Humiliation can come in many ways.
But probably, one of the most humiliating failures a government can suffer in a PPP is the silence.

This happened in a mid-sized developed country of the Commonwealth just a few years ago.
The government wanted a flagship social infrastructure project: a cluster of new courthouses and justice facilities, spread across regional cities.
They framed it as transformational.
A “once in a generation” opportunity.
Ministers on stage, cameras rolling, the usual fireworks.
Trump could have learnt a lot of these guys.
Let’s make **** great again.

At first, the private sector leaned in.
Of course.
Serious consortia signed up.
Obvious.
Local contractors partnered with global operators.
Let’s raise the bar.
Banks were warming up their credit committees.
Sure bonuses on the horizon.

But then came the details:
A 25-year concession with a KPI regime so punitive that a missing bolt could trigger deductions.
Uncapped lifecycle risk shifted entirely onto the private side, regardless of how old the existing buildings were.
Political clauses that gave the agency a free hand to change scope mid-contract… and no need to pay for evaluating all these changes.
No clarity on capital contributions or even how the availability payments would be funded… if they were going to be…

After the first round of clarifications, the tone changed.

Excitement turned into doubt.

Doubt into frustration.

Frustration into: “Why the h*** are we wasting resources on this circus?”

One bidder quietly left.
Then another.
Until only one consortium was technically still in the race… and they also walked away before submitting.

Result?
The procurement collapsed.
No bids.
No project.

The “landmark PPP” that was meant to showcase innovation ended up as a political embarrassment.
The consultants got their invoices paid.
The agency blamed “lack of market appetite.”
And the taxpayers?
Still waiting for modern courthouses… but they covered good bills.

So here’s the brutal truth:
Markets don’t flee because of “lack of appetite.” There is always hunger for money.
They flee because the project is unbankable.
Because the risk allocation is toxic.
Because the government forgot that one of the P of PPP is partnerships, not punishment regimes.
No bidders = no project.
And it’s always a self-inflicted wound.

Those guys should have checked these 100 Q&A before wasting everyone’s time.

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​100 Q&A About PPP that you MUST KNOW​

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