Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — School canteens in Uzbekistan are leased to businesses through competitive tenders on the E-auksion electronic platform.
The winner is the bidder offering the highest rental payment, and lease agreements are concluded for one academic year, the State Assets Management Agency said.
The agency issued the clarification following public discussion on social media about the leasing of school canteens.
In particular, authors of posts published under the headline “Do Not Turn School Canteens into Businesses” expressed concern that electronic bidding could lead to higher meal prices for pupils.
The agency stressed that the move to an electronic mechanism is not intended to commercialise school meals. Its main objectives are to increase transparency in tender procedures, ensure equal conditions for businesses and reduce corruption risks.
Until 2025, school canteens were leased under regulations approved by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 132 dated 2 May 2016.
Businesses were selected by special tender commissions established by decisions of district and city governors.
According to the agency, this system created risks of subjective decision-making during tenders and when selecting winners.
The absence of uniform criteria for evaluating bids could also undermine equal competition and increase the likelihood of conflicts of interest and corruption.
To address these shortcomings, Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 8 dated 11 January 2025 introduced changes to the existing procedure.
In particular, the leasing of school canteens was moved to a competitive tender system using the E-auksion platform.
The procedure does not involve successive increases in bids in real time, as in a conventional auction.
Businesses submit their bids in advance, specifying the rental payment they are prepared to offer. Once the application period closes, the bids are opened and the participant offering the highest amount is declared the winner.
Lease agreements are concluded for one academic year rather than one calendar year. This means the lease period is aligned with the school year.
Further amendments were introduced by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 563 dated 13 October 2026.
The changes provide for improvements to tender procedures, alignment with the requirements of the current electronic trading system and the removal of unnecessary administrative barriers.
The agency said the priority remains ensuring that pupils receive nutritious, safe and high-quality meals in compliance with sanitary and hygiene standards.
It urged the public to take into account the legal framework and specific features of the current mechanism when discussing the leasing of school canteens.
