Sumykhimprom once again without buyers: repeated privatization at a reduced price did not take place
13 January 19:46
A repeat online auction for the privatization of 99.99% of the shares of PJSC Sumykhimprom, one of Ukraine’s largest chemical companies, did not take place on January 13, 2026. The auction was held at a starting price reduced by 9.3% — UAH 1.088 billion, but no participants submitted bids.
This is stated in the minutes on the Prozorro website on the evening of January 13, which were drawn up after the deadline for accepting bids, Interfax-Ukraine reports, as relayed by "Komersant Ukrainian".
This is the second unsuccessful attempt to sell the asset: the previous auction in June 2025 also failed due to a lack of interest from investors.
What conditions were offered to investors
The privatization terms included a number of obligations for the new owner:
- maintaining the main activities of the enterprise;
- investing at least UAH 150 million in modernization and technical re-equipment;
- repayment of wage and budget debtswithin six months;
- settlement of overdue accounts payable, except for debts to entities associated with the Russian Federation and Belarus or persons subject to sanctions;
- compliance with social guarantees and a ban on employee layoffs for six months after the purchase.
Sumykhimprom is one of the budget-forming enterprises in Sumy and the region.
The plant produces complex mineral fertilizers, titanium dioxide, sulfuric acid, and more than 30 brands of NPK fertilizers for different climatic zones.
For more than ten years, the enterprise was managed by structures associated with businessman Dmitry Firtash’s Group DF. Only in November 2023 did the court close the bankruptcy and reorganization case at the request of the State Property Fund and the Ministry of Justice, paving the way for privatization.
After two unsuccessful auctions, the State Property Fund is faced with a choice:
- adjust the starting price once again,
- revising the terms of the tender,
- or look for another format for attracting investors.
Earlier, the company’s management announced a strategy to break even and gradually resume production. However, the lack of buyers indicates that the risks of war, debt burden, and investment commitments currently outweigh the potential attractiveness of the asset for private capital.
