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PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

Tax Systems Transformation Programme (TSTP)

Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office · compiled

Tender information last checkedLast checked 30 Sept 2026, 11:09.

Opportunity overview

The original contract included an option to extend the contract by 2 years to 13 March 2026 and an increase in contract value by an additional £10 million. A contract amendment in February 2024 applied the advertised 2-year extension option and reduced the value of the contract from £27, 167,193 to £18,005,643. The reduction in budget was as a result of FCDO Business Panning adjustments. The scope and objectives remained the same but in line with the flexible and adaptive approach some activities were scaled back. This modification will extend the contract for a further two years from 13 March 2026 to 13 March 2028 but remain within the original contract value of £27,167,193

Awarded to

Amounts belong to published awards or contracts. Where several suppliers share one value, it is labelled as shared and is not a supplier-specific allocation.

Cowater International

No match
Shared contract value
£22.8m
Awarded
Not supplied
Contract signed
13 Mar 2019
Suppliers
One of 2 awarded suppliers
Award ID
065615-2025-8325-1
Status
active
Location
Ottawa, CA, Canada

Cowater International

No match
Shared contract value
£22.8m
Awarded
Not supplied
Contract signed
13 Mar 2019
Suppliers
One of 2 awarded suppliers
Award ID
065615-2025-8325-1
Status
active
Location
Ottawa, CA, Canada

Classification

  • CPV75211200 — Foreign economic-aid-related services

Lots

  • Tax Systems Transformation Programme (TSTP)Value not stated

Published notice details

Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.

Scope, procedure and submissions

Id
8325
Main Procurement Category
services

Legal basis

Id
32014L0024
Scheme
CELEX

Classification

Id
75211200
Scheme
CPV
Description
Foreign economic-aid-related services

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Title
Tax Systems Transformation Programme (TSTP)
Description
The purpose of the Tax Systems Transformation Programme (TSTP)is to assist Government of Ethiopia raising tax revenues in a responsible and equitable manner. The objective of this contract for services is to manage the Accelerated Delivery component of the overall programme on three outcomes: an equitable and business friendly tax environment; improved voluntary compliance; increased GoE revenues. Accelerated Delivery translates political will at the highest level into coordinated and technically sound reform of Ethiopian tax systems. The TSTP contract brings together ‘delivery’ and technical tax expertise from specialist consultancy, UK HMRC, and other development partners to support Ethiopia in meeting the financing needs of its 10-year prosperity plan, macroeconomic reforms, and supporting an eventual exit from aid. It provides a blend of long-term embedded advisers and short-term experts to deliver improved business processes, enhanced administrative capabilities, improved IT, reformed tax policy, and lower compliance costs for taxpayers.

Contract period

Ends
13 Mar 2026, 23:59
Starts
13 Mar 2019, 00:00

Items and delivery

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Delivery Location

Description
Addis Ababa

Delivery locations

Entry 1
Region
ET

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Id
GB-FTS-3742
Name
Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office

Roles

buyer

Address

Region
UK
Locality
London
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
King Charles Street

Details

Identifier

Legal Name
Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office

Contact

Telephone
+44 1355843567
Organisation 2
Id
GB-FTS-163952
Name
Cowater International

Roles

supplier

Address

Region
CA
Locality
Ottawa
Country Name
Canada
Street Address
4-109 Murray St, 2nd Floor, Ottawa, ON KIN 5M5, Canada

Details

Scale
large

Identifier

Legal Name
Cowater International
Organisation 3
Id
GB-FTS-163953
Name
Cowater International

Roles

supplier

Address

Region
CA
Locality
Ottawa
Country Name
Canada

Details

Scale
large

Identifier

Legal Name
Cowater International
Organisation 4
Id
GB-FTS-163954
Name
The High Court of Justice in England and Wales

Roles

reviewBody

Address

Locality
London
Country Name
United Kingdom

Identifier

Legal Name
The High Court of Justice in England and Wales

Award information

Award 1
Id
065615-2025-8325-1
Title
Tax Systems Transformation Programme (TSTP)
Status
active

Suppliers

Supplier 1
Id
GB-FTS-163952
Name
Cowater International
Supplier 2
Id
GB-FTS-163953
Name
Cowater International

Related lots

1

Contracts and changes

Entry 1
Id
065615-2025-8325-1
Title
Tax Systems Transformation Programme (TSTP)
Status
active
Award ID
065615-2025-8325-1
Date Signed
13 Mar 2019, 00:00

Items

Item 1
Id
1
Title
Tax Systems Transformation Programme (TSTP)
Related Lot
1

Classification

Id
75211200
Scheme
CPV
Description
Foreign economic-aid-related services

Delivery locations

Entry 1
Region
ET

Value

Amount
22,848,653
Currency
GBP

Period

Ends
13 Mar 2028, 23:59
Starts
13 Mar 2019, 00:00

Amendments

Entry 1
Id
1
Rationale
Need for additional works, services or supplies by the original contractor/concessionaire: This amendment is made under Regulation 72(1)(b) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, which permits modifications because additional services by the original contractor have become necessary where a change of contractor cannot be made for economic or technical reasons and such change would cause significant inconvenience of substantial duplication of costs for the contracting authority. The modification does not exceed 50% of the original contract value. The extension to 13 March 2028 is necessary to support the Government of Ethiopia to complete its vital macro-economic reform programme and additional services are necessary to ensure continuity of support to deliver its reforms. Delivery of the original contract has been delayed at various points by a number of events beyond control of the Authority, Conflict Covid, & recent disruption to wider reforms. This extension will allow continuity of support to deliver the reforms. The success of this project is a key element of the British Government’s foreign policy in this region. A change of contractor cannot be made for economic and technical reasons related to interoperability with the existing services. The current contractor (Cowater) holds contracts with a number of personnel (embedded advisers) who are indispensable to the success of the programme. There is no guarantee that the embedded advisers would be prepared or obliged to transfer to a new provider, if that were possible, and given their indispensability to the success of the programme that is not a tolerable risk for the Authority. These advisers have in-depth experience and knowledge of the revenue programme to date, and relationships and skills which are indispensable in terms of working on implementation with the national Government and the international financial institutions whose support is key to the programme. The programme has to be delivered at speed, and there is an onerous 3 monthly reporting requirement to the international institutions involved without which the wider funding flow is at risk. It would therefore be wholly unrealistic to attempt to insert new individuals into such roles in the remaining 2 years of the project, given the time required for them to get up to speed on the projects against this background, and inherent risks. This would undermine effective delivery, which is fundamentally important in the particular political context in Ethiopia. A change in contractor would cause significant inconvenience or substantial duplication of costs Any new personnel would need a substantial handover involving significant knowledge transfer, in particular in a context of running another 2 years (as extended) and given the ongoing 3 monthly reporting regime on top of the need to progress the project itself with speed. That would require the Authority to pay for the existing supplier to handover in parallel with the new contract for some time, which would increase, and duplicate costs, of up to £500k over a significant handover period.
Description
The original contract included an option to extend the contract by 2 years to 13 March 2026 and an increase in contract value by an additional £10 million. A contract amendment in February 2024 applied the advertised 2-year extension option and reduced the value of the contract from £27, 167,193 to £18,005,643. The reduction in budget was as a result of FCDO Business Panning adjustments. The scope and objectives remained the same but in line with the flexible and adaptive approach some activities were scaled back. This modification will extend the contract for a further two years from 13 March 2026 to 13 March 2028 but remain within the original contract value of £27,167,193

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · London · UK · United Kingdom
  • Delivery location · ET

Notice and amendment history

1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

1 VERSION
  1. ocds-h6vhtk-05cd5d-2025-10-15T14:16:06+01:00compiled ·