AFCON 2027: CAF Begins Registration of Service Providers Ahead of Continental Showpiece

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has begun compiling a database of potential service providers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, signalling a move into the operational planning phase for the tournament co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

CAF has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to identify and register companies interested in providing services for the event.

This initial step is a market mapping exercise and not a formal tender process. Its purpose is to create an official list of suppliers who will be eligible to receive notifications for future procurement opportunities.

Interested businesses are asked to submit basic details, such as their legal status, physical address, and official website. This information will be used to build a comprehensive database that will serve as the foundation for the tournament's procurement cycle.

The scope of services required is extensive, covering areas such as event hospitality, catering, ticketing systems, and transport logistics.

Other key sectors include broadcasting support, IT solutions, branding, and translation services, reflecting the wide range of operations needed to stage the continental tournament.

CAF has emphasised that registration through its official website is mandatory for any company wishing to be considered for future AFCON 2027 contracts. Suppliers who do not participate in this RFI phase will be ineligible to bid when tenders are officially announced.

In Uganda, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) clarified that this initiative is being managed directly by CAF and is separate from local procurement plans.

The LOC will conduct its own call for information at a later date for services and goods required specifically within Uganda, adhering to CAF's procurement guidelines.

Dr Dennis K. Mugimba, Chairperson of the Communications and Promotion Sub-Committee, distinguished between the two processes.

"This Request for Information is strictly about services and goods being procured by CAF and NOT the Local Organising Committee (LOC)," he stated as per NBS Sport.

"At an appropriate time, the LOC shall issue its own call for information for services and goods to be executed exclusively in Uganda."

To ensure broad participation from local businesses, the Ugandan LOC will publicise the CAF RFI through national newspapers and its digital channels.

This early move by CAF marks a significant step in building the necessary supplier network to support the complex logistical and operational demands of a multi-nation tournament across East Africa.