Montenegro has launched a procurement procedure for the main design of a new athletics stadium in Podgorica, with the planned facility covering more than 35,000 square metres and providing seating for approximately 4,518 spectators.
The Ministry of Public Works has estimated the design contract at €387,000 excluding VAT, equivalent to approximately €468,270 including VAT. The tender marks the initial major procurement stage for the planned sports complex, while the construction contract remains a separate future commitment.
The stadium plans include an eight-lane athletics track, facilities for jumping and throwing disciplines, and an indoor training tunnel for warm-ups and practice during adverse weather conditions. The current procurement covers design services only. No final construction cost has been confirmed, leaving the overall capital requirement dependent on the completed technical documentation and subsequent procurement process.
Design Contract Opens Opportunities for Engineering Firms
The tender creates an opportunity for architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical and specialist sports-infrastructure consultants. Completion of the design could lead to further contracts covering civil engineering works, spectator seating, athletics-track surfaces, lighting, drainage and sports equipment.
A detailed technical package would also provide a basis for more reliable construction-cost estimates and could reduce the need for design changes during the building phase.
Project Preparation and Construction Planning
The planned stadium forms part of Podgorica’s broader infrastructure requirements as the capital has expanded over the past decade alongside residential and commercial development.
Moving the project from design into construction will require effective procurement and implementation planning. Montenegro has experienced delays on public capital projects linked to incomplete technical documentation, property-related issues and tendering difficulties. Reviews of capital-budget execution have also identified cases in which allocated funds remained unused because projects were insufficiently prepared. Commissioning the main design is intended to establish a more developed technical basis for the stadium’s subsequent implementation.
Potential Effects on Sports and Tourism Services
Beyond construction, the planned facility could support athletic competitions, training camps and sporting events that generate demand for hotels and other services. The scale of those economic effects would depend on the stadium’s programming and utilisation.
The government’s current commitment remains focused on project preparation. A clearer assessment of the total investment will require completion of the final design, a construction-cost estimate, identification of the funding source and establishment of the procurement schedule. For Montenegro’s engineering sector, the tender adds another public infrastructure project to the pipeline of design and supervision work associated with the country’s infrastructure development.
