Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv is not just an educational institution but also a major procurer in the public procurement system. In the past year and a half alone, the university has conducted nearly 2,000 procurement transactions for goods and services — from building repairs to pastries for its dining halls. The total value of contracts awarded: UAH 706.1 million.

The DOZORRO TI Ukraine team analyzed the university’s procurement transactions in 2024 and 2025 to understand how budget funds were spent, which companies won the largest contracts, and what interesting tenders KNU conducted.

What did KNU spend the most on?

Between 2024 and mid-2025, KNU carried out 2,099 procurement procedures and signed 1,980 contracts. Six of them were later terminated, so the total value of active and completed contracts stands at UAH 706.1 million. 

The largest share of expenses over the past 18 months went toward energy resources — petroleum products, fuel, and electricity. This is hardly surprising given the university’s size, its many academic buildings and dormitories, and its heating and electricity needs. KNU signed 47 contracts in this category worth nearly UAH 230 million.

The second-largest expenditure category was food. This accounted for nearly a third of all contracts — 593 in total — amounting to UAH 188.7 million. These contracts primarily relate to meals served in student cafeterias. According to the university’s Food Center, 100% of food expenditures are processed through these dining facilities.

In response to our information request, KNU shared data on revenue from food services. Last year, the university generated UAH 161 million from food sales. For comparison, this figure was UAH 141.8 million in 2023. 

Third on the list was construction and ongoing repair work, totaling over UAH 51.2 million. Note that this refers to contracts already signed. For example, the contract for emergency repairs to the buildings of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Journalism and the Educational and Scientific Institute of International Relations — both damaged during a Russian missile strike on November 3, 2024 — has not yet been signed. Only one bidder participated in the tender — TSENTRA-BUD LLC, offering a price just UAH 1,200 below the estimated value. The nearly UAH 10 million contract is pending signature, with works due to be completed by the end of September 2025.

Top 3 most expensive contracts 

As mentioned earlier, KNU’s largest expenditures are on electricity, fuel, and other energy sources — nearly UAH 230 million in total. The most expensive individual contract was for electricity, worth UAH 58.3 million. However, among the contracts not related to utility expenses, there are also fairly high-value deals. 

The most expensive non-energy contract is for the repair of the alert system in KNU’s main building. The contract, worth UAH 9.7 million, was awarded to AGNI ENGINEERING LLC, with a deadline of January 31, 2025. The estimated value was only UAH 7.8 million, but the tender conditions allowed bids to exceed this.

The second most expensive deal was for computer equipment for university needs. The UAH 7.4 million contract was signed in December 2024 with GIBA IT SOLUTIONS LLC, which was to deliver PCs, printers, mice, and storage devices by year-end. 

 Third place went to a meat procurement contract worth UAH 6.4 million. KRAFT MEAT LLC offered prices lower than retail: for example, chicken fillet was procured at UAH 136.35/kg (excluding VAT), compared to UAH 219.90/kg at Varus and UAH 229/kg at Auchan (including VAT). Adjusting for the 20% VAT rate, the retail prices excluding VAT would be UAH 184/kg and UAH 163/kg, respectively.  

This long-term contract requires KRAFT MEAT LLC to supply meat to the university until the end of 2025. Though one of the largest in its category, it’s just part of a broader procurement picture.

UAH 70 million on meat

Nearly one-third of KNU’s tenders involved food and beverages, totaling UAH 188.7 million. 

The most expensive lot in this category was for meat, initially valued at over UAH 6.4 million. Seven bidders took part, and KRAFT MEAT LLC won with a bid over UAH 540,000 below the estimated value.

Interestingly, the winning bid wasn’t the lowest. Some suppliers offered even better prices but did not sign contracts. For example, RUMIT LLC withdrew, citing market changes that made the contract unfeasible. The company was founded in 2018 by Tymur Perelyhin, who, according to YouControl, is also a founder and beneficiary of KRAFT MEAT LLC. Over the past 18 months, KRAFT MEAT LLC has won 50 contracts from KNU worth UAH 42 million. Individual entrepreneur Olha Lebid also withdrew, stating a calculation error made fulfillment impossible. 

By the end of 2025, KRAFT MEAT LLC is expected to deliver 38.2 tonnes of various meat products to three KNU departments. This is not their first collaboration: in the past 18 months, KNU signed 29 contracts with the company worth nearly UAH 23 million. 

In total, KNU has committed almost UAH 74 million to meat supplies during this period. Meanwhile, contracts for bread, pastries, and cookies amounted to UAH 6.4 million. Students and faculty will enjoy sweets from Kyivkhlib LLC.

Fruit, vegetable, and juice procurements reached UAH 18.7 million. The most expensive contract in this group went to individual entrepreneur Viktoriia Kovaliova, who will receive UAH 2.8 million for 25 items, including 2.5 tonnes of frozen pitted cherries, 650 kg of dried apricots, and 1,400 cans of canned pineapple. Individual entrepreneur Viktoriia Kovaliova has won eight KNU tenders over the past 18 months, totaling UAH 5.7 million.

KNU also signed 116 contracts for dairy products worth nearly UAH 42 million. For example, various cheeses worth UAH 2.7 million were procured from individual entrepreneur Oleksandr Tymoshchuk, who has received 10 contracts from KNU worth UAH 6.2 million in the same period.

The cheapest procurement

Among thousands of KNU contracts, there are not only million-hryvnia deals but also modest ones. One such contract was signed with SPAN LLC in March 2025 — worth just UAH 1.20, of which UAH 0.20 was VAT. For this, KNU obtained 20,000 Microsoft 365 A5 licences — a software package offering cloud services, office apps, and access/security tools.

Clearly, the actual value of the package is much higher. This contract reflects corporate or partner-level software distribution agreements. In comments to DOZORRO, KNU stated: “The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has reached an agreement with Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited. An initiative is being implemented to provide free Microsoft 365 A3 licenses to educational institutions, as well as to the education and science departments (offices) of regional state administrations and the Kyiv City Military Administration for use in the educational process.

The university signed the agreement with SPAN LLC, and the payment is not considered royalty. “The agreement can be seen as an example of effective cooperation that introduces modern IT tools into education with minimal financial impact on the state and university budgets,” KNU explained.

Noteworthy deals: from student IDs to artificial intelligence

Since 2019, Ukraine has gradually transitioned to electronic student ID cards with embedded chips for automated data reading at campus entrances and library check-ins. In the past 18 months, KNU has signed at least two contracts for producing such cards — worth UAH 1.85 million and UAH 1.88 million. In both cases, the only bidder and winner was the Zoria Printing Plant SE. 

KNU also procures accreditation services via Prozorro — for philology, cybersecurity, social work, and other majors — totaling over UAH 3.6 million. In April 2025, for instance, the university ordered accreditation for at least seven degree programs in specialty 035 “Philology.” These services are provided by the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance.

KNU is also engaging with artificial intelligence: in 2024, it signed a UAH 84,000 contract for an astronomy research project titled “Automation of Optical Tools for Information Collection and Accumulation with AI–Based Analysis.” 

DOZORRO has previously explored how Ukrainian universities procure AI-related services — from consulting to the development of specialized academic programs.

How students and faculty can track their university’s procurement

Public procurement at major universities isn’t just administrative routine — it reflects the daily reality of thousands of students and teachers. Higher education institutions are major players in public spending. 

If you’re a student or university employee, you have every right to know how your university’s budget is being spent. It’s easy to check:

• Prozorro.gov.ua — the official public procurement portal. To find your university’s procurements, enter its full name or USREOU code (KNU’s code is 02070944) in the search bar.
• BI Prozorro — an analytics module for browsing tenders, spending, and contractors through charts and tables, and analyzing them across various parameters.
• YouControl — a company verification service. Learn more about your university’s suppliers: ownership, tax debts, court cases, and more.

This material is funded by the European Union. Its content is the sole responsibility of Transparency International Ukraine and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.