A digital (structured) contract is a contract concluded through the Unified Information System for Public Procurement (hereinafter – UIS) in machine-readable form. This means it is not just, for example, a PDF file, but a set of structured fields with a clearly defined format, filled out and stored within the UIS.
Previously, as of January 1 of this year, contracting authorities were granted the right to conclude most types of contracts in structured form, except for those based on the grounds specified in clauses 4, 5, 23, 42, 44, and 46 of Part 1, Article 93 of Federal Law No. 44-FZ of April 5, 2013, "On the Contract System for the Procurement of Goods, Works, and Services for State and Municipal Needs" (hereinafter – the Procurement Law).
Starting from April 1, it becomes mandatory to conclude digital contracts in cases of procurement from a sole supplier based on the grounds specified in clauses 2, 6, 6.1, 11, 12, 54, and 55 of Part 1, Article 93 of the Procurement Law. This includes, for example, purchases made in accordance with acts of the President or the Government of the Russian Federation, or procurement for the needs of institutions and enterprises of the penitentiary system.
From July 1, 2025, the requirement to use digital contracts will also apply to sole-source procurements under clauses 24 and 25 of Part 1, Article 93 of the Procurement Law. A transitional period will be in effect from January 1 to June 30, 2025. During this time, it will also become possible to conclude structured additional agreements and termination agreements via the UIS.
Beginning July 1, 2026, contracting authorities will also have the right to conclude digital contracts with sole suppliers under the grounds listed in clauses 4, 5, 23, 42, 44, and 46 of Part 1, Article 93 of the Procurement Law.
The introduction of mandatory digital contracts is another step in the digitalization of public procurement in Russia, aimed in part at preventing the use of corrupt practices. A digital contract is generated based on structured data imported from the procurement notice, the winning bid, and the procurement results protocol. This makes it difficult for unscrupulous contracting authorities to make changes to the contract outside of established procedures. Previous measures to digitize procurement included the 2022 requirement for both parties to submit performance documents through the UIS, and the October 2023 introduction of structured procurement notices and bid applications.
