This guide is the checklist behind a Zambian public bid: each document and step, grouped by the point in a procurement when it is asked for, with who can lawfully do it. For how Zambian procurement works overall (the law, e-GP, thresholds, bidder types, preferences, evaluation and appeals), see How to bid for government tenders in Zambia.
Before you bid
Your company and tax records
1. PACRA registration. Your certificate of registration or incorporation from the Patents and Companies Registration Agency is standard eligibility evidence. A foreign company that registers to do business in Zambia becomes a “local bidder”, which opens open national tenders to it.
- Valid: ongoing, subject to annual returns.
- Who does it: a lawyer or company secretary files through PACRA’s online services under their own account; your directors sign and provide ID.
2. ZRA TPIN and VAT registration. e-GP pulls your company data from PACRA and the Zambia Revenue Authority using your registration number and Taxpayer Identification Number, and tax and VAT registration evidence is listed eligibility documentation.
- Valid: permanent.
- Who does it: an accountant arranges the registration; you keep your own ZRA TaxOnline credentials.
3. Beneficial ownership on the PACRA register. Solicitation documents must ask for beneficial-ownership information, and award notices name beneficial owners as they appear on the PACRA Register of Beneficial Owners. Keep your filing current there; a lawyer updates it if it is out of date.
Your e-GP account
4. ZPPA e-GP supplier registration (eprocure.zppa.org.zm). The mandatory supplier account for public tenders. Company data is retrieved from PACRA and ZRA or entered by hand, including shareholders, your CEEC category and zipped attachments, and ZPPA validates the account after the fee is paid.
- Cost: 1,000 fee units (about K300 in 2021) for annual registration or renewal.
- Valid: 1 year.
- Who does it: you register the organisation and create its own Supplier Admin, then pay the fee by card, internet transfer or a cash deposit at Zanaco. The data and attachments can be prepared for you.
Status, partners and sector registration
5. Citizen and CEEC status. S.I. 45 of 2025 gives price margins to Zambia-registered and citizen-owned suppliers, including women-, youth- and disability-owned firms, and e-GP records your CEEC category. To claim a margin, you sign an ownership declaration backed by shareholder and ID evidence. The margins themselves are set out in the main guide.
6. Made-in-Zambia local-content claim. Goods with at least 35% local content in the 12 listed sectors earn a margin of 15% (citizen producer), 12% (citizen-local joint venture) or 10% (local producer). An accountant or engineer works out the local-content share; you sign the declaration.
7. Citizen-partner agreement (foreign bidders). A foreign bidder must partner with a Zambian citizen-owned supplier unless it is the original equipment manufacturer or a franchise holder. A Zambian lawyer drafts the partnership or joint-venture agreement, and both companies sign.
8. Citizen subcontracting in works. Works contracts above the simplified thresholds must subcontract at least 20% of the contract value to citizen firms, whether you are foreign or local. Subcontractor details and a draft agreement go in your bid, and the entity pays subcontractors directly. A lawyer drafts the agreements; you sign the subcontracts.
9. National Council for Construction registration. Contractors must be registered with the NCC, in a grade, and every project must be registered with the NCC before works begin.
- Valid: a calendar year, renewed annually. The 2027 renewal opened on 1 Oct 2026, with late penalties after 31 Jan 2027.
- Who does it: an engineer can help prepare the application; you submit on portal.ncc.org.zm or at a regional office, and pay the NCC.
- From abroad: see the award table below.
With your bid
10. ZRA tax clearance certificate. Regulation 223(1)© lists tax registration, VAT registration and tax clearance certificates as eligibility evidence, and almost every tender asks for them; entities verify documents with the issuer. Your accountant clears returns and arrears; you apply through your own ZRA account.
11. Other statutory compliance certificates, where the data sheet lists them. Regulation 223(1)(b) lets entities ask for evidence of any other statutory obligation, and Zambian tenders commonly ask for NAPSA (social security), Workers’ Compensation Fund Control Board and NHIMA certificates, especially for works and services. Your accountant reconciles contributions; you request each certificate as the employer, under your own accounts.
12. Signed eligibility statements. Under Regulation 223(1)(d)–(f) you state that you have no conflict of interest, no relevant conviction in the last 5 years and are not suspended. They are free and done the same day; your authorised signatory signs them truthfully.
13. Beneficial-ownership disclosure. Completed from your PACRA records in about 1 day and signed by your signatory. Bids or quotations from bidders with the same beneficial owner are disqualified.
14. Power of attorney for the bid signatory. Bids are signed by an authorised person, and tenders ask for written authorisation. A lawyer drafts it, your directors sign, and it is notarised where the tender requires.
15. The forms and evidence you’ll be asked for.
| Document | When it’s asked | Who prepares it | What only you do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audited accounts, turnover and access to credit | Medium and large tenders, where the qualification criteria ask | A ZICA-licensed auditor; your bank for credit | Approve the accounts |
| Experience, references and key personnel | Tenders where success depends on supplier qualifications (Reg. 224) | Compiled for you; references take about 1–2 weeks to gather | Obtain the references |
| Citizen-partner or JV agreement | Every foreign bid, unless you are the OEM or a franchise holder | A Zambian lawyer | Both companies sign |
| Subcontractor details and draft subcontract | Works above the simplified thresholds | Subcontractors sourced and agreements drafted | Sign the subcontracts |
| The price | Every tender | — | Set it yourself |
16. Bid security or Bid-Securing Declaration. Mandatory for open and limited bidding.
- Form and amount: a bank guarantee, insurance bond, standby letter of credit or manager’s or certified cheque, for at least 2% of the estimate; or, where the tender specifies it, a Bid-Securing Declaration (Form V).
- Cost and time: the issuer’s commission; 1–5 business days.
- Valid: normally 28 days beyond bid validity.
- Who does it: your bank or insurer issues it with the solicitation’s wording, and the wording can be checked for you; you apply.
- The issuer matters: it must be acceptable to the procuring entity (Reg. 88(6)©).
17. Submit on e-GP. Bids are submitted only through e-GP, in English, and the Act provides for digital signatures in the system. A named supplier user (a member of your staff, or a Partner you’ve added as a user) submits under their own login, never the admin’s credentials, and you pay any participation fee and sign the forms and power of attorney.
If you’re in line for award
| Step or proof | Issued by | Cost and time | Valid for | What only you do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance security, 5–10% of the contract value, for contracts above the simplified bidding threshold | Your bank or insurer | Issuer’s commission; due within 21 days; issued in 3–10 business days | The contract period | Apply to your bank |
| Advance-payment guarantee, for the full value of any advance (at most 25%) | Your bank or insurer | Issuer’s commission | — | Apply |
| NCC registration (foreign winners of international works tenders) | National Council for Construction | Within 21 days of award | Temporary registration up to 6 months | Submit and pay; tender only in JV with a Zambian contractor |
| NCC project registration | National Council for Construction | Before works begin | The project | Register the project |
The performance security is due after the standstill that follows the best-evaluated-bidder notice.
Notarising and legalising foreign documents. Zambia is not on the HCCH Apostille Convention status table, so a power of attorney executed abroad is notarised and then consular-legalised, not apostilled.
Who does what
| Step | Who can do it | What only you do |
|---|---|---|
| PACRA registration and beneficial-ownership filing | A lawyer or company secretary, on their own PACRA account | Directors sign and provide ID |
| TPIN, VAT and tax clearance | An accountant | Keep your ZRA login; apply for the clearance from your own account |
| NAPSA, workers’ compensation and NHIMA certificates | An accountant reconciles contributions | Request them as the employer |
| e-GP registration | Data and attachments prepared for you | Create the Supplier Admin and pay the fee |
| Citizen or CEEC status and local-content claims | Evidence assembled; local-content share worked out by an accountant or engineer | Sign the ownership and local-content declarations |
| Citizen-partner, JV and subcontract agreements | A Zambian lawyer drafts | Sign them |
| NCC registration | An engineer helps prepare | Submit from your own portal account and pay |
| Eligibility statements and beneficial-ownership disclosure | Drafted for you | The signatory signs |
| Signatory power of attorney | A lawyer drafts; notarised where required | Directors sign |
| Bid and performance security | Your bank or insurer | Apply |
| e-GP submission | A named supplier user, under their own login | Add the user; sign the forms; pay any fee |
The professionals involved
| Professional | Licensed or regulated by | What they do for a bidder |
|---|---|---|
| Bank or insurer (Bank of Zambia-licensed bank; PIA-registered insurer) | Bank of Zambia; Pensions and Insurance Authority | Issue the bid security (bank guarantee, insurance bond, standby letter of credit, manager’s or certified cheque), the 5–10% performance security and advance-payment guarantees |
| Registered engineer or quantity surveyor | Engineering Institution of Zambia | Prepare technical proposals and bills of quantities for works, and support NCC grading applications with personnel and equipment schedules |
| Procurement or bid consultant (ZIPS-registered procurement professionals exist) | No statutory licence | Prepare the bid documents, and work on e-GP as a named user under their own login where your Supplier Admin adds them |
A lawyer, an accountant and, where a tender wants sworn or notarised documents, a notary also take part in the steps above.
If your company is from abroad
You can bid without a Zambian company in open international procedures, but you must partner with a Zambian citizen-owned supplier unless you are the original equipment manufacturer or a franchise holder, and for works form a joint venture with a Zambian contractor; which tenders are open to you is explained in How to bid for government tenders in Zambia. For the paperwork:
Register on e-GP as a “Foreign Company”, entering your country of registration, shareholders and attachments by hand. Instead of Zambian tax and statutory certificates, you may submit home-country equivalents, or a statement that none are issued (Reg. 223(2)), and your home audited accounts count. Disclose beneficial ownership through your foreign holding chain. Your bank’s guarantee must be acceptable to the entity, so local confirmation is advisable. A foreign power of attorney is notarised and consular-legalised. Registering with PACRA to do business in Zambia makes you a “local bidder” with a 5% margin and access to open national tenders, though citizen-owned firms keep priority; unregistered foreign firms get no margin.
Pitfalls
- Check the route first. Open national tenders are closed to foreign firms not registered to do business in Zambia.
- No citizen partner, no foreign bid, unless you are the OEM or a franchise holder.
- Foreign works bids need both a joint venture with a Zambian contractor and at least 20% citizen subcontracting.
- Constituency Development Fund tenders are only for citizen bidders domiciled in that constituency.
- Watch for shared owners. Bids from companies with the same beneficial owner are disqualified, so never let two related companies bid on the same tender.
- Keep the Supplier Admin login to yourself. Partners and staff work under their own e-GP user accounts.
- Diary the renewals: the e-GP registration each year, and NCC registration by 31 Jan 2027 to avoid late penalties.
- Watch for the new e-GP system. A locally developed system was due for pilot in Q3 2026, and whether suppliers must re-register is not yet known.
Doing it with askTender
In Zambia, your askTender Partner is added as a named user on your company’s account on the ZPPA e-GP system and works under their own login (we confirm this with the portal before your first bid). You keep your own login, and sign what only you can sign: the Supplier Admin registration, the eligibility statements, the power of attorney, the partner and subcontract agreements and the contract. The askTender Desk prepares the forms, statements and evidence, assembles the bid and coordinates the certificates and securities; askTender Partners, such as a lawyer, an accountant or an engineer, do the steps their licence covers.
Questions
How much does ZPPA e-GP registration cost?
An annual registration or renewal fee of 1,000 fee units, about K300 in 2021. You pay by card, internet transfer or a cash deposit at Zanaco, and ZPPA validates the account once the fee is paid. Registration lasts 1 year.
Does a foreign company need a Zambian partner?
Yes, unless it is the original equipment manufacturer or a franchise holder. A foreign bidder must partner with a Zambian citizen-owned supplier, and for works must tender in a joint venture with a Zambian contractor and subcontract at least 20% of the contract value to citizen firms.
What eligibility documents does a Zambian tender ask for?
Regulation 223 lists tax registration, VAT registration and tax clearance certificates, evidence of other statutory obligations, and signed statements that you have no conflict of interest, no relevant conviction in the last 5 years and are not suspended. Entities verify documents with the issuer. Foreign bidders may give home-country equivalents or a statement that none are issued.
How much bid security does a Zambian tender need?
At least 2% of the estimated value for open and limited bidding, as a bank guarantee, insurance bond, standby letter of credit or manager’s or certified cheque, normally valid 28 days beyond bid validity. Where the tender specifies it, a Bid-Securing Declaration (Form V) is used instead. Banks and insurers usually issue in 1–5 business days.
When does a foreign contractor register with the NCC?
Within 21 days of winning an international works tender. Temporary registration lasts up to 6 months, and the foreign contractor may tender for works only in a joint venture with a Zambian contractor.
Does Zambia accept apostilles?
No. Zambia is not on the HCCH Apostille Convention status table, so a power of attorney executed abroad is notarised and then consular-legalised.
Sources
- ZPPA: e-GP supplier registration guide
- Public Procurement Regulations, 2022 (S.I. 30 of 2022)
- Public Procurement (Amendment) Act, 2023
- Public Procurement Act, 2020
- Public Procurement (Preference and Reservation Schemes) Regulations (S.I. 45 of 2025)
- National Council for Construction Act, 2020
- National Council for Construction: 2027 contractor renewal notice
- HCCH: Apostille Convention status table
This guide explains the rules in plain English; it isn’t legal advice. Procurement rules change, and each tender document sets its own conditions — it always prevails.