Odesa divides 354 million for school meals between two contractors

Tenders have been held in Odesa for the organization of catering in general secondary education institutions for 2026. The total value of the procurement exceeds UAH 354 million.

TheCenter for Public Investigations analyzed the results of the bidding and drew attention to the lack of competition and the reputation of the winning companies.

The bidding was announced by the municipal institution "Center for Financing and Economic Activity of Educational Institutions and Facilities" in different districts of the city. The contractors are to provide meals for schoolchildren in Prymorskyi, Peresypskyi, Khadzhybeyskyi and Kyivskyi districts of Odesa until December 31, 2026. Payment for the services will be made after they are provided.

The largest amount of money is planned for Prymorskyi district - over UAH 103.6 million, Kyivskyi district - over UAH 104.7 million, Khadzhybeyskyi district - UAH 73.7 million, and Peresypskyi district - over UAH 72 million.

Only one company, Fabryka Smaku LLC, applied for the tenders in Prymorskyi and Peresypskyi districts worth over UAH 175 million, and it won. A similar situation occurred in Kyiv and Khadzhibey districts, where the only bidder and winner was Ration Group.

According to the YouControl service, Fabrika Smaku LLC was registered in 2015 with an authorized capital of 1 thousand hryvnias. The company's owners are Igor Levinzon and Dmitry Nikitin. Since 2016, the company has received more than 2.6 billion hryvnias in public food procurement and has long been the main supplier of food for hospitals, schools, police, and military units in Odesa.

SCREEN SHOT: YouControl

At the same time, Fabryka Smaku LLC is involved in a criminal investigation by the Bureau of Economic Security into possible embezzlement of budget funds. According to the investigation, in 2022-2024, the company, together with other companies and with the assistance of Odesa City Council officials, supplied food to hospitals at inflated prices. The court has already upheld the decision to seize the company's property.

Another tender winner, Ratsiy Group PE, was registered in 2019 and is owned and operated by Maksym Yatsenko. The company has earned over UAH 391 million in public procurement, and one of its key customers is educational institutions in Odesa. The media also linked the company to other business structures and influential people in the city.

The company is the legal successor of Odesa-based PE Olympia Service. Prior to that, the company was owned by Svitlana Spivak, and journalists linked it to former Odesa City Council member Dmytro Spivak and his mother.

SCREEN SHOT: YouControl

In September 2022, the Center for Public Investigations analyzed the companies that participated in tenders for catering for Odesa schoolchildren and identified the key players in this market. Experts ranked Fabryka Smaku LLC as the leader, while Ration Group PE was ranked in the second group of suppliers with a smaller number of tenders won.

Анна Бальчінос