The Central Procurement Board of Namibia (CPBN) has announced a new pre-qualification exercise for specific construction works. The initiative aims to create a transparent and structured system for identifying capable and experienced contractors. 

Johanna Kambala, manager for stakeholder relations at CPBN, said this was developed in line with Section 42 (1) of the Public Procurement Act (PPA), the exercise will help classify competent and well-resourced bidders who will later be invited to take part in Restricted Bidding for certain projects. 

“This approach is designed to make the procurement process more efficient and ensure that only qualified companies are considered for major construction contracts,” she said. 

The pre-qualification exercise covers two main categories of work. The first is building works, which includes the construction, renovation, alteration, and maintenance of public buildings such as schools, hospitals, offices, and other facilities. The second is Civil Works, which involves large infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, dams, water and sanitation systems , and drainage networks. 

According to Kambala, the initiative is part of CPBN’s ongoing efforts to improve quality, accountability, and the use of resources in public procurement. Once the pre-qualification process is complete, only bidders who are listed in the CPBN Pre-Qualification Database will be invited to take part in Restricted Bidding for future projects under this category. 

“Interested companies are required to purchase a Pre-Qualification Bidding Document from the CPBN offices at a cost of N$3 000. Once approved, prequalified bidders will remain on the database for one year. The deadline for submission of applications is 21 January 2026,” she said. 

The Central Procurement Board of Namibia (CPBN) was established as a juristic person by the Public Procurement Act (PPA), No. 15 of 2015 (as amended), with the mandate to conduct the bidding process on behalf of public entities for the award of contracts for procurement or disposal of assets that exceed the threshold prescribed for public entities. 

As part of the CPBN’s strategic objective to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in the public procurement process, as contemplated in Section 2 of the PPA, the CPBN will be conducting a Pre-Qualification exercise for specific bids in the construction works category. 

-pmukokobi@nepc.com.na