On 9 July, the GovTech Alliance of Ukraine (GTA UA) and CDTO Campus held the professional discussion “GovTech Procurement: Choosing the Right Approach.” The event was supported by the European Union as part of the DT4UA project, implemented by the e-Governance Academy (eGA), and marked the launch of a new series of practical discussions for the Ukrainian GovTech community, jointly organised by the partners.

The series aims to establish a permanent professional platform for open dialogue between government institutions, the GovTech industry, international partners, and the expert community on the practical challenges of digital transformation. Unlike traditional conferences, the format focuses on sharing real-world experience, identifying practical solutions, and producing tangible outcomes for Ukraine’s GovTech ecosystem.

The first discussion addressed one of the key challenges in building a digital state: selecting the most effective procurement model for GovTech projects. Participants explored when external contractors should be engaged, how risks should be allocated between contracting authorities and suppliers, which procurement approaches work best in practice, what opportunities are created by the new Law of Ukraine On Public Procurement, and what specific considerations arise when implementing digital projects with international donor support.

“GovTech projects bring together government, businesses, donors, and implementing partners, but each of them views the procurement process from a different perspective. Together with our partners, we organised this practical discussion to create a space where the GovTech community could exchange experience and develop shared approaches that will help the government deliver digital projects more quickly and effectively,” said Kateryna Stavniichuk, CEO of GTA UA and moderator of the event.

The discussion opened with three keynote perspectives representing the key stakeholders involved in GovTech procurement.

Vasyl Zadvornyy, CEO of MK-Consulting and Board Member of GTA UA, presented the shared position of GTA UA member companies on approaches to procuring digital solutions. Ivan Reva, Director of the Digitalisation Department at the Defence Procurement Agency DOT of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, shared the government’s perspective as a contracting authority. Mykhailo Kornieiev, Senior Expert at eGA (DT4UA project), presented the donor perspective, using the Digital Competence Centre as an example of a successful public-private partnership model in GovTech.

Presenting GTA UA’s common position, Vasyl Zadvornyy emphasised that the key challenge for the sector is not the lack of procurement mechanisms, but their effective application.

“Ukraine’s public procurement legislation already provides a sufficient set of tools for procuring high-quality digital solutions, and the new Law of Ukraine On Public Procurement further expands these opportunities. The main challenge is not changing the rules or introducing new instruments, but using the existing ones effectively and strengthening the procurement capacity of public authorities. That is why the GovTech sector needs practical guidance, proven approaches, and successful examples of how existing procurement tools can be applied in practice. GTA UA is launching a collaborative effort to advance this work,” he said.

The keynote session was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Vasyl Zadvornyy. The panel featured Mykhailo Mokhnia, Deputy Director of the Public Procurement Department at the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine; Yuliia Zaplavna, Senior Programme Manager of the EGAP Programme at the East Europe Foundation; Oleksii Dorohan, Executive Director of BRDO; and Mariia Muzyka, COO of the GovTech company Kitsoft.

The discussion focused on selecting appropriate procurement models, planning digital projects, allocating risks between contracting authorities and suppliers, addressing common contracting challenges, managing project delivery under changing requirements and budget constraints, applying the opportunities introduced by the new Law of Ukraine On Public Procurement, and implementing digital projects with international partner support.

Ruslana Korenchuk, CEO of CDTO Campus and Diia.Education, manager of joint projects of East Europe Foundation and the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, highlighted the importance of professional discussions in building a shared understanding of how Ukraine’s digital transformation should move forward.

A practical outcome of the event was GTA UA’s initiative to establish a working group in autumn 2026 to develop a GovTech Procurement Guide. The group will bring together representatives of public authorities, GovTech companies, international partners, and the expert community to prepare practical recommendations on selecting procurement models, making effective use of procurement instruments, and contracting digital projects.

The discussion marked the first event in a new series of practical discussions for the GovTech community, jointly organised by GTA UA, CDTO Campus, and eGA. Among the upcoming topics, one event will focus on the practical implementation of Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 205 and the development of standard documentation templates for the lifecycle management of public digital products.