Public procurement regulation in Guinea: texts, procedures, thresholds

The texts in force

I found no regional directive binding on the Guinean Code. It forbids discrimination by nationality against nationals of member states of a regional organisation Guinea belongs to, or of a country bound by a treaty Guinea has ratified (art. 3). National preference therefore plays between national and non-national firms, without a numerical community framework.[2]

Loi L/2012/020/CNT du 11 octobre 2012 fixant les règles régissant la passation, le contrôle et la régulation des marchés publics et délégations de service public, modifiée par la loi L/2018/028/AN du 5 juillet 2018
Base law: principles, open tender as the rule, limited cases of direct agreement, institutional framework (control body, ARMP), prior appeal to the contracting authority, conflicts of interest. The 2018 law also provides for the National Directorate for Public Procurement Control, since renamed the DGCMP.[3][4]
Décret D/2019/333/PRG/SGG du 17 décembre 2019 portant Code des marchés publics
Reference text for a bidder: procedures, publicity, guarantees, evaluation, national preference, award, performance, payment, appeals to the Dispute Settlement Committee and sanctions. It is cited as in force in the order of 6 May 2026. It is not a new 2023 code: the label « New code » on the ARMP website refers to this text.[2][1]
Arrêté A/2026/190/MEFB/SGG du 6 mai 2026 modifiant l'arrêté A/2020/2302/MEF/SGG du 7 août 2020 (seuils de passation, de contrôle et d'approbation)
Sets the award, publication and approval thresholds in Guinean francs, and the request-for-quotation rule (50 million GNF and above). It replaces the 2020 thresholds.[1]
Arrêté A/2020/2302/MEF/SGG du 7 août 2020 (anciens seuils)
Former tender thresholds: 500 million GNF for State works, 150 million for State supplies, ordinary services and intellectual services, 200 million (works) and 100 million (others) for decentralised services and communes. Replaced in May 2026: many online guides still quote them.[5]
Partly amended by more recent texts.
Arrêté A/2021/860/MEF/CAB/SGG fixant les critères de qualification et de catégorisation des entreprises
Defines the criteria for the qualification certificate issued by the Official Business Certification Body (OCE) attached to the ARMP: administrative, technical and financial criteria, supervisory staff, turnover, and a one-year provisional certificate for new firms.[6]
Arrêté A/2021/862/MEF/CAB/SGG portant attributions et organisation du service de contrôle des procédures auprès des autorités contractantes
Creates at each contracting authority a service for prior control of procedures below the national control body's thresholds.[7]
Décrets d'août 2026 sur la dématérialisation de la commande publique (lus à la télévision le 21 août 2026)
According to the press, they would create a national electronic platform, make electronic publication and bid submission mandatory, and give 30 days after publication in the Official Gazette to adapt. I found neither the text nor its publication date, so this obligation is not confirmed.[13]
Status to confirm with the regulator.

The bodies

ARMP (Autorité de régulation des marchés publics)
Regulator. Its Dispute Settlement Committee rules on appeals after the prior appeal to the buyer. It may also act on its own initiative, sanction (exclusion, fine, withdrawal of approval) and keeps the blacklist. Its website posts tender notices, minutes, procurement plans and its decisions. The firm qualification certificate is issued by the OCE attached to it.[2][8][6]
DGCMP (Direction générale du contrôle des marchés publics)
Control body attached to the finance ministry, with regional and prefectural services. It controls before and after: it reviews the tender dossier before launch, gives the no-objection opinion on the evaluation report, approves contracts and may send an observer to the bid opening. It was called the National Directorate for Public Procurement Control (DNCMP) in texts from 2018 to 2021: some sites and guides keep that name.[1][2][11][4]
Ministre de l'Économie, des Finances et du Budget
Authorises in advance restricted tenders, direct agreements and two-stage tenders. Approves contracts, or delegates that power to sector ministers, governors and prefects, and sets the thresholds by order.[2][1]
PRMP (personne responsable des marchés publics), cellule de passation et commission de passation des marchés
At each contracting authority: the cell receives bids against a receipt, the commission opens them in public session and evaluates the bids, the PRMP signs the contract and answers requests for reasons for rejection. PRMPs mandated at regional, prefectural and communal level run procedures within their level.[2][1]
Service de contrôle auprès des autorités contractantes
Prior control of award procedures and draft contracts below the DGCMP's control thresholds, of which it is a decentralised arm.[7]
TELEMO (plateforme nationale de commande publique)
Electronic public procurement platform, officially launched on 22 May 2026 according to the press, and in « a new phase of use » since September 2026 according to the ARMP, which says it is still working on its rollout and on electronic submission. The ARMP does not say its use is mandatory. Only the press reports that, about August 2026 decrees I could not read.[12][9][10][13]
Administration et Contrôle des Grands Projets (ACGP)
Body under the authority of the President of the Republic, in charge of public project supervision for large projects. Expression of interest notices concerning it appear on the DGCMP website (September 2026).[2][11]

Where to find notices

Site de l'ARMP (armpguinee.org)
Working on 2 November 2026, with documents added up to 27 October. Sections: tenders by type (works, supplies, intellectual services, mixed contracts), procurement plans, expressions of interest, award notices, public-private partnerships, Dispute Settlement Committee decisions, blacklist, texts. Most recent documents are minutes and addenda: check the deadline in each document.
Open to read at the time of my check.
Site de la DGCMP (dgcmp.gov.gn)
Working on 2 November 2026, with notices published up to 22 October. It groups notices into general, open, restricted and international tenders, expressions of interest, results, approved contracts and procurement plans, with files to download as PDF or Excel. It links to TELEMO in its e-procurement menu.
Open to read at the time of my check.
TELEMO (telemo.gov.gn)
National public procurement platform, being rolled out according to the ARMP. On 2 November 2026, its public list of contracts showed a single notice, so most Guinean notices are still elsewhere. I could not verify registration or bid submission. According to the press, the August 2026 decrees would require candidates to register for tenders run through the platform.
The list of contracts can be read without an account. According to the press, not confirmed by a text I read: candidate registration, and a tender dossier to pay for before any bid is submitted.
Journal des marchés publics, annonces légales et sites des autorités contractantes
The Code requires the notice to be published in identical terms in the Public Procurement Journal, in at least three national or international publications, on the contracting authority's website and on the ARMP's (art. 54). I could not open an online edition of the Public Procurement Journal.

Who buys

Central State (ministries, departments): The authority's PRMP, cell and award commission run the procedure; the DGCMP gives its no-objection opinion; the finance minister approves or delegates. 2026 award thresholds: 2 billion GNF (works), 1.5 billion (supplies and ordinary services), 1 billion (intellectual services). Sector ministers approve up to 2 billion (works) and 1.5 billion (other contracts).[1][2]
Decentralised services (regions, prefectures): 2026 award thresholds: 1.5 billion GNF (works) and 1 billion (supplies, ordinary services, intellectual services). Regional and prefectural PRMPs run opening and evaluation; control is exercised by the regional or prefectural DGCMP service. Governors and prefects approve up to 1.5 billion (works) and 1 billion (other contracts).[1]
Communes (town halls): Same thresholds as decentralised services. Mayors approve all contracts awarded from own funds in their district. The Code lets local authorities grant SMEs in their area payment periods shorter than 60 days (art. 137) and a 5% preference to bidders who subcontract at least 30% to a craftsman (art. 79).[1][2]
Administrative public establishments and public companies: Subject to the Code. For them the 2026 order gives no figures: it refers to articles 18 and 28 of law L/2017/056/AN of 8 December 2017 on financial governance of public companies and establishments. Read the notice to see which procedure applies.[1]
Donor-financed projects: The Code applies to the extent it does not contradict the financing agreement. When the funder provides its own prior review by thresholds, the DGCMP does no prior review (art. 4). For approval, sector ministers approve up to US$1 million and project coordinators up to US$500,000.[2][1]
Defence and security: When defence secrecy makes publicity incompatible, the direct agreement procedure is established by a special commission attached to the Presidency, which also controls award and performance (art. 40).[2]

The procedures

Open tender (national or international), with or without prequalification

This is the rule: any non-excluded firm may bid (art. 21 and 23). Above the award thresholds the contract must be awarded under the Code. For large, complex or technical works or equipment, prequalification may precede the tender (art. 24). A tender is valid only if the buyer receives at least 3 bids, of which 2 are admissible (art. 22).[2][1]

Minimum period: At least 30 calendar days from publication of the notice for a national tender, 45 days for an international tender (art. 55). In simple urgency authorised in advance by the finance minister, publicity may be shortened by 7 working days (art. 21). If fewer than 3 bids arrive, the buyer opens a new period of at least 15 calendar days and may then open even a single bid (art. 22 and 74).[2]

For you: Since May 2026, many contracts that would have gone to tender now go through a request for quotation. Open tenders now cover large contracts: if you target State contracts of several hundred million GNF, watch quotations as well.

Restricted tender

Only candidates the buyer consults submit a bid. The goods, works or services must, by their specialised nature, be available from a limited number of providers or, for certain goods, be locally produced or crafted. The buyer must seek authorisation from the finance minister after the control body's opinion. The list has at least 5 candidates (3 at minimum by exception), and the decision is published. Without authorisation the restricted tender is void (art. 28).[2]

Minimum period: Same period as an open tender (art. 28 referring to art. 55), from the sending of the invitation letter or the deadline for collecting the dossier.[2]

For you: The Code allows a non-invited candidate to express interest, based on the notice published at the start of the year on planned restricted tenders. Read that annual notice and write to the buyer.

Request for quotation

Below the award thresholds, the buyer may use formal requests for quotation sent by the PRMP to at least 3 qualified providers, with the specifications and performance terms (Code, art. 21). The 2026 order makes it compulsory for any spending of 50 million GNF or more. Below 50 million, purchases are made on comparative invoices.[2][1]

For you: This is small firms' way in. Providers are chosen by the buyer: keep a current file (commercial register, tax clearance, references) and introduce yourself to the procurement officers of the authorities you target. General procurement notices, which include requests for quotation (art. 20), give the calendar.

Direct agreement (single-source)

Cases set by the 2012 law: exclusive right or patent held by one provider; defence and security secrecy; extreme urgency to replace a defaulting contractor; compelling urgency from unforeseeable events or force majeure. Prior authorisation by the finance minister after the control body's opinion, otherwise the contract is void. Competition among at least 3 candidates remains in principle mandatory. The yearly total of direct-agreement contracts of each authority must not exceed 10% of its contracts (Code, art. 38 and 39).[3][2]

For you: A direct agreement without authorisation is void: before signing, ask for the finance minister's authorisation reference. The contractor accepts price control during performance (art. 41).

Expression of interest and shortlist (intellectual services)

For studies, supervision and assistance: the buyer publishes an expression of interest notice, draws up a shortlist of 6 to 8 preselected candidates (at least two national consultants if they meet the criteria), then sends a request for proposals. The proposal sits in a single envelope containing the technical and financial offers, each sealed (art. 33).[2]

Minimum period: 15 days from publication of the notice for expressions of interest; proposals follow the periods of article 55 (art. 33.2).[2]

For you: With a shortlist of 6 to 8 names, the expression of interest file is the real selection. A Guinean firm has a good chance of getting in, since the Code requires at least two qualified national consultants.

Two-stage tender

For highly complex contracts or those awarded on performance criteria. Bidders first submit technical proposals without prices, then final priced offers on a revised dossier. A reasoned request, finance minister authorisation and the control body's opinion are required (art. 26 and 27).[2]

For you: You may withdraw before the final stage without losing your bid guarantee (art. 27).

Framework agreement

For repeat orders or purchases pooled by several authorities. Prior authorisation by the control body. If there are several holders, there are at least three, if the number of bids allows. The agreement is performed through purchase orders or follow-on contracts (art. 47).[2]

For you: Being selected does not guarantee orders: read the minimums and maximums in value or quantity.

The thresholds

Buyer	Contract	Amount	Effect
State	Works	2,000,000,000 GNF (single threshold, tax included)	From this amount the spending must be awarded under the Code (tender).[1]
Decentralised services (regions, prefectures) and communes	Works	1,500,000,000 GNF	Tender threshold for these buyers' works.[1]
State	Supplies	1,500,000,000 GNF	Tender threshold for supplies.[1]
State	Services	1,500,000,000 GNF (ordinary services)	Ordinary services follow the supplies threshold.[1]
Decentralised services (regions, prefectures) and communes	Supplies	1,000,000,000 GNF	Tender threshold for supplies.[1]
Decentralised services (regions, prefectures) and communes	Services	1,000,000,000 GNF (ordinary services)	Ordinary services follow the supplies threshold.[1]
State, decentralised services and communes	Consulting	1,000,000,000 GNF (intellectual services)	Single threshold for all three levels. Below it a request for quotation is possible.[1]
Public companies and administrative public establishments	All	Amount not restated in the 2026 order: refers to articles 18 and 28 of law L/2017/056/AN	The applicable threshold is the one in the law on financial governance of public companies and establishments.[1]
All buyers, below the thresholds above	All	50,000,000 GNF or more	Request for quotation compulsory, sent to at least 3 qualified providers. Below 50 million: comparative invoices.[1][2]
Tenders: national publication (legal-notice newspapers)	All	Up to 20 billion GNF (works) and 15 billion GNF (supplies, ordinary services, intellectual services)	Notices for these contracts are published nationally. Regional-only publication is enough up to 2 billion GNF (works) and 1.5 billion GNF (others). It must not exclude foreign firms.[1]
Approval: sector ministers	All	Up to 2 billion GNF (works); 1.5 billion GNF (supplies, ordinary services, intellectual services)	Above this the finance minister approves. Governors and prefects: up to 1.5 billion (works) and 1 billion (others). Mayors: all contracts on own funds in their district.[1]
Approval, external financing	All	US$1,000,000 (sector ministers); US$500,000 (project and programme coordinators)	Approval ceilings for contracts financed by funders.[1]

The administrative documents

Trade register extract (RCCM)
Almost always asked for
Greffe du Tribunal de Commerce / APIP
The RCCM is issued by the registry of the commercial court for the registered office, or through the APIP one-stop shop at incorporation. Registration is permanent, but tender files usually ask for a recent extract. Check with the registry for an up-to-date extract.
Detailed guide
Tax identification number (NIF)
Almost always asked for
Direction Nationale des Impôts (DNI)
The NIF is assigned by the DNI at tax registration; the registration certificate is obtained from your local tax office. It is requested in every administrative file. Check that the company name matches the RCCM.
Official site
Tax status certificate
Almost always asked for
Direction Nationale des Impôts (DNI)
It certifies that the company is current on its tax obligations. Apply at your local tax office once all returns are filed and due taxes paid. Check the validity period stated on the certificate.
Usual validity: 3 monthsOfficial site Detailed guide
CNSS certificate
Almost always asked for
Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale (CNSS)
It certifies that the company is registered and current on its social-security contributions. Apply at your CNSS branch. Settle any overdue contributions before applying.
Usual validity: 3 months
Non-bankruptcy certificate
Almost always asked for
Greffe du Tribunal de Commerce
It is issued by the registry of the commercial court for the company's jurisdiction on presentation of the RCCM. It certifies that no insolvency proceedings are ongoing. Tender files usually require a recent certificate: check the requested age.
Usual validity: 3 monthsDetailed guide

Who can bid

You cannot bid if: you have no identifiable fixed seat or the human, technical and financial capacity; you have not paid taxes, contributions and fees (including those owed to the ARMP) or cannot prove it; you are bankrupt, in liquidation or court-supervised restructuring unless the court allows you to continue; you are excluded by the ARMP or a court; you are sanctioned under a funder's rules; or someone in your firm is linked to a member of the award, control or approval bodies (art. 64). The same rules apply to subcontractors and joint venture members.[2]
Conflict of interest: a firm supplying goods or carrying out works cannot have provided consulting services on the same project, nor the reverse (art. 64). Non-profit associations access competitive procedures only where competition is among themselves (art. 3).[2]
Technical capacity (past contracts, equipment, staff) and financial capacity (bank statements, balance sheets, turnover over up to 3 years) are set out in the dossier. The minimum turnover required does not exceed twice the estimated contract value, except in justified cases (art. 61 and 62). A newly created firm may prove technical capacity through its managers' experience, if it shows financial and logistical capacity (art. 61).[2]
The buyer may ask for a qualification certificate issued by the ARMP's Official Business Certification Body (OCE), but not exclusively or discriminatorily. New firms may get a one-year non-renewable provisional certificate. The certificate applies to contracts above the thresholds (Code art. 60; order A/2021/860, art. 2, 3 and 6).[2][6]
The awardee presents tax and social attestations valid at the date of notification of the award. They are required only for approval. Without them within 15 days of notification, the contract is withdrawn for reallocation (art. 63). All written documents are in French (art. 52).[2]

Joint ventures and subcontracting

The joint venture may be joint-and-several (each member bound for the whole) or joint (each member performs its lots or tranches). A leader named in the commitment form represents the members and is jointly liable with each for performance. Membership cannot change between prequalification and bid submission. A candidate cannot bid alone and in a joint venture for the same contract or lot. A global bid guarantee is possible, except for a tender in lots (art. 115 and 67).[2]
Subcontracting must be provided for in the dossier, declared in the bid (nature, amount, references) and accepted by the buyer with its payment terms. It cannot exceed 30% of the contract value. The approved subcontractor may be paid directly by the buyer if the law allows. A buyer may require that part be given to Guinean SMEs (art. 114).[2]

Bid security

A bid guarantee is required when the tender dossier provides for it, except for intellectual services. It is set between 1% and 2% of the estimated contract amount, split by lot. Accepted forms: bank guarantee, certified cheque, bank cheque or surety from an approved financial body. It goes in the bid envelope, separate from the technical and financial offers (art. 65 to 67).[2]
Below a threshold set by order, the candidate may provide a bid guarantee declaration instead. If it withdraws or, as awardee, refuses to sign or does not provide the performance guarantee, it loses the bid guarantee or, with a declaration, is excluded from that authority's contracts for one year. The guarantee is returned to unsuccessful bidders at the latest 15 days after designation (art. 65 and 68).[2]
Craft enterprises under the single professional tax and registered with the chamber of trades are exempt from bid and performance guarantees under conditions set by finance minister order, with a tax certificate if awarded (art. 98).[2]

Submitting bids

A single envelope holds the candidacy, the bid guarantee and, separately, the technical and financial offers, with the commitment form signed by the bidder or its authorised representative. The envelope is sealed, bears the tender number and subject, with no indication of the bidder's identity, on pain of rejection (art. 70 and 71).[2]
A representative of the award cell receives bids against a receipt up to the deadline, numbers and logs them. Bids arriving after the deadline hour are inadmissible. Bid validity is 30 to 180 days, extendable by 30 days (art. 71 and 73).[2]
If, at least 15 days before the deadline, the buyer changes the dossier or postpones the date, candidates are told by the means of article 54, and those who already filed may modify their bid or declare themselves released. If an event makes receipt impossible, the deadline is extended by at least one day (art. 72).[2]
Exchanges and bids may be electronic, as the notice states, with integrity and confidentiality safeguards (art. 56 and 57). According to the press, August 2026 decrees would require exclusively electronic submission through the national platform, with bids encrypted until opening and a numbered acknowledgement, after a 30-day period from publication in the Official Gazette. I could not verify that text.[2][13]unofficial source

Bid opening

The bid opening is public, at the latest 30 minutes after the deadline hour. Names, amounts of each bid and variant, discounts, time limits and the presence or absence of a bid guarantee are read aloud and recorded in the minutes, which are published on the contracting authority's and the ARMP's websites and given to bidders who ask. A DGCMP observer may attend. Late bids stay sealed and are returned within 30 days (art. 73).[2]
For intellectual services, the technical offer is opened and evaluated first; only technically qualified proposals have their financial offer opened, in public (art. 33.4).[2]

Evaluating bids

Award goes to the compliant bid evaluated as lowest from the bidder meeting the qualification criteria, with no negotiation. The criteria are in the dossier: price, life-cycle cost, time limits, guarantees, staff and so on. Variants are considered only if the dossier allows them (art. 22, 75, 76, 77 and 84).[2]
The commission may ask for written clarifications, which you have 5 calendar days to provide, without changing your bid; it may correct arithmetical errors. Abnormally low or abnormally high bids may be rejected after a written request for justification, to be answered within 5 calendar days (art. 75 and 83).[2]

Preferences and SMEs

National preference: a percentage set in the dossier, at most 7% for works and 15% for supplies and services. Conditions: for building and civil works, at least 30% community inputs and 50% national staff; for design firms, more than 50% of the study done by them; for suppliers, at least 30% Guinean added value, or the bidder's nationality for imported supplies. Legal entities must be more than half owned and controlled by Guineans (art. 78 and 79).[2]
A craftsman or craft enterprise established in Guinea may get a 5% preference, cumulative with national preference. For local authorities, a bidder who subcontracts at least 30% to a craftsman may receive up to 5% more (art. 79).[2]
In a tender, the buyer applies a margin of at most 15% to the bid of a bidder who subcontracts at least 30% of the contract value to a national SME. Subcontracting more than 30% of the total value is forbidden (art. 114).[2]

Award

After the DGCMP's no-objection opinion, the provisional award minutes are published (authority and ARMP websites, posting, Public Procurement Journal). The award is notified to the selected bidder, the others are told at the same time, and their bid guarantee is returned. A rejected bidder receives in writing the reasons for rejection, the amount and the awardee's name, and may obtain a copy of the minutes and the analysis report within 5 working days of its written request (art. 80 and 81).[2]
The buyer observes a minimum of 15 working days after publication before signing the contract and submitting it for approval. During this period a candidate with an interest in challenging must file its appeal, on pain of being barred (art. 81).[2]
The contract is signed within 5 working days of receiving the draft validated by the DGCMP, approved within 3 to 7 working days, then notified within 5 calendar days after approval. It takes effect on notification, and a final award notice is published within 15 calendar days. An unapproved contract is void and the firm performing it does so at its own risk (art. 85 to 89). No tender notice may be launched without proof of funding (art. 20).[2]

Appeals

Step 1, mandatory before going to the ARMP: a written appeal to the contracting authority or its hierarchical authority, copied to the ARMP and the control body, by registered letter with acknowledgement or by electronic means. Deadline: 15 working days from the day after notification of the provisional award to all bidders; 10 working days from publication or notification of any other contested act. The appeal suspends the procedure. It must claim a clear breach of the regulations (art. 147 to 149).[2][4]
Step 2: if the buyer does not answer within 5 working days, or the answer does not satisfy you, you go to the ARMP Dispute Settlement Committee within 5 working days of publication or notification of the contested decision. The ARMP rules on admissibility within 10 working days and on the merits at the latest 15 working days later; after that the award can no longer be suspended. The decision is immediately enforceable (art. 149 to 152).[2]
Step 3: an appeal against the Committee's decision before the competent court is not suspensive, unless the administrative judge orders a stay within 30 days. The ARMP may also act on its own initiative, which suspends the procedure (art. 150 and 152).[2]
Performance disputes: prior amicable appeal to the contracting authority within 10 working days; conciliation possible before the ARMP; then court or OHADA arbitration if nothing is settled within 15 working days of the appeal (art. 154 and 155).[2]

Performance guarantee

The contractor provides a performance guarantee where the nature, size and duration of the contract require it. It does not exceed 5% of the base price, including amendments. Intellectual services are exempt. It is provided within 20 calendar days of notification, and in any case before the first payment. Form: first-demand bank guarantee or surety (art. 96 to 99).[2]

Advance payment

The start-up advance is capped at 20% of the initial amount for works and intellectual services, 30% for supplies and other services. It is provided for in the tender dossier, guaranteed up to its amount (except intellectual services with an advance of at most 10%), paid within 45 days of receiving the guarantee, and repaid at the latest when work done reaches 80% of the contract. The contractor may waive it (art. 100 and 134).[2]

Retention

Where the contract has a warranty period, the buyer may withhold up to 5% of each payment as a retention, set in the specifications and refunded at the latest at final reception. It may be replaced by a guarantee defined by order of the finance minister (art. 103).[2]

Payment

The buyer pays instalments and the balance within 60 calendar days at most, counted from the last day of certification of performance or delivery. It may suspend this period only for causes attributable to the contractor, by requesting the documents at least 45 days before the due date. Local authorities may grant shorter periods to SMEs in their area (art. 137 and 138).[2]
A payment delay gives an automatic right to default interest at the Central Bank of the Republic of Guinea discount rate plus one point, payable within 60 days of your reasoned and quantified request. Late and special penalties together do not exceed 10% of the tax-inclusive base contract amount, on pain of termination (art. 142 and 143).[2]

Sanctions

The ARMP may sanction a contractor, supplier or provider who: colludes on prices, influences the tender dossier or splits the contract, over-invoices or false-invoices, tries to influence evaluation or award, gives false information, commits fraud in performance, failed obligations after a final decision, or subcontracts beyond the cap (art. 159).[2]
Cumulative sanctions: forfeiture of guarantees, temporary exclusion (up to 10 years, extendable to companies linked by capital in case of collusion), withdrawal of approval or qualification certificate, a fine of 1% to 2% of the bid or contract amount, takeover in direct management followed by termination at the contractor's cost and risk. The list of excluded firms is published in the Public Procurement Journal (art. 159). False statements on capacities or documents lead to rejection of the bid and temporary exclusion (art. 69).[2]
Splitting spending (cutting an order to stay below the thresholds) is forbidden and is a fraudulent practice. Officials who do it risk temporary or permanent exclusion from any award, control or regulation role (2026 order, art. 6).[1]

Traps to know about

Thresholds changed on 6 May 2026, and many online guides still give the old 2020 figures (500 million GNF for works, 150 million for State supplies). Today, for State supplies, tendering starts at 1.5 billion GNF. Purchases of several hundred million therefore go through a request for quotation, with at least three providers consulted.
The control body was called the National Directorate for Public Procurement Control (DNCMP) in texts from 2018 to 2021, and other documents use the acronym DNMP. Recent texts speak of the General Directorate for Public Procurement Control (DGCMP). For an appeal or an information request, address the DGCMP and the ARMP.
The prior appeal is mandatory and very short: 15 working days after notification of the provisional award (10 for other acts). Send it to the contracting authority, copied to the ARMP and the control body, by registered letter, and keep the acknowledgement. Without it, the ARMP cannot be seized.
The awardee must provide tax and social attestations valid at the date of notification, within 15 days, otherwise the contract is withdrawn and reallocated. Renew your attestations before you bid, not after.
Some contracts are awarded by restricted tender or direct agreement, and direct agreements are capped at 10% of each authority's contracts. Do not count on a publication: follow procurement plans on the ARMP and DGCMP websites, write to authorities you care about, and read the notice published at the start of the year on restricted tenders.
Bids, documents and correspondence are in French only. The envelope bears nothing that identifies you: an envelope with your stamp or letterhead may be rejected.
The TELEMO platform is being rolled out. According to the press, August 2026 decrees would require electronic submission after a 30-day period, but I could not read those texts. Each notice therefore decides: read it to see whether the dossier and submission go through the platform, and prepare your registration in advance.

What we could not confirm

Rather than guess, we list here what no reliable source allowed us to confirm. On these points, rely on the tender file or ask the body concerned.

August 2026 dematerialisation decrees: I found only press reports (read on television on 21 August 2026). Neither the number, nor the Official Gazette publication date, nor the end of the 30-day period is known. Exclusively electronic submission may therefore already apply or not: check each notice.
TELEMO: the public list showed a single notice when I checked. I could not verify the company registration procedure, nor which authorities use it to receive bids.
The order of 6 May 2026 provides for publication in the Official Gazette: I could not confirm it took place. It refers to law L/2017/056/AN for the thresholds of public companies and administrative public establishments, which I did not read.
I did not find the orders that set the threshold for the bid guarantee declaration (art. 65) and the conditions of the exemption for craftsmen (art. 98).
The Code gives two periods for the evaluation report: 15 calendar days (art. 73) and 15 working days (art. 75). I could not settle which prevails.
The ARMP presents a new Public Procurement Code (contracts and public-private partnerships) as a reform project. I found no adopted text. The ARMP website's copy of the Code is a scan with no date on its first page: the 17 December 2019 date comes from the references in the 2026 order. I did not read every article in detail (for example 8 to 19 and 42 to 46).
Of the 2012 law I read only the passage on direct agreements. The rules on public-private partnerships and public service delegations were not studied. No online version of the Public Procurement Journal could be opened.

Sources

Arrêté A/2026/190/MEFB/SGG du 6 mai 2026 modifiant l'arrêté A/2020/2302/MEF/SGG du 7 août 2020 portant fixation des seuils de passation, de contrôle et d'approbation des marchés publics (Ministère de l'Économie, des Finances et du Budget (copie sur le site de l'ARMP), 2026-05-06)
Décret D/2019/333/PRG/SGG du 17 décembre 2019 portant Code des marchés publics (copie « Nouveau code des marchés publics » de l'ARMP) (ARMP (Autorité de régulation des marchés publics), 2019-12-17)
Loi L/2012/020/CNT du 11 octobre 2012 fixant les règles régissant la passation, le contrôle et la régulation des marchés publics et délégations de service public (art. 11 sur l'entente directe) (ARMP (copie de la loi), 2012-10-11)
Loi L/2018/028/AN du 5 juillet 2018 modifiant la loi L/2012/020/CNT, avec le décret de promulgation D/2018/115 (ARMP (copie de la loi), 2018-07-05)
Arrêté A/2020/2302/MEF/SGG du 7 août 2020 portant fixation des seuils de passation, de contrôle et d'approbation des marchés publics (Ministère de l'Économie et des Finances (copie sur le site de l'ARMP), 2020-08-07)
Arrêté A/2021/860/MEF/CAB/SGG fixant les critères de qualification et de catégorisation des entreprises (Ministère de l'Économie et des Finances (copie sur le site de l'ARMP), 2021)
Arrêté A/2021/862/MEF/CAB/SGG portant attributions et organisation du service de contrôle des procédures de passation auprès des autorités contractantes (Ministère de l'Économie et des Finances (copie sur le site de l'ARMP), 2021)
Site de l'ARMP : appels d'offres, avis, décisions du Comité de règlement des différends, liste noire, règlementation (ARMP, 2026-11-02)
Commande publique : l'ARMP, la DGCMP et la Banque mondiale font le point sur l'évolution de Télémo (ARMP, 2026-10)
TELEMO, Liste des marchés (publique ; un avis le 2 novembre 2026 : n° 000001/F/AOIO/2026/MT) (TELEMO, plateforme nationale de commande publique, 2026-11-02)
Site de la DGCMP : avis d'appels d'offres, plans de passation, lien vers la plateforme e-procurement (DGCMP (Direction générale du contrôle des marchés publics), 2026-11-02)
Digitalisation de la gestion des marchés publics : la Guinée rend opérationnelle la plateforme Télémo (Guinéenews (presse), 2026-05-22)
Commande publique en Guinée : Mamadi Doumbouya fixe les modalités de dématérialisation (Guinee360 (presse), 2026-08-22)

The public procurement rules in Guinea