Government tenders are the backbone of large-scale IT projects in Armenia. They decide who builds the digital infrastructure of ministries, banks, schools, and even defense institutions. Yet, too often, the process suffers from a lack of transparency. This creates unfair advantages, wasted budgets, and slows down the country’s technological progress.
Where the Problems Begin
Favoritism and Closed Doors
Some distributors and partners manipulate the system, ensuring that projects go to their “preferred” companies. This prevents fair competition and discourages new players from entering the market.
Price Manipulation
Instead of offering fair vendor-based pricing, distributors sometimes inflate costs or hide discounts. As a result, the government and taxpayers pay more than they should.
Project Blocking
Companies that actually develop client relationships may be pushed out of the tender because a distributor “registered” the project under another partner. This kills motivation and punishes initiative.
Bureaucracy and Delays
Slow deal registrations and unclear procedures often delay critical IT projects. In a digital world, wasted time equals lost opportunities.
Why Transparency Is Essential
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Fair Competition
Every certified partner should have the same chance to win based on merit, not connections. -
Better Technology for the Country
When competition is fair, the best vendors and solutions rise to the top — Oracle databases, Dell servers, Fortinet firewalls, Palo Alto cybersecurity, Lenovo infrastructure, Microsoft cloud services. -
Efficient Use of Public Funds
Transparent tenders mean the government pays the right price and avoids overspending. -
Trust and Reputation
A transparent system increases trust between vendors, partners, and clients — and builds Armenia’s reputation as a modern digital economy.
What Vendors Can Do
Vendors like Dell, Oracle, Fortinet, Palo Alto, Lenovo, and Microsoft play a key role. They must:
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Monitor their distributors and ensure they don’t abuse the system.
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Protect the partner who actually develops the client relationship.
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Provide direct deal protection and pricing support.
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Offer clear rules through partner portals, accessible to everyone.
What Companies Should Do
Document every step — from client meetings to emails — so that project ownership is clear.
Engage directly with vendors to avoid being blocked by unfair intermediaries.
Diversify partnerships with multiple distributors to reduce dependency on a single channel.
Train and certify staff to become indispensable in tender processes.
Final Word
Transparency in IT tenders is not just a “nice to have.” It is the foundation of Armenia’s digital future. Without it, companies lose motivation, the government wastes resources, and innovation slows down. With it, the best technologies reach the country, businesses grow, and citizens benefit from stronger digital services.
At SMMHub, we believe in fair competition, direct vendor relationships, and transparent processes. That’s how Armenia can achieve true digital transformation.