Uruguay's public procurement

Management signals

Five measurements of how each state body buys: who the money concentrates on, whether awards come in bursts, how much is awarded directly, how long anyone had to compete, and how many price flags were left unexplained.

None of these measurements proves an irregularity. All of them have legitimate explanations: a hospital buying oxygen from the single licensed supplier concentrates 100% and is perfectly in order. A signal says only that the body sits among the highest on that dimension. It is a starting point for a question, never a conclusion.

Measured over awards from 27/10/2023 to 27/10/2026 · 268 bodies with at least 20 contracts

What each signal measures

Concentration in one supplier: Share of awarded money that went to a single supplier. An upper bound: the contract amount is not apportioned per supplier, so a shared award counts fully for each. Marked from 47% (top 10%) and high from 74% (top 3%).
Awards in bursts: How many times the body made 8 or more separate awards to the same supplier within one month. Counted once per supplier per month, so a body can accumulate several in the same month. It is the shape of contract splitting, and also the shape of a hospital pharmacy ordering often from one distributor. Marked from 19.600000000000023 (top 10%) and high from 83.88000000000011 (top 3%).
Direct awarding: Share of direct or exception purchases among the awards whose procedure could be resolved. Only 27% of awards carry a procedure, and nationally direct purchase is already 66%, so what matters is the position relative to the rest, not the number alone. Marked from 98% (top 10%) and high from 100% (top 3%).
Express bidding window: Calls whose bidding window fell in the shortest 5% for their own procedure. The threshold is per procedure because they are not comparable: an Abbreviated Tender never runs under 3.5 days, while a Direct Purchase runs a third of its calls in under 3. Marked from 10% (top 10%) and high from 33% (top 3%).
Unexplained overprices: Price flags that survived both the statistical detector and the automated review. There are about 70 in the whole corpus, so any concentration in one body stands out. Marked from 1 (top 10%) and high from 3 (top 3%).

268 bodies

Comando General de la Armada2331 contracts$ 982 M
- Concentration6.5%above 2% of bodies
- Bursts7above 85% of bodies
- Direct66.6%above 44% of bodies
- Express window2.0%above 59% of bodies
- Unexplained5above 99% of bodiesSee the contracts
See this body’s 5 unexplained flags
Banco Central del Uruguay417 contracts$ 746 M
- Concentration26.6%above 71% of bodies
- Bursts2above 74% of bodies
- Direct77.6%above 58% of bodies
- Express window36.5%above 97% of bodies
- Unexplained0above 83% of bodies
Facultad de Ingenieria324 contracts$ 606 M
- Concentration74.3%above 97% of bodiesSee the contracts
- Bursts0above 66% of bodies
- Direct6.5%above 11% of bodies
- Express window0.0%above 35% of bodies
- Unexplained0above 83% of bodies
The largest supplier takes most of the amount, out of 178 awarded suppliers: DIGILENT INC..
Centro Auxiliar de Pando4591 contracts$ 505 M
- Concentration21.1%above 58% of bodies
- Bursts60above 96% of bodiesSee the contracts
- Direct99.2%above 95% of bodiesSee the calls
- Express window0.2%above 35% of bodies
- Unexplained0above 83% of bodies
Worst month: 25 separate awards to C.A.A.ME.PA. - I.A.M.P.P. in 2024-04.
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores1546 contracts$ 438 M
- Concentration16.2%above 40% of bodies
- Bursts19above 90% of bodies
- Direct86.1%above 67% of bodies
- Express window87.9%above 100% of bodies
- Unexplained0above 83% of bodies
Dirección General de Secretaría de Estado872 contracts$ 292 M
- Concentration8.9%above 10% of bodies
- Bursts0above 66% of bodies
- Direct77.5%above 57% of bodies
- Express window6.5%above 83% of bodies
- Unexplained3above 98% of bodiesSee the contracts
See this body’s 3 unexplained flags
Intendencia de Flores110 contracts$ 147 M
- Concentration20.9%above 57% of bodies
- Bursts0above 66% of bodies
- Direct0.0%above 5% of bodies
- Express window38.7%above 98% of bodies
- Unexplained0above 83% of bodies
Centro Departamental de Durazno1598 contracts$ 133 M
- Concentration16.0%above 40% of bodies
- Bursts7above 85% of bodies
- Direct99.7%above 96% of bodiesSee the calls
- Express window28.8%above 97% of bodies
- Unexplained1above 90% of bodies
See this body’s 1 unexplained flags
Tribunal de Cuentas225 contracts$ 133 M
- Concentration75.3%above 97% of bodiesSee the contracts
- Bursts0above 66% of bodies
- Direct29.0%above 20% of bodies
- Express window6.5%above 83% of bodies
- Unexplained0above 83% of bodies
The largest supplier takes most of the amount, out of 96 awarded suppliers: LUNCHEON TICKETS S A.
Centro Departamental de Salud Pública de Colonia729 contracts$ 115 M
- Concentration16.0%above 40% of bodies
- Bursts0above 66% of bodies
- Direct20.0%above 15% of bodies
- Express window20.0%above 95% of bodies
- Unexplained2above 96% of bodiesSee the contracts
See this body’s 2 unexplained flags
Cámara de Representantes359 contracts$ 111 M
- Concentration8.3%above 9% of bodies
- Bursts0above 66% of bodies
- Direct63.2%above 42% of bodies
- Express window76.9%above 100% of bodies
- Unexplained0above 83% of bodies
Intendencia de Cerro Largo26 contracts$ 110 M
- Concentration18.2%above 47% of bodies
- Bursts0above 66% of bodies
- Direct4.0%above 9% of bodies
- Express window40.0%above 98% of bodies
- Unexplained0above 83% of bodies
Centro Departamental de Cerro Largo169 contracts$ 67,2 M
- Concentration52.5%above 92% of bodiesSee the contracts
- Bursts0above 66% of bodies
- Direct87.7%above 70% of bodies
- Express window14.4%above 93% of bodies
- Unexplained0above 83% of bodies
The largest supplier takes most of the amount, out of 79 awarded suppliers: BARAYBAR RODRIGUEZ CARMEN.
Cámara de Senadores274 contracts$ 57,5 M
- Concentration13.7%above 28% of bodies
- Bursts0above 66% of bodies
- Direct31.3%above 20% of bodies
- Express window43.8%above 99% of bodies
- Unexplained0above 83% of bodies
Red de Atención Primaria de Salto3108 contracts$ 44,1 M
- Concentration20.2%above 56% of bodies
- Bursts84above 97% of bodiesSee the contracts
- Direct92.3%above 79% of bodies
- Express window3.8%above 72% of bodies
- Unexplained0above 83% of bodies
Worst month: 33 separate awards to ESCRITORIO DICKINSON S R L in 2024-11.
Junta Departamental de Canelones22 contracts$ 34,9 M
- Concentration84.1%above 98% of bodiesSee the contracts
- Bursts0above 66% of bodies
- Direct69.2%above 47% of bodies
- Express window8.3%above 87% of bodies
- Unexplained0above 83% of bodies
The largest supplier takes most of the amount, out of 11 awarded suppliers: VALLE REMANSO S A.
Red de Atención Primaria de Florida84 contracts$ 32,6 M
- Concentration50.9%above 91% of bodiesSee the contracts
- Bursts0above 66% of bodies
- Direct17.1%above 13% of bodies
- Express window28.1%above 96% of bodies
- Unexplained0above 83% of bodies
The largest supplier takes most of the amount, out of 39 awarded suppliers: TEREGAL SOCIEDAD ANONIMA.
Dir. Gral. de Secretaría (M.E.F.)22 contracts$ 30,7 M
- Concentration77.6%above 98% of bodiesSee the contracts
- Bursts0above 66% of bodies
- Direct23.8%above 16% of bodies
- Express window6.3%above 82% of bodies
- Unexplained0above 83% of bodies
The largest supplier takes most of the amount, out of 17 awarded suppliers: RAMINUR SOCIEDAD ANONIMA.
Dirección Nacional de Industrias222 contracts$ 13,8 M
- Concentration33.2%above 81% of bodies
- Bursts0above 66% of bodies
- Direct100.0%above 100% of bodiesSee the calls
- Express window0.0%above 35% of bodies
- Unexplained0above 83% of bodies
Dirección Nacional de Trabajo30 contracts$ 12,9 M
- Concentration86.9%above 99% of bodiesSee the contracts
- Bursts0above 66% of bodies
- Directnot enough data
- Express windownot enough data
- Unexplained0above 83% of bodies
The largest supplier takes most of the amount, out of 11 awarded suppliers: ADMINISTRACION NACIONAL DE CORREOS.
Jefatura de Policía de Soriano1124 contracts$ 11,6 M
- Concentration9.7%above 14% of bodies
- Bursts12above 89% of bodies
- Direct76.9%above 56% of bodies
- Express window0.0%above 35% of bodies
- Unexplained3above 98% of bodiesSee the contracts
See this body’s 3 unexplained flags
Dirección General de Recursos Naturales Renovables497 contracts$ 11 M
- Concentration7.2%above 4% of bodies
- Bursts1above 72% of bodies
- Direct100.0%above 100% of bodiesSee the calls
- Express window0.0%above 35% of bodies
- Unexplained0above 83% of bodies
Jefatura de Policía de Lavalleja906 contracts$ 9,5 M
- Concentration19.0%above 50% of bodies
- Bursts3above 76% of bodies
- Direct100.0%above 100% of bodiesSee the calls
- Express window0.0%above 35% of bodies
- Unexplained1above 90% of bodies
See this body’s 1 unexplained flags
Red de Atención Primaria de Artigas93 contracts$ 5,8 M
- Concentration26.9%above 72% of bodies
- Bursts0above 66% of bodies
- Direct97.6%above 90% of bodiesSee the calls
- Express window10.8%above 91% of bodies
- Unexplained0above 83% of bodies
Jefatura de Policía de Treinta y Tres258 contracts$ 5,6 M
- Concentration14.0%above 30% of bodies
- Bursts0above 66% of bodies
- Direct100.0%above 100% of bodiesSee the calls
- Express window0.0%above 35% of bodies
- Unexplained0above 83% of bodies