Benin: ARMP lifts suspension on €3 million contract for six technical high schools

The ARMP lifted the suspension on the technical assistance contract led by the Technical Education Development Agency (ADET) on August 4, 2026, after rejecting the appeal from the consortium IGIP Afrique/GITEC-IGIP GmbH/Mosaïque Ingénierie. The procedure, valued at €3 million, involves support for six technical vocational high schools.

The contract, referenced EC-INTPA/COO/2025/EA-RP/0066, pertains to assistance for ADET under the program promoting innovation, technical education, and vocational training for youth employment. It is intended to support technical studies and construction or rehabilitation work for six high schools, as well as environmental and social studies and program monitoring.

The dispute arose from the scoring of the lead expert No. 2 proposed by the consortium, who specializes in public procurement. Following the notification of results on July 13, the bidder requested a reevaluation on July 15. ADET responded on July 23, leading to an appeal to the ARMP on July 27.

The consortium contested the score given to its expert, arguing that their profile met the requirements of the tender. The position required a Bac+5 level degree in a field related to public procurement management or public finance, at least ten years of experience in procurement procedures, and five years of experience supervising purchases on projects funded by international financial institutions or multilateral banks.

In its decision No. 2026-079, the Dispute Resolution Commission noted that the rural equipment engineer degree and the certificates provided did not warrant the maximum score for the candidate, based on the criteria applied to other bids. It concluded that the contested scoring was not arbitrary and that the consortium’s offer had been correctly evaluated in this regard.

The ARMP thus declared the appeal admissible but unfounded, and subsequently lifted the suspension of the procedure. The assistance contract is financed under an agreement between Benin and the European Union. The Public Procurement Journal estimates its value at €3 million excluding VAT.

This case is part of the modernization program for technical vocational high schools. The European Investment Bank states that its financing, signed on January 5, 2026, is intended to support the infrastructure and equipment of six of the fifteen high schools involved in the national project, aiming to align the skills of young people with labor market needs.

Decision No. 2026-079, issued on August 4, 2026, can be contested before the Administrative Chamber of the Supreme Court within one month of its notification.