Govt prepares €1.9m independence anniversary celebration without issuing public calls

Montenegro’s coordination body for marking the 20^th anniversary of independence annulled public tenders for organising the celebrations after none of the bids met the required criteria. It is now proposing that the government arrange the events through a negotiated procedure without a public call and allocate €1.9m from the budget reserve.

Two public calls issued in March 2026 covered ceremonial events and multi-day celebrations in Podgorica, with estimated costs of up to €500,000 and €1.4m, respectively. Although a few bids were deemed promising, none fully complied with the requirements.

The body suggests entering direct negotiations with selected bidders to finalise contracts, citing the scale of the project and tight deadlines.