Qatar tenders from ministries and public authorities are governed by one law, Law No. 24 of 2015 regulating tenders and auctions, and announced on one site, the Ministry of Finance's Monaqasat portal, the "Unified Website of State Procurement" the law refers to. Two of the biggest buyers sit outside that frame: QatarEnergy, which the law excludes and which runs its own vendor registration, and the Public Works Authority (Ashghal), which prequalifies its contractors and consultants itself.
This guide covers how a government tender runs under the law, the bonds and registration it asks for, where QatarEnergy and Ashghal differ, and when the practical answer for a company new to Qatar is an accredited local partner.
Where Qatar tenders are published
| Buyer | Where to look | How you get in |
|---|---|---|
| Ministries, public authorities and institutions | Monaqasat, the Ministry of Finance's unified procurement site, where award and exclusion decisions must be announced within two working days | Register as a supplier; buy the tender documents; bid under Law No. 24 of 2015 |
| Public Works Authority (Ashghal) | Ashghal's tenders pages, and Monaqasat for unified state procurement | Company registration with Ashghal, and prequalification through its expressions of interest |
| QatarEnergy and the energy sector | QatarEnergy's tenders pages | Vendor registration for a QatarEnergy SAP vendor code; an In-Country Value certificate where it applies |
How a government tender runs under Law No. 24 of 2015
The law took effect in June 2016 and was amended in 2018 and again by Law No. 17 of 2024. Its executive regulations were issued by Council of Ministers Decision No. 16 of 2019. For a bidder, these are the rules that matter:
- Public tender is the default. Procurement of items, works or services "shall be concluded through public tender"; two-stage tender, limited tender, practice, competition and direct agreement are exceptions that need a reasoned recommendation from the tender committee and a decision of the head of the authority (Article 2).
- Limited tenders go to listed or qualified firms. Where the nature of the work requires it, participation is limited to suppliers and contractors enrolled on the authority's lists or qualified for the tender, on technical and financial capability and good reputation (Article 5).
- Your bid is binding for its validity period. A bidder who withdraws during that period is treated as having withdrawn, and so is a winner who fails to submit the performance bond and sign within the set time (Article 11).
- Two bonds. A tender bond comes with every bid and a performance bond from the winner (Article 13). Under the 2019 regulations, as summarised by law firms that have published them, the tender bond may be set at up to 5% of the estimated value and the performance bond at not less than 10% of the contract value.
- SMEs can be exempted from bonds in whole or in part, on a pledge from Qatar Development Bank (Article 14).
- Contractors are classified. The regulations set out how contractors, suppliers and service providers are classified by category and specialisation according to financial and technical capability, experience and past work, and how their performance is evaluated (Article 36).
- Free zone and QFC companies can take part in tenders on terms set by the Council of Ministers (Article 36 bis 1), and the government may reserve specified items for national products (Article 36 bis).
Complaints
A bidder may appeal an award decision to the Disputes Settlement Committee within five working days of its announcement on the unified website, and the committee decides within five working days; the award cannot be completed while that window is open (Article 17 bis). The committee, chaired by a judge, rules on all pre-contract disputes, may suspend the tender meanwhile, and its decisions are enforceable, with an appeal to the Court of Appeal (Articles 37 and 38).
QatarEnergy and the energy sector
QatarEnergy is excluded from Law No. 24 of 2015 and sets its own terms. Its tender guidance states:
- All prospective suppliers and contractors "must register and obtain a QatarEnergy SAP Vendor Code" before tendering.
- A local company must provide a certified, up-to-date copy of its Qatar registration certificate and articles of association with its tender.
- A foreign company that will perform work in Qatar must submit proof of a registration application within 10 days of being notified of a contract award, and of actual registration within 30 days. These requirements "do not apply to foreign companies who will not perform any work or services in Qatar".
- A foreign company operating in Qatar through a sponsor or agent files a declaration naming them.
Energy-sector tenders also weigh In-Country Value (ICV). Tawteen, QatarEnergy's supply-chain localisation programme, issues an ICV certificate that scores a supplier's contribution to the Qatari economy, validated each year by an accredited certifier. QatarEnergy announced that from 1 July 2023 suppliers with a local commercial registration and revenue above QAR 20 million must hold a certificate to take part in energy-sector tenders, with companies less than two years old exempt. The score counts in evaluation alongside price and technical quality, so a bidder with local spend and staff scores higher than one without.
When you need a local partner for Qatar tenders
Nothing in Law No. 24 of 2015 requires a foreign company to bid through a Qatari partner, and free zone companies take part on their own terms. In practice, four things push a newcomer towards one:
- Registration and presence. QatarEnergy expects a foreign winner that performs work in Qatar to be registered within 30 days of award, and many authorities ask for a Qatar commercial registration at prequalification.
- Classification and prequalification. Government tenders are graded by contractor category; Ashghal prequalifies by discipline. A partner that already holds the grade or the prequalification fills the gap.
- ICV scoring. In the energy sector, a certified local partner with established spend and staff lifts the bid's score.
- Bonds. A tender bond of up to 5% and a performance bond of at least 10% tie up capital that a partner with local banking lines may carry more easily.
Which form that takes, a consortium bidding together or a prime contractor with you as a subcontractor, depends on the tender documents. Note that under the law a contractor may not assign the contract in whole or in part without the head of the authority's approval, and remains jointly responsible with the assignee (Article 20).
That gap, between what a tender asks for and what your company holds, is what Munaseq is for. Tell us the tender and what you lack, and we match you with up to three accredited partners that hold it, each with the reason for the match, and arrange the first meeting. The contract is between you and your partner.
- Have a Qatar tender and a gap to fill? Find an accredited partner for your tender.
- Established in Qatar and holding classifications or accreditations? Let companies entering the market find you.
- Bidding across the Gulf? See how UAE tenders work.
Sources
- Law No. 24 of 2015 on the Promulgation of the Regulation of Tenders and Auctions Law, Al Meezan Qatar legal portal (English text, consolidated with the 2018 and 2024 amendments).
- Monaqasat, the unified state procurement website, Ministry of Finance.
- How to tender, QatarEnergy.
- Tenders, Public Works Authority (Ashghal).
- Amendments to Qatar's public tender law and regulation, Pinsent Masons, on Council of Ministers Decision No. 16 of 2019.
- QatarEnergy announces introduction of enhanced In-Country Value program, The Peninsula.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. The tender documents, the law and its regulations are what count.