The cost of providing meals for students in the Primorsky District of Odesa was estimated at 98 million

The Center for Financing and Administrative Activities of Educational Institutions in the Primorsky District of Odesa conducted a procurement process to select a company that will be contracted to provide meal services for students at the district’s general secondary schools.

This was reportedby the Center for Public Investigations, citing data from the Prozorro electronic procurement system.

The procurement was conducted as an open tender with specific conditions, and the sole participant was the limited liability company “Fabrika Smaku.” If the contract is signed, the company will be required to provide meals for 15,639 children through December 31, 2026, and is expected to receive 98,765,200 hryvnias for this service.

According to the YouControl service, “Fabrika Smaku” LLC was registered in May 2015 with a registered capital of 1,000 hryvnias. Within just two months, the company received a contract to provide meals for hospitals in Odesa. The company’s ownersareIhor Levinson and Dmytro Nikitin. In April 2026, a court considered a motion by the prosecutor’s office to seize assets in a case involving a scheme to embezzle budget funds allocated for food services at hospitals and social institutions. The case involved contracts worth over one billion hryvnias and alleged price inflation through affiliated companies.

As part of the investigation, in February 2026, law enforcement officersconducted a search ofthe “Fabrika Smaku” office, where they seized financial documents, contracts, and computer equipment. The prosecutor insisted on the seizure of this property, arguing that it was necessary to preserve evidence. However, the court denied the motion. The judge concluded that the prosecutor’s office had failed to adequately justify why the seized documents specifically required seizure and what risks existed of their loss or destruction. 

Meanwhile, during prolonged air raid alerts, schools in Odesa may switchto emergency rations insteadof hot meals. Most parents supported this approach, provided it keeps children out of harm’s way and allows them to quickly take shelter.

Last year, Odesa held tenders to organize meal services in general secondary schools for 2026. The total cost of the procurements exceeds 354 million hryvnias.The Center for Public Investigations analyzedthe results of the tenders and highlighted the lack of competition and the reputation of the winning companies, among which was “Fabrika Smaku.”

Кирило Бойко