GOMBE STATE MINISTRY OF HEALTH
IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE GOMBE STATE DUE PROCESS BUREAU
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REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATION FOR THE SELECTION OF A PRIVATE OPERATOR FOR THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF THE GOMBE STATE CENTRAL MEDICAL STORE

1. BACKGROUND
The Gombe State Government, through the Gombe State Ministry of Health (GSMoH), is implementing strategic reforms to improve the efficiency, transparency, accountability, and sustainability of the State’s healthcare supply chain.
As part of these reforms, the Government seeks to engage a qualified Private Operator under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement for the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) of the Gombe State Central Medical Store (CMS). The Central Medical Store serves as a key storage and distribution hub for essential medicines and health commodities required for effective healthcare service delivery across Gombe State and potentially other states within the North-East region and Plateau State.

The Gombe State Ministry of Health is the Procuring Authority for this Project and shall oversee the procurement process from project preparation and issuance of procurement documents through bidder qualification, proposal evaluation, selection of the preferred bidder, and contract award. The procurement process shall be conducted in a transparent, competitive, and fair manner in accordance with the Gombe State Public Procurement Law, applicable PPP regulations, and all other relevant laws, policies, and guidelines of Gombe State.

Accordingly, the Gombe State Ministry of Health hereby invites suitably qualified and experienced firms, or consortia of firms, to submit Qualification Statements for consideration under this Request for Qualification (RFQ).

2. PROJECT OBJECTIVE
2.1 Objective
The objective of the Project is to ensure the efficient operation, maintenance, and long-term sustainability of the Gombe State Central Medical Store through the engagement of a competent private sector operator under a PPP arrangement. The selected Private Operator shall be responsible for the day-to-day management, operation, and maintenance of the facility while deploying modern warehousing systems, technologies, and best practices to improve service delivery, inventory visibility, accountability, and overall supply chain performance.
The Operator shall also be expected to maintain operational standards capable of supporting government-funded and donor-supported health programmes and associated health commodity supply chains.
The successful Private Operator shall provide, among others, the following services:
– Inventory management and stock control.
– Warehouse operations and facility maintenance.
– Deployment and management of Warehouse Management Systems (WMS).
– Capacity building and skills transfer for warehouse personnel and officials of the Gombe State Ministry of Health.
– Quality assurance and regulatory compliance.
– Any other services necessary for the efficient operation and maintenance of the pharmaceutical-grade central medical store.

2.2 Project Scope
The scope of the Project shall include the OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE GOMBE STATE CENTRAL MEDICAL STORE in accordance with the terms and conditions prescribed in the PPP Agreement and the Request for Proposal (RFP) documents.

2.3 REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATION
Interested firms and/or consortia are invited to submit Qualification Statements demonstrating their legal, technical, operational, and financial capacity to undertake the Project. Applicants who successfully satisfy the qualification requirements shall be shortlisted and invited via email to participate in the subsequent Request for Proposal (RFP) stage.
The qualification requirements, eligibility criteria, submission instructions, and evaluation requirements are contained in this RFQ. Interested Applicants may seek clarification on any aspect of the RFQ by submitting written enquiries to: gombecmsprocurement@gmail.com
Requests for clarification must be submitted no later than seven (7) days before the submission deadline.

3. CENTRAL MEDICAL STORE SPECIFICATIONS:
The Gombe State Central Medical Store is strategically located within Gombe State and comprises approximately 492.3 square metres of warehousing space with an estimated storage capacity of approximately 1,000 pallet positions.
Existing Facility Features
The facility currently includes:
– Adjustable pallet racking systems designed to maximise storage utilization and inventory organization.
– Two standby generators rated at 80 KVA and 88 KVA respectively.
– Eighteen (18) split-unit air-conditioning systems for temperature management.
– Three (3) manual pallet jacks.
– One (1) industrial access ladder.

– Administrative office spaces.
– Staff conveniences and sanitary facilities.
The successful operator shall be responsible for maintaining these assets and any additional infrastructure required to achieve agreed performance standards.

4. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Interested firms or consortia shall demonstrate eligibility by providing the following documentation.
I. Corporate Registration
– Certificate of Incorporation/Registration issued by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) for Nigerian firms or the equivalent regulatory authority for foreign firms.
– Status Report of Incorporation (or other applicable statutory corporate records issued by the Corporate Affairs Commission).
– Evidence of compliance with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).
– Evidence of compliance with the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).
– Evidence of compliance with the National Pension Commission (PENCOM).
– Evidence of compliance with Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) requirements, where applicable.
– Foreign firms shall provide evidence of exemption, waiver, or equivalent compliance where applicable.

II. Consortium Arrangements (Where Applicable)
Evidence of a legally binding consortium arrangement, such as a Joint Venture Agreement; Consortium Agreement; or Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

III. Authorization of Lead Member
A duly executed Power of Attorney or Board Resolution authorising the Lead Member to act on behalf of all consortium members and to bind them throughout the procurement process.

IV. Financial and Fiscal Compliance
a. Applicants shall provide Audited Financial Statements prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for the last three financial years (2023, 2024, and 2025) for the bidding entity or each consortium member. Where audited accounts for 2025 are not yet available, applicants may submit:
– A written undertaking to that effect; and
– A certification from their statutory auditor.
In such cases, audited accounts for 2022, 2023, and 2024 shall be provided.
b. Valid Tax Clearance Certificates for the last three assessment years (2023, 2024, and 2025).

V. Legal and Ethical Standing
A sworn affidavit confirming that:
– No officer of the Gombe State Ministry of Health has any direct or indirect financial interest in the Applicant.
– The Applicant has no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this procurement process.
– The Applicant is not bankrupt, insolvent, or under receivership.
– The Applicant is not involved in any litigation that could materially impair its ability to perform the Project.
– All information provided is true, accurate, and complete.

VI. Company/Consortium Profile
A detailed profile containing:
– Ownership structure.
– Corporate history and experience.
– Organizational structure.
– Key management personnel.
– Operational capabilities in warehousing, logistics, supply chain management, capacity building, and where applicable, pharmaceutical cold chain and temperature-controlled logistics operations.

VII. Ownership Disclosure
Detailed disclosure of the ownership structure of the bidding entity, including the names of principal shareholders and their respective shareholding percentages.

5. TECHNICAL, OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Applicants shall demonstrate a minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience in the following areas:
A. Technical and Operational Experience
i. General Experience in Logistics and Supply Chain Management: Demonstrate experience in logistics and supply chain management within Nigeria, including any international engagements. Provide a comprehensive list of relevant project references.
ii. Pharma-Grade Warehouse Management: Provide a detailed track record of experience and capacity in operating and maintaining pharmaceutical-grade warehouses. Include references, particularly related to Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects or similar initiatives in the logistics or health sector.
iii. Pharma Cold Chain Operations: Present evidence of specific experience and proven competence in the operation and management of pharmaceutical cold chain warehouses and temperature-controlled logistics operations. List all relevant project references.
iv. Experience in Emerging Markets: Demonstrate experience in developing economies and emerging markets, with a focus on successfully managing donor-funded health programmes. Include references and details of each relevant project.
v. Competency-Based Capacity Building: Provide a track record of delivering competency-based capacity building programmes in the health or logistics sectors. Include a list of all relevant engagements.
vi. Capacity Building Certifications: Demonstrate experience in designing and implementing capacity building programmes. Provide evidence of local and international certifications related to these programmes, if applicable.
vii. Verifiable Evidence of Prior Engagements: Submit at least five verifiable documents as evidence of the above qualifications (items i–vi). Acceptable documentation includes valid and verifiable letters of contract award, signed contract agreements, or equivalent official evidence.

B. Evidence of financial capacity
Applicants shall demonstrate the following:
i. Average annual turnover of at least ₦300,000,000 (Three Hundred Million Naira) or equivalent, over a period of three years.
ii. Evidence of adequate financial resources to finance projects. Interested applicants must have a minimum net worth of ₦600,000,000 (Six Hundred Million Naira) or its equivalent as shareholders’ equity.

6. METHOD OF SUBMISSION
All applications shall be submitted physically. All physical submissions should be addressed and submitted to the Office of:
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health Headquarters, along Dukku Road, Gombe, Gombe State.
The physical application shall consist of three (3) printed and bound copies (1 original and 2 copies) and one (1) electronic copy in PDF format on a USB flash drive and in a sealed and signed envelope, and shall bear the name and address of the applicant and be clearly marked “RFQ FOR THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF GOMBE STATE CENTRAL MEDICAL STORE”
All submissions must be received on or before: 3:00 PM, 4 August 2026
Late submissions shall not be accepted. Courier submissions shall be accepted only where delivered prior to the submission deadline.

IMPORTANT NOTICE
– As part of Corporate Social Responsibility for in-country capacity building, interested international firms are encouraged to partner with Nigerian companies.
– This notice shall not be construed to be a commitment on the part of GSMoH to award any form of contract to any respondent(s), nor shall it entitle any Applicant to claim any indemnity or compensation from the GSMoH.
– GSMoH reserves the right to reject any or all submissions, annul the procurement process, or amend the procurement requirements at any stage without incurring any liability to Applicants.
– Late submissions will be rejected.
– Submissions via courier will be accepted only if delivered within the submission deadline as indicated.
– Submissions shall be in English language only.
– Only short-listed Firms/Consortia will be contacted.
GSMoH reserves the right to verify the authenticity of any information, claims, references, or supporting documentation submitted by any Applicant.

SIGNED
Permanent Secretary
Gombe State Ministry of Health, Gombe State Nigeria