The Ministry of Health Ethiopia invites participation in an Early Market Engagement (EME) session for the construction of an EQA PT Panel and Bio Bank in Addis Ababa, financed by the World Bank.

Ethiopian Herald (Apr 08, 2026)

Notice of Invitation for Early Market Engagement

1.Project Overview

Project Title: Construction of EQA PT Panel and Bio Bank
Client: Ministry of Health-Ethiopia
Financier: The World Bank
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at EPHI Compound
Current Estimated Cost: Approximately 11.3 million USD
Contract Type: Admeasurement/Works Contract
Estimated Completion Period: 365 Calendar Days
Building Description: 2B+G+9
Current Status:
2nd basement completed
1st basement 65% completed
Date of Event for which Bidders Workshop will be conducted: 20 April 2026
Title of Event: Early Market Engagement for Activities under this contract
Type of Event Arrangement: Mix (In person and Virtual)
Host: MOH; Health Infrastructure Lead Executive Office & Procurement Executive Office
Registration MOH email – gemechisa.olani@moh.gov.et
Project ID: P167916

2. Background:

The project, financed by the World Bank, commenced on July 18, 2023, and was originally scheduled for completion within a 910 day timeframe. Following a determination that continued implementation under the existing contract was no longer viable, the Ministry issued a formal termination notice, which the Contractor officially acknowledged and accepted. At the time of termination, approximately 25% of the original contract works had been completed. The current procurement is therefore aimed at engaging a qualified contractor to execute the remaining 75% of the unperformed works under a new contractual arrangement..

In light of the termination and the substantial shift in market conditions, the Ministry has determined that retendering is necessary to attract qualified and experienced bidders under revised technical specifications, updated contract conditions, and realistic pricing frameworks. Accordingly, prior to the commencement of formal bidding process begins, Early Market Engagement (EME) is required to obtain international market insights, validate technical requirements, and ensures that the procurement process reflects current pricing realities and emerging innovative technologies. The EME will also serve to refine risk allocation, enhance competitiveness, and encourage participation from a diverse pool of capable firms.

The Ministry of Health of Ethiopia hereby invites you to participate in an Early Market Engagement (EME) session in connection with an upcoming high-value procurement package financed by the World Bank under the Africa-CDC Regional Investment Financing Project.

This session is designed to facilitate collaboration and to gather industry insights and feedback that will inform the development of the bidding documents and support the best possible procurement outcome.

The Project aims to strengthen national Bio-Bank infrastructure through construction of new facilities for the External Quality Assessment (EQA) Proficiency Testing (PT) Panel and Bio-Bank. It will establish specialized Bio-Bank spaces and ensure compliance with international biosafety and biosecurity standards. The initiative also seeks to modernize Bio-Bank systems, enhance specimen storage and management capacity, and improve the reliability of diagnostic services across the country. By supporting quality assurance and bio-repository functions, the Project will contribute to improved healthcare delivery, research capacity, and preparedness against emerging public health threats.

The EME will be led jointly by the Ministry of Health’s Health Infrastructure Lead Executive Office and Procurement Executive Office.

3. Project Status Now

The construction works have commenced and progressed some parts, with excavation works completed; foundation works completed, 2^nd basement completed and 1st basement slab 65% structures completed. Quality assurance measures have also been carried out to confirm compliance with required standards. Test results are annexed. The detailed status is outlined below:

Excavation Works: Fully completed.
2nd Basement: Construction works successfully finalized.
1st Basement: Progress stands at approximately 65% completion.
Quality Assurance: All concrete and reinforcement bar tests have been conducted, with results confirming compliance with required construction standards. Test results are annexed.

Note: Current status photos and video that demonstrate the actual status are indicated on annex 3 below. Having all these information, all bidders can access the site located at EPHI compound near St. Paul Hospital.

4. Regarding Remaining Work

The remaining scope of the Construction of EQA PT Panel and Bio Bank project includes completion of the first basement (currently at 65%), execution of the ground and nine upper floors, and execution of all structural, architectural, MEP, and specialized Bio Bank units, together with opening, finishing and commissioning activities. The incoming contractor will be obliged to confirm whole continuity of construction by carefully interfacing with the works already executed, particularly the completed excavation and second basement, and the partially completed first basement. This requires conducting a thorough condition survey, verifying the annexed quality assurance results, and coordinating with the Employer’s assigned teams to safeguard structural integrity and compliance with standards.

Access

Site is accessible and all utilities that are required for the execution of the remaining works are installed in site; and terms to use the utilities must be discussed with EPH. Material onsite
Few material onsite are available such as; Reinforcement bar, Plywood, RHS and Scaffoldings. But these materials cannot be incorporated under this contract.

5. Objectives of the Early Market Engagement

To gain international market insights on specialized Bio-Bank related construction and procurement, improving the attractiveness of the process.
To broaden contractor diversity and encourage participation from new potential contractors with expertise in Bio-Bank and related facilities.
To refine the Employer’s requirements, technical specifications, contract terms, risk allocation, costing/Bill of Quantities model, and bid evaluation approach/weightings in line with global best practices.
To identify current or potentially innovative developments and new technologies in Bio-Bank infrastructure, biosafety systems, and bio repository management.
To receive feedback on the proposed procurement approach and adjust it to attract qualified and experienced bidders in the healthcare construction sector.
To gather information on current market prices, pricing methods, and other factors influencing cost in specialized Bio-Bank construction.
To identify common or prevalent risks, incentives, and opportunities specific to Bio-Bank and bio bank construction projects.

6. Approaches of Early Market Engagement

The Early Market Engagement will be conducted through a Bidder Workshop on 20 April 2026 at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The venue of workshop will be announced a week prior to the event. Registered Contractors will also be notified via email. The workshop will be conducted in hybrid format, allowing for both in-person and virtual participation. Bidders are kindly requested to confirm to the Ministry of Health their participation, either in person or virtually, by 17 April 2026, 4 PM EAT by sending request through the Registration Email.

The EME process will be conducted in an open and transparent manner, with all discussions being recorded. Commercially sensitive information from Bidders will be kept confidential and not disclosed to participants or any other individuals not officially involved in the EME process.

7. Shared Documents for Early Market Engagement

The documents shared for early market engagement which is listed below can be obtained from Procurement Executive Office.

Annex-1: Technical Specification (Drawings and Non-Priced Bill of Quantities)

Annex-2: Proposed Bidding Document

Annex 3: Current status photos or video refer the link below

https://drive.google.com/file/d/13gvFDPC8uvPWUbDluALHRdSaG4bchyhs/view?usp=sharing

Annex 4: Test Results

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dGybV3HqDd7W5VZ3SroqhpBmL9ctvdh7/view?usp=sharing

8. Planned Activities to be Procured

Selection of Bidders will be conducted through international competitive procurement in line with the World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers Procurement in Investment Projects Financing. The proposed contract along with respective estimated cost is listed below. The information provided is only indicative and are subject to change.

Project Name: Construction of EQA PT Panel and Bio Bank

Contracts

Contract Title/Description

Activity	Timeline
Deadline for expression of interest to attend the EME Session	17-Apr-26, 08:00-17:00 EAT
EME Workshop Date	20-Apr-26, 4:00 PM EAT
Estimated date of publication for Bid Invitation on Client & WB website	6-June-26
Deadline for bid/proposals submission	3-Aug-26
Anticipated Award Date	2-Nov-26
Contract signing process	24-Nov-26

test3.diretenders.com

The Ministry of Health Ethiopia invites participation in an Early Market Engagement (EME) session for the construction of an EQA PT Panel and Bio Bank in Addis Ababa, financed by the World Bank.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply