Georgia’s National Wine Agency plans to conduct a GEL 1.4 million simplified (direct) procurement to purchase various services, primarily laboratory testing, throughout 2026. According to the documentation published on the State Procurement Agency’s portal, the agency argues that the nature of required laboratory services makes standard tender procedures impractical.
The agency explains that wine companies independently choose accredited laboratories to conduct mandatory tests needed for certification. To ensure accurate oversight, the Wine Agency must conduct its own sample analyses in the same laboratories used by producers, as testing methods vary significantly across labs. Using different laboratories could lead to inconsistencies large enough to prevent accurate identification of regulatory violations, the agency states.
Officials also note that competitive tender rules would allow contracting only a single laboratory, while producers rely on multiple labs of their choice. This would undermine the effectiveness of quality control, as the agency would be unable to verify company-submitted results across multiple facilities. Additionally, during peak periods, the volume of collected samples is so high that no single laboratory could deliver timely results.
The Wine Agency further indicates plans to involve experienced international organizations in data analysis to strengthen the monitoring process. Citing all these factors, the agency says accelerated, simplified procurement is essential for the “Wine Laboratory Research” subprogram to operate effectively within strict timeframes.
