Israeli Land Tenders (RMI)

Tender conditions, deadlines, and requirements change with each publication. Always verify current tender details on the official RMI website. This skill provides general guidance on the tender system and process -- specific tender terms take precedence over general rules. Recommend users consult a real estate attorney (orech din mikrkain) before submitting bids on significant tenders.

Step 1: Identify Land Tender Need

Step 2: Search for Tenders

Use remy-mcp server to search active and recent tenders:

Search parameters:

Key tender data fields:

Step 3: Understand Tender Types

Public Tender (Michraz)

• Open competitive bidding, typically highest price wins
• Bidders submit sealed proposals with price and sometimes qualitative criteria
• Most common for large residential and commercial projects
• Requires significant financial capacity and often development experience
• Deposit: Usually 10-15% of minimum price

Lottery (Hagralah)

• Fixed price set by RMI, applicants drawn randomly
• Popular for affordable housing programs (mechir lamishtaken)
• Eligibility criteria: first-time buyers, young couples, specific populations
• "Mechir Lamishtaken" program: Apartments sold below market price via lottery
• Registration fee: Relatively small compared to tender deposits

Price Buyer (Mechir Larocheish)

• Fixed price, allocated based on eligibility order
• Used for specific populations: discharged soldiers, new immigrants, residents of specific areas
• Price typically at or below market value
• Conditions on resale (lock-up period, typically 5-10 years)

Direct Allocation (Haktzaah Yeshira)

• No competitive process
• For public institutions, government bodies, specific approved projects
• Requires specific government/ministerial approval
• Examples: schools, synagogues, community centers

Step 4: Bid Submission Guide (for Public Tenders)

Step-by-step process for submitting a tender bid:

1. Review tender documents

   • Download full tender booklet (chovert michraz) from RMI website
   • Read ALL conditions, especially development timeline and penalties
   • Check building rights (zchuyot bniyah) and permitted uses

2. Assess financial capacity

   • Minimum price: Listed in tender, can bid higher
   • Deposit (arbon): Typically 10-15% of minimum price, bank guarantee or check
   • Development costs: Estimate construction and infrastructure costs
   • Development fees: Government levies (hetel hashbacha, agrat pituach)

3. Prepare required documents

   • Company registration (if corporate bidder)
   • Financial statements or bank guarantees
   • Signed tender conditions acceptance
   • Bid form with proposed price
   • Deposit check or bank guarantee

4. Determine bid price

   • Research comparable recent tender results in the area
   • Factor in building rights, location, and market conditions
   • Consider minimum price as floor -- winning bids often 10-50%+ above minimum
   • Higher competition areas (Tel Aviv, central Israel) command larger premiums

5. Submit before deadline

   • Physical submission to RMI office (not typically online)
   • Sealed envelope with all required documents
   • Late submissions are disqualified without exception

6. Post-submission

   • Public bid opening (ptichat hatzaot) at announced date and time
   • Results published on RMI website
   • Winner signs development agreement within specified timeframe
   • Development must begin within timeline or face penalties/forfeiture

Step 5: Understanding Building Rights

Tender conditions specify building rights:

Key calculation:

Value = Building Rights (sq.m.) x Price per sq.m. (market) - Development Costs

This helps estimate maximum rational bid price.

Step 6: Hebrew Tender Terminology Quick Reference

Essential terms for reading Hebrew tender documents:

Example 1: Tender Search

User says: "Are there any land tenders open in Beer Sheva for residential?" Result: Query remy-mcp for Beer Sheva residential tenders. Present active tenders with: tender number, exact location, plot size, building rights, minimum price, and submission deadline. Note that Beer Sheva typically has lower minimum prices than central Israel.

Example 2: Lottery Guidance

User says: "How do I apply for mechir lamishtaken?" Result: Explain the Mechir Lamishtaken lottery program -- eligibility criteria (first-time buyers without property, income thresholds, age), registration process, what to expect (random drawing, apartments below market price), resale restrictions (5-year lock-up period), and where to find current lottery publications on RMI website.

Example 3: Bid Strategy

User says: "There's a tender in Netanya, minimum price 15 million, how much should I bid?" Result: Explain that bid strategy depends on: recent comparable tender results in Netanya, number of expected bidders, building rights and development costs, current market conditions. Provide framework for analysis but recommend consulting a real estate appraiser (shamai mikrkain) and attorney for specific bid amount. Note that winning bids in Netanya coastal areas are typically 20-40% above minimum.

Scripts

• scripts/search_tenders.py — Display RMI tender type descriptions (michraz, hagralah, mechir larocheish, haktzaah), step-by-step bid submission guide for public tenders, Hebrew-English terminology glossary for tender documents, and land use category definitions. Supports subcommands: tender-types, bid-guide, terminology, land-use. Run: python scripts/search_tenders.py --help

References

• references/rmi-system-guide.md — Overview of Israel's state land system (93% government-owned, leasehold model), tender type comparison table, land use categories with Hebrew terms, building rights terminology (zchuyot bniyah, achuz bniyah, kav binyan), and RMI website URLs. Consult when explaining Israel's land ownership model or decoding tender document terms.

Error: "Tender not found"

Cause: Tender may have expired, been cancelled, or search terms do not match Hebrew listing Solution: Search by tender number if known. Try broader location terms. Check if the tender was cancelled (mevutal) or postponed (nidcha). RMI occasionally cancels tenders if no qualifying bids received.

Error: "Cannot determine eligibility"

Cause: Lottery and price-buyer tenders have specific eligibility criteria Solution: Each tender defines its own eligibility. Common criteria: no property ownership, age range, specific population group. Check the specific tender booklet (chovert michraz) for exact requirements.

Error: "Tender results not published"

Cause: Results publication may be delayed due to objections or committee review Solution: Results are typically published 1-4 weeks after bid opening. Check RMI website under "results" (tochaot). During objection period, results may be preliminary.