IFAM declares two Urban Regulatory Plan tenders unsuccessful

The Municipal Development and Advisory Institute (IFAM) declared public tenders 2026FP-000008 and 2026FP-000009 unsuccessful, which were intended for the contracting of professional services for the preparation of the Urban Regulatory Plan for selected municipalities in groups B.1 and B.2. The decision was adopted by the IFAM Board of Directors and officially communicated in edition No. 167 of La Gaceta — Official Gazette, on Friday, September 4, 2026, in the Public Procurement section (page 89).

Both procedures correspond to the first stage of the tender, titled “Preliminary Background,” and their declaration as unsuccessful implies that the preparation of the urban planning instruments could not be awarded, which delays the updating of the regulatory plans of the local governments involved.

The Board of Directors’ Decision

Tender 2026FP-000008 (group B.1) was declared unsuccessful through agreement twenty-two, chapter five, of the ordinary session 25-2026 of the Board of Directors, held on August 18, 2026, and communicated via official letter JD-AC-147-2026. For its part, tender 2026FP-000009 (group B.2) was declared unsuccessful through agreement twenty-three of the same session, communicated via official letter JD-AC-148-2026.

Both procedures received approval from the MIDEPLAN Pre-investment Fund, according to official letters CARTA-MIDEPLAN-UFP-0165-2026 and CARTA-MIDEPLAN-UFP-0166-2026, respectively.

Key Data of the Procedures

• Tender 2026FP-000008: preparation of the Urban Regulatory Plan for selected municipalities of group B.1, “Preliminary Background” stage.
• Tender 2026FP-000009: preparation of the Urban Regulatory Plan for selected municipalities of group B.2, “Preliminary Background” stage.
• Issuing Body: Municipal Development and Advisory Institute (IFAM).
• Signature: Lic. José Miguel Jiménez Araya, Executive President of IFAM.
• Place and date of issuance: Moravia, August 28, 2026.
• Official references: IN202601123649 (tender 000008) and IN202601123513 (tender 000009).

Inquiries and Transparency

IFAM indicated that any inquiry must be sent digitally to the email address contrataciones@ifam.go.cr, and that no documents will be accepted in physical format. Likewise, it reported that the corresponding documentation is duly published on the IFAM website, under the Open Data option.

The declaration of unfruitfulness obliges IFAM to rethink the procurement strategy for the preparation of regulatory plans, essential instruments for territorial planning and urban development of Costa Rican municipalities. The delay in their award directly affects the capacity of local governments to plan the growth of their cantons, manage land use, and attract investment; therefore, the new call for bids will be key for the country’s urban planning.

Source: La Gaceta — Official Gazette, No. 167, Friday, September 4, 2026, Public Procurement section, p. 89 (official references: IN202601123649 and IN202601123513).