The Ministry of Justice’s Special Penitentiary Service has signed two contracts worth a total of GEL 201 million for the provision of food services to prisoners, covering supplies until May 2029.
The procurement is divided geographically. In eastern Georgia, covering prisons No. 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, and 18, food services worth GEL 152.4 million will be provided by “Giorgi 2020” Ltd. In western Georgia, covering prisons No. 1, 2, 3, and 14, services worth GEL 49 million will be supplied by “Delfood” Ltd.
Previously, the prison food service was handled for six years by “Ili Group”, which received more than GEL 180 million from the state budget. However, following reported violations and documented issues, the contract was terminated earlier this year by the Penitentiary Service. A temporary GEL 11 million direct contract was then awarded to “Giorgi 2020” to ensure uninterrupted food supply until a new tender was completed.
Notably, “Giorgi 2020” won the major contract partly based on prior experience gained through this temporary agreement. The company, founded in 2020 and owned by Vakhtang Lominashvili, Otar Kvaratskhelia, and Irakli Letodiani, would not have met the experience requirement without the earlier direct procurement contract, which effectively became its qualification basis for the GEL 152.4 million tender.
