By Vlad Nadymov Updated 2 min read
Costa Rica buys through one system. Ministries, autonomous institutions such as the CCSS and the ICE, universities and municipalities publish their procedures in SICOP, and the law makes it mandatory. This guide explains registration, the procedures, the data and the appeals.
What SICOP is
SICOP (Sistema Integrado de Compras Públicas, sicop.go.cr) covers the full purchase cycle:
- the cartel (tender rules), clarifications and amendments;
- supplier registration and electronic offers signed with firma digital;
- evaluation, award, contract and appeals;
- public consultation of procedures and documents.
Since the Ley General de Contratación Pública N° 9986 entered into force on 1 December 2022, all public institutions must use SICOP.
How to register and bid
- Obtain a firma digital certificate for the legal representative, if the company is Costa Rican.
- Register the company as a supplier in SICOP, and list the goods and services that you offer.
- Keep your Hacienda (tax) and CCSS (social security) status in order.
- Find the procedure and read the cartel.
- Submit the signed offer before the deadline, with the guarantees that the cartel requires.
Requirements for government contractors in Costa Rica (2026)
What a company needs to register, bid and sign a public contract in Costa Rica. Checked on against the sources at the end of this section.
| Procurement law | Ley General de Contratación Pública N° 9986, in force since 1 December 2022, and its Reglamento |
|---|---|
| Regulator | Ministerio de Hacienda, Dirección de Contratación Pública (governing body); Contraloría General de la República for appeals |
| E-procurement portal | SICOP, the Sistema Integrado de Compras Públicas (sicop.go.cr), mandatory for public institutions (www.sicop.go.cr) |
| Supplier registration | Register as a supplier in SICOP. Costa Rican companies sign with a digital signature certificate (firma digital); foreign companies follow the SICOP registration for foreign suppliers. |
| Foreign companies | Foreign suppliers can register in SICOP and bid. Costa Rica is part of CAFTA-DR and other agreements with procurement chapters, which give covered suppliers access. |
| Domestic preference | Ley 9986 includes measures for SMEs (PYMES), as the cartel states. |
| Language | Spanish |
| Digital signature | Offers in SICOP are signed with a digital signature certificate. |
| Complaints | Objections to the cartel (recurso de objeción) and appeals against awards (recurso de apelación) go to the buyer or to the Contraloría General de la República, by the amount; the CGR publishes its resolutions in SICOP. |
Documents to prepare before you bid in Costa Rica
- SICOP supplier registration
- Tax and social security compliance (Hacienda and CCSS), which buyers check
- The offer in SICOP in the format of the cartel (tender rules)
- Guarantees that the cartel requires
What changed in 2025 and 2026
No change to Ley 9986 in 2026 was found. SICOP publishes open data on procedures (Datos abiertos concursos) as CSV downloads.
Sources: SICOP; SCIJ: Ley General de Contratación Pública N° 9986; Contraloría General de la República.
SICOP data and the API question
Many people search for a SICOP API. We did not find a documented public API. SICOP publishes Datos abiertos concursos: you choose a date range and download the procedures as CSV. For regular monitoring, download the files on a schedule, or follow the procedures of your goods codes in SICOP.
Objections and appeals
- Recurso de objeción: against the cartel, before the offers are due.
- Recurso de apelación: against the award.
By the amount of the procedure, the buyer or the Contraloría General de la República (CGR) decides. The CGR’s procurement division publishes its resolutions in SICOP.
Track Costa Rican tenders with Sell to State
SICOP publishes in Spanish. Sell to State lets you search government tenders across countries in plain English and save the searches you need. Search Costa Rica tenders, or read the guides for Nicaragua, Guatemala and Colombia.
