Can a foreign company bid on Prozorro tenders?

Short answer: yes in principle, but the practical steps are more demanding than for a Ukrainian company, and the details change. This guide separates what is well established from what you must verify yourself.

What the law allows

Ukraine's Ministry of Economy has stated that non-resident companies can take part in Prozorro procurement by submitting documents equivalent to those a Ukrainian company would provide, issued under the law of their country of registration. The Law on Public Procurement defines a participant as an individual, sole proprietor or legal entity, resident or non-resident. See the statement reported by Ukraine's asset recovery agency (October 2024).

How bids are submitted

Prozorro is the central system that stores the tender data. Bids are submitted through authorised commercial electronic platforms, not on the central portal itself. You register with one of these platforms, and the platform may charge a participation fee that depends on the size of the procurement. Fees and the list of platforms change, so read the current terms on the platform you choose.

The hard part: electronic signatures

Bids and some documents are signed with a qualified electronic signature. This is where foreign firms most often get stuck, and the sources we found disagree or are dated:

A consultancy summary says foreign legal entities can obtain a qualified signature only in specific cases, for example if they have a representative office in Ukraine or run international technical assistance projects. It lists apostilled company documents with a certified Ukrainian translation among the requirements. See Intecracy.
A 2022 law-firm note said the signature could be obtained only by Ukrainian citizens (and, from July 2022, Polish citizens), and suggested appointing a Ukrainian representative as a workaround. See Bird & Bird. That rule may have changed since.

We found no current official Prozorro guide for non-residents that settles this. Confirm the present requirements with the electronic trust service provider or a Ukrainian lawyer before you plan a bid around any of this.

Other costs and requirements to check in each tender

Bid security. Some tenders require it. The amount and form are in the tender documents, not in general rules.
Language. Most notices and documents are in Ukrainian. Budget for certified translation.
Licences and local presence. Some regulated goods and services require a Ukrainian entity or licence.
Deadlines. Check the time zone. Late bids are not accepted.

Routes that can be easier for a first-time foreign bidder

Donor-funded projects. World Bank, EU and EBRD financed contracts follow the funder's rules, usually published in English. See our World Bank guide.
A Ukrainian partner or representative. Many foreign suppliers bid through a local partner who already holds the registrations and signature.

Supplying the winning contractor instead of bidding

Many foreign manufacturers never bid themselves. They sell equipment and materials to the Ukrainian or European contractor that wins the tender, because that contractor buys what the project needs. If you take this route:

Prepare your paperwork in English before anyone asks. Technical data sheets, safety data sheets, test reports and conformity documents for your product.
Read the tender documents for "or equivalent" wording and for the standards and certificates they require. A product that does not meet them will not be accepted, however good it is.
Talk to likely contractors early. They choose suppliers while they prepare their bids, so the work is done before the winner is announced.
Check where the money comes from. Funders such as the EBRD or the EU can limit which countries goods may come from, so confirm the funder's rules before you promise supply.

Our Upcoming projects page shows EBRD-financed projects before their tenders open, which is the best time to start these conversations, and our winning companies pages show who has won large contracts in your sector.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change. Rely on the official tender documents and on a qualified local lawyer. Browse open notices on our tenders page.