Reconstruction of a lyceum in Odesa region was given to a company under investigation

In Odesa region, the contract for the reconstruction of a lyceum was awarded to a department of a company that is already involved in criminal proceedings. Previously, the company had renovated the kitchen and dining room at the Teplodar Lyceum, which is now being checked by law enforcement for possible violations.

This was reported by Anti-Corruption Dimension.

Rozdilna, Odesa Oblast, plans to reconstruct the premises of Lyceum No. 4 into a dining room with an expected cost of more than UAH 32 million. The only bidder was Odesa-based Decoder Group LLC, which had previously renovated the kitchen and dining room at the Teplodar lyceum and is now being investigated by law enforcement for possible violations and inflated prices.

In the new tender, the client, Rozdilnyansky Education Center, announced an open tender on August 5, 2025, with a deadline for submitting proposals on August 27. Decoder Group LLC offered to perform the work for UAH 32.1 million, which is almost the same as the expected purchase price. The works are scheduled to be completed by December 20, 2025.

During the preparation of the tender, other bidders drew attention to requirements that could limit competition: a certificate of energy management and a permit for the manufacture of high-risk materials. The client changed the documentation after complaints, leaving only the requirement to use such materials. The State Audit Service started monitoring the procedure due to the identified violations.

Earlier, Decoder Group LLC repaired the kitchen and dining room of the Teplodar Lyceum for UAH 8.8 million, which is now being checked by law enforcement officers due to partial non-performance of the work and possible false data in the acts. Everything would be fine, but investigators are currently reviewing these works as part of criminal proceedings.

For the new contract, the company provided a testimonial from the lyceum as proof of experience, although the amount of the new order is more than three times higher than the previous contract.

The company was founded in Odesa in 2013 and is owned and operated by Yevhen Dvoyenkin. Its core business is the construction of residential and non-residential buildings. As of September 2025, Decoder Group has won 29 tenders, the most expensive of which was for the renovation of the Teplodar Lyceum.

Although the company provides a wide range of services, from furniture production to real estate, the new contract in Rozdilna is its largest order, and preliminary law enforcement checks question its experience in performing work worth such sums.

Also in Odesa region, a school cafeteria with a shelter is planned to be built, and the contract was awarded to a company without a tender. Experts found inflated prices for building materials in the estimate, and the overpayment could amount to almost UAH 10 million. In 2024, the same company was already involved in criminal proceedings for misappropriation of budget funds during the repair of a shelter at Odesa school No. 91.

Анна Бальчінос