By Mulengera Reporters
The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has opened a procurement process for 3,600 tablet devices aimed at expanding digital access among unserved and underserved households across 19 districts.
The procurement is being undertaken through the Uganda Communications Commission Universal Service Access Fund (UCUSAF), with UCC inviting eligible bidders to supply and deliver the devices under an Open Domestic Bidding procedure.
The tender, issued under procurement reference UCC/SUPLS/26-27/00010, was announced on October 6, 2026.
The initiative is part of efforts to bridge Uganda’s digital divide by providing households with access to digital devices and potentially enabling greater participation in online education, communication, information and other digital services.
Bidders face October 27 deadline
Interested bidders have until 10:00 a.m. on October 27, 2026, to submit their bids.
A pre-bid meeting is scheduled for October 15 at 11:00 a.m., with the Microsoft Teams link to be shared with bidders who express interest in the tender.
Bidders are required to pay a non-refundable fee of Shs100,000 to obtain the bidding documents. Each bid must also be accompanied by a Shs25 million bid security or bid bond.
The procurement will be conducted in accordance with Uganda’s Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act, Cap. 205, and is open to eligible bidders under the Open Domestic Bidding procedure.
UCC targets digital exclusion
The procurement comes as government continues efforts to expand access to digital technologies among communities that remain on the margins of Uganda’s rapidly growing digital economy.
Through UCUSAF, UCC has previously supported initiatives designed to extend communications services and digital access to communities that are commercially unattractive or otherwise underserved.
The 3,600 tablets are specifically intended for households classified as unserved and underserved, with the devices expected to improve their ability to access digital services.
UCC says interested bidders can inspect and obtain the tender documents from its Procurement and Disposal Unit at UCC House, Plot 42–44 Spring Road, Bugolobi, Kampala, during working hours.
The bids will be opened at 10:15 a.m. on October 27, immediately after the submission deadline, in the UCC meeting room.
According to the procurement schedule, the evaluation process is expected to follow the bid opening, with the best evaluated bidder notice scheduled for November 10, 2026. Contract signing will take place after the required statutory processes, including the expiry of the prescribed period following the display of the best evaluated bidder notice and Attorney General’s approval.
The successful supplier will be responsible for delivering the 3,600 tablet devices, potentially placing thousands of additional digital devices in the hands of households currently facing barriers to technology access. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
