 119 million hryvnia mark. This surge was driven by the start of reconstruction of the gravity sewer collector on Chkalova Street (from 6th Slobidska Street). The expected cost of this work was 59 million hryvnias.

At the same time, the water utility announced another tender for the construction of pipelines worth 19.2 million hryvnias (which subsequently did not take place) and contracted another batch of petroleum products worth 12.7 million hryvnias to ensure the uninterrupted operation of its vehicle fleet.

Completion of capital projects

In April, the company completed an infrastructure project worth 19.2 million hryvnias for the construction of new main pipelines. In addition to the pipes themselves, the wear and tear of specialized equipment remains a critical issue for the frontline city. Over 7.5 million hryvnias were spent in April on spare parts for trucks and vans. The third-largest purchase was liquid fuel, totaling 6.8 million hryvnias.

The Pipe Boom and Infrastructure Upgrades

Almost all of May’s resources went toward replacing damaged hydraulic equipment. The month’s largest tender, worth 10.8 million hryvnias, involved surface leveling and the comprehensive construction of new water supply lines. In addition, "Mykolaivvodokanal" conducted two identical procurements of mains, pipelines, and related products, each costing the budget 6.5 million hryvnias. 

Tires for Specialized Vehicles

June’s analytics highlight a focus on logistics support. The water utility announced two related tenders for the purchase of vehicle tires for heavy- and light-duty vehicles, each costing over 5.6 million hryvnias. Rough terrain, debris, and constant emergency calls destroy tires instantly, so replacing the “shoes” for excavators and emergency vehicles consumed the lion’s share of the June budget. In addition, over 3.2 million hryvnias were allocated for additional pipe purchases.

Final financial calculations

A tally of procurements announced in the Prozorro system by the Mykolaivvodokanal Municipal Utility Company during this period allows us to determine the final figures for the total budget:

• The total volume of announced procurements (including canceled ones) amounted to approximately 300 million hryvnias;
• The total value of successful, completed, or active procedures ( excluding tenders that did not take place) amounted to over 248 million hryvnias.

Nearly 51.6 million hryvnias were for procurements that fell through due to legal complications or a lack of bidders; however, the company relaunched them in subsequent months.

Analytical Summary

The half-year statistics revealed a problem in the interaction between the utility sector and the business community: procurements totaling over 51.6 million hryvnias did not take place on the first attempt. Procurements of fuel, salt, and rolled metal most frequently fell through in February and March. The main reason may be the high risks for private suppliers, who are wary of transporting materials to the frontline zone, forcing the water utility to regularly revise the expected cost upward.

Also, in the first months of 2026, the municipal enterprise "Mykolaiv Parks" made purchases totaling nearly 10 million hryvnias. The largest portion of funds was allocated to waste management, utility services, and the maintenance of specialized equipment.

Анна Бальчінос