African Development Bank (AfDB) Procurement

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB, or in French Banque Africaine de Développement, BAD) was established in 1964 and is headquartered in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. It is the largest multilateral development finance institution dedicated to Africa, with 81 member countries: 54 African regional member countries (RMCs) and 27 non-regional member countries from Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, and Asia.

The Bank Group comprises three entities:

• African Development Bank (AfDB) — the main lending window for middle-income African countries.

• African Development Fund (ADF) — the concessional lending window for low-income African countries, offering grants and soft loans.

• Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF) — a special fund established by the Nigerian government to provide additional financing.

In 2024, the Bank Group approved a record $11 billion in new investments, including $5.5 billion dedicated to climate finance. The ADF secured a historic $11 billion replenishment for its 17th cycle. These investments span infrastructure, energy, agriculture, water and sanitation, health, education, governance, and private-sector development across the continent.

For suppliers, AfDB-financed projects represent a substantial pipeline of international solicitations (appels d’offres) in sectors ranging from road construction and power generation to IT systems and technical assistance. The Bank’s five strategic priorities — Light up and Power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialise Africa, Integrate Africa, and Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa — define where procurement spending concentrates.

The AfDB’s Procurement Policy Framework (approved October 2015, effective January 2016) replaced the Bank’s earlier procurement guidelines with a modernised framework comprising a Policy, Methodology, Operations Procurement Manual (OPM), and Toolkit. The framework prescribes distinct methods for goods and works versus consulting services.

Goods and works procurement methods:

• International Competitive Bidding (ICB) — the Bank’s preferred and default method. ICB is mandatory for all contracts above country-specific thresholds (indicatively UA 100,000+). The process follows international advertising, open bidding, and evaluation based on the lowest evaluated cost or best value. ICB ensures maximum competition among suppliers from all 81 member countries.

• Limited International Bidding (LIB) — a variant of ICB used when a limited number of known suppliers exist. The Bank invites bids directly from identified firms rather than advertising openly. Requires prior Bank approval.

• National Competitive Bidding (NCB) — follows the borrower country’s own procurement procedures, modified to meet Bank requirements. Used for medium-sized contracts that are unlikely to attract international competition due to their size or nature. NCB typically applies between UA 50,000 and UA 100,000, though exact thresholds vary by country.

• Shopping (National or International) — a simplified method for small-value purchases. The borrower obtains price quotations from at least three suppliers. National Shopping (NSH) sources from domestic suppliers; International Shopping (ISH) solicits quotations from suppliers in multiple countries.

• Direct Contracting — single-source procurement permitted only in exceptional circumstances: proprietary technology, genuine emergency, or continuation of an existing engagement. Always requires prior Bank approval.

• Force Account — execution by the borrower’s own workforce and equipment. Used only when competitive bidding is impractical.

Consulting services selection methods:

• Quality-and-Cost-Based Selection (QCBS) — the default method for most consulting assignments. Firms are shortlisted (typically 4–6), submit technical and financial proposals in separate envelopes, and are evaluated on a combined weighted score (commonly 70–80% technical, 20–30% financial).

• Quality-Based Selection (QBS) — used for complex, highly specialised, or innovative assignments where the quality of the technical approach is paramount. Only the technical proposal is evaluated; the financial proposal of the top-ranked firm is then negotiated.

• Fixed-Budget Selection (FBS) — appropriate when the assignment scope is precisely defined and the budget is fixed. Firms propose the best technical approach within the stated budget; the highest-scoring technical proposal wins.

• Least-Cost Selection (LCS) — used for small, well-defined, standard assignments (typically under $100,000) such as audits and routine surveys. Firms must meet a minimum technical score; the lowest-priced qualifying proposal wins.

• Selection Based on Consultants’ Qualifications (CQS) — a simplified method for very small assignments. The Bank shortlists firms based on Expressions of Interest (EOIs) and invites the most qualified firm to submit a combined technical-financial proposal.

• Individual Consultants — selected on the basis of qualifications and experience for assignments that do not require a team. Comparison of at least three CVs is required.

• Single-Source Selection (SSS) — direct appointment of a specific firm, permitted only in exceptional circumstances with Bank approval.

Unlike the EU or US federal procurement systems, which apply uniform monetary thresholds across all contracting authorities, the AfDB sets country-specific thresholds for goods, works, and non-consulting services. Regional Procurement Managers (RPMs) determine these thresholds for each borrowing country based on:

• Country Procurement Assessment Reviews (CPARs)
• The size and depth of the domestic market
• Local industry capacity and competitiveness
• Interest from foreign bidders in the domestic market
• Overall procurement risk level

As a general guide, the framework indicates the following indicative ranges:

• ICB applies to contracts above approximately UA 100,000 (roughly $140,000 at current exchange rates). In countries with deep domestic markets, the ICB threshold may be higher.

• NCB applies to contracts in the range of UA 50,000 – 100,000, though some countries set the NCB floor lower.

• Shopping is used for contracts below UA 50,000.

For consulting services, the choice of method is driven primarily by the nature and complexity of the assignment rather than strict dollar thresholds. However, LCS is generally reserved for assignments under $100,000, and CQS for even smaller engagements.

Thresholds are documented in the Procurement Plan that the borrower prepares at the start of each project, which must be approved by the Bank before procurement begins. The procurement plan specifies the method, threshold, and review type (prior or post review by the Bank) for every anticipated contract. Suppliers can access procurement plans on the AfDB website.

The AfDB’s Unit of Account (UA) is equivalent to the IMF’s Special Drawing Rights (SDR), a basket currency that provides stability against exchange rate fluctuations. Current exchange rates are published by the IMF.

Eligibility for AfDB-funded procurement is straightforward but strict: only nationals and firms from AfDB member countries may participate. This means suppliers from any of the 81 member countries can bid on Bank-financed contracts, provided they meet the technical and financial requirements of the specific solicitation.

The 54 regional member countries (all African Union member states) include Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The 27 non-regional member countries include major economies such as the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan, China, India, Canada, Brazil, and others. This means firms from these countries are fully eligible to compete for AfDB-funded contracts alongside African suppliers.

Key eligibility rules:

• Nationality — a firm’s nationality is determined by its country of incorporation or registration. Joint ventures and consortia must have all members from eligible countries.

• Origin of goods — goods must originate from a member country. Manufacturing or assembly must take place in an eligible country.

• Domestic preference — the AfDB allows a 15% price preference for domestically manufactured goods and a 10% preference for domestic construction firms in evaluations. This is slightly more generous than the World Bank’s domestic preference margins.

• Sanctions — firms and individuals debarred by the AfDB (or cross-debarred under the MDB Harmonised Debarment Framework, which includes the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, EBRD, and Inter-American Development Bank) are ineligible.

• Conflict of interest — consultants who prepare specifications or terms of reference for a procurement cannot bid on the resulting contract.

Registering as a potential supplier for AfDB-funded contracts involves two channels depending on whether you provide goods/works or consulting services.

For consulting firms and individual consultants: DACON

The AfDB maintains the DACON (Database on Consultants) system — the DACON consultant database — to store qualifications, capabilities, and track records of consulting firms and individual experts. Registration steps:

1. Visit the DACON portal and select whether you are registering as a consulting firm or an individual consultant. 2. Complete the registration form with your firm’s profile, areas of expertise, staff qualifications, and relevant project experience. 3. Submit the registration — once approved, your profile becomes visible to Bank task managers who are shortlisting consultants for Expressions of Interest. 4. Keep your profile updated with new project completions and staff additions.

DACON registration does not guarantee engagement, but it increases your visibility when the Bank is assembling shortlists. For questions, contact consultants@afdb.org.

For suppliers of goods, works, and non-consulting services: e-Procurement portal

The AfDB operates a supplier registration portal at eprocurement.afdb.org for corporate procurement (goods and services purchased by the Bank itself for its operations). For project-related procurement (contracts funded by Bank loans/grants but executed by borrower countries), supplier registration is typically handled by the borrowing entity’s procurement unit, not the Bank directly.

Practical tips for new suppliers:

• Monitor General Procurement Notices (GPNs) — these are published at the start of each project, before specific tenders are issued. They describe the project scope and invite suppliers to express interest.

• Respond to Specific Procurement Notices (SPNs) — these are the actual Invitations for Bids (IFBs) or Requests for Expression of Interest (REOIs) for defined contracts.

• Build local partnerships — joint ventures with African firms can strengthen your bid, especially for large works contracts where local knowledge and logistics matter.

• Obtain relevant certifications — ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and sector-specific certifications improve evaluation scores in many AfDB procurements.

The AfDB’s procurement framework was developed in parallel with the World Bank’s and shares many structural similarities, but important differences exist that suppliers bidding on both institutions’ projects should understand:

• Policy framework — the World Bank adopted its new Procurement Framework in July 2016, while the AfDB’s was adopted in October 2015 (effective January 2016). Both moved away from rigid, rules-based approaches toward principles-based frameworks emphasising value for money, fitness for purpose, and proportionality.

• Domestic preference — the AfDB allows a 15% price preference for domestically manufactured goods and 10% for domestic construction, compared to the World Bank’s 15% for goods and 7.5% for construction in IDA-eligible countries. The AfDB also permits regional preferences for goods manufactured within Africa, which the World Bank does not.

• Standard bidding documents — both institutions have their own Standard Bidding Documents (SBDs). While similar in structure, they are not interchangeable. Suppliers must use the AfDB’s SBDs for AfDB-funded contracts and the World Bank’s for IBRD/IDA contracts.

• Prior review thresholds — the Bank’s prior review thresholds (above which the Bank reviews procurement decisions before the borrower proceeds) differ from World Bank thresholds and are set on a country-by-country basis.

• Consultant selection — both institutions use QCBS, QBS, FBS, LCS, and CQS, with broadly similar procedures. However, the standard Request for Proposals (RFP) templates differ, and the AfDB’s evaluation weightings may vary.

• Cross-debarment — the AfDB and World Bank participate in the Harmonised MDB Debarment Framework, meaning a firm debarred by one institution is automatically debarred by all participating MDBs.

• Geographic focus — the AfDB finances projects exclusively in Africa, while the World Bank operates globally. For suppliers targeting African markets, AfDB tenders are concentrated on the continent, whereas World Bank Africa tenders compete for attention with projects in South Asia, Latin America, and elsewhere.

For suppliers already familiar with World Bank procurement, the transition to AfDB procurement is relatively smooth. The core principles, competitive methods, and integrity requirements are aligned. The main adjustments involve using AfDB-specific SBDs and understanding the Bank’s country-specific threshold system.

AfDB-funded procurement opportunities and bidding notices are published through multiple channels, which can make comprehensive monitoring challenging:

• AfDB Procurement Notices page — the Bank’s main procurement page publishes General Procurement Notices, Specific Procurement Notices, and Requests for Expressions of Interest for project-related procurement.

• AfDB e-Procurement portal — eprocurement.afdb.org handles corporate procurement (the Bank’s own institutional purchases).

• Borrower country portals — since the executing agency for most AfDB-funded projects is the borrower’s government, many tenders also appear on national procurement portals. For example, a road project in Kenya financed by the AfDB might be advertised on Kenya’s Public Procurement Information Portal as well as the AfDB’s site.

• TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) — some AfDB-funded tenders, particularly those co-financed with EU institutions, appear on TED.

• UNGM (United Nations Global Marketplace) — the AfDB is listed on UNGM, which cross-references some Bank procurement notices.

• Development Gateway and dgMarket — third-party aggregators that historically indexed MDB procurement notices.

The fragmentation of AfDB procurement information across the Bank’s own portal, borrower country platforms, and international notice boards means that manual monitoring is time-consuming and risks missing opportunities. Tenders are published in both English and French (the AfDB’s two official languages), adding a multilingual monitoring challenge.

For a broader view of procurement sources across the continent, see our guide on Middle East and Africa procurement sources and the international development procurement sources page.

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For companies targeting AfDB-funded contracts, Jorpex provides:

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