Brazil regulates e-commerce for federal public procurement

The Brazilian federal government has regulated the use of e-commerce platforms for public procurement of standardized goods and services. Through a decree signed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the government established the Express Purchase System (Sicx). This initiative aims to accelerate contracting processes by allowing suppliers to use existing private-sector digital platforms to sell to the state, thereby reducing bureaucracy and operational costs.

A key component of this modernization is the Unified Registry (RCU), which will provide permanent digital accreditation for suppliers, expected to launch in the final quarter of 2026. This system is part of the National Strategy for Sustainable Public Procurement (ENCP).

Additionally, the government expanded the Contrata+Brasil platform, which connects micro-entrepreneurs (MEIs) with public agencies. Major state-owned enterprises and institutions, including Banco do Brasil, Caixa Econômica Federal, Petrobras, and the INSS, have formally joined the program. According to Sebrae, this expansion could allow approximately 15,000 public units to hire from a pool of over 7 million registered MEIs for small-scale services.