Public procurement in Mali: thresholds, procedures and appeals for businesses
How public procurement works in Mali under the 2015 Code and its implementing texts: tender thresholds (100, 80 and 70 million FCFA), local authority quotation and price requests, deadlines, informal appeals and the ARMDS Dispute Settlement Committee.
The State, public companies, the District of Bamako and its communes buy works, supplies and services. For a business based in Bamako these contracts are a major outlet, but they follow precise rules. This page summarises the official texts: the Public Procurement and Public Service Delegation Code (decree no. 2015-0604/P-RM of 25 September 2015, as amended) and the September 2025 order on local authority procurement.
Key points (texts checked on 18 October 2026)
- Open tender required from 100 million FCFA for works, 80 million for supplies and routine services, 70 million for intellectual services.
- Below that, lighter procedures: request for quotations (under 5 million), request for information and prices (5 million and above).
- Minimum bid period in a tender: 30 days (45 days above the WAEMU community thresholds).
- An unsuccessful bidder has 5 working days for an informal appeal, then 2 working days to refer the case to the ARMDS Dispute Settlement Committee.
Who does what
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| Contracting authority (ministry, public body, District, commune…) | prepares, launches and awards the contract |
| Procurement unit (cellule de passation) | advice and prior review within each contracting authority |
| DGMP-DSP (Directorate General for Public Procurement and Public Service Delegations), created by law no. 08-022 | prior review of the largest contracts; regional directorates and a District of Bamako directorate |
| ARMDS (Public Procurement and Public Service Delegation Regulatory Authority), law no. 08-023 | regulation, standard documents, and the Dispute Settlement Committee that hears appeals |
Tender thresholds
Article 9 of the Code sets the amounts above which an open tender is required. The 19 September 2025 order on local authorities repeats the same amounts.
| Type of contract | State, local authorities | State companies, commercial public bodies |
|---|---|---|
| Works | 100,000,000 FCFA | 150,000,000 FCFA |
| Supplies and routine services | 80,000,000 FCFA | 150,000,000 FCFA |
| Intellectual services | 70,000,000 FCFA | 80,000,000 FCFA |
The value compared with the threshold is that of the whole need (the overall value of a works operation, or of homogeneous supplies and services: article 10), and the Code forbids splitting expenditure to avoid the normal procedure (article 33).
Contracts above the thresholds require a published call for competition. The bid period cannot be shorter than 30 calendar days (article 66), or 45 days for contracts that reach the community thresholds set by the WAEMU Commission.
Below the thresholds: local authorities (District, communes)
Joint order no. 2025-4269 of 19 September 2025 sets the procedures for contracts of the District of Bamako, communes and regions below the thresholds:
| Estimated amount | Procedure | Main rules |
|---|---|---|
| under 5,000,000 FCFA | Request for quotations (DC) | at least 3 candidates consulted in writing, at least 3 working days to reply, at least 3 bids received |
| 5,000,000 to under 15,000,000 FCFA | Restricted request for information and prices (DRPCR) | at least 5 candidates invited, at least 7 calendar days to bid, at least 3 bids received |
| 15,000,000 FCFA up to the threshold | Open request for information and prices (DRPCO) | public notice (newspaper, ARMDS website, posted at the town hall and Chamber of Commerce), at least 15 calendar days |
In all three cases the contract goes to the lowest-priced compliant bid. Candidates for quotations and restricted price requests are picked from the authority's supplier list, opened through a call for expressions of interest: a business that wants to work with a Bamako town hall should get on it. An order under 500,000 FCFA is placed by simple purchase order; above that, a written contract is required.
For State contracts, below-threshold procedures are set by order of the Finance Minister (article 9.2 of the Code).
What you need to bid
Each candidate must prove that it meets the legal conditions and has the technical and financial capacity to perform the contract, with supporting documents. In practice, prepare:
- your trade register entry: see starting a business at the API-Mali one-stop shop;
- your NIF and an up-to-date tax clearance: see tax number (NIF), patente and tax clearance;
- your social security (INPS) certificates and references for similar contracts already performed.
Challenging an award
Deadlines are very short and counted in working days (articles 120 and 121 of the Code, amended by decree no. 2016-0920):
- Informal appeal to the contracting authority within 5 working days of the publication of the award, the tender notice or the release of the tender file. It suspends the procedure. The authority has 3 working days to reply; silence counts as rejection.
- ARMDS Dispute Settlement Committee, within 2 working days of the reply (or of the end of the 3 days). The Committee rules within 7 working days.
- Administrative Section of the Supreme Court, within 3 working days of publication of the Committee's decision, if the appeal procedure rules were not followed. This appeal does not suspend the procedure.
The appeal is made in writing, citing the procedure references and the grounds: registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, delivery against receipt, or electronic means.
What changed in 2026
Decree no. 2026-0316/PT-RM of 26 May 2026 amends article 8 of the Code: in addition to defence and security contracts covered by secrecy, expenditure made through special advance accounts (régies spéciales d'avances) now falls outside the Code. Several 2025 and 2026 decrees also amended the regime for contracts excluded from the Code (decree no. 2023-0275 of 3 May 2023, as amended). These texts do not change the thresholds.
Check first: the 2015 Code has been amended several times. Before bidding, read the tender file and check the texts in force with the DGMP-DSP or the ARMDS.
For the general tax framework, see our page on business taxation in Mali; for new public buyers, see the new public companies and agencies of 2026.
Frequently asked questions
From what amount is an open tender required in Mali?
From 100 million FCFA for works, 80 million for supplies and routine services and 70 million for intellectual services (150, 150 and 80 million for State companies).
How do I bid for a small contract with a Bamako town hall?
Get on the authority's supplier list when it publishes a call for expressions of interest: it picks the businesses consulted for quotations and restricted price requests from that list.
How long do I have to challenge a contract award?
Five working days for the informal appeal, then two working days to refer the case to the ARMDS Dispute Settlement Committee.
Official sources (checked on 18 October 2026)
- Decree no. 2015-0604/P-RM on the Public Procurement and Public Service Delegation Code (General Secretariat of the Government, French).
- Official Journal no. 51 of 2016: decree no. 2016-0920/P-RM (unsolicited bids, appeals).
- Official Journal no. 11 of 2026: decree no. 2026-0316/PT-RM.
- Joint order no. 2025-4269 of 19 September 2025 on local authority procurement (ARMDS, French).
- DGMP-DSP and ARMDS.