How to Win African Development Bank (AfDB) Tenders

The African Development Bank Group is one of the world's five major multilateral development banks, financing projects across all 54 African member countries. In 2024, the Bank hit a record $11 billion in new operations, with $5.5 billion dedicated to climate finance alone. AfDB-funded procurement falls into two broad categories: procurement of goods, works, and non-consulting services (governed by the Rules of Procedure for Procurement) and acquisition of consulting services (governed by the Rules of Procedure for the Use of Consultants). Each follows a distinct process with different evaluation criteria.

The Bank's procurement framework, approved by the Board of Directors in October 2015 and effective from January 2016, comprises four pillars: the Procurement Policy, the Methodology for Implementation, the Operations Procurement Manual (OPM), and the Procurement Toolkit. This framework replaced earlier guidelines and introduced principles of value for money, economy, efficiency, and fit-for-purpose procurement. The framework emphasises open competition, with bidders from all 81 AfDB member countries (54 regional and 27 non-regional) eligible to compete.

Contracts are awarded through open competition for goods, works, and services valued above UA 50,000 (approximately $70,000 USD). The Bank uses Units of Account (UA), which is pegged to the IMF's Special Drawing Rights (SDR). Understanding this currency is important because all thresholds and contract values in AfDB documentation are denominated in UA.

DACON (Database of Consultants) is the AfDB's official consultant registration system, accessible at the DACON database (econsultant.afdb.org). While DACON registration is primarily for consulting firms and individual consultants, it is the essential first step for any organisation seeking AfDB consulting assignments. Registration is free and open to firms and individuals from all AfDB member countries.

For consulting firms, the registration process requires:

• Company profile: legal name, registration country, year of establishment, ownership structure, and contact details
• Areas of expertise: select from AfDB's standardised list of sectors and sub-sectors (infrastructure, energy, water, agriculture, governance, health, education, finance, environment, transport, ICT, etc.)
• Key personnel: CVs of principal consultants showing qualifications, years of experience, and language capabilities
• Financial information: audited financial statements for the past three years, demonstrating financial capacity
• References: details of at least three comparable assignments completed in the past five years, including client name, contract value, and scope of work
• Regional experience: evidence of work in African countries is strongly valued though not always mandatory

For individual consultants, provide your CV, academic qualifications, professional certifications, language skills, and a list of relevant assignments with references.

Important: registration in DACON does not constitute pre-selection or shortlisting. It simply makes your firm visible when the Bank or Borrowers are compiling shortlists for specific assignments. Maintain your DACON profile with current information, updated CVs, and new project references to maximise your visibility.

For goods and works contracts, there is no equivalent central registration. Instead, firms respond directly to Specific Procurement Notices (SPNs) published by Borrowers. However, having a strong track record of AfDB project experience improves your competitiveness over time.

AfDB-funded procurement opportunities are published through multiple channels, and monitoring all of them is essential to avoid missing high-value solicitations and RFPs.

Primary publication channels:

• AfDB website (afdb.org/en/projects-and-operations/procurement): the Bank publishes General Procurement Notices (GPNs), Specific Procurement Notices (SPNs), Expressions of Interest (EOIs), and contract awards. GPNs are published when a project is approved and signal upcoming procurement opportunities. SPNs and EOIs are the actual invitations to bid or express interest.
• United Nations Development Business (UNDB): all ICB opportunities and consulting assignments above defined thresholds must be advertised on UNDB online, the primary international procurement notification platform for multilateral development bank projects.
• National newspapers: Borrowing countries are required to advertise SPNs in at least one national newspaper of wide circulation. For NCB contracts, national advertisement may be the only publication channel.
• dgMarket and other aggregators: third-party platforms aggregate AfDB and other MDB tender notices.

Types of notices to monitor:

• General Procurement Notice (GPN): early warning published at project approval. Lists all anticipated procurement packages under a project. Use GPNs to prepare your bid strategy months in advance.
• Specific Procurement Notice (SPN): the formal invitation to bid for goods, works, or non-consulting services. Contains the procurement reference, scope, eligibility criteria, and submission deadline.
• Expression of Interest (EOI): invitation for consulting firms to express interest in an assignment. Shortlisted firms receive the Request for Proposals (RFP).
• Request for Proposals (RFP): detailed terms of reference, evaluation criteria, and submission requirements sent to shortlisted consulting firms.

Monitoring these channels manually is time-consuming. Jorpex aggregates AfDB procurement notices alongside 50+ other African tender sources and international platforms, delivering AI-matched opportunities directly to Slack or email. See also our AfDB procurement glossary for definitions of key terms.

Pre-qualification is mandatory for all large, complex, or turnkey contracts procured through International Competitive Bidding (ICB). The purpose is to ensure that only capable firms are invited to bid, saving time and resources for both the Borrower and bidders.

When pre-qualification is required:

• Large infrastructure works (roads, bridges, power plants, water treatment facilities)
• Turnkey or design-build contracts
• Supply of specialised equipment where quality and performance are critical
• Any contract where the Borrower and AfDB determine that the complexity warrants it

Pre-qualification is conducted on a contract-by-contract basis — there is no permanent pre-qualified supplier list. Each new contract requires a fresh pre-qualification exercise.

What is assessed during pre-qualification:

• Experience: completion of similar contracts in terms of size, scope, and complexity within the past 5-10 years. Provide contract references with client contact details.
• Technical capability: availability of key personnel, equipment, and technology required for the contract. Demonstrate access to specialised plant, machinery, or software if relevant.
• Financial standing: audited financial statements showing adequate turnover, liquidity, and net worth relative to the contract value. Typical requirement: annual turnover of at least 2-3 times the estimated annual contract value.
• Litigation history: disclose any ongoing or past litigation. Significant adverse judgments can disqualify a firm.
• Organisational capacity: management structure, quality assurance systems, health and safety track record, and environmental management capability.

Joint ventures and consortia: firms may pre-qualify as joint ventures, combining the experience and capacity of multiple partners. The lead partner typically must meet a minimum percentage (usually 40-50%) of the qualification criteria independently. All JV partners must be from eligible AfDB member countries.

Key documents to prepare: the AfDB publishes Standard Prequalification Documents that specify exactly what information is required. Download these from the AfDB procurement documents page and follow the format precisely. Incomplete or non-responsive applications are rejected without further evaluation.

Proposal preparation is where bids are won or lost. The requirements differ substantially between goods/works contracts and consulting assignments.

For goods and works (ICB/NCB):

The Borrower issues Standard Bidding Documents (SBDs) that specify the exact format and content required. Your bid must include:

• Bid form and price schedules: use the exact forms provided in the bidding documents. Price all items in the specified currency or currencies. The Bank converts all prices to Units of Account (UA) using the monthly moving average exchange rate for the month of the submission deadline.
• Technical specifications compliance: demonstrate point-by-point compliance with each technical specification. Any deviation must be clearly identified — major deviations lead to outright rejection.
• Qualification information: if no separate pre-qualification was conducted, include evidence of experience, financial capacity, equipment, and personnel (post-qualification documents).
• Bid security: provide a bid security in the amount specified (typically 1-3% of the bid price), in the form of a bank guarantee from an acceptable institution.
• Manufacturer's authorisation: for goods procurement, include a letter from the manufacturer authorising you to supply their products.

For consulting services (QCBS, QBS, FBS, LCS):

Consulting proposals are submitted in two separate sealed envelopes — technical and financial.

Technical proposal structure:

• Experience of the firm: relevant project references, particularly in Africa and in the specific sector. Highlight AfDB-funded project experience.
• Methodology and work plan: your approach to delivering the terms of reference. Be specific — generic methodologies score poorly. Include a detailed work schedule (Gantt chart), staffing plan, and deliverable timeline.
• Key personnel: CVs of proposed experts. Qualification and experience of key staff often carry the heaviest weight in technical evaluation (typically 30-40% of total technical marks). Ensure CVs are signed by the individuals and include a statement of availability.
• Knowledge transfer and training: where applicable, describe how you will build local capacity.

Financial proposal:

• Itemise all costs: staff remuneration (by position and time), reimbursable expenses (travel, per diem, communications, equipment), and any applicable taxes.
• Use the financial proposal forms provided in the RFP.
• Ensure the financial proposal is consistent with the technical proposal — discrepancies between the staffing plan and the financial breakdown are a common reason for disqualification.

Compliance checklist before submission:

• All forms completed and signed by an authorised representative
• Bid security or proposal security included (if required)
• Technical and financial proposals in separate sealed envelopes (for consulting)
• All supporting documents included (audited financials, CVs, references, certificates)
• Proposal received at the submission address before the deadline — late submissions are rejected unopened
• Correct number of copies (original plus copies as specified)
• No conditions or assumptions that could be interpreted as bid qualifications

AfDB procurement follows a structured evaluation process designed to ensure fairness and transparency. The evaluation methodology is defined in the bidding documents, and evaluators have no discretion to introduce new criteria.

For goods and works:

Evaluation proceeds in three stages:

1. Preliminary examination: the evaluation committee checks that bids are complete, properly signed, and accompanied by bid security. Bids with major deficiencies are rejected at this stage. 2. Detailed evaluation: responsive bids are evaluated against the criteria stated in the bidding documents. For lowest-evaluated-bid procurements, the evaluation adjusts bid prices for deviations, delivery schedules, and payment terms to determine the economically most advantageous offer. For most-economically-advantageous-bid procurements, technical merit and price are scored according to pre-disclosed weights. 3. Post-qualification: the lowest-evaluated bidder's qualifications are verified. The committee confirms that the bidder has the experience, financial resources, equipment, and personnel to perform the contract. If the lowest-evaluated bidder fails post-qualification, the next-lowest bidder is evaluated.

The Bank issues a no-objection before the Borrower can award the contract. This is a critical step — the AfDB reviews the entire evaluation process, not just the outcome.

For consulting services (QCBS):

1. Technical evaluation: proposals are scored against the criteria and sub-criteria published in the RFP. Common weighting: firm experience (10-20%), methodology (20-30%), key personnel (30-50%), knowledge transfer (5-10%). The minimum qualifying technical score is 70 points out of 100. 2. Financial opening: only firms achieving the minimum technical score proceed. Financial proposals are opened in the presence of consultants' representatives. Technical scores and financial offers are read aloud. 3. Combined scoring: the technical score is given a weight (typically 70-80%) and the financial score a weight (typically 20-30%). The firm with the highest combined score is invited to negotiate. 4. Negotiation: negotiations cover the terms of reference, methodology, staffing, and work schedule. Price negotiation is not conducted except in exceptional circumstances approved by the Bank. The financial proposal is treated as final.

After successful negotiation, the Bank issues its no-objection to the negotiated contract, and the Borrower and consultant sign the contract.

AfDB procurement is rigorous and procedural. The following errors consistently lead to disqualification or low scores:

• Late submission: bids received after the deadline are rejected and returned unopened. The deadline refers to the date and time of receipt, not the date of posting. Submit at least 24-48 hours before the deadline to account for delivery delays.
• Incomplete documentation: missing bid security, unsigned forms, absent financial statements, or incomplete CVs result in rejection during preliminary examination. Use the checklist in the bidding documents.
• Conditional bids: including assumptions, qualifications, or conditions in your bid (e.g., 'subject to further negotiation' or 'price valid only if...'). If you are uncertain about requirements, submit written clarification requests before the deadline rather than bidding with assumptions.
• Non-compliance with specifications: major deviations from technical specifications or terms of reference lead to rejection. Minor deviations may be accepted with price adjustments, but major ones are fatal.
• Wrong currency or pricing format: failing to use the specified currencies or price schedule formats. All prices must follow the exact format in the bidding documents.
• Conflict of interest: firms that have been involved in the preparation of the project (e.g., feasibility study consultants) are typically ineligible to bid on the resulting contract. Similarly, firms under common ownership or control with other bidders face disqualification.
• Ineligible country of origin: goods, works, and services must originate from AfDB member countries. Firms from non-member countries or countries under Bank sanctions are ineligible. Verify your country's membership status before investing in bid preparation.
• Generic methodology: for consulting assignments, submitting a boilerplate methodology that does not address the specific terms of reference. Evaluators reward tailored, context-specific approaches.
• Weak key personnel CVs: proposing staff who lack the minimum qualifications or experience specified in the RFP. Substitution of key staff after proposal submission requires Bank approval and can lead to contract termination.
• Ignoring the evaluation criteria weighting: failing to allocate effort in proportion to the scoring weights. If key personnel carry 40% of the technical marks, your strongest CVs should be in those positions.
• Misunderstanding bilingual requirements: AfDB is a bilingual institution (English and French). Some projects in francophone Africa require proposals in French. Submitting in the wrong language is grounds for rejection.

AfDB procurement notices are published across multiple channels — the Bank's own website, UNDB, national newspapers, and third-party aggregators. Manually checking each source daily is impractical, especially when you are also monitoring other multilateral development banks and national procurement portals across Africa.

Jorpex aggregates AfDB tender notices alongside 50+ other procurement sources into a single, AI-filtered feed. Configure your notification profile with relevant keywords (infrastructure, consulting, water, energy, ICT, health), geographic filters for specific African countries or regions, contract-value ranges, and disqualifier terms. Every new AfDB opportunity matching your profile is delivered directly to Slack, email, or Microsoft Teams — in real time, as a daily digest, or weekly summary.

Jorpex's AI matching engine scores each tender against your profile criteria, so you see only the opportunities worth pursuing. AI-generated summaries translate notices from French and other languages into your preferred language, eliminating the bilingual barrier that excludes many firms from francophone Africa opportunities.

Plans start at $49/month — less than the cost of a single hour of business development time spent manually scanning procurement portals. Never miss an AfDB procurement opportunity, ITB, or consulting EOI again. Start a free trial and receive your first matched AfDB opportunities within minutes.