Public procurement regulation in Mali: texts, procedures, thresholds

The texts in force

The Malian Code transposes UEMOA directives no. 04/2005/CM/UEMOA and 05/2005/CM/UEMOA of 9 December 2005 (award, control and regulation of public contracts). In practice for a firm: no discrimination by nationality against bidders from UEMOA member states (art. 3.2), a community preference of at most 15% for firms headquartered in the UEMOA (art. 76), and longer bid periods above the community thresholds (art. 66).[6]

Décret n° 2015-0604/P-RM du 25 septembre 2015 portant Code des marchés publics et des délégations de service public
Core text: thresholds, procedures, publicity, guarantees, evaluation, award, performance, payment, control, appeals and sanctions. It replaced decree no. 08-485/P-RM of 11 August 2008 (art. 130 and the Official Gazette presentation page).[6][7][8]
Décret n° 2016-0920/P-RM du 6 décembre 2016 portant modification du décret n° 2015-0604/P-RM
Replaces articles 57 (unsolicited offers), 120 (administrative appeal) and 121 (appeal to the Dispute Settlement Committee). The appeal deadlines to follow come from this version: the buyer has 3 working days to answer, then 2 working days to go to the Committee.[9]
Arrêté n° 2015-3721/MEF-SG du 22 octobre 2015 fixant les modalités d'application du décret n° 2015-0604/P-RM
Implementing order for the Code: composition of the commissions, documents to provide, review deadlines, approval route, and procedures for purchases below the thresholds (request for quotation, requests for information and prices). Published in Official Gazette special issue no. 15 of 15 August 2016.[10]
Partly amended by more recent texts.
Décret n° 2018-0473/PM-RM du 28 mai 2018 portant adoption de mesures d'orientation de la commande publique vers les PME et la production nationale
Lots as the preferred approach, subcontracting to SMEs, SME groupings, guarantee exemption for craftsmen, a 25% preference margin below the thresholds for Malian products and firms, and contracts reserved for micro-enterprises and craftsmen.[11]
Décret n° 2023-0275/PT-RM du 3 mai 2023 fixant le régime des marchés de travaux, de fournitures et de services exclus du champ d'application du Code, modifié par le décret n° 2025-0915/PT-RM du 31 décembre 2025
Contracts covered by defence secrecy or the essential interests of the State: restricted tender or direct negotiation, without the Code's publicity rules. The 2025 decree amended the list of equipment and services concerned (annex 1).[15][16]
Décret n° 2019-0300/P-RM du 17 avril 2019 portant réglementation de la maîtrise d'ouvrage public déléguée
Governs cases where an authority hands a project (award and follow-up) to a delegated project owner. Worth knowing: that body, not the ministry, then runs the award process up to provisional award (art. 15 of the Code).[12][6]
Projet de décret modifiant le décret n° 2015-0604/P-RM (adopté en Conseil des ministres le 6 mai 2026)
According to the communiqué, it corrects shortcomings found in applying the Code and widens the exclusion scope to spending made through special advance accounts. I found neither the signed decree nor its publication in the Official Gazette.[19]
Status to confirm with the regulator.
Décret n° 2020-0276/P-RM du 11 juin 2020 (marchés de riposte à la COVID-19)
Direct-agreement regime for COVID-19 response purchases, valid until the official declaration that the disease is over (art. 12). I found no end declaration and no repeal.[13]
Status to confirm with the regulator.
Décret n° 2020-0277/P-RM du 11 juin 2020 (entente directe pour l'aide humanitaire et le relèvement dans les régions touchées par la crise sécuritaire)
Direct agreement without prior opinion of the DGMP-DSP for the 2020 tranche of the Centre Stabilisation Strategy and the North and Centre Emergency Programme. Limited to those 2020 contracts.[14]
Status to confirm with the regulator.

The bodies

DGMP-DSP (Direction générale des marchés publics et des délégations de service public)
Prior control: it reviews the tender dossier before publication (10 working days), receives the evaluation report, gives opinions and numbers the approved contract. A representative may attend the bid opening as observer. Below the thresholds this role passes to the buyer's procurement cell. The RACOP network lists its website as dgmp.gouv.ml and its e-mail as dgmp@finances.ml.[6][10][18]
ARMDS (Autorité de régulation des marchés publics et des délégations de service public)
Regulator. Publishes the standard dossiers, keeps the list of excluded firms (blacklist) and hosts the Dispute Settlement Committee. Its website posts the texts, the Committee decisions and Supreme Court rulings. I found no tender notices on it.[6][17]
Comité de règlement des différends (CRD)
ARMDS body that rules on bidders' appeals after the mandatory administrative appeal. It decides within 7 working days. It also sits as a disciplinary panel to sanction firms.[6][9][17]
Personne responsable du marché, cellule de passation et commission d'ouverture des plis et d'évaluation des offres
At each buyer: the commission opens bids in public session and evaluates them; the procurement cell checks that the file is regular and reviews purchases below the thresholds. Commission decisions are taken unanimously.[6][10]
Section administrative de la Cour suprême
Court that hears challenges to Dispute Settlement Committee decisions: 3 working days for a procedural defect in a bid appeal (not suspensive), 60 days to contest a sanction.[6][9]
Portail des marchés publics du Mali (marchespublics.ml)
Website of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (CAISFF unit), which gives the contact details of the DGMP and the ARMDS. It publishes notices, procurement plans, results and awards. It is for reading and downloading notices, not for filing a bid.[1][2]
Journal des marchés publics et presse nationale
The Code requires tender notices to appear in the public procurement journal and in a national or international publication licensed for legal notices. An unpublished notice makes the procedure void.[6]

Where to find notices

Portail des marchés publics du Mali (marchespublics.ml)
Working on 2 November 2026, with notices published that day: tender notices, expressions of interest, requests for information and prices, procurement plans, results, awards, postponements and cancellations. Its public feed held 113 tender notices, 80 expressions of interest and 43 requests for information and prices, some of them old: read the deadline in each notice.
Free to read and download, no account. The portal does not take bids: file at the address given in the notice.
Journal des marchés publics et presse nationale (annonces légales)
Legal medium for tender notices above the thresholds (art. 63). I could not open an online edition of the journal.
No registration needed to read a notice. The tender dossier is handed over free or for a price set by the buyer (order, art. 9).
Portail national des marchés publics
Publishes tender notices. Checked on 2 November 2026: it listed recent notices.
Site de l'ARMDS
Official texts, standard dossiers, decisions of the Dispute Settlement Committee and the Supreme Court, blacklist. Useful to check a text or a precedent, not to find tenders.
Site de la DGMP-DSP (adresse officielle citée : dgmp.gouv.ml)
When I checked on 2 November 2026, this address redirected to another institution's website (the financial intelligence unit, centif.ml). Do not use it to look for notices any more: they are on marchespublics.ml. To reach the DGMP-DSP, the portal gives dgmp@finances.ml. Supplier lists are found at each buyer.
Avis communautaires de l'UEMOA
Above the community thresholds, the notice is also published by the UEMOA Commission (art. 62 and 64). The same notice may appear in several places, with identical text.

Who buys

Central State (ministries, administrative and finance departments): The beneficiary department prepares the dossier with its administrative and finance directorate. A commission made up of these staff opens and evaluates bids. The sector minister or the finance minister approves depending on the amount.[6][10]
Regions and Bamako District (State contracts executed locally): Contracts financed from the State budget and executed in the regions or Bamako District, up to 500 million F CFA (works), 400 million (supplies and ordinary services) and 200 million (intellectual services), are prepared by decentralised services and awarded by the Regional Budget Directorate.[10]
Local authorities (communes, circles, regions): The Code applies to local authorities. A joint order of the finance and local government ministers sets their commissions, control authority and approval authority (art. 85). They may grant shorter payment times to SMEs in their area (art. 108.4) and a 5% preference margin to bidders who subcontract 30% to a Malian firm or craftsman (2018 decree, art. 5.2).[6][11]
Public establishments, agencies, State companies and majority publicly owned companies: They are subject to the Code (art. 4). For State companies, majority publicly owned companies and industrial and commercial public establishments the threshold is higher: 150 million F CFA for works, supplies and ordinary services, 80 million for intellectual services (art. 9.1). Their commission follows their own operating rules.[6][7][10]
Donor-financed projects: Contracts financed from external resources follow the Code, to the extent it does not contradict the financing agreement (art. 7). In practice the funder's rules often apply, with its own deadlines and templates: the tender dossier says so.[6]
Defence, security and essential State interests: Outside the Code. The buyer issues at least once a year, for each category of equipment, services or works on the list, a public call for expressions of interest or prequalification, then consults at least three selected candidates (restricted tender), with 15 calendar days to reply. If three cannot be found, the consultation is held between two; failing that, direct negotiation with the only interested candidate. A defence-secret contract above one billion F CFA needs the opinion of the Higher Defence Council.[15][16]

The procedures

Open tender (AOO), with or without prequalification

This is the rule: any candidate not excluded may bid (art. 50). Any other mode must be exceptional, justified and authorised in advance by the DGMP-DSP (art. 48.2). For complex works or services, prequalification may come first (art. 51): all candidates meeting the criteria are admitted to bid.[6]

Minimum period: At least 30 calendar days after the notice is published for contracts above the national thresholds, and 45 days from the UEMOA community thresholds. Electronic sending of the notice and dossier allows a 7-day reduction (art. 66). In simple urgency authorised by the DGMP-DSP, the period may drop to 15 days (art. 67).[6]

For you: This is the procedure where your bid is decided on price, once compliant. Count on 30 days: that is the time to obtain tax clearance, bank statements and tax-office-stamped financial statements.

Restricted tender (AOR)

Only candidates picked by the buyer may reply. The goods, works or services must, because of their specialised nature, be available from only a limited number of providers. The choice must be reasoned and authorised in advance by the DGMP-DSP (art. 54). It also applies after a failed tender, where a consultation of at least three firms may replace a new tender (art. 74).[6]

Minimum period: Same periods as an open tender (art. 66). If fewer than three bids are received, the buyer opens a new period of at least 15 working days, after which the commission may open the bids whatever their number (art. 72).[6]

For you: You can only enter by invitation. To be invited, make yourself known: ask to be added to the buyer's supplier list and answer its expressions of interest.

Request for quotation (DC) and requests for information and prices (DRPR, DRPO)

For purchases by the State and national public establishments below the Code's thresholds (art. 9.2 and order, art. 22 to 24). DC: under 5 million F CFA, at least three candidates consulted in writing, on pro forma invoices, with no publicity or formal specifications. DRPR (restricted competition): from 5 million to under 25 million (works, supplies, ordinary services) or under 15 million (intellectual services), at least five firms asked. DRPO (open competition): from 25 million to under 100 million (works), under 80 million (supplies, ordinary services), from 15 to under 70 million (intellectual services), with a public notice.[6][10]

Minimum period: DRPO: at least 15 calendar days from publication of the notice; the commission proposes the award within 7 days of opening. DC and DRPR: no period set by the order.[10]

For you: This is the most accessible ground for a small firm. DC and DRPR go to firms the buyer already knows: keep your administrative file up to date and get on its supplier list.

Direct agreement (single-source contract)

Limited cases: patent, licence or exclusive right held by one provider; extreme urgency to replace a defaulting contractor; compelling urgency from unforeseeable events or force majeure; a provider imposed for technical or artistic reasons. A reasoned request and prior authorisation by the DGMP-DSP are required, otherwise the contract is void (art. 58 and 81.2). The contractor accepts price control during performance.[6]

For you: You cannot answer these by notice: the buyer picks its partner. If you hold an exclusive right (brand, patent, licence), tell the buyer in writing. If a contract is given to you this way, check the DGMP-DSP authorisation before you start work.

Expression of interest and shortlist (intellectual services)

For studies, technical assistance and consulting: the buyer publishes an expression of interest notice (mandatory for individual consultants), draws up a shortlist of prequalified candidates, then sends them a request for proposals (art. 55 and 56, order art. 16.2). Technical and financial proposals are in two sealed envelopes; the financial offer is opened only if the technical one qualifies.[6][10]

Minimum period: Reply to the expression of interest notice: 15 days from publication (order, art. 16.2).[10]

For you: The first step decides everything: if your expression of interest file (references, key staff CVs) does not put you on the shortlist, you will never see the request for proposals.

Two-stage tender

Reserved for very complex contracts or those awarded on performance criteria rather than detailed specifications. Bidders first submit technical proposals without prices, then final priced offers on a revised dossier. A reasoned request and prior DGMP-DSP authorisation are required (art. 52).[6]

For you: Rare and reserved for large projects. Keep your technical thinking ready: the first stage is a technical discussion with the buyer, without prices.

Framework agreement and call-off contract

For recurring needs of supplies or ordinary services whose quantities are not known in advance. A framework agreement is concluded for one year, renewable once, with one or several suppliers (art. 39 and 41).[6]

For you: Being selected guarantees no order: read the minimum and maximum quantities and the payment period for each purchase order.

Public service delegation (DSP): concession, lease

The authority delegates the running of a public service to a private or public operator. Selection is by open tender with prequalification, or in two stages, with prior DGMP-DSP opinion. Direct agreement is allowed only in extreme urgency found to ensure continuity of service, or if only one source can provide it (art. 86 to 89). Unsolicited offers are possible only for DSPs and public-private partnerships, with competition except in strict cases (art. 57 as amended in 2016).[6][9]

For you: Long-term contracts where the buyer looks at the operator's financial and technical guarantees. A small firm usually enters through a joint venture or as a subcontractor.

The thresholds

Buyer	Contract	Amount	Effect
State, local authorities, administrative public establishments, agencies and other contracting authorities (excluding State companies)	Works	100,000,000 F CFA (estimated value)	From this amount the Code applies: tender, published notice, dossier review and prior control by the DGMP-DSP.[6][7]
Same authorities	Supplies	80,000,000 F CFA (supplies and ordinary services)	Same effect as for works. Some sites quote 60 million: that is not the figure in the 2015 decree.[6][7]
Same authorities	Services	80,000,000 F CFA (ordinary services, together with supplies)	Ordinary services (cleaning, security, transport, maintenance) follow the supplies threshold.[6][7]
Same authorities	Consulting	70,000,000 F CFA (intellectual services)	Studies, consulting, supervision: consultation on a shortlist above this amount.[6][7][10]
State companies, majority publicly owned companies, industrial and commercial public establishments	Works	150,000,000 F CFA	Threshold at which the Code applies to these buyers.[6][7]
Same buyers	Supplies	150,000,000 F CFA (supplies and ordinary services)	Threshold at which the Code applies to these buyers.[6][7]
Same buyers	Consulting	80,000,000 F CFA (intellectual services)	Threshold at which the Code applies to these buyers.[6][7]
State and national public establishments, below the Code's thresholds	All	Under 5,000,000 F CFA	Request for quotation (DC): at least 3 candidates consulted in writing on pro forma invoices, no publicity.[10]
Same buyers	Works	DRPR: 5 to under 25 million; DRPO: 25 to under 100 million F CFA	Request for information and prices with restricted competition (at least 5 firms), then with open competition (public notice, 15 days).[10]
Same buyers	Supplies	DRPR: 5 to under 25 million; DRPO: 25 to under 80 million F CFA	Same mechanism as for works (supplies and ordinary services).[10]
Same buyers	Consulting	DRPR: 5 to under 15 million; DRPO: 15 to under 70 million F CFA	Same mechanism for intellectual services.[10]
State contracts funded from the budget and executed in the regions and Bamako District	All	Up to 500 million (works), 400 million (supplies and ordinary services), 200 million (intellectual services) F CFA	Prepared by decentralised services and awarded by the Regional or District Budget Directorate, not by the ministry in Bamako.[10]
Craft enterprises under the synthetic tax regime and registered with the Chamber of Trades	All	Up to 5,000,000 F CFA for State works and supplies contracts	Exempt from bid and performance guarantees. The text lists two ceilings for public establishments (1.5 million and 3 million): see the unconfirmed points.[11]

The administrative documents

Trade register extract (RCCM)
Almost always asked for
Greffe du Tribunal de Commerce / Guichet unique de l'API-Mali
The RCCM is issued by the registry of the commercial court for the registered office, or through the API-Mali one-stop shop at incorporation. Registration is permanent, but tender files usually ask for a recent extract. Check with the registry for an up-to-date extract.
Detailed guide
Tax identification number (NIF)
Almost always asked for
Direction générale des impôts (DGI)
The NIF is assigned by the DGI at tax registration; the registration certificate is obtained from your local tax office. It is requested in every administrative file. Check that the company name matches the RCCM.
Official site
Tax clearance (quitus fiscal)
Almost always asked for
Direction générale des impôts (DGI)
The quitus fiscal certifies that the company is current on its tax obligations. Apply at your local tax office once all returns are filed and due taxes paid. Check the validity period stated on the document.
Usual validity: 3 monthsOfficial site Detailed guide
INPS certificate
Almost always asked for
Institut National de Prévoyance Sociale (INPS)
It certifies that the company is registered and current on its social-security contributions. Apply at your INPS branch. Settle any overdue contributions before applying.
Usual validity: 3 monthsOfficial site
Non-bankruptcy certificate
Almost always asked for
Greffe du Tribunal de Commerce
It is issued by the registry of the commercial court for the company's jurisdiction on presentation of the RCCM. It certifies that no insolvency proceedings are ongoing. Tender files usually require a recent certificate: check the requested age.
Usual validity: 3 monthsDetailed guide

Who can bid

Excluded: firms in bankruptcy, liquidation, cessation of activity or court-supervised restructuring (unless the court allows them to continue); those excluded by a final court decision or by the ARMDS; companies acting as a front for an excluded person; managers convicted of collusion. Same rule for subcontractors (art. 23).[6]
Conflict of interest: you cannot bid if you share financial or personal interests with members of the contracting authority, the control body or the commission, or are affiliated with consultants who prepared the tender dossier (art. 22).[6]
Minimum disqualifying documents for works: bid guarantee, licence or professional card, non-bankruptcy certificate, tax clearance, proven similar experience (completion certificates or reception minutes), staff and equipment, financial proof (bank statement of available funds, financial statements for the last three years certified by a chartered or approved accountant, bearing the tax office's « conform to filed returns » stamp). Supplies and ordinary services: the same, with commercial register entry in place of the licence. Intellectual services: commercial register, tax clearance, experience, CVs and availability of key staff (order, art. 4.2).[10]
The selected candidate must provide within 2 working days its articles of association, tax identification card and attestations from the INPS (social security) and the OMH (Malian Housing Office) (order, art. 4.3). Firms with no first balance sheet are exempt from financial statements and proof of experience, but must provide a bank statement of available funds (art. 4.4).[10]
Recently created micro-enterprises with no balance sheet only need a document from their bank or financial institution. The buyer may not ask them for references identical to the contract, but must take into account those backed by diplomas (2018 decree, art. 12.6).[11]
In an international tender, bidders are exempt from tax and parafiscal documents, except the tax identification card for nationals. A foreign bidder declared winner must register with the tax services and name a representative in Mali (order, art. 4.6).[10]
The bid must contain a commitment not to offer undue advantages, to declare paid intermediaries and to respect anti-corruption rules (art. 29). False or missing information on eligibility or capacities leads to rejection of the bid (art. 30). Documents and bids are in French, only the French text being authoritative, unless the notice says otherwise (art. 59).[6][7]

Joint ventures and subcontracting

A joint venture may be joint or joint-and-several. Members name a leader who represents them and coordinates performance. In a joint grouping the bid shows each member's amount and detailed share; in a joint-and-several grouping there is one document and each member answers for the whole. The dossier may impose the form of the grouping (art. 31).[6]
A candidate cannot bid alone and in a grouping (or in several groupings) for the same contract or lot. The membership cannot change between prequalification and bid submission, or between submission and contract conclusion (art. 31.3 and 31.4).[6]
Buyers must encourage SME groupings in their dossiers. A foreign firm partnering with a local SME for large works or complex services may receive advantages defined by order of the finance minister. Subcontracting must be provided for in the tender dossier; the accepted subcontractor may be paid directly by the buyer (2018 decree, art. 5 and 6; Code, art. 32).[11][6]

Bid security

A bid guarantee is required where the nature of the work requires it. The buyer sets it between 1% and 3% of the estimated contract amount and states it in the dossier. It is not requested for intellectual services (art. 69.1). It takes the form of a surety or a first-demand guarantee (art. 69.2).[6]
A bid without the required bid guarantee is inadmissible (order, art. 12.2). Unsuccessful bidders get their guarantee back with notice of rejection (art. 79.1).[10][6]
Exemption: craft enterprises under the synthetic tax and registered with the Chamber of Trades need not provide a bid guarantee for works and supplies up to 5 million F CFA (State contracts); the text also lists 1.5 million and 3 million for public establishments (2018 decree, art. 7). On domestic funding, the finance minister may by decision exempt cooperatives, worker groups and craftsmen supported by the chambers (Code, art. 69.3).[11][6]

Submitting bids

The marchespublics.ml portal offers no account and no bid filing on its public pages. The notices read on 2 November 2026 have bids filed at the buyer's address: under sealed cover for a CANAM tender and an AEDD expression of interest, at the Finance and Equipment Directorate for a request for information and prices from the Ministry of Agriculture. That last notice lets you receive the dossier by e-mail, but does not provide for filing the bid that way.[1][3][4][5]
A single envelope contains the candidacy information (with the bid guarantee) and, separately, the technical offer and the financial offer. The bid comes with a commitment form signed by the bidder or its authorised representative (art. 68 and 70). For intellectual services: one outer envelope holding two sealed envelopes, technical proposal and financial proposal (art. 55.2).[6]
On receipt, each bid is numbered (order, date, time), entered in a register, and a receipt is given to the candidate. Bids received after the deadline date and time are rejected (order, art. 11.1 and 12.1). The period during which you remain bound by your bid is stated in the notice and may not exceed 90 days (art. 63.3).[10][6]
The buyer may change the dossier only in exceptional situations that do not affect substantial conditions. Changes are sent to all candidates at least 10 working days before the bid deadline, which may be postponed (art. 37.3). The tender dossier must be available to anyone who asks for it (order, art. 9).[6][10]

Bid opening

The opening session is public (except intellectual services). The commission lists the bidders in their presence, examines the documents and notes inadmissible bids or those missing disqualifying documents (art. 71.2). Members are summoned at least 3 working days before, and the DGMP-DSP may send an observer (order, art. 3.6 and 11.2).[6][10]
For intellectual services, technical proposals are evaluated first. Only technically qualified bidders have their financial offer opened, in public; the other financial offers are returned unopened (art. 55.3).[6]

Evaluating bids

The contract goes to the compliant bid evaluated as lowest, whose author meets the qualification criteria, with no negotiation (art. 49, 75 and 80). Only purely arithmetical errors may be corrected, and the commission may ask for written clarifications without changing the bid (order, art. 12.5). A variant is considered only if the dossier allows it (art. 73).[6][10]
A bid is inadmissible if not signed by an authorised person, if prices are missing, if the required bid guarantee is absent, or if it departs from the essentials of the dossier. A document not specified as mandatory may be supplied before provisional award. Lack of initials on each page is not a non-conformity if the bid is otherwise compliant (order, art. 12.2 and 12.3).[10]
Abnormally low bid: the buyer computes the average of compliant bids and treats as suspect those below that average reduced by a percentage set in the dossier (20% at most). You have 2 working days to justify your price. The bid may be rejected only if its amount does not match the economic reality of the work (art. 77; order, art. 13).[6][10]
The commission has 10 working days after opening to choose the provisional awardee, the technical sub-commission 5 working days. Its decisions are unanimous (order, art. 3.9 and 17.1).[10]

Preferences and SMEs

Community preference: a margin of at most 15% of the bid amount is granted to firms whose head office is in a UEMOA member state. The percentage is set in the tender dossier (art. 76 and 2).[6]
Below the award thresholds, for all types of contract, a 25% preference margin is given to Malian-origin products and to Malian-law firms whose capital is majority held by nationals. Craftsmen and craft enterprises established in Mali get an extra 5%, cumulative. The dossier must state the preference and the comparison method (2018 decree, art. 11).[11]
Contracts of decentralised local authorities and their establishments: a margin of at most 5% is possible for a bidder planning to subcontract at least 30% of the contract value to a Malian firm or craftsman, cumulative with the community preference (2018 decree, art. 5.2).[11]
Craft services are reserved for national craftsmen unless impossible for justified reasons. Where micro-enterprises can meet a need, the buyer must, unless exceptionally justified, reserve those services exclusively for them. The buyer may use an imported product only if the local equivalent is unavailable or non-compliant (2018 decree, art. 12.3 to 12.5).[11]

Award

The commission signs on the spot a provisional award minute (selected, excluded with reasons, price, time limits, subcontracting); it is published after validation. Rejected bidders are informed in writing and may request the reasons, the contract amount, the awardee's name and a copy of the minute: the buyer answers within 5 working days of the written request (art. 78 and 79.1).[6]
The buyer observes a period of at least 15 days after publication before signing the contract and submitting it for approval (art. 79.2). Then the contract is signed, approved (10 working days at the approving authority), numbered by the DGMP-DSP, and notified to the contractor. It takes effect on notification, and a final award notice is published within 15 calendar days (art. 83, 84; order, art. 15).[6][10]
A tender is declared unsuccessful if no bid is received, none is compliant, or all compliant bids exceed the budget. The buyer launches a new tender or consults at least three contractors or suppliers, with prior DGMP-DSP authorisation (art. 74). Where prior authorisation was mandatory and not obtained, the contract is void (art. 81.2).[6]

Appeals

Step 1, mandatory: a written administrative appeal to the contracting authority, within 5 working days of publication of the award decision, the tender notice or the handing over of the dossier. It suspends the award procedure. The buyer has 3 working days to answer; after that silence counts as rejection (art. 120 as amended in 2016). The appeal must cite the procedure and its grounds, by registered letter with acknowledgement or lodged against a receipt (art. 120.5).[6][9]
Step 2: referral to the ARMDS Dispute Settlement Committee within 2 working days of notification of the decision (or of the end of the 3-day period in case of silence). The Committee decides within 7 working days, failing which the award can no longer be suspended. It may correct the violation, prevent further harm or suspend the procedure (art. 121 as amended in 2016).[9]
Step 3: appeal to the Supreme Court's administrative section against the Committee's decision, within 3 working days of its publication, only for breach of procedural rules; it has no suspensive effect (art. 121.4). The appeal must claim a clear violation of the regulations (art. 120.3).[9][6]
For performance disputes: amicable settlement before the Committee (opinion within 15 days, extendable by 15), then the courts. OHADA arbitration is possible if the specifications contain an arbitration clause (art. 122 to 124).[6]

Performance guarantee

The contractor provides a performance guarantee when the nature and duration of the contract require it. Amount: 3% to 5% of the base contract price, including amendments. Intellectual services are exempt. It is provided from notification and before any payment (art. 94).[6]
The notification letter states that the guarantee must be provided within 20 days of receipt, and that no advance or payment is possible before. The deposit may be replaced, at the contractor's choice, by a first-demand guarantee from an approved bank or a surety from an approved mutual guarantee body. A reputable foreign bank may issue it if it has an approved local correspondent (art. 96.1).[10][6]
With no warranty period, the guarantee is released at reception. With a warranty period, release occurs within one month after provisional reception (or the end of the warranty period if there is no provisional reception) (art. 94.4 and 95.1).[6]

Advance payment

A start-up advance may be granted: at most 20% of the initial amount for works and intellectual services, at most 30% for supplies and other services. It is provided for in the tender dossier, guaranteed for 100% of its amount and repaid by deduction from instalments or the balance. Repayment must be complete when net amounts paid reach 80% of the contract (art. 105 and 97).[6]

Retention

Where the contract has a warranty period, the buyer may withhold up to 5% of each payment as a retention. It may be replaced by a surety or bank guarantee, and is returned within a month after the end of the warranty period or final reception (art. 95.2 and 95.3).[6]

Payment

The buyer must pay instalments and the balance within 60 days at most; the payment authorisation period is set in the contract. Local authorities may grant shorter periods to SMEs. Any deferred payment or payment by annuities is forbidden except for standing-order contracts or a finance minister waiver (art. 108.3 to 108.5). Contracts longer than 3 months give a right to instalments (art. 106.1).[6]
For craft contracts, the payment period may not exceed 60 calendar days and a delay gives the contractor an automatic right to default interest, at least at the BCEAO discount rate plus one point (2018 decree, art. 8.1 and 8.3).[11]
Contracts longer than 18 months include price revision. The contractor's delay can draw penalties after formal notice; force majeure must be invoked before the contractual deadline expires (art. 47.3 and 99). The contractor may pledge the contract to a bank approved in Mali (art. 110.3). The accepted subcontractor is paid directly (art. 32.5).[6]

Sanctions

The Dispute Settlement Committee, sitting as a disciplinary panel, may sanction a candidate or contractor who: offers an undue advantage, colludes on prices, over-invoices, tries to influence evaluation, provides false information or bills services not supplied, or breached obligations in an earlier contract after a final court decision (art. 127).[6]
Sanctions: forfeiture of guarantees and exclusion from public contracts and DSPs for a period set by gravity, extendable to companies linked by majority capital in case of established collusion. If the fault is found after award, the contract may be terminated or taken over by another firm at the sanctioned firm's risk. Appeal to the Supreme Court within 60 days, not suspensive (art. 128). The ARMDS keeps the list of excluded firms (art. 118).[6]

Traps to know about

Many sites still quote thresholds from the old code or wrong figures (60 million for supplies, for example). The 2015 decree sets 100 million (works), 80 million (supplies and ordinary services) and 70 million (intellectual services). Always read the notice: it states the actual procedure.
Below the thresholds, contracts go through requests for quotation and for information and prices sent to firms on the buyer's supplier list. If you are not on it, you receive nothing. Answer the expressions of interest of your target buyers and ask in writing to be added.
Appeal deadlines are a few working days: 5 to challenge the buyer, then 2 to go to the Dispute Settlement Committee. Prepare a registered-letter template in advance, and do not rely on an oral or phone complaint.
A bid is rejected if the requested bid guarantee is missing, if the submission is not signed by an authorised person, or if the envelope arrives after the deadline hour. Have the bank guarantee issued before the day before submission and file the envelope against a receipt, not on the last day.
Financial statements must be certified by an approved accountant and bear the tax office's conformity stamp. This step takes time: request it early, outside the filing peak. After award you have only 2 working days to provide articles of association, tax identification card and INPS and OMH attestations: keep them current.
The 25% preference for Malian products and firms applies only below the award thresholds (2018 decree). Above them, the only preference is the community one (15% at most), plus the 5% subcontracting bonus for local authorities. Check the dossier for the exact percentage and the majority-national-capital condition.
The marchespublics.ml portal is for finding the notice, not for filing: a bid prepared for online submission has nowhere to go. Allow for printing, the copies requested and the trip to the address in the notice. The old dgmp.gouv.ml address, still cited in official documents, redirects elsewhere. Also watch the public procurement journal and the national press, and do not trust a third-party site for deadlines without checking the original notice.

What we could not confirm

Rather than guess, we list here what no reliable source allowed us to confirm. On these points, rely on the tender file or ask the body concerned.

Reform in progress: the Council of Ministers of 6 May 2026 adopted a draft decree amending the 2015 Code. According to the communiqué, it widens the Code's exclusion scope to spending made through special advance accounts. I found no signed text and no publication in the Official Gazette: check before relying on the rules above for small purchases.
According to a search result, order no. 2015-3721/MEF-SG was amended by order no. 2020-1560/MEF-SG of 22 April 2020. I could not read that amendment: the request-for-quotation, DRPR and DRPO thresholds given here are those of 2015 and may have changed.
I identified only one amendment to the Code (the 2016 decree). The recitals of recent texts speak of a « modified » decree without detail: other amendments may exist.
The Code does not say whether thresholds are before or after tax. The tender dossier should state it.
The UEMOA community thresholds, which trigger the 45-day period and community publication, are not in the texts I read.
Authorities for concluding and approving contracts by amount: set by a Prime Minister decree (decree no. 2014-0256, cited in recitals) which I did not read. The 2020 COVID decree gives levels of 1 billion and 150 million F CFA but applies only to its own contracts.
In the 2018 decree, article 7 lists two ceilings (1.5 million and 3 million F CFA) both worded « public establishments », and a third of 5 million for the State. I could not establish which one targets local authorities, and found no amendment to the 2018 decree or its implementing order.
No electronic submission could be confirmed. The Code provides for dematerialisation (art. 65) by order, but I found neither an order nor a filing platform in service: the marchespublics.ml portal publishes notices without taking bids. Nor did I find a text making this portal a legal publication medium in place of the public procurement journal (art. 63).
The specific rules for public service delegations and public-private partnerships (the PPP law and its implementing decree) were not studied beyond the Code. The 2020 COVID decrees have no established end date.

Sources

Portail des marchés publics du Mali, accueil (rubriques de publication, contacts DGMP et ARMDS, mention CAISFF - Ministère de l'Economie et des Finances) (CAISFF, ministère de l'Économie et des Finances du Mali, 2026-11-02)
Portail des marchés publics du Mali : flux public des avis (dossier-sigmap) (CAISFF, ministère de l'Économie et des Finances du Mali, 2026-11-02)
Avis d'appel d'offres : souscription à une police d'assurance maladie complémentaire, Caisse nationale d'assurance maladie (CANAM) (CANAM, publié sur marchespublics.ml, 2026-11-02)
Demande de renseignements et de prix à compétition ouverte : acquisition d'un véhicule pick-up, ministère de l'Agriculture (Ministère de l'Agriculture, publié sur marchespublics.ml, 2026-10-30)
Avis à manifestation d'intérêt : outils de sauvegarde environnementale et sociale, Agence de l'environnement et du développement durable (AEDD) (AEDD, publié sur marchespublics.ml, 2026-11-02)
Décret n° 2015-0604/P-RM du 25 septembre 2015 portant Code des marchés publics et des délégations de service public (copie publiée par l'ARMDS) (ARMDS (Autorité de régulation des marchés publics et des délégations de service public), 2015-09-25)
Journal officiel de la République du Mali : Décret n° 2015-0604/P-RM, art. 9 (seuils) et art. 59 (langue) (Secrétariat général du Gouvernement du Mali, 2015)
Publication du nouveau Code des marchés publics (Journal officiel n° 43 de 2015) (Secrétariat général du Gouvernement du Mali, 2015)
Décret n° 2016-0920/P-RM du 6 décembre 2016 portant modification du décret n° 2015-0604/P-RM (art. 57, 120, 121) (ARMDS (copie du décret), 2016-12-06)
Arrêté n° 2015-3721/MEF-SG du 22 octobre 2015 (art. 2, 3, 4, 9, 11 à 17, 22 à 24, 30), Journal officiel spécial n° 15 du 15 août 2016 (Secrétariat général du Gouvernement du Mali, 2016-08-15)
Décret n° 2018-0473/PM-RM du 28 mai 2018 portant adoption de mesures d'orientation de la commande publique vers les PME et la production nationale (ARMDS (copie du décret), 2018-05-28)
Décret n° 2019-0300/P-RM du 17 avril 2019 portant réglementation de la maîtrise d'ouvrage public déléguée (ARMDS (copie du décret), 2019-04-17)
Décret n° 2020-0276/P-RM du 11 juin 2020 fixant le régime des marchés publics relatifs aux mesures de prévention et de riposte contre la COVID-19 (ARMDS (copie du décret), 2020-06-11)
Décret n° 2020-0277/P-RM du 11 juin 2020 portant allègement des conditions de recours à l'entente directe (actions humanitaires et de relèvement) (ARMDS (copie du décret), 2020-06-11)
Décret n° 2023-0275/PT-RM du 3 mai 2023 fixant le régime des marchés exclus du champ d'application du Code des marchés publics (ARMDS (copie du décret), 2023-05-03)
Décret n° 2025-0915/PT-RM du 31 décembre 2025 portant modification du décret n° 2023-0275/PT-RM (Journal officiel du 30 janvier 2026) (Secrétariat général du Gouvernement du Mali, 2026-01-30)
Site de l'ARMDS : rubriques Textes, Contentieux, Espace PUB (liste noire), Contact (ARMDS, 2026-11-02)
Réseau des acteurs de la commande publique (RACOP) : fiche Mali, coordonnées de la DGMP-DSP (RACOP / APPN, 2026)
Communiqué du Conseil des ministres du mercredi 6 mai 2026 (projet de décret modifiant le Code des marchés publics), reproduit par la presse (NewAfrique (reprise du communiqué du Gouvernement), 2026-05-06)

The public procurement rules in Mali