The Education and Science Department of Zhytomyr Regional State Administration has announced a tender for the purchase of 28 buses for transportation of schoolchildren worth UAH 54.6 million.

According to information on the ProZorro platform, the deadline for bidding is May 4 and the auction is scheduled for June 10.

Zhytomyr Regional State Administration is planning to buy buses of Euro 5 environmental standard produced not earlier than 2019 equipped with diesel engines and at least 30 seats. They have to be delivered to the customer by November 30, 2019.

On February 22, 2019, Zhytomyr Regional State Administration announced the same tender. BUS Motor LLC (Bogdan Corporation), private enterprise Forsazh, and Auto-Bus LLC (Ataman) bid for the tender. However, it was cancelled due to violations of the legislation on public procurement.

On April 3, 2019, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine allocated grants from the national budget to local budgets for the improvement of education quality, in particular it allocated UAH 325 million for the purchase of school buses and UAH 175 million for the purchase of specialized vehicles for inclusion resource centers.

The press service of the Education and Science Ministry of Ukraine reported that the purchase of buses would be co-financed jointly with local self-government agencies. Cities of regional significance should pay at least 30% of the total cost of the buses.

The government allocated UAH 14.7 million for Zhytomyr regional budget for the purchase of school buses.

"We have invested over UAH 840 million [in the School Bus program] in 2016-2018. Another UAH 325 million will be allocated this year. Thus our investment has reached billions over recent years," the ministry's press service quoted Education and Science Minister Lilia Hrynevych as saying.

Almost all Ukrainian producers produce school buses, including Bogdan in Lutsk, Etalon (Chernihiv Autoplant), and UkrAVTO.