ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — The African Union Commission (AUC) is seeking a qualified technology firm to develop two digital platforms aimed at strengthening blue economy monitoring, reporting and knowledge sharing across Africa.
The consultancy, announced by the Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA), covers an Africa Blue Economy Dashboard and a Management Information System (MIS), Knowledge Hub and Online Learning Platform for African Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Interested firms have until 5 November 2026 to submit their proposals. The assignment forms part of a UNDP/AUC-GEF project supporting sustainable and inclusive blue economy transformation.
Two digital platforms planned
The consultancy will deliver two separate but complementary platforms for the African Union Commission.
The first is the Blue Economy Dashboard, which will support implementation, monitoring and reporting under the African Blue Economy Strategy (ABES).
The second is an MIS, Knowledge Hub and Online Learning Platform. It will support project monitoring, knowledge management, information sharing and digital learning for participating African SIDS.
Both platforms must meet the AUC’s technical, security, data management and interoperability requirements.
Dashboard to track continental progress
The Blue Economy Dashboard is intended to strengthen the collection, analysis and presentation of data from AU Member States.
It will provide a standardised reporting system, allowing countries to submit information against established performance indicators.
The platform is expected to include:
- Secure country reporting portals
- Key performance indicator (KPI) monitoring
- Data validation and approval workflows
- Continental and regional analytics
- Interactive dashboards and scorecards
- Geographic Information System (GIS) visualisation
- Secure information management and system integration
The AUC has already developed a framework of 30 KPIs across six pillars, alongside a scoring methodology, data collection template, training manual and prototype dashboard. The selected consultant will build on these existing resources rather than redesign the framework.
Knowledge Hub to support African SIDS
The second platform will focus on the UNDP/AUC-GEF project supporting sustainable and inclusive blue economy development in six African island states.
These are Cabo Verde, Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritius, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Seychelles.
The MIS will support the collection, processing, storage and analysis of project information. The Knowledge Hub will provide access to research, learning materials, project resources and other knowledge products.
The online learning component is expected to include course management, enrolment, multimedia learning materials, assessments, progress tracking and certificate generation.
The platform will also support multilingual content, advanced search, country profiles and responsive access on mobile devices.
Consultancy builds on AU strategy
The African Blue Economy Strategy provides a continental framework for the sustainable and inclusive development of aquatic and marine resources.
Its areas of focus include fisheries and aquatic ecosystems, shipping and ports, maritime safety, coastal tourism, climate resilience, sustainable energy, governance and employment.
The AUC’s Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy Directorate is responsible for supporting the strategy’s implementation.
The proposed dashboard is intended to strengthen reporting and monitoring across these sectors. It will also support benchmarking and evidence-based decision-making by policymakers, technical experts and development partners.
GWPSA to oversee the assignment
The Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA) will serve as the executing agency and manage the consultancy contract.
The African Union Commission will provide technical oversight through its Management Information Systems team and Blue Economy Division.
The AUC will guide system architecture, integration, hosting, security and compliance with its ICT standards. The Blue Economy Division will oversee the platform’s functional and reporting requirements.
The consultant will work with both organisations throughout development, testing, deployment and knowledge transfer.
Firms must meet technical requirements
The call is open to legally registered firms or institutions with relevant experience in digital platform development.
Applicants must demonstrate at least five years of experience in developing and deploying enterprise information systems, reporting platforms, dashboards, knowledge management systems or related digital solutions.
Firms must also demonstrate experience in areas such as:
- Web-based reporting and data collection systems
- Dashboard development and data visualisation
- DHIS2 configuration and API integration
- Business intelligence and GIS applications
- Knowledge management and online learning platforms
- Secure user management and enterprise system integration
Applicants must provide evidence of at least three similar completed assignments, supported by client references or certificates of satisfactory completion.
Multidisciplinary team required
The selected firm is expected to provide a team of specialists with relevant academic qualifications and professional experience.
The key roles include:
- Team Leader / Enterprise Systems Architect: Responsible for system architecture, technical leadership and project coordination.
- Software Development and Systems Integration Specialist: Responsible for application development, databases, APIs and system integration.
- Business Intelligence, GIS and Data Analytics Specialist: Responsible for dashboards, analytics, KPI reporting and geographic visualisation.
- Knowledge Management and Digital Learning Specialist: Responsible for knowledge repositories, content management and online learning functions.
The terms of reference set out specific qualification and experience requirements for each role.
Proposals face technical evaluation
The procurement process places significant emphasis on technical capacity and the proposed implementation approach.
Technical proposals carry 80 per cent of the evaluation weight, with a minimum technical score of 70 per cent required to qualify for financial evaluation.
The assessment will consider firm experience, expert qualifications, technical methodology, implementation planning, feasibility, quality assurance and risk management.
Financial proposals must be submitted in US dollars.
Application deadline is 5 November
Interested firms must submit their applications by email no later than 5 November 2026.
Applications should be sent to gwpsaprocurement@gwp.org, with copies to Jailson.Lopes@gwpsaf.org and immaculee.uwimana@gwpsaf.org.
The submission must include:
- The firm’s registration certificate
- A technical proposal outlining experience, methodology and the proposed team
- At least three certificates of satisfactory completion for similar assignments
- A financial proposal with costs broken down by deliverable
The proposal must be prepared in English. Further technical and functional requirements are set out in the official terms of reference.
Digital tools to strengthen blue economy data
The planned platforms are intended to address the need for reliable and standardised information on Africa’s blue economy.
A shared reporting framework can help improve the consistency of national data and support comparisons across countries and regions.
The Knowledge Hub and learning platform will also provide a structured way to share project information, resources and training materials with participating states and other stakeholders.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts to strengthen blue economy governance, institutional capacity and sustainable development across Africa.
A step towards data-driven decisions
The consultancy will combine data reporting, analytics, knowledge management and digital learning in support of the African Blue Economy Strategy and the African SIDS project.
The successful firm will be responsible for designing, developing, integrating, testing and deploying the platforms, as well as providing documentation, training and technical support.
With the application deadline approaching, the call provides an opportunity for qualified technology firms with experience in enterprise systems and development-sector digital solutions to contribute to the continent’s blue economy information infrastructure.
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