1. Buyer
1.1.
Buyer
Official name: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Legal type of the buyer: Public undertaking, controlled by a central government authority
Activity of the contracting authority: General public services
2. Procedure
2.1.
Procedure
Title: 10022598-Short-Term Expert Pools to support negotiations and implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
Description: Background: Although many of the world"s fastest-growing economies are in Africa, trade among African countries remains limited. The continent mostly exports raw materials and agricultural products, while it imports machinery, equipment, and food mainly from outside Africa. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is one of the African Union"s (AU) flagship projects for the implementation of its Agenda 2063, aims to change this. It is expected that, with the introduction of the free trade zone, intra- African trade will be 15% to 25% higher by 2040 (UNECA). The AfCFTA agreement has been signed by 54 of the 55 African Union Member States (MS) and became effective under international law in May 2019. The full implementation of the AfCFTA will lead to a continental single market of more than 1.4 billion people with an aggregate GDP exceeding USD 2 trillion. Our Approach: The GIZ implemented project "Support to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) II" cofinanced by the BMZ and the EU, seeks to improve framework conditions for the realisation of the AfCFTA and supports the outstanding negotiations and the implementation of the AfCFTA. For this, the programme supports the African Union, specifically the Department for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry, Minerals (ETTIM) and the AfCFTA Secretariat at the continental level in the coordination of AfCFTA implementation. On the regional level the programme cooperates with Regional Economic Communities (RECs), specifically EAC (East African Community), ECOWAS (Economic Community for West African States) and SADC (South African Development Community, plus additional RECs based on request). The programme also supports Member States (Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tunisia, Zambia, plus additional Member States based on request) by working with national institutions, like trade ministries and customs, to implement the agreement. Lastly, the programme works closely with private sector and civil society actors to increase trade under the AfCFTA. Together with the named partners, the programme covers interventions across all technical areas of the AfCFTA. The EU co-financed part of the programme, the EU Technical Assistance Facility, operates as a multi-partner contribution agreement between the European Commission, GIZ (lead implementing agency), Expertise France, and FIAP. A Project Management Unit, which is housed in the AfCFTA Secretariat, oversees the implementation of the programme and the execution of activities.
Procedure identifier: c04c6a9c-00d6-4598-aae1-3cfecf65a3ee
Internal identifier: 10022598
Type of procedure: Open
The procedure is accelerated: no
2.1.1.
Purpose
Main nature of the contract: Services
Main classification (cpv): 79411100 Business development consultancy services
Additional classification (cpv): 79410000 Business and management consultancy services
2.1.2.
Place of performance
Country: Ghana
Additional information: African Union, please see the tender documents.
2.1.4.
General information
Additional information: #Bekanntmachungs-ID: CXTRYY6YTT9JKR9U# Communication / questions can only be submitted using GIZ"s eProcurement Tender Platform for the award of contracts.
Legal basis:
Directive 2014/24/EU
vgv -
2.1.6.
Grounds for exclusion
Sources of grounds for exclusion: Notice
Breaching of obligations set under purely national exclusion grounds: In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB, § 22 LkSG
Participation in a criminal organisation: In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB, § 22 LkSG
Terrorist offences or offences linked to terrorist activities: In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB, § 22 LkSG
Money laundering or terrorist financing: In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB, § 22 LkSG
Fraud: In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB, § 22 LkSG
Corruption: In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB, § 22 LkSG
Child labour and including other forms of trafficking in human beings: In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB, § 22 LkSG
Breaching obligation relating to payment of taxes: In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB, § 22 LkSG
Breaching obligation relating to payment of social security contributions: In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB, § 22 LkSG
Breaching of obligations in the fields of environmental law: In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB, § 22 LkSG
Breaching of obligations in the fields of social law: In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB, § 22 LkSG
Breaching of obligations in the fields of labour law: In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB, § 22 LkSG
Insolvency: In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB, § 22 LkSG
Assets being administered by liquidator: In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB, § 22 LkSG
Business activities are suspended: In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB, § 22 LkSG
Analogous situation like bankruptcy, insolvency or arrangement with creditors under national law: In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB, § 22 LkSG
Grave professional misconduct: In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB, § 22 LkSG
Agreements with other economic operators aimed at distorting competition: In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB, § 22 LkSG
Conflict of interest due to its participation in the procurement procedure: In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB, § 22 LkSG
Direct or indirect involvement in the preparation of this procurement procedure: In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB, § 22 LkSG
Early termination, damages, or other comparable sanctions: In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB, § 22 LkSG
Misrepresentation, withheld information, unable to provide required documents or obtained confidential information of this procedure: In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB, § 22 LkSG
5. Lot
5.1.
Lot: LOT-0001
Title: 10022598-Short-Term Expert Pools to support negotiations and implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
Description: The project seeks the services of a consulting firm to provide technical experts under different short-term expert (STE) pools, which can be deployed flexibly according to the specific demands of the project. The Contractor will contribute to the implementation of all BMZ and EU outputs of the project. The overall goal of this assignment is to support the implementation of the AfCFTA at the continental, regional, and national level by providing advisory services and capacity building for governmental as well as private sector and civil society stakeholders. When the need for support to the project"s partners within a particular thematic area is identified, experts shall be mobilised to provide demand-driven technical advisory services and/or capacity building to national, regional, and continental government partners and/or the project itself. The contract is for the provision of pools of qualified STE to cover a broad range of issues relating to AfCFTA negotiations and implementation in general and the programme objectives in particular. The services to be provided under the contract include measures for human capacity development and organisational and technical advice in the following thematic areas: - Removing barriers to Trade in Goods, Trade in Services and Digital Trade - Support for further AfCFTA negotiations (among others on Rules of Origin, Trade in Services) - Support for the ratification of the Phase II Protocols (Competition Policy, Intellectual Property Rights, Investment, Digital Trade, Women & Youth in Trade) - Implementation of AfCFTA regulations at the national and regional levels - Monitor and review the implementation of AfCFTA Protocols in African Union Member States (AU MS) - Improve access to trade information to relevant line ministries and to the private sector - Support the African private sector to trade under AfCFTA rules on the national and regional level - Support relevant authorities to setup inclusive policies for women & youth traders to participate in trade under AfCFTA The contractor will identify and manage pools of STE that will assist the initiatives in the programme"s areas of intervention. While the project operates Africa-wide, it focuses interventions at national level in 8 countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tunisia, and Zambia. At REC level it focuses at EAC, ECOWAS, and SADC. Interventions to additional AU MS and RECs will be implemented based on partner demand. Across the work packages named below, the contractor is responsible for the following tasks: - Supporting the GIZ in defining the required expertise to reach the project objectives under the described outputs - Identifying and proposing suitable experts from the STE pool - Selecting experts together with the GIZ team - Managing the deployment of experts Expected services that may be included in the work packages are: - Technical, operational, and strategic policy advisory services in the thematic areas listed above - Support in developing, drafting and reviewing reports, studies, analyses, position papers, guidelines, action plans, strategies, implementation plans, legislation, regulations in the thematic areas listed above. - Research and analysis, including diagnostic missions to assess implementation efforts of the AfCFTA protocols, identify obstacles and propose measures to advance implementation. - Facilitation of private sector participation in policy-making processes, facilitation of dialogue and coordination between public and private sector actors relevant to AfCFTA negotiations and implementation - Facilitation of national, regional, and continental workshops and conferences, including interpretation and translation services and providing expert inputs - Provision of support services to the project, including on optimising M&E systems, the design of communication materials, workshop moderation, translation and interpretation services. Deliverables will mainly be in English or French, but may also be in the other official AU languages (Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish, Swahili) depending on the context of the activity The required services are focused, but not limited, on five work packages which are oriented to different stakeholders: Work package 1: Strengthen the AfCFTA Secretariat"s capacity to guide and monitor AfCFTA implementation. Work package 2: Strengthen AUC ETTIM"s capacity to support and monitor the enabling environment for production of goods and services for African markets. Work package 3: Support the coordination of the AfCFTA implementation approach among selected RECs (EAC, ECOWAS, and SADC). Work package 4: Support the domestication and ratification of the AfCFTA Protocols and their Annexes in selected AU MS. Work package 5: Enable private sector actors to trade under AfCFTA rules on the country and regional level. Additionally, the contractor is required to support the provision of support services to the project as well as to partner institutions at the continental, regional and national level under all the work packages above. This includes communication services, moderation services, Monitoring & Evaluation support, translation services, and interpretation services.
Internal identifier: 10022598
5.1.1.
Purpose
Main nature of the contract: Services
Main classification (cpv): 79411100 Business development consultancy services
Additional classification (cpv): 79410000 Business and management consultancy services
Options:
Description of the options: GIZ may optionally commission contract amendments and/or increases based on the criteria in the tender documents to the successful bidder of this tender. For details, please see the terms of reference.
5.1.2.
Place of performance
Country: Ghana
Additional information: African Union, please see the tender documents.
5.1.3.
Estimated duration
Start date: 31/12/2026
Duration end date: 31/03/2028
5.1.4.
Renewal
Maximum renewals: 2
Other information about renewals: GIZ may optionally commission contract amendments and/or increases based on the criteria in the tender documents to the successful bidder of this tender. For details, please see the terms of reference.
5.1.6.
General information
Reserved participation:
Participation is not reserved.
The names and professional qualifications of the staff assigned to perform the contract must be given: Not required
Procurement Project fully or partially financed with EU Funds.
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA): yes
This procurement is also suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): yes
Additional information: #Besonders auch geeignet für:other-sme# The project is co-financed by the EU.
5.1.7.
Strategic procurement
Aim of strategic procurement: Reduction of environmental impacts
Description: Please see tender documents.
Aim of strategic procurement: Fulfilment of social objectives
Description: Please see tender documents.
Approach to reducing environmental impacts: Climate change mitigation, Pollution prevention and control
Social objective promoted: Gender equality, Human rights due diligence in global supply chains, Employment opportunities for the long-term unemployed, disadvantaged and/or for persons with disabilities, Fair working conditions
5.1.9.
Selection criteria
Sources of selection criteria: Notice
Criterion: Other economic or financial requirements
Description of selection criterion: EN-A1: Principles for the execution of orders (Mit dem Angebot; Mittels Eigenerklärung): The eligbility criteria are not from the same category as stipulated above, as there is no suitable category. 1. Self-declaration: name of company and address, tax ID, registration and commercial register number or equivalent register in accordance with the legal provisions of the country of origin. 2. No grounds for exclusion pursuant to § 123, § 124 GWB, § 22 LkSG, EU-Russia sanctions 3. Declaration of bidding consortium and/or declaration of subcontractors (if applicable)
Criterion: References on specified services
Description of selection criterion: EN-B1: Technical and professional ability (Mit dem Angebot; Mittels Eigenerklärung): 1. The technical assessment is only based on reference projects with a minimum commission value of 750,000.00 EUR (net). 2. At least 4 reference projects in the technical field Regional Economic Integration in Africa and at least 6 reference projects in Africa in the last 36 months (deadline: date of publication of invitation to tender).
Criterion: Average yearly turnover
Description of selection criterion: EN-C1: Economic and financial standing (Mit dem Angebot; Mittels Eigenerklärung): Average annual turnover for the last three years (last-but-four financial year can be included in case of tenders held within 6 months of end of last financial year), at least: 4,200,000.00 EUR (net).
Criterion: Other economic or financial requirements
Description of selection criterion: EN-C2: Economic and financial standing (Mit dem Angebot; Mittels Eigenerklärung): Average number of employees and managers in the last three calendar years, at least 20 persons.
5.1.11.
Procurement documents
Languages in which the procurement documents are officially available: English
Deadline for requesting additional information: 10/09/2026 23:59:59 (UTC+02:00) Eastern European Time, Central European Summer Time
Ad hoc communication channel:
5.1.12.
Terms of procurement
Terms of submission:
Electronic submission: Required
Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted: English
Electronic catalogue: Not allowed
Variants: Not allowed
Tenderers may submit more than one tender: Not allowed
Deadline for receipt of tenders: 22/09/2026 12:00:00 (UTC+02:00) Eastern European Time, Central European Summer Time
Duration during which the tender must remain valid: 99 Days
Information that can be supplemented after the submission deadline:
At the discretion of the buyer, some missing tenderer-related documents may be submitted later.
Additional information: GIZ asks the applicant or bidder to submit, complete or correct documents, within the framework laid down by law.
Terms of contract:
The execution of the contract must be performed within the framework of sheltered employment programmes: No
Conditions relating to the performance of the contract: The execution conditions result from the information given in the contract notice and the tender documents.
Electronic invoicing: Required
Electronic ordering will be used: yes
Electronic payment will be used: yes
5.1.15.
Techniques
Framework agreement:
No framework agreement
Information about the dynamic purchasing system:
No dynamic purchase system
5.1.16.
Further information, mediation and review
Review organisation: Vergabekammern des Bundes
Information about review deadlines: According to Article 160, Section 3 of the German Act Against Restraint of Competition (GWB), application for review is not permissible insofar as 1. the applicant has identified the claimed infringement of the procurement rules before submitting the application for review and has not submitted a complaint to the contracting authority within a period of 10 calendar days; the expiry of the period pursuant to Article 134, Section 2 remains unaffected; 2. complaints of infringements of procurement rules that are evident in the tender notice are not submitted to the contracting authority at the latest by the expiry of the deadline for the application or by the deadline for the submission of bids, specified in the tender notice; 3. complaints of infringements of procurement rules that first become evident in the tender documents are not submitted to the contracting authority at the latest by the expiry of the deadline for application or by the deadline for the submission of bids; 4. more than 15 calendar days have expired since receipt of notification from the contracting authority that it is unwilling to redress the complaint. Sentence 1 does not apply in the case of an application to determine the invalidity of the contract in accordance with Article 135, Section 1 (2). Article 134, Section 1, Sentence 2 remains unaffected. Textvorlage erstellen/auswählen/bearbeiten
Organisation providing additional information about the procurement procedure: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Organisation receiving requests to participate: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
8. Organisations
8.1.
ORG-0001
Official name: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Registration number: 993-80072-52
Postal address: Dag-Hammarskjöld-Weg 1 - 5
Town: Eschborn
Postcode: 65760
Country subdivision (NUTS): Main-Taunus-Kreis (DE71A)
Country: Germany
Telephone: +49 40 460 63 6175
Roles of this organisation:
Buyer
Organisation providing additional information about the procurement procedure
Organisation receiving requests to participate
8.1.
ORG-0002
Official name: Vergabekammern des Bundes
Registration number: 022894990
Postal address: Kaiser-Friedrich-Straße 16
Town: Bonn
Postcode: 53113
Country subdivision (NUTS): Bonn, Kreisfreie Stadt (DEA22)
Country: Germany
Telephone: +49 2289499-0
Fax: +49 2289499-163
Roles of this organisation:
Review organisation
8.1.
ORG-0003
Official name: Datenservice Öffentlicher Einkauf (in Verantwortung des Beschaffungsamts des BMI)
Registration number: 0204:994-DOEVD-83
Town: Bonn
Postcode: 53119
Country subdivision (NUTS): Bonn, Kreisfreie Stadt (DEA22)
Country: Germany
Telephone: +49228996100
Roles of this organisation:
TED eSender
10. Change
10.1.
Change
Section identifier: PROCEDURE
Description of changes: Extension of deadline.
Notice identifier/version: 162d0079-0ada-4d8b-b2a3-db5d889299a2 - 01
Form type: Competition
Notice type: Contract or concession notice – standard regime
Notice subtype: 16
Notice dispatch date: 15/09/2026 09:19:38 (UTC+02:00) Eastern European Time, Central European Summer Time
Languages in which this notice is officially available: English
Notice publication number: 638556-2026
OJ S issue number: 179/2026
Publication date: 16/09/2026