Government tenders: bidding your product in UPA public tenders
We bid for your product in public tenders run by Egypt's Unified Procurement Authority (UPA), which purchases medical supplies for government facilities — but only where your product can compete, because an Egyptian-made product within 15% of the lowest foreign bid is treated as the lowest. Since 1 July 2025 the requesting hospital pays the supplier directly, and government payment can be slow — UPA owed suppliers EGP 43 billion in August 2025 — so for tender sales you are paid once the paying hospital has paid us.
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.
What do we do in a tender?
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Choose the right tenders
We look for lots where your product can win on price and specification, and skip the rest.
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Supplier file
We prepare the UPA supplier registration, the manufacturer's authorisation and any UPA file the tender requires from you.
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Technical and financial offer
We prepare the bid, the samples where requested and the price, including the cost of waiting for payment.
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Guarantees
We lodge the bid and performance guarantees that Law 182 of 2018 requires.
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Delivery
We import against the award, deliver on schedule and handle inspection and acceptance.
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Collection
We invoice and collect from each paying hospital, then pay you for what was paid.
How does public procurement work in Egypt?
| Fact | Value | Source | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unified Procurement Authority (UPA) | Created by Law 151 of 2019 to purchase medicines and medical supplies for government facilities | riad-riad.com | 2019 |
| Contract model since 1 July 2025 | Three-party contract: UPA, the requesting public entity and the supplier; the requesting entity pays the supplier directly for products supplied | adsero.me | |
| Who may bid | The manufacturer, an authorised importer or a distributor (up to two distributors per product), with the manufacturer's authorisation; producer and distributor both registered with UPA | upa.gov.eg | |
| Egyptian-product preference | Egyptian bids within 15% of the lowest foreign bid are treated as the lowest; 'Egyptian' means local components above 40% of cost | state.gov | 2025 |
| Prices | Fixed in Egyptian pounds for the contract term; suppliers asked for revisions in 2026 after cost increases | dailynewsegypt.com | |
| Unpaid bills to suppliers | EGP 43 billion (August 2025) | egyptindependent.com | |
| Payment of new supplies (2025 framework) | Due within 90 days; older debts moved to a Ministry of Finance-guaranteed schedule | adsero.me | 2025 |
| Payment cycle reported by UPA | 30–45 days for strategic-stockpile deliveries (April 2026) | healthcaremea.com | |
| Universal Health Insurance, phase 2 | 70 hospitals in 5 governorates | ipmiglobal.com | 2026 |
UPA registration details are taken from UPA's published supplier-registration page; each tender booklet sets the final conditions.
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Which products have the best chance in tenders?
Products with no Egyptian-made equivalent: specialised devices, IVD reagents and analysers, and niche sterile items. Commodity consumables such as syringes, IV sets, gauze and gloves face strong local competition, and the local-product preference makes those lots hard to win with an imported product. We tell you honestly in the market study whether tenders make sense for your range.
What does a tender commit you to?
Public tender contracts require delivery for the whole contract term, with penalties for delay. Before we bid, we agree the quantities with you and your commitment to supply them for that term.
“We bid where your product can win on merit. Nobody can promise a tender award, and we will not.” — Mohamed Dabees, Founder, UltraTeb
Frequently asked questions
Can you guarantee a tender award?
No. No one can honestly guarantee a public tender award. We bid only where we believe your product can compete, and we report every bid and result to you.
When am I paid for tender sales?
Once the paying hospital has paid us. Since 1 July 2025, the requesting hospital pays the supplier directly, and government payment cycles can be long.
Does my company need to register with UPA?
Possibly. UPA's published rules say the producer and the distributor must both be registered. We check each tender booklet and prepare the file with you.
Why not bid for every tender?
Because a losing bid costs time and money on both sides, and an Egyptian-made product within 15% of the lowest foreign price is treated as the lowest. We focus on lots your product can win.
How do you handle anti-bribery in public tenders?
We give no payments, gifts or benefits to public officials, including hospital staff and UPA or EDA employees. See our trust commitments.
Find out if your product can compete in Egyptian tenders
The market study is free. Zero upfront fees: we handle registration, import, customs, duties, warehousing and selling, and you're paid when we sell.