Catalonia public works: 192 tenders unawarded due to rising costs

Rising construction costs have left 192 public works projects or lots unawarded in Catalonia during the first half of 2026. According to data from the Cambra de Contractistes d’Obres de Catalunya (CCOC), these failed tenders represent a total budget of 50.93 million euros excluding VAT.

Local administrations, including city councils and provincial governments, account for 72% of the total value of these deserted tenders, amounting to 36.69 million euros. In the Lleida region alone, 26 projects worth 12 million euros remained unawarded, largely due to high-budget roadworks.

The CCOC attributes the issue to the increasing costs of energy and raw construction materials, exacerbated by the conflict in the Middle East. This economic pressure has squeezed company margins and made it difficult to execute contracts budgeted before the price hikes. Lluís Moreno, president of the CCOC, has called for more agile budget updates and mechanisms to rebalance contracts against extraordinary cost increases to prevent essential projects from stalling.