How do public tenders work in Egypt?

Law and buyers

Law No. 182 of 2018 regulating contracts concluded by public entities replaced the old tenders and auctions law of 1998, and its Executive Regulations were issued by Minister of Finance Decree No. 692 of 2019, both as amended. The law applies to ministries, governorates and local units, public authorities and other administrative entities. It does not override Law No. 5 of 2015 on the preference of Egyptian products, the PPP law or the Investment Law. The General Authority for Government Services (GAGS) under the Ministry of Finance runs the procurement portal, central registers and standard documents, and a Public Procurement Complaints Office at the Ministry of Finance handles complaints. Egypt is not a party to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement.[1][3][4]

Where tenders are published

Article 20 requires every transaction offered under any contracting method to be published on the Public Procurement Portal (etenders.gov.eg), except where national security requires otherwise, and a complete copy of the tender documents must be posted there. Public tenders are also announced once in a widely circulated daily newspaper; international public tenders also in an international newspaper and through Egyptian embassies and consulates. Limited and local tenders work by invitation to registered, qualified suppliers. Under Article 85 an entity may only contract with persons who have registered or updated their data on the portal, including commercial or professional registration and tax card numbers.[1][2]

Procedures and thresholds

Purchases, works, services and artistic works are contracted by public tender (munaqasa amma) as the rule. By reasoned decision the competent authority may instead use general practice (public negotiated procedure), limited practice, limited tender, two-stage tender, local tender or direct agreement, and any method can lead to a framework agreement. A local tender, for contracts up to EGP 4 million, is restricted to suppliers active in the governorate where the work is done, and up to EGP 2 million it can be reserved for micro, small and medium enterprises. Sales and leases of state assets use public or sealed-bid auctions. A method may not be converted into another once started. Contracts above EGP 1 million must be shared in advance with the Committee for the Preference of Egyptian Industrial Products.[1]

Documents and language

Bidders typically submit separate technical and financial envelopes with commercial or professional registration, tax card, qualifications and experience, and a provisional guarantee of up to 1.5% of the estimated value for purchases, works, services and consultancy; the winner then provides a final guarantee. Letters of guarantee from foreign banks are accepted only when endorsed by an approved local bank. Arabic is the official language for tender documents, contracts and correspondence. Technical specifications may be in another language where justified, and tenders offered abroad are issued in one or more other languages with an Arabic translation, with the Arabic text prevailing in case of conflict. Foreign bidders must also be registered on the portal before contracting.[1][2]

Deadlines, award and challenges

For public tenders and public practice the submission period is at least 20 days from the newspaper notice (14 days if urgent), for limited and local tenders at least 14 days from the invitation (10 if urgent), and amendments must be notified at least seven days before opening. Bids remain valid for 45 to 90 days. Award goes to the best bid under the announced technical and financial evaluation; an Egyptian supply product meeting the industrial content requirement is treated as cheapest if its price is no more than 15% above the lowest non-compliant bid, and the same 15% applies to Egyptian services and artistic works against foreign bids. Bidders may complain in writing within seven days after notification of the committee's decisions, before the award is notified. Complaints go to the entity with a copy to the Public Procurement Complaints Office, whose decisions are binding.[1][4]

How to win a tender in Egypt

Egypt's Law No. 182 of 2018 awards either to the bid with the best terms and lowest price, or to the highest-ranked bid under a points-based system that combines technical quality and price with set weights and minimum thresholds, as defined in the tender conditions. Bids come in separate technical and financial envelopes, and financial envelopes are opened only for technically accepted bids, so the technical file must be flawless. You may ask written clarification questions from publication until ten days before the technical opening, and the entity answers at least seven days before it; answers and amendments go to all document buyers without naming who asked and appear on the Public Procurement Portal. A clarification session may also be held. Egyptian products meeting the industrial content requirement and Egyptian services win if no more than 15% dearer. Non-compliant bids are excluded, and an abnormally low lowest bid must first be explained in writing before it can be excluded. Exclusion and award decisions must state their reasons, results are announced, and you can ask why your bid was not accepted. Use the seven-day complaint window and copy the Public Procurement Complaints Office.[1][2][4]

1. Check whether the tender uses lowest price or the points-based system.
2. Send written questions at least ten days before the technical envelope opening.
3. Complete the technical envelope fully; only accepted bids reach financial opening.
4. Price with the 15% preference for Egyptian products and services in mind.
5. Ask for the reasons for rejection and complain within seven days.

Clarification round: Clarifications and inquiries (istifsarat), with an optional clarification session

Tips for bidders

Register your company on the Public Procurement Portal early and keep the data current, because an entity cannot contract with you otherwise and the portal asks for Egyptian commercial and tax registration details; many foreign firms therefore work through an Egyptian branch, subsidiary or partner. Watch for international public tenders, which are also advertised abroad through Egyptian embassies. Arrange a local bank to endorse any foreign guarantee. Price with the 15% preference for Egyptian products and services in mind, and check whether the tender is a local tender reserved for suppliers in the governorate. Use the seven-day complaint window promptly and send a copy to the Complaints Office at the same time.[1][2][4]

Platforms in Egypt

This country does not publish on TED, so there are no shares. These are the platforms from our market map, public ones first.

• Egypt Government Procurement Portal (etenders.gov.eg)

  Egypt's official government tenders portal; the site was unreachable from outside Egypt during our check, so follow each notice's instructions for documents and submission.

  Website

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Law No. 182 of 2018 and Executive Regulations (Minister of Finance Decree No. 692 of 2019), English translation published by Andersen Egypt (2026)
2. Egypt Government Procurement Portal (etenders.gov.eg)
3. Ministry of Finance of Egypt
4. Prime Minister's Decree No. 665 of 2021 organising the Public Procurement Complaints Office (Arabic text)

Checked on 15 October 2026. Made by TenderRender from official sources. Not legal advice: check the notice and documents of each tender.

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