How to bid on World Bank-funded projects in Sierra Leone

Many of the biggest contracts in Sierra Leone are paid for by the World Bank but bought by our own ministries and project units. Health, energy, water, land and social protection projects all buy goods, works and consulting services from local firms. Most are open to Sierra Leonean businesses, but they follow the World Bank's rules, not only the Public Procurement Act. This guide explains how those rules work in practice and how to put in a bid that survives evaluation.

Who actually runs the tender

The World Bank does not buy anything itself on these projects. The Borrower (the Government of Sierra Leone) runs the procurement through a Project Implementation Unit (PIU) or project management unit inside a ministry or agency. For example, the Ministry of Health runs World Bank health procurement through its Integrated Health Projects Administration Unit, and energy projects are run from the Ministry of Energy project unit at Electricity House.

So your questions, clarifications and complaints go to the PIU address in the notice, not to the World Bank.

The rules the PIU must follow are the World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers. The newest edition is dated September 2025, but each project follows the edition named in its legal agreement, so you will still see notices that refer to the 2020 or 2023 editions. Always read the edition named in your notice.

Where to find World Bank-funded opportunities

• General Procurement Notice (GPN): published early in a project to announce what it plans to buy. It is your early warning.
• Procurement Plan: after the Bank approves it, the plan is published on the World Bank website. It lists each contract, the method and expected dates for at least 18 months. Look up a project by name on projects.worldbank.org and open its procurement tab.
• Specific Procurement Notice (SPN): the actual invitation to bid or to express interest. The Bank publishes it on its website, and the PIU also advertises it locally, usually in a national newspaper, on its own website or on the NPPA website.
• WushBids: we list World Bank-funded notices for Sierra Leone alongside government, UN and NGO tenders, so you can see them in one place.

Tip: reading procurement plans is the single best habit for winning these contracts. If a plan says a road maintenance contract will be advertised in March, you can line up equipment, staff and finance in January.

Understand the method before you prepare

The notice tells you the method. The main ones you will see are:

• Request for Bids (RFB): for goods and works. It may be national (advertised in Sierra Leone, using a bidding document the Bank has accepted) or international (using the World Bank's Standard Procurement Documents).
• Request for Quotations (RFQ): for smaller, simple purchases, with less paperwork.
• Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI): the first step for consulting firms. The PIU builds a shortlist and then invites only shortlisted firms to submit full proposals.

For consulting firms, the selection method is also stated, for example QCBS (quality and cost-based selection), CQS (selection based on consultants' qualifications) or least-cost selection. Under QCBS, your technical score matters as much as your price, so a cheap proposal with a weak methodology will usually lose. For more on how each tender type works, see RFQ, ITB, RFP and EOI explained: tender types in Sierra Leone.

Step by step: bidding on a World Bank-funded contract

1. Check you are eligible. Firms that are debarred by the World Bank, or that have a conflict of interest (for example, you helped write the specifications or terms of reference), cannot take part. If you have worked for the same project before, say so and ask the PIU in writing whether it creates a conflict.

2. Get the bidding document. Many PIUs charge a small non-refundable fee for the document and send it by email after you show proof of payment. Pay through the bank account in the notice and keep the receipt.

3. Read the Bid Data Sheet first. This is the part of the document that sets the deadline, the address, the bid validity period, the currency, the bid security and the qualification criteria.

4. Prepare the qualification documents. A recent World Bank-funded health tender in Freetown asked for business registration, a NASSIT certificate, an NRA tax clearance, three years of audited accounts and proof of similar supplies. Our guide Documents you need to bid for a tender in Sierra Leone covers each one.

5. Provide the bid security in the form asked. The Regulations allow either a bid security (a guarantee from a reputable bank or acceptable financial institution, usually valid four weeks beyond the bid validity period) or a Bid-Securing Declaration. A declaration costs you nothing today, but if you withdraw your bid or refuse to sign the contract, you can be suspended from bidding for the period stated in the document. See Bid security explained for the details.

6. Expect beneficial ownership disclosure. World Bank notices now commonly state that the winning bidder must disclose its beneficial ownership, meaning the real people who own or control the company. Make sure the names match your registration documents.

7. Price honestly. If your price is far below others, the PIU must ask you for a written explanation with a detailed price breakdown. If you cannot show you can deliver at that price, your bid is rejected as abnormally low. Bid a price you can actually live with.

8. Submit exactly as instructed. Some PIUs accept email submissions for expressions of interest, while many goods and works tenders still require sealed bids in a tender box, with electronic bidding not allowed. Late bids are returned unopened.

After the deadline: standstill, debriefing and complaints

For contracts using the World Bank's standard documents, the PIU sends every bidder a Notification of Intention to Award before it signs the contract. This starts a Standstill Period, stated in the notice, during which the contract cannot be signed.

During that time you can:

• Ask for a debriefing in writing to understand why you lost. Ask quickly, as the deadline is short and stated in the notification.
• Make a complaint if you believe the rules were broken. It must reach the PIU before the Standstill Period ends and include the information the Regulations require.

A debriefing is one of the best ways to improve your next bid, so use it even if you do not plan to complain.

A quick checklist

• I have checked the project's procurement plan for upcoming contracts
• I know which edition of the Procurement Regulations applies
• I have read the Bid Data Sheet and noted every deadline
• I have no conflict of interest with this project
• My registration, NRA, NASSIT and audited accounts are current
• My bid security or Bid-Securing Declaration matches the form required
• I can disclose my beneficial owners if I win
• My price is realistic and I can explain it line by line

New to bidding? Start with How to register as a supplier with NPPA in Sierra Leone, then read Why bids get rejected in Sierra Leone: 12 common mistakes and how to avoid them before you submit.

You can find open World Bank, government, UN and NGO tenders for Sierra Leone on WushBids right now, including medical equipment and consultancy opportunities closing in November. Follow the WushBids WhatsApp Channel to get new tenders and guides as soon as they are posted.

This guide reflects information available as of October 2026. Rules and fees can change – always check with the official source.