Tenders and calls
TIPCS buys goods and services, and works with partner organisations, through open and documented procedures. This hub explains our procurement principles, how to bid, how offers are evaluated, how to register as a supplier or consultant, and how to challenge a decision.
Register in two minutes
Registration comes first: it is how TIPCS invites you to quotations, tenders and partnerships. It starts from your TIPCS account and promises no contract.
Supplier or service provider
Companies and professionals offering goods or services: printing, venues, translation, IT, audit, logistics.
Consultant or expert
Independent experts for short assignments: research, training, evaluation, communication, legal and financial advice.
Partner for calls for proposals
Organisations that want to be considered as partners when TIPCS prepares proposals to funders. Only humans submit proposals.
Open tenders and calls
Nothing is open for bids today. Registered suppliers and experts are invited the day a notice is published, and every notice is also posted here.
Approvals and records: every spending decision is recorded in the TIPCS Hub (hub.tipcs.org) with three different signatures.Procurement and tenders policy (draft for Board ratification)
Procurement principles
Every purchase made with TIPCS funds, including funds from donors, follows the same principles. They protect the mission, the funders and the suppliers.
Transparency
Notices state the subject, rules, documents, criteria and closing date. Outcomes are recorded.
Competition
Where the nature and size of the purchase allow, several suppliers are invited and offers are compared on the same basis.
Value for the mission
We look for the best overall value: quality, fitness for purpose, cost and risk, not the lowest figure alone.
Conflict of interest
Anyone involved in a procedure declares any link with a bidder and steps aside if one exists.
Anti-corruption
No gift, bribe, kickback or improper advantage is offered or accepted. Offenders are excluded and, where relevant, reported to the authorities.
Fairness
Equal information for all bidders, the same deadlines and the same criteria, with no change to the rules after publication except by a notice sent to everyone.
Three signatures
No spending commitment is valid without three signatures, so that no single person can commit TIPCS funds.
What TIPCS buys
Typical purchases are listed below. The method used depends on the value, urgency and funder requirements and is stated in each notice.
- Services: facilitation, training delivery, research support, evaluation, web and digital development, design and publishing.
- Consultancy: individual experts and small firms for a defined deliverable.
- Equipment: computers, audiovisual and office equipment, software licences.
- Printing and production: reports, signage, event material.
- Venue and logistics: rooms, catering, local transport, accommodation for events.
- Translation and interpretation: Arabic, French and English.
- Audit and professional services: external audit, accounting and legal support.
How to bid
TIPCS publishes calls for tenders (CFT n/yy) and calls for expressions of interest (CEOI/yy). Each notice states its subject, the documents required, the closing date and the address where offers must be submitted. The steps below apply unless a notice says otherwise.
| Step | What you do or what we do |
|---|---|
| 1. Read the notice | Check the subject, eligibility, documents, criteria, language, currency and closing date. |
| 2. Ask clarifications | Send questions in writing, quoting the reference, before the date set in the notice. Answers are shared with all interested parties without naming the asker. Oral answers do not bind TIPCS. |
| 3. Prepare the offer | Technical and financial parts, with the documents on the checklist below, signed by an authorised person. |
| 4. Submit before the deadline | Submit by the means and to the address in the notice. Late offers are not opened or evaluated. The time of receipt is recorded. |
| 5. Opening and evaluation | A committee of at least three people, without conflicts, checks compliance and scores offers against the published criteria. Bidders may be asked to clarify, never to change, their offer. |
| 6. Award decision | The recommendation is approved with three signatures. All bidders are informed in writing of the outcome and, on request, of the strengths and weaknesses of their own offer. |
| 7. Standstill period | A short pause, stated in the notice, between notification and contract signature during which a bidder may submit a challenge. |
| 8. Contract | A written contract or purchase order is signed, with scope, deliverables, schedule, payment conditions, integrity and data-protection clauses. |
Eligibility and exclusion criteria
Each notice may add specific conditions. The following apply in general.
- Eligible: a legally established entity or individual able to contract, with the professional capacity to deliver, in good standing with tax and social-security obligations as required by Tunisian law or the law of the bidder’s country (verify against the current official texts).
- Excluded: bidders that are bankrupt or under judicial administration; that have been convicted of fraud, corruption or similar offences; that have submitted false information; that have tried to influence the procedure; or that have an unresolved conflict of interest with TIPCS decision-makers.
- Funder rules: when a purchase is funded by a donor, the donor’s eligibility and origin rules also apply and are stated in the notice.
- Integrity declaration: every bidder confirms in writing that it has not offered or given, and will not offer or give, any improper advantage to anyone connected with the procedure.
Evaluation criteria
The weights below are illustrative of a typical services tender; the notice states the exact criteria and weights for each procedure, and they do not change after publication.
| Criterion | What is assessed | Illustrative weight |
|---|---|---|
| Understanding of the need | Grasp of the objectives, context and risks. | 20 |
| Technical quality and method | Soundness, clarity and feasibility of the proposed approach and schedule. | 30 |
| Capacity and experience | Relevant references, team qualifications, languages. | 20 |
| Financial offer | Cost relative to scope, clarity of the breakdown, absence of hidden charges. | 25 |
| Integrity, safeguarding and data protection | Commitments and measures, accessibility and inclusion where relevant. | 5 |
| Total | 100 |
Standard documents checklist
The notice confirms which of these documents are required. Incomplete offers may be rejected.
- Cover letter signed by an authorised representative, quoting the reference.
- Proof of legal status and registration (extract of registration or equivalent) and tax identification.
- Certificates of tax and social-security standing, where required by law (verify against the current official texts).
- Technical offer: understanding of the need, method, team, schedule and CVs.
- Financial offer on the form provided, with currency and taxes stated, valid for the period set in the notice.
- References: at least the number of comparable assignments asked, with contact details of clients.
- Declaration of integrity and absence of conflict of interest, signed.
- Bank details of the bidder, supplied only to the preferred bidder at contract stage.
Complaints and challenge procedure
A bidder who believes a procedure was unfair or a rule was breached may challenge the outcome in writing to Contact@tipcs.org, quoting the reference.
- Submit the challenge within the standstill period stated in the notice, explaining the facts and the rule concerned. Contract signature is held while a timely challenge is examined.
- The challenge is reviewed by a person or panel who did not take part in the evaluation, who may ask for documents from both sides.
- A reasoned written reply is sent, and if an error is confirmed the evaluation is corrected or the procedure repeated. The review time target is stated in the acknowledgement.
- To report suspected corruption, fraud or conflict of interest, write in confidence to Contact@tipcs.org. This procedure does not limit any right a bidder has under the law.
Frequently asked questions
Who can bid?
Any eligible legal entity or individual who meets the conditions in the notice, in Tunisia or abroad unless the notice or the funder restricts it.
Is registration compulsory to bid?
No, unless a notice says it is restricted to registered suppliers. Registration helps us invite you and check your documents once.
Is there a fee to bid?
No fee is asked to obtain tender documents or to submit an offer. Report anyone who asks for money in connection with a TIPCS procedure.
Can I ask questions during the procedure?
Yes, in writing and before the clarification deadline in the notice. Answers are shared with all interested parties.
What happens if I miss the deadline?
Late offers are not opened or evaluated, whatever the reason, to keep the procedure fair to everyone.
Is the lowest-cost offer always selected?
No. We select the offer with the best overall value against the published criteria, subject to the offer being compliant.
Can former TIPCS staff or related persons bid?
Possibly, provided any link is declared and does not give an unfair advantage. Undeclared links can lead to exclusion.
How do I know the result?
All bidders are notified in writing. Closed notices are listed in the past tenders section.
Do you accept offers in Arabic, French or English?
The notice states the accepted languages. Unless it says otherwise, Arabic, French and English are all accepted.
Is joining the partner list a promise of funding or selection?
No. It only means we can invite you when a call matches your organisation. Selection follows the published criteria.
Contact
For questions about a notice, write to Contact@tipcs.org quoting the reference, or use the contact form and choose “Tender or call for proposals”. Landline: +216 73 553 915. Offices: Hannibal Barca Student Social Centre, Monastir, and Tunis. To be told when a new notice is published, subscribe to the newsletter.
Contact TIPCS →
Questions on a notice, a registration or a challenge.
Past tenders (archive) (3)
| Reference | Subject | Status |
|---|---|---|
| CFT 1/24 | Expert services for ISO project-management certification | Closed, March 2024 |
| CFT 2/24 | Insurance for office property | Closed, March 2024 |
| CEOI/24 | Innovative ecological construction techniques | Closed, March 2024 |
Draft for the President’s approval. General information only, not legal advice; verify against the current official texts. Weights, time limits and periods are illustrative or internal targets until confirmed in each notice. Registration or expression of interest does not promise an order, a contract or selection.