₴50 million tender for the construction of a fallout shelter at the lyceum in Voznesensk district has been cancelled

A tender for the construction of a shelter at the lyceum in the Voznesensk district has been cancelled. Photo: Oleksandrivka Lyceum on Facebook

The Department of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport of the Oleksandrivka Settlement Council, located in the Voznesensk district of Mykolaiv region, held a tender for the construction of a new anti-radiation shelter at the Oleksandrivka Lyceum named after T.G. Shevchenko. The contractor was to carry out the work for 49.7 million hryvnias. However, following the start of monitoring by auditors, the contract was cancelled.

This is evidenced by data in the Prozorro public procurement system.

In 2023, the education department had already announced a tender for the construction of a new anti-radiation shelter at the Shevchenko Lyceum in Oleksandrivka. The estimated cost of the work was 36.6 million hryvnias.

At the time, 22.5 million hryvnias were allocated from the state budget and 7.5 million hryvnias from the local budget. The contractor selected at the time was Persha Ukrainska Budivelna LLC. A contract worth 36.2 million hryvnias was signed with the company.

The first tender for the construction of a shelter at the Oleksandrivka Lyceum. Screenshot from Prozorro

First tender for the construction of a shelter at the Oleksandrivsk Lyceum. Screenshot from Prozorro

According to data from the Youcontrol system, «Persha Ukrainska Budivelna» was registered in 2022. Its owner is Mykola Dekhtiarenko.

The company was implicated in an investigation by Nikcenter. Journalists established that several companies with close ties to Oleksandr Kukuruza, a member of the Mykolaiv Regional Council and head of the Voznesensk District State Administration, had been awarded contracts worth over 600 million hryvnias for repairs and construction in the Voznesensk and Pervomaisk districts. Among them was «First Ukrainian Construction».

In response to an information request from NikVesti, the Department of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport of the Oleksandrivka Settlement Council reported that 40% of the contract had been completed. The contractor was paid 14 million hryvnias. He carried out earthworks, laid the foundations and erected the basement walls.

In 2026, a tender for the new construction of a fallout shelter was announced for 50,779,256 hryvnias. The Department of Education clarified that the project was developed in 2023. However, in 2025, the state building standards of Ukraine changed, so the project was revised: the load-bearing capacity of the walls and floors was increased. Following an expert assessment, the scope of work and its cost increased, so a new procurement procedure was announced.

«Subsequently, due to rising market prices, particularly for fuel at the start of 2026, an additional recalculation of the estimated cost of the design and cost documentation was carried out, and a re-examination was conducted,» the Department of Education explained.

Response from the Department of Education regarding the construction of the shelter in response to a request from NikVesti

Response from the Department of Education regarding the construction of the shelter in response to a request from NikVesti

The tender documentation states that 5,077,925 hryvnias have been allocated from the Oleksandrivka budget for the shelter’s renovation, with a further 45,701,330 hryvnias to be provided through co-financing by the European Union under the Ukraine Facility programme.

Information on the co-financing of the works. Screenshot from Prozorro

The list of works includes the installation of ventilation, water supply for domestic and hot water, entrances to the shelter (including staircases and railings), reinforcement of walls and floors, and the installation of metal door units. The works also include the installation of a public address system, an automatic fire alarm system, gas detection and flood level alarms, and a CCTV system. The works are to be completed by 31 December 2027.

On 21 May, bids from participants were opened. Vozbud Plus LLC submitted a bid for 49,763,670 hryvnias.

According to the You Control system, the company was registered in 2024 in Voznesensk. The director is Vadym Orlov.

On 22 May, a protocol was published with the intention of concluding a contract with the contractor.

They were planning to sign a contract with the contractor. Screenshot from Prozorro

They were planning to sign a contract with the contractor. Screenshot from Prozorro

On 25 May, the State Audit Service began monitoring the procurement.

Auditors began monitoring the procurement. Screenshot from Prozorro

However, as of 28 May, the contract had been cancelled.

The contract with the contractor was cancelled. Screenshot from Prozorro

On 28 May, the State Audit Service published another request asking the education department to explain the grounds for cancelling the contract.

The auditors’ question regarding the cancellation of the contract. Screenshot from Prozorro

As a reminder, the Voznesensk Multidisciplinary Hospital held a tender for the major refurbishment of the operating theatre in the hospital’s surgical wing. The contract was signed with the sole bidder — sole trader Volodymyr Illich Solohor — who was registered seven months ago. He is to carry out the work for 7.4 million hryvnias.

Also, NikVesti reported that, following two unsuccessful tenders, the Capital Construction Department (CCD) signed a contract with a contractor who is to complete the refurbishment of the basement of Lyceum №38 named after Volodymyr Chaika to convert it into a shelter.