Uganda is set to host the 14th Annual East African Procurement Forum (EAPF) and East African Business Expo in March 2023.
This event, which has been held annually since 2008, brings together procurement regulatory bodies from the East African Community (EAC).
It also attracts senior procurement, purchasing, sourcing, and supply chain executives from the public sector, private sector, professional organizations, development partners, and civil society to share knowledge and consolidate efforts towards improving public procurement practices in the region.
Under the theme “Open Contracting as a Vehicle for Sustainable Development,” the four-day event will take place between 23rd and 26th March 2023 at Kololo Grounds.
The forum will be hosted by The Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets
Authority (PPDA) who will welcome partner procurement regulatory bodies including
The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) of Kenya, The Public
Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) of Tanzania, the Rwanda Public
Procurement Authority, Agence de Regulation des Marches Public (ARMP) of Burundi,
Agence de Regulation des Marches Public (ARMP) of DRC, and the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Southern Sudan. Together, these regulatory bodies oversee over 200,000 suppliers with a combined procurement market size estimated at over $100 billion USD annually.
The EAPF draws over 300 delegates annually from the public sector, private sector, professional organizations, development partners, and civil society from the partner states of the EAC and other public procurement players from the African continent and across the globe. This gathering of senior procurement, purchasing, sourcing, and supply chain executives aims at sharing knowledge and consolidating efforts towards improving public procurement practice in the region.
For the first time ever, this gathering will include the East African Business Expo, which is expected to attract over 500 business exhibitors seeking to do business with government institutions and international agencies in the EAC. The four-day business expo, running alongside the forum, will include exhibitions, panel sessions, networking events, and cultural exchanges, all aimed at helping businesses network, connect, and grow their market in the East African region.
Originally scheduled for November 2022, the 14th EAPF was moved to March 2023 due to Ministry of Health guidance on the Ebola virus situation, which has since been contained.
The breakfast meeting is part of a series of networking events leading up to the main event in March. It will be officiated by Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs, and will feature remarks from Hon. Matia Kasaija, Minister of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development. The invited heads of corporate and public institutions will also be briefed on available sponsorship opportunities.
Overall, the 14th Annual East African Procurement Forum and East African Business Expo promises to be an exceptional opportunity for businesses to connect, network, and grow their market in the East African region.
