GEANT Ltd is coordinating procurement efforts under the AfricaConnect2 (AC2) project. The project, funded by the European Commission Development and Cooperation-EuropeAid directorate http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/index_en.htm), aims to establish a high-capacity network for research and education in West and Central African region, and to connect this network to the worldwide community of Research and Education Networks through GÉANT, the pan-European Research and Education Network operated by GEANT Ltd.

The beneficiaries of AfricaConnect2 are the NRENs under the WACREN, the regional research and Education Network for the region. WACREN currently has membership drawn from Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, Niger, Nigeria and Cameroon albeit the aims of the AC2 project are to connect additional countries in the region as they join WACREN during the project.

This tender is for the establishment of a framework agreement, the scope of which is the supply, installation, support and maintenance of network equipment.

It is intended that qualifying bidders will engage in a competitive dialogue exercise with GEANT and WACREN so that the project team can find a partner who has the experience and reach across the Western and Central part of the African continent.

It should be noted that any framework agreement awarded as a result of this tender exercise will be available for use by the WACREN NRENs, FasoREN,GabonREN, GARNET, MailREN, NgREN, NigerREN, RerBenin, RITER, snRER and TogoRER.