How Shelters for Schools and Kindergartens Are Procured in Kyiv

According to the Livyi Bereh publication, approximately 30 schools in the capital lack their own shelters. They rely on nearby protective structures, forcing children to run to the subway or other public shelters during times of anxiety, exposing themselves to danger. But even schools with their own shelters cannot always breathe a sigh of relief — many are renovating the premises and trying to increase the area.

The DOZORRO TI Ukraine project sought to understand how this problem is being addressed in different districts of the capital. To do this, we investigated the procurements announced this year in Kyiv for the construction, repair, and arrangement of shelters in schools and kindergartens.

General statistics

We selected all Kyiv procurement transactions, where the name mentioned shelters or protective structures.

On Prozorro, from January 1 to August 26, 2024, we identified 678 procurements related to major repairs of shelters, construction of new ones, and their arrangement in the capital, totaling UAH 4.3 billion. Of these, 537 procurements have already been completed, with the total value of concluded contracts amounting to UAH 2.1 billion. Another 77 procurements are in progress, with an approximate value of UAH 1.3 billion. Fifty-six procurements were unsuccessful, primarily due to a lack of proposals or non-compliance with the tender requirements of the submissions. Another 8 procurements were canceled due to a lack of funding or errors in documentation.

In total, approximately 449 shelters are to be repaired, built or equipped in Kyiv. In nearly all districts of the capital, repairs and construction of shelters were ordered by district education departments, rather than by the educational institutions themselves. 

Almost 40% of procurements by quantity were made by entities outside the system, who signed direct contracts — mostly for sub-threshold procurements related to minor repairs. In 46% of cases, procuring entities opted for open bidding with features, in nearly 14% they chose simplified procurement, and in 0.3% they used the negotiation procedure.

Interactive map of procurement for shelters in Kyiv (Ukrainian only) 

We compiled all procurements for educational institution shelters in Kyiv, where the address could be identified, on an interactive map. Clicking on procurement on the map allows viewing its details: status, estimated value, contractor, and contract amount (if concluded), as well as accessing the procurement page on Prozorro for further information. 

Ten procurements, which were conducted for multiple schools simultaneously, were not included on the map. It primarily involves a technical inspection of the condition of shelters.

Procurement by districts

Darnytskyi (123 procurements), Sviatoshynskyi (101 procurements), and Solomianskyi (79 procurements) districts lead in terms of the number of procurements.

In terms of estimated value, the Holosiivskyi district ranks first with UAH 932 million, the Dniprovskyi district is second with UAH 886 million, and the Darnytskyi district is third with UAH 863 million.

In terms of the value of already signed contracts, the leaders remain the same.

Construction Material Prices: District-by-District Analysis

In addition to the general statistics, attention was also given to the prices of construction materials in procurements for shelters. To ensure a fair comparison, we focused on procurements with an estimated value of over UAH 20 million that have already been completed. The results showed that material prices fluctuate depending on the district, sometimes by as much as double. For example:

• Hot-rolled reinforcing bars: from UAH 36,604.80/t in the Sviatoshynskyi district to UAH 48,624.84/t in the Shevchenkivskyi district. 
• Ceramic bricks: prices in the Desnianskyi district reach UAH 12,527.16 per 1,000 pieces, while in the Darnytskyi district it is only UAH 7,798.80.
• Natural sand: prices range between UAH 297.48/m³ in the Dniprovskyi district and UAH 649.92/m³ in the Obolonskyi district.
• Crushed natural stone: prices range between UAH 624/m³ in Dniprovskyi district and UAH 1,237.80/m³ in the Darnytskyi district.
• Ready-made heavy concrete mixtures, concrete class B25: prices range between UAH 3,102.60/m³ in the Shevchenkivskyi district and UAH 6,341.04/m³ in the Dniprovskyi district.
• Ready-made heavy concrete mixtures, concrete class B30: the lowest price (UAH 2,785.44/m³) was recorded in the Shevchenkivskyi district, while the highest price (UAH 4,339.08/m³) was found in Dniprovskyi district.

In this section and the following one, all building material prices are shown excluding delivery but including VAT.

Overpayments on building materials

We analyzed high-priced procurements in detail and identified cases of significant overpricing.

School No. 44 

The Education Department of Holosiivskyi District Administration of Kyiv signed an agreement with BMBUD LLC to construct a dual-purpose structure with anti-radiation shelter properties on the territory of Specialized School No. 44. The contract price reached UAH 121.7 million. 

In the estimate, the concrete mixture was listed at one and a half times the market price, potentially leading to an overpayment of up to UAH 7.3 million.

We sent a letter to the procuring entity with calculations regarding the overpayment and requested a reduction in the prices of overpriced building materials. We are waiting for their response.

The said LLC is registered in Nastasiv village, Ternopil region. Its owners are Valerii Nosyk, a former employee of the district branch of “Ternopil Oblavtodor,” and Sarsama Service LLC, owned by Nadiia Babiichuk, the wife of Ivan Babiichuk, the former Chief Administrator of the Executive Office of the Ternopil Regional Council. Since 2018, the company has received contracts worth UAH 3.6 billion.

Gymnasium No. 236

The Education Department of Holosiivskyi District Administration of Kyiv signed a UAH 231.9 million agreement with I.B.K. Development LLC to construct a shelter in Gymnasium No. 236. Prices for construction materials in the estimate significantly exceed market prices, suggesting a possible overpayment of over UAH 3.7 million.

Material cost analysis:

We have already sent a letter with our calculations and a request to reduce prices to the procuring entity, and are now waiting for their response. 

I.B.K. Development LLC was registered in Kyiv in 2013. The company owners are Oleksandr Lukianets, Oleh Volyntsev, and Vitalii Zhukivskyi. 

Until September 2018, Oleksandr Lukianets and Vitalii Zhukivskyi were the beneficiaries of JSC “Closed Non-Diversified Venture Corporate Investment Fund Flash,” which is owned by Nataliia Hordiienko, the mother of ex-MP Serhii Katsuba and former deputy chairman of the board of NJSC “Naftogaz of Ukraine” Oleksandr Katsuba. Both Katsubas were suspected of involvement in the procurement of Boiko towers at inflated prices.

I.B.K Development closely cooperates with the Department of Regional Development of the Kyiv Regional State Administration. Since 2017, the Department has signed agreements with the company totaling UAH 776 million. Among other activities, I.B.K. Development was involved in repairing residential buildings in Irpin that were damaged by the war. The company is currently involved in criminal proceedings on suspicion of misappropriating budget funds during the renovation of premises at the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv.

School No. 186

Ukratomenergobud ISC of Kyiv received a contract for constructing a dual-purpose structure with anti-radiation shelter properties for School I-III Degrees No. 186 in the Holosiivskyi district of Kyiv. The total contract price was UAH 222.7 million.

The company beneficiaries are Roman Khodin and Halyna Musiienko. Interestingly, Ukratomenergobud was previously founded as Energy Investments LLC, where 89.1% of the shares were owned by this company and 10% by PJSC “Yuzhenergobud” from Yuzhnoukraiinsk. 

The cost of construction materials for the Ukratomenergobud project was found to be significantly higher than market prices:

The estimated overpayment for the specified items is UAH 3.1 million. We have already sent a letter to the procuring entity with a request to reduce prices but have not yet received a response. 

Universum Lyceum

The Education Department of the Shevchenkivskyi District Administration of Kyiv signed an agreement with Pobudova LLC to construct a dual-purpose structure with anti-radiation shelter properties for the Universum Lyceum in the Shevchenkivskyi District. The transaction price is UAH 61.4 million. The procuring entity rejected the UAH 4.8 million cheaper proposal submitted by Kyiv House-Building Company LLC.

Pobudova LLC is managed by Andrii Istomin and owned by Olena Bilokon from the Kramatorsk district in the Donetsk region.

The analysis revealed that the prices for the main construction materials listed in the estimate differ significantly from market prices. 

The estimated overpayment for the specified items is more than UAH 3.2 million. At our request, the police have opened criminal proceedings concerning the possible misappropriation or embezzlement of property through abuse of official position.

In the text, we provided examples of procurements with the largest overpayments; however, we identified additional instances of overpricing in building materials related to shelters in schools and kindergartens in Kyiv. 

In the near future, the number of tenders for the construction and arrangement of protective structures in Kyiv may increase. Some education authorities are currently ordering project documentation, which is the first step towards initiating new tenders. Among other districts, the Solomianskyi district is expected to have new shelters constructed.

We urge parents, teachers, headmasters, and other concerned citizens to monitor the procurement processes for the construction and repair of shelters at their educational institutions. Learn how to do this using the DOZORRO portal or the BI Prozorro analytical module, as outlined in our guidelines.

This publication was created within the framework of the Supporting Digital Transformation project, funded by USAID and UK Dev.