The Ministry of Finance proposed to standardize the purchases of small volume for the State North
The Ministry of Finance began the reform of the procurement of small volume – earlier the department recognized that with a total amount of over 1 trillion rubles. In a year, such supplies are not yet amenable to a quality assessment. According to the prepared bill, from 2026 the government will transfer all small purchases into electronic form, create general rules for their conduct and form a single catalog of specific goods. This will standardize the names of goods for their automatic comparison and the choice of the best offers.
The Ministry of Finance will introduce uniform rules for the procurement of small volume (ZMO) for state needs. These are deliveries worth up to 600 thousand rubles. (provided that their total annual volume is not more than 10% of all customer procurement). The agency placed the corresponding draft amendments to the law on the contract system (44-ФЗ) Regulation.gov.ru. Let us explain the purchases of small volume for the operational satisfaction of the urgent needs of officials – for example, in stationery, cartridges, office furniture or spare parts. Customers under such contracts are not required to substantiate their price and take into account the requirements for mandatory purchases from small businesses and the priority of Russian products.
Despite the low cost, their volume is estimated at 1.2 trillion rubles. per year. In total, about 20 million contracts have already been concluded for such supplies – they are processed manually, since this segment is not digitalized.
Due to the lack of centralized accounting, it is impossible to evaluate their structure: ZMOs are derived from the action of federal legal regulation. In addition to the conclusion of the contract, there is another way to carry out a winter – the so -called “from the shelf” purchases using electronic sites accredited by the Ministry of Finance. For them, the cost ceiling is higher – up to 5 million rubles. The Ministry of Finance intends to automate the process of all ZMO.
Recall that in 2024 the government approved the concept of the development of small procurement: the task was set to translate their electronic appearance, and cases of the winter workflow with paper document management are possible with a sum of not higher than 100 thousand rubles. and an annual volume of up to 2 million rubles. (see “Kommersant” dated July 2, 2024). The proposed amendments are prepared in the development of this concept.
They provide for the creation of a single catalog of specific goods, which will become the basis for small procurement. The government will determine the federal body responsible for its formation and maintenance. The task of the catalog is to standardize the names of goods and services and facilitate the comparison of offers. In July 2025, the departments will begin to form a catalog, by April 2026 – they will determine the information systems for conducting ZMOs, in July 2026 – they will be connected to a unified procurement information system.
According to the authorities, small purchases will be carried out in electronic stores. Participants will post offers in advance, and customers will choose the best.
Participants will be able to improve their price offers within a limited time – 3, 6 or 24 hours after the notice (at the discretion of the customer). It is assumed that this approach will reduce the time of procurement, reduce the cost of contracts and administrative costs. The bill cancels the requirement to ensure the execution of the contract within the framework of small purchases. This will reduce the financial burden on suppliers and simplify their participation in the auction.
According to the amendments, operators of electronic sites are exempted from the obligation to conclude agreements with the Ministry of Finance and the FAS, but in 2026 they will have to take a selection for compliance with updated requirements. They relate to the safety of data, the stability of the platform and the expanded functionality for the ZMO: the sites should provide for the possibility of preliminary placement of proposals, their automatic processing and the formation of the three best applications at the least price. If the project of the Ministry of Finance is adopted, the changes will enter into force on January 1, 2026.
