Kampala, Uganda | URN | Uganda has opened the door for businesses to compete for procurement opportunities linked to the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) PAMOJA 2027, with the Local Organising Committee (LOC) inviting qualified firms to register for pre-qualification ahead of the rollout of tournament contracts later this year.
The exercise is expected to pave the way for Ugandan companies to compete for contracts across a broad range of sectors, including hospitality, transport, information technology, security, branding, media production, event management and medical services.
Speaking to Uganda Radio Network (URN) on Wednesday, Dr Dennis K. Mugimba, Chairperson of the LOC Communications and Promotion Sub-Committee, said the registration exercise is intended to establish a pool of credible suppliers before the formal procurement process begins.
“We invite all qualified, experienced and reputable potential suppliers to register their interest through the pre-qualification process. Only firms that successfully meet the required standards will be invited to submit bids when the procurement process officially begins,” Mugimba said.
He emphasized that the supplier registration process is free of charge and warned businesses against fraudsters demanding payment in exchange for registration.
The registration follows a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on May 18, 2026, inviting companies from across the continent to express interest in supplying goods and services for the 2027 tournament, which Uganda will co-host with Kenya and Tanzania.
CAF is expected to begin issuing Requests for Proposals (RFPs) from the first week of August 2026, while Uganda’s national procurement process is expected to progress to competitive bidding between September and October 2026.
The current pre-qualification exercise, launched by Uganda’s LOC in July, will remain open until the end of the month, although officials say the deadline may be extended if necessary.
According to the LOC, procurement opportunities will cover almost every aspect of tournament delivery, including hospitality and accommodation, catering, transport and logistics, information and communication technology (ICT), media and digital production, branding, medical and emergency services, security, consultancy, documentary production, fan parks, souvenir production and office supplies.
“When you go to our procurement portal, you will find the categories of supplies and services required and what needs to be done,” Mugimba said.
To qualify, businesses must be legally registered in Uganda, be registered with the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA), demonstrate financial capacity and tax compliance, and have no history of procurement malpractice or contract non-performance.
Only firms that complete the pre-qualification process will be invited to submit bids once tenders are issued.
Mugimba said the procurement process would be guided by CAF’s Procurement Policy, the AFCON PAMOJA 2027 Host Agreement signed by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, and Uganda’s Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act, which requires open competition, transparency and equal treatment of bidders.
He noted, however, that not all tournament-related contracts will be handled by Uganda’s Local Organising Committee.
Specialised services such as ticketing systems, television production and broadcasting rights will be procured centrally by CAF for implementation across all three host countries.
Likewise, infrastructure works, security deployments and procurements undertaken by government ministries, departments and agencies will continue to be managed independently under existing public procurement laws.
“The Local Organising Committee is not responsible for sourcing suppliers for services implemented by other Ministries, Departments and Agencies. Those procurements remain the responsibility of the respective institutions,” Mugimba said.
The procurement exercise marks one of Uganda’s first major commercial preparations for AFCON PAMOJA 2027 and is expected to create business opportunities for local companies as the country prepares to co-host Africa’s biggest football tournament alongside Kenya and Tanzania.
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