(10 February 2026 | Source: Republic of Kazakhstan public procurement portal)
In the Mangystau region, the terms of a major tender for the support of an information system for educational organisations have been adjusted. The procurement involves services worth 1.35 billion tenge, with the Mangystau Region Department of Education acting as the customer.
The changes were made following a preliminary discussion of the tender documentation with potential suppliers and feedback from state audit authorities.
WHAT IS BEING PROCURED
The tender concerns technical support and maintenance services for an information system used by dozens and hundreds of subordinate educational organisations in the region. Initially, services were planned to be provided until 31 December 2026, with the entire amount — 1.35 billion tenge — effectively falling within a single period.
WHAT OBJECTIONS AROSE
During the preliminary discussion, market participants highlighted several problematic points:
- it was unclear which period the lot cost covered — one year or several;
- the procurement amount appeared inflated without a breakdown by stage and year;
- the qualification requirements for 1C specialists were incorrectly formulated and did not correspond to the vendor's official certification system.
Participants noted that such wording could hinder competition and allow for subjective assessment of bids.
WHAT WAS CHANGED
Following the discussion and after notification from the remote state audit check, the customer agreed to make changes to the documentation.
The main change is the extension of the service period until 31 December 2028. The total procurement amount remained unchanged. As a result, the cost was effectively spread over three years, rather than one.
The qualification requirements were also clarified: in the new version, they have been aligned with specific and official 1C certificates (including for the 1C:ERP and 1C:ZUP configurations).
WHAT REMAINED UNCHANGED
Despite the adjustments, the technical specification retains conditions that market participants consider demanding:
- large volumes of work for support and data migration across hundreds of organisations;
- a requirement for an integrated video conferencing module within the system;
- strict information security requirements.
Suppliers have previously noted that such conditions may primarily suit companies already working with similar systems in the region.
CONTEXT AND AREAS TO WATCH
The adjustment of procurement terms at the planning stage indicates that the initial parameters of the tender documentation required refinement. Such changes typically reflect the sensitivity of the procedure to the wording of qualification and technical requirements.
Going forward, the customer's approach to bid evaluation, the application of conditional discount criteria, and the actual compliance of the selected supplier with information security requirements and experience in implementing comparable government information projects will be significant.