Banco de Costa Rica surveys the electronic guarantees market for SICOP

The Banco de Costa Rica has opened a market study for an electronic guarantee issuance system destined for the SICOP platform, according to the notice published in the Public Procurement section of La Gaceta No. 215 on Thursday, November 12, 2026. The entity will receive proposals electronically until 23:59:59 for a period of five business days starting from the same day the announcement was published. The tender is identified by the official reference IN202601139279 and appears on page 89 of the official gazette.

The procedure is framed within the General Public Procurement Law No. 9986, which governs the purchases of Costa Rican public institutions, and the use of SICOP (Integrated Public Procurement System), the electronic platform through which the State processes invitations, receipt of bids, and communications with providers.

A market study of only five business days

The declared object of the study is the “Electronic Guarantee Issuance System for the SICOP platform.” This is the market consultation phase prior to an eventual contract: the Banco de Costa Rica is not yet awarding a contract, but is instead calling upon natural and legal persons to provide information regarding the conditions and specifications of the service.

The calendar is the most relevant piece of data for bidders:

• Total term: five business days from the same day the announcement was published.
• Deadline for receipt: 23:59:59.
• Submission method: electronic.
• Documentation: specifications and conditions may be requested from the responsible office.
• Inquiries: via email to the addresses indicated in the notice.

The five-business-day term is shorter than that of other market studies from the same bank published in La Gaceta in previous weeks, which in several cases granted ten business days, such as the notices for the acquisition and support of Apple devices (October 9, 2026) and specialized maintenance and support services (November 6, 2026).

Official contacts and the responsible unit

The announcement identifies the officials in charge of handling the inquiry and receiving requests for specifications:

• Carolina Corrales Corrales, email ccorrales@bancobcr.com.
• Institutional email for digital services: serviciosdigitales@bancobcr.com.
• Alejandro Zúñiga Bolaños, Supervisor of the State Services Management Office of the Banco de Costa Rica.

The publication is made only once (“1 vez”), as stated at the bottom of the official notice itself, therefore no additional insertions are planned to extend the deadline.

Why it matters to providers and bonding companies

The issuance of guarantees in electronic format is a sensitive part of the public procurement cycle: participation and performance guarantees back bids and contract execution, and their processing within the platform reduces the circulation of physical titles and verification times for purchasing institutions.

For the market, the move by the Banco de Costa Rica anticipates a demand for technological solutions and surety services integrated with SICOP, a segment in which insurance companies, surety companies, and specialized software providers compete.

Source: La Gaceta, No. 215 of November 12, 2026, Public Procurement — Tenders, page 89 (official reference: IN202601139279).