General procurement notice N°DIFMI-SRIF/GPN/0001/02/2026 for the constitution of a service provider roster as part of the implementation of the regional financial inclusion strategy in WAEMU

1. The Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), has developed, on behalf of the WAEMU States, a regional financial inclusion strategy, which it is implementing over the 2025-2030 period.

The objective of this Strategy is to ensure, over a six (6) year horizon, the use of a diversified range of adapted and affordable financial products and services, for the benefit of at least 90% of the adult population of WAEMU, with a particular focus on financing services for target populations, which are essentially women, youth, rural populations, small and medium-sized enterprises/industries, internally displaced persons, persons with disabilities, and populations with low financial literacy.

The Strategy is structured around five (5) priority axes, namely:

• Axis 1: Consolidate the legal framework for supervision and protection of financial service consumers ;
• Axis 2: Continue the cleanup and strengthening of the microfinance sector ;
• Axis 3: Promote financial innovation and the availability of financing services ;
• Axis 4: Improve the financial literacy of target populations
• Axis 5: Exploit the potential of data and encourage information sharing for better market knowledge and the definition of coherent financial inclusion policies. 

2. Within the framework of the implementation of certain actions of the Strategy, the Central Bank proposes to establish a database of qualified service providers for the realization of various services which will be the subject of consultation procedures, in accordance with its procurement rules.

Interested candidates must produce information demonstrating that they have the necessary qualifications and experience to perform the various services in the relevant areas. As such, they must provide references for similar services.

The relevance of these references will be assessed based on :

• the scope of the services provided (market size, amount, etc.) ;
• the nature of the services provided (particularly in relation to the financial sector) ;
• the number of similar services delivered within WAEMU and internationally.

In addition, candidates are required to provide a general overview of their organization, a copy of their commercial register to confirm legal existence, and information on the qualifications and expertise of their key personnel.

The areas of service covered by this solicitation are as follows:

Services consultants

Area 1: Digital transformation and technological supervision of financial institutions: This area encompasses all Strategy-related activities focused on the development of applications and technological solutions designed to accelerate digital transformation and enhance the supervisory mechanisms of financial institutions. 

Area 2: Capacity building in the microfinance and financial inclusion sector: This area covers activities aimed at strengthening the capacity of the microfinance sector to promote financial inclusion, as well as related studies, data collection, and analytical work. 

Non-Consultant Services

Area 3: Communication and events for the promotion of financial literacy: This area is intended to enable the BCEAO to engage a service provider with expertise in communication and event management, in order to ensure the effective implementation of the various communication activities planned under the Strategy. 

3. Expressions of interest must be submitted in French, in PDF format, exclusively by email to courrier.ZDBA-SAMA@bceao.int, with a copy to courrier.ZSRIF@bceao.int.
The email subject line should read:
“SRIF 2025–2030 – General Procurement Notice No. DIFMI-SRIF/GPN/0001/02/2026”.
Submissions must be received no later than 5:00 PM GMT on March 13, 2026.

4. Interested candidates may request additional information at the above-mentioned addresses. Such requests must be submitted no later than seven (7) calendar days prior to the deadline for the submission of expressions of interest.