How do you sell medical devices to Egypt's public hospitals through UPA?
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Egypt's Unified Procurement Authority (UPA), created by Law 151 of 2019, runs public purchasing of medicines and medical supplies for government facilities. Since July 2025 purchases are tripartite contracts: UPA issues the order and the requesting hospital pays the supplier directly. Suppliers register with UPA, post a bid guarantee (up to 2%) and a 5% performance guarantee, and Egyptian products within 15% of the lowest foreign bid are treated as the lowest; payment has been slow — suppliers were owed EGP 43 billion in August 2025 — although UPA said in April 2026 that some payment cycles had fallen to 30–45 days.
What are the key UPA facts?
| Fact | Value | Source | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Created by | Law 151 of 2019, with control over purchasing medicines and medical supplies for government facilities | riad-riad.com | 2019 |
| Contract model since 1 July 2025 | Tripartite: UPA + the requesting public entity + the supplier. UPA issues purchase orders and supervises; the requesting entity pays the supplier for products actually supplied (Ministry of Finance Circular 94 of 2025) | adsero.me | |
| Supplier registration fees (as published in 2020) | Local companies EGP 10,000 first / EGP 5,000 renewal; agents of foreign companies USD 2,000 / 1,000; foreign companies up to USD 5,000 / 2,000 | souqaldawaa.com | |
| Who may bid | The manufacturer, an authorised importer or a distributor (up to two distributors per product); producer and distributor both registered with UPA | upa.gov.eg | 2026 |
| Bid guarantee | Up to 2% (US Commercial Service); Law 182 of 2018 sets a maximum of 1.5% of the estimated value — the tender booklet decides | trade.gov | |
| Performance guarantee | Up to 5%, lodged within 10 days of the award | trade.gov | |
| Local-product preference | Egyptian bids within 15% of the lowest foreign bid win; 'Egyptian' means at least 40% Egyptian component (Law 5 of 2015) | trade.gov | |
| Supplier arrears | EGP 43 billion owed to medicine and medical-supply companies (August 2025) | egyptindependent.com | |
| Payment cycle, 2026 | UPA said cycles for strategic-stockpile deliveries fell from about 120 days to 30–45 days; unfulfilled orders older than 5 weeks are cancelled and reissued | healthcaremea.com | |
| EDA documents for tender supply | The tender contract and the manufacturer's authorisation of the agent; EDA also asks whether stock is kept in UPA's or the importer's warehouses | edaegypt.gov.eg |
Registration fees are from a 2020 UPA decision and may have changed; the 'who may bid' rule is UPA site text — confirm in the tender booklet. Last verified 2026-09-25.
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What are the steps to supply a UPA tender?
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Register with UPA
Commercial register, tax and VAT certificates, work history, bank letter and category documents, then the registration fee.
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Have the EDA registration ready
Goods cannot be released without it, so a registered product is a practical precondition.
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Watch the tenders
On UPA's unified supplier portal and the government e-tenders portal.
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Prepare the technical envelope
Valid UPA registration receipt, the manufacturer's authorisation and product documents.
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Bid with the guarantee
A bank guarantee of the amount set in the booklet.
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On award
Lodge the 5% performance guarantee within 10 days and sign the tripartite contract.
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Supply and collect
Deliver for the whole contract term at the tendered price, invoice the paying hospital and collect.
Which products stand the best chance at UPA?
- Products with no local equivalent: specialised devices, IVD kits and analysers, niche sterile items.
- Products already registered with EDA, so supply can start on award.
- Products whose price can stay fixed in Egyptian pounds for the contract term.
- Not commodity consumables where Egyptian factories bid: a local product within 15% of your price wins.
No one can guarantee a tender award. We bid only where your product fits the tender and the price works, and we tell you honestly when it doesn't.
Who pays on a UPA contract now?
Since 1 July 2025 the hospital or public entity that requested the goods pays the supplier directly for what was supplied, and pays UPA's fee (Adsero). One award can therefore mean many paying entities, each with its own budget and speed.
Are tender prices adjusted for exchange rates?
No automatic adjustment exists; prices are fixed in Egyptian pounds for the contract term. In 2026 the medical-supplies industry asked the government for procurement price revisions after cost increases (Healthcare MEA).
What happens if supply stops mid-contract?
Law 182 of 2018 allows delay penalties and lets the authority buy elsewhere at the supplier's expense. A tender award is a commitment to keep supplying for the whole term, so the manufacturer's supply commitment must match it.
How do anti-bribery rules apply?
Public-hospital staff and procurement officials are public officials. Egypt scores 30/100 on Transparency International's 2025 index (TI); our rule is simple: no gifts, payments or benefits of any kind to public officials (see Trust).
“A tender win is a promise to keep supplying at a fixed price for the whole contract. Plan the stock and the currency before you bid, not after you win.” — Mohamed Dabees, founder, UltraTeb
UltraTeb Market Access is a zero-upfront-fee route into Egypt's medical market: UltraTeb registers, imports, markets, stores and sells your product, shares the risk, and pays you when it sells.
How does UltraTeb Market Access handle public tenders?
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Tender fit, honestly
We tell you whether your product can win on price against local products before anyone spends money on a bid.
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Registration and bid documents
UPA supplier registration, EDA documents and the technical envelope.
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Guarantees, supply and collection
We handle the bid and performance guarantees, deliveries and collection from each paying hospital.
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Private sales alongside
Private hospitals, lab chains and clinics carry your product while tenders run.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Unified Procurement Authority (UPA)?
Egypt's central purchaser of medicines and medical supplies for government facilities, created by Law 151 of 2019.
Can a foreign manufacturer bid directly?
UPA's published rules let the manufacturer, an authorised importer or a distributor bid, with both producer and distributor registered with UPA. Goods still need an EDA registration and an Egyptian importer to be released.
How much is the UPA registration fee?
As published in 2020: EGP 10,000 for local companies (EGP 5,000 renewal), USD 2,000 for agents of foreign companies and up to USD 5,000 for foreign companies. Check the current schedule.
How fast does UPA pay?
Historically slowly: arrears reached EGP 43 billion in August 2025. In April 2026 UPA said strategic-stockpile payment cycles had fallen to 30–45 days. Since July 2025 each requesting hospital pays directly.
What is the local-product preference?
An Egyptian product (at least 40% Egyptian component) within 15% of the lowest foreign bid is treated as the lowest.
Do you guarantee tender wins?
No. Nobody can. We bid where your product fits and the price works.
When am I paid for tender sales?
On the UltraTeb Market Access model, tender sales count as sold when the paying hospital has paid; private sales are paid on the monthly statement.
Private buyers and public tenders — we handle both.
Zero upfront fees. We register, import, store, market and sell, and bid where your product fits. You're paid when we sell.