Analysis · Updated: October 4, 2026 · 8 min read

Can foreign firms bid in Uzbek tenders? Yes, but locals get up to 15%

Can a foreign company bid in Uzbekistan's public procurement? Yes: the law expressly admits non-residents and makes no exceptions by country — not for Russia, not for Kazakhstan. As of 4 October 2026, 65 tenders and selections priced in US dollars and euros are open on the xarid.uzex.uz exchange platform. But local producers get a head start of up to 15%, and getting through the door takes weeks, not days. Working from primary sources, we look at where a foreign bidder actually stands a chance.

In brief: what the law says

The law prohibits discrimination between participants (Article 46) with one caveat: preferences for local producers introduced by presidential decrees and resolutions. That caveat is where the main barriers come from.

What is open in foreign currency right now

According to the exchange's open API data collected by Tanlo, as of 4 October 2026 the tenders and selections section of xarid.uzex.uz has 863 open lots: 54 in dollars and 11 in euros. The dollar lots add up to about $554 m, but more than half of that is a single lot — construction of the Pskem hydropower plant ($286.4 m). A typical dollar lot is far more modest, at around $135k. One more detail: judging by the lot numbers, all 65 currency lots were announced by corporate customers — state-owned companies — rather than ministries or hokimiyats (local administrations). A few examples:

The contract currency is set by the customer in the procurement documentation (Articles 59 and 67 of the law). A dollar lot usually means the item is imported, but it does not guarantee the customer is looking for a foreign supplier: such lots are often won by local dealers. And mind the deadlines: most lots in the table will close before a non-resident can complete accreditation. Treat this as a market snapshot, not a "bid today" list. To catch new currency lots as they appear, set up a search in the Tanlo catalogue — it aggregates six platforms, translates lot titles and sends new lots to Telegram.

Barrier 1. A head start for locals: 8–15% on top of the import price

For budget customers (ministries, hokimiyats, schools, hospitals — organisations funded from the state budget), Presidential Decree UP-17 of February 2026 introduced a tiered price preference:

• goods, from 1 April 2026: 15% if three or more domestic producers take part, 12% if two, 8% if one;
• services and works, from 1 October 2026: 15% of the lowest price of imported services (works).

For corporate customers (companies with a state share of 50% or more) the tiered scale does not apply, but an older rule from Resolution PP-4812 does: when a tender is evaluated, local goods receive a preference of up to 15% of the price of the imported product on DDP terms. It does not apply only when a state-owned company buys goods for resale or commercial production. In addition, any import purchase by a state-owned company worth more than 50,000 BRV (base calculation amounts, the government-set unit in which most thresholds are expressed) under a single contract must be reviewed by the supervisory board — and management has to justify why a local equivalent was not chosen.

For goods, what counts is the origin of the product, not the supplier's country: an Uzbek dealer selling imported goods also ends up on the "import" side. For services and works, what counts is whether the contractor is domestic — a foreign company without a local legal entity will almost certainly be treated as "import". For foreign IT firms, design bureaus and consultants working with budget customers, the rule in force since 1 October 2026 directly raises the cost of entry.

Barrier 2. Local producers come first

The same Resolution PP-4812 (as amended in March 2026) obliges budget and corporate customers to look for a product from domestic producers first, on the cooperation portal new.cooperation.uz or on the Producers' Ecosystem Portal. They may buy on other platforms only if the product is not available there, backed by a certificate from the portal.

There is also a list of foreign goods and works subject to temporary bans and restrictions on access to public procurement. It is approved by the Cabinet of Ministers; the resolution was last amended in July 2026. Before preparing a bid, check that your product is not on it.

Barrier 3. Auctions foreigners will not be invited to

Under Decree UP-259 of 26 December 2025, "local auction trading" has been held since 2026 — exclusively between budget customers and domestic producers. And new motor vehicles, specialised and agricultural machinery may, under the law, be bought through direct contracts with Uzbek manufacturers and their official dealers (Article 71). In these niches, competing from outside is almost impossible.

Barrier 4. Getting in: accreditation, signature, money, taxes

Accreditation. The exchange's website has two documents for non-residents. Under a simplified 2023 instruction, it is enough to click "Registration for non-residents" on xarid.uzex.uz and email an application of acceptance and a certificate of registration — the account is activated within a working day, free of charge. But the accreditation rules on uzex.uz list a paper package for foreigners, to be filed with the exchange's settlement and clearing house: an extract from the trade register, constitutional documents, proof of tax registration, a power of attorney and a notarised specimen signature — apostilled or consularly legalised. Allow weeks for this, and before bidding, check with the exchange which procedure currently applies. The same rules also mention a workaround for purchases by state-owned companies: participating through an agent.

Electronic signature. Electronic public procurement requires an electronic digital signature (EDS) — this is stated directly in the regulation on public procurement (Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 276). How a non-resident without an Uzbek key signs a bid and a contract is not described in any public document. This is the key question for the exchange's support team — ask it first.

Money. The operator's commission and the deposit (if the procurement commission requires one) are paid into the account of the exchange's settlement and clearing house — just as local companies do. The operator's commission is a fraction of a percent of the deal amount (under the exchange's 2023 instruction, 0.15%, capped at UZS 4 m in selections and tenders); confirm the current rate with the exchange. The Law "On Currency Regulation" does not restrict non-residents' current currency transactions, but check with your bank in advance how payments to and from Uzbekistan will go through.

Taxes. If your work in Uzbekistan creates a permanent establishment (for example, a construction project or a long service contract), Tax Code Article 130 requires you to register: for a contract longer than 183 days — no later than 30 days after work starts; in other cases — no later than 183 days. Discuss how your contract income will be taxed with a local tax adviser before you name your price.

Russia, Kazakhstan and the EAEU: are there special terms?

We found no special preferences or bans for Russian companies in Uzbekistan's public procurement law. Uzbekistan is an observer in the EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union), not a member, so the Union's rules on mutual access to public procurement do not apply to it; nor did we find a separate agreement between Russia and Uzbekistan on national treatment in public procurement. Companies from Russia, Kazakhstan and other countries take part on the general terms for non-residents. If your country has a treaty with Uzbekistan that expressly covers public procurement, its provisions take precedence (Article 3 of the law).

Procurement financed by international banks is a separate world. There, Uzbek law gives way to the donor's rules (Article 2), and the bans and preferences of PP-4812 do not apply. These are the tenders most open to foreigners, but they have their own filters. For example, under the rules of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), a contractor must come from a member country of the bank unless the financing agreement allows unrestricted procurement. Russia is not an ADB member, so Russian companies are generally not eligible for such tenders. Check other donors' rules project by project.

What a foreign bidder risks

The same as a local supplier. A winner who refuses to sign the contract loses the deposit (paragraph 15 of Regulation No. 276). Both such a winner and a contractor who fails to perform the contract are entered in the Unified Register of Unscrupulous Contractors and barred from public procurement for two years (Article 48 of the law). Residency makes no difference.

Checklist before your first bid

1. Check whether your product is made in Uzbekistan (cooperation portal) and whether it appears on the list of bans and restrictions.
2. If the customer is a budget organisation, assume a local offer will win even if it is 8–15% more expensive than yours. Price with that margin in mind.
3. Look at projects financed by international banks, where the PP-4812 restrictions do not apply, and at lots from state-owned companies, where the UP-17 tiered scale does not apply.
4. Start accreditation early: gather apostilled documents and ask the exchange how a non-resident signs a bid and a contract.
5. Assess with a tax adviser whether the contract creates a permanent establishment, and build taxes into your price.
6. Keep funds available for the deposit and commission on every bid you run in parallel.

How much cash to keep on hand for a single bid is calculated in our article "A UZS 100 m tender: how much cash you really need to bid". How the procedures differ is covered in "Auction, tender, selection and e-shop", and a step-by-step guide to the platform is in our piece on xarid.uzex.uz.

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