Daily procurement news · 28 September 2026 · Episode 5
Portugal goes to tender for solar, Mexico buys medicines for 84 billion pesos
Four signals from the weekend: Portugal launches a tender for new photovoltaic installations, Mexico awards 3.2 billion units of medicines for 84 billion pesos in one public tender, the EU adds €710m for refugees and humanitarian aid, and public IT spending comes under scrutiny in Estonia and Czechia.
In this episode
Portugal launches a tender for new photovoltaic installations
Portugal has launched a tender for new photovoltaic installations. Solar is the one area where Portuguese public buying keeps a steady rhythm, and earlier rounds rewarded bidders with grid and permitting paperwork ready.
Mexico awards 3.2 billion units of medicines in one public tender
The Mexican government awarded 3.2 billion units of medicines worth 84 billion pesos through a public tender: central, consolidated buying through open competition, roughly €4bn in one procurement.
The EU adds €710m for refugees and humanitarian aid
An extra €710m for refugees and humanitarian aid, mostly for Africa and Ukraine. Humanitarian money is spent through agencies and NGOs: framework contracts for food, shelter, water, medical supplies and transport.
Estonia and Czechia: two cautionary tales in public IT and consultancy
Estonia puts another €28m into SKAIS, the social insurance IT system critics call failed in advance. In Czechia the competition office shelved a case about five million in contracts awarded without competition.