Procurement at the African Development Bank: portals, thresholds and rules

At a glance

Rules: Procurement Policy for Bank Group Funded Operations
Procurement and oversight: Fiduciary Services and Inspection Department
Portal: AfDB Project-related Procurement

Thresholds

Borrower's own procurement system (amounts in AfDB Units of Account, UA): goods contracts below this value are open to firms from all countries	UA 1,000,000
Borrower's own procurement system (amounts in AfDB Units of Account, UA): works contracts below this value are open to firms from all countries	UA 6,000,000
Borrower's own procurement system (amounts in AfDB Units of Account, UA): consulting contracts below this value are open to consultants from all countries	UA 300,000
Bank's own corporate procurement (amounts in AfDB Units of Account, UA): open competition and advertisement on the Bank's website above	UA 50,000
Bank's own corporate procurement (amounts in AfDB Units of Account, UA): restricted competitive process between	UA 10,000 – UA 50,000

Rules and buyers

The AfDB Board approved the current procurement framework on 14 October 2015 and it has applied since 1 January 2016. It consists of the Procurement Policy for Bank Group Funded Operations, the Methodology for its implementation, the Operations Procurement Manual (OPM, revised May 2026) and a Procurement Toolkit with standard bidding documents. The borrower, usually a ministry or executing agency, runs the tender and signs the contract; the Bank reviews and gives no-objections. Depending on risk, the borrower uses its own national system, the Bank's procurement methods and procedures, or those of a third party such as another development bank or UN agency. The Bank's own purchases for its headquarters in Abidjan and country offices fall outside this framework and follow the Presidential Directive on corporate procurement.[1][2][3][14]

Where tenders are published

For each project the borrower issues a General Procurement Notice, published on the AfDB website, followed by specific procurement notices, invitations for bids and requests for expressions of interest; the Bank also posts procurement plans and contract awards on afdb.org. The OPM still names United Nations Development Business (UNDB) as a second channel, but UNDB ceased all activity on 31 March 2025, so rely on afdb.org and the borrower's national portal. Reading project notices needs no account; you submit bids to the borrower as its bidding document prescribes. For the Bank's own tenders, check the Corporate Procurement pages and register as a supplier through the vendor kiosk and the e-procurement portal; you need a supplier number and bidder login before you can submit electronic bids.[3][7][17][19]

Procedures and thresholds

For goods, works and non-consulting services the main methods are open competitive bidding (OCB), international or national, limited competitive bidding, request for quotations or shopping for small purchases, and direct contracting. Consultants are selected through expressions of interest and a short list, then quality- and cost-based selection (QCBS), quality-based, fixed-budget or least-cost selection, consultant qualifications or single-source selection. There are no fixed Bank-wide thresholds any more: the thresholds for international versus national competition and for prior review are set per project in the procurement plan, based on a market analysis. Corporate procurement uses requests for proposals, requests for quotation and invitations to bid; above UA 50,000 the Bank uses open competition and advertises on its website, and between UA 10,000 and UA 50,000 a restricted competitive process.[3][4][14]

Documents and language

Eligibility depends on the source of funds. Under African Development Bank and Nigeria Trust Fund financing, goods must be produced in a member country and contractors and consultants must meet the nationality criteria of member countries; under African Development Fund financing, firms from any country may bid. When the Bank relies on the borrower's own system, goods contracts below UA 1,000,000, works below UA 6,000,000 and consulting services below UA 300,000 are open to all countries. Bidding documents are prepared in English or French; below thresholds agreed in the financing agreement, the national language may be used instead. Expect bid securities, qualification data, beneficial ownership information and integrity declarations, and check the AfDB list of debarred entities, which includes cross-debarments by other development banks.[2][3][7][18]

Deadlines, award and challenges

For international open competitive bidding, bidders get at least six weeks from the invitation or the availability of the documents, and normally at least twelve weeks for large works or complex equipment; the standard practice is six to eight weeks. Prequalification normally allows at least 45 days. Consultants typically get four weeks for proposals. Bids are awarded to the lowest evaluated responsive bid from a qualified bidder, or to the best-ranked bid such as the Most Economically Advantageous Tender when merit points or life-cycle costs are used. A standstill period, typically 10 business days for electronic notices, precedes contract award. Complaints go first to the borrower, which informs the Bank for prior-review contracts; unsuccessful bidders can request an explanation and a debriefing.[3][5]

How to win a tender at the African Development Bank

In AfDB-financed projects you win the borrower, not the Bank, so read the bidding document as the only scorecard. Goods and works contracts usually go to the lowest evaluated responsive bid from a qualified bidder: first pass every qualification and responsiveness requirement, then compete on evaluated price. Some documents use a two-envelope approach with the Most Economically Advantageous Tender, merit points or life-cycle costs, which rewards a strong technical offer. Consultants are mostly selected by QCBS: the technical proposal must reach the minimum technical score, normally set between 70 and 85 out of 100, before the financial proposal is opened. Use the clarification period and any pre-bid meeting or site visit to remove doubts; answers apply to all bidders. Study the project's procurement plan and earlier contract awards on afdb.org to understand the buyer and the competition. Bids often fail on missing or wrong bid securities, eligibility of the firm or goods, and unresponsive deviations. After the standstill notice, ask the borrower for an explanation and, if useful, a debriefing; only your own bid is discussed.[2][3][5][10]

Read the procurement plan and General Procurement Notice to spot contracts early.
Check eligibility for the financing source and line up partners or a joint venture.
Ask clarification questions in time and attend any pre-bid meeting or site visit.
Meet every qualification criterion and submit a correct bid security on time.
For consultancy, aim well above the minimum technical score in the RFP.
Request an explanation and debriefing after the standstill notice.

Clarification round: request for clarification (and pre-bid meeting)

How TenderRender helps you at the African Development Bank

TenderRender does the work behind each step above. Your team checks and refines.

1
Research the buyer
Brings together the buyer's earlier awards, policies and contracts, so your bid fits this buyer's situation at the African Development Bank.
2
Ask questions
Finds unclear points and risks in the documents and drafts questions about them for the clarification round: request for clarification (and pre-bid meeting).
3
Write per criterion
Drafts a first version per award criterion, in the language of the tender, with citations to your own documents.
4
Review
Scores your bid per award criterion the way an evaluator would, with concrete improvements.
5
Fill in forms
Fills in the declarations, price schedules, questionnaires and Excel annexes from your own data and earlier bids, with a source per answer.
6
Submit
Builds a checklist of everything you need to submit on the portal named in the notice and prepares the documents ready to sign.

Tender search covers the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany; at the African Development Bank you upload the documents from the portal named in the notice and TenderRender works with them the same way.

Teams writing or reviewing with TenderRender won 49% of their completed tenders. How this was calculated

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Tips for bidders

Start with the General Procurement Notice and the procurement plan of a project: they show months in advance which contracts are coming and whether they will be tendered internationally. Check which source of funds applies, because AfDB, ADF and trust fund financing have different eligibility rules. Decide early whether to bid in English or French and read the standard bidding document carefully, especially qualification criteria and bid security requirements. Many contracts in Africa require local partners or a joint venture, so build partnerships before the notice appears. For the Bank's own tenders, register with the supplier database well before a deadline and test the e-tendering portal in advance, because it needs a supplier number, login and a supported browser.[2][3][8][17]

Platforms at the African Development Bank

The portals where this organisation publishes its tenders or awards, from its own sources.

AfDB Project-related Procurement
General and specific procurement notices, expressions of interest and contract awards for projects the Bank finances.
How it works →Website
AfDB Corporate Procurement
The Bank's own tenders (RFP, ITB, RFQ, EOI) for its offices; not for project-related procurement or consultancy.
How it works →Website
AfDB e-Procurement Portal
SAP-based e-tendering for corporate tenders; you need a supplier number and bidder login before submitting electronically.
How it works →Website

Frequently asked questions

Where are AfDB tenders published?

Project tenders, expressions of interest and contract awards appear on the Project-related Procurement pages of afdb.org and on the borrower's national portal. The Bank's own tenders are published on its Corporate Procurement pages.[6][7][11]

Do I need to register?

Not to read project notices; you bid directly to the borrower. For the Bank's own corporate tenders you must be registered in the supplier database and have a bidder login for the e-procurement portal.[12][17]

What thresholds apply?

For projects, thresholds for international competition and prior review are set per project in the procurement plan. For corporate procurement, purchases above UA 50,000 go to open competition and are advertised on the Bank's website.[4][14]

Who can take part?

Under AfDB and Nigeria Trust Fund financing, firms and goods must come from member countries; under African Development Fund financing, firms from any country are eligible. Debarred firms are excluded.[3][7][18]

In which language do I bid?

In English or French, the Bank's official languages, as chosen by the borrower. Below thresholds agreed in the financing agreement, the borrower's national language may be used instead, and procedures under the borrower's own system use the national language.[2][3]

How much time do I get?

For international open competitive bidding at least six weeks, and normally at least twelve weeks for large works or complex equipment. Consultants typically get four weeks for proposals.[3]

Is UNDB Online still used for AfDB notices?

No. United Nations Development Business ceased all activity on 31 March 2025, although the Bank's manual still mentions it, so follow afdb.org and national portals instead.[3][19]