Togo Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in Togo, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals.
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Selling to the Public Sector
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Selling to the Government

The Government of Togo is a major purchaser of goods and services, particularly in infrastructure, energy (including electrification and renewables), information and communication technologies (ICT), transport, and healthcare. These sectors continue to generate opportunities for international firms, often financed through concessional loans, donor funding, or multilateral development banks.

Price remains a key criterion in awards, but U.S. companies can improve competitiveness by emphasizing value, reliability, training components, and strong after-sales service. Procurement processes typically require bidders to register with the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (Autorite de Regulation de la Commande Publique— ARCOP). Local representation or partnership is strongly recommended to facilitate bidding, ensure compliance with documentation requirements, and support project implementation.

Government contracts are usually announced through official tenders published in the national press and on the ARCOP website. Centralized tenders are managed by ministries, agencies, or state-owned enterprises, while municipalities and regional authorities conduct their own procurements on a smaller scale. Challenges include limited transparency, administrative delays, and perceptions of preferential treatment for local or regional bidders. Early engagement, clear documentation, and advocacy through the U.S. Embassy can help mitigate these risks.

Togo is not a signatory to the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement and does not have a free trade agreement with the United States. U.S. companies therefore do not benefit from treaty-based procurement protections and should carefully assess contractual terms, financing arrangements, and dispute-resolution mechanisms before bidding.

U.S. companies bidding on foreign government tenders may also qualify for U.S. Government advocacy. Within the U.S. Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration, the Advocacy Center coordinates U.S. Government interagency advocacy efforts on behalf of U.S. exporters in competition with foreign firms in foreign government projects or procurement opportunities. The Advocacy Center works closely with our network of the U.S. Commercial Service worldwide and inter-agency partners to ensure that exporters of U.S. products and services have the best possible chance of winning government contracts. Advocacy assistance can take many forms but often involves the U.S. Embassy or other U.S. Government agency officials expressing support for the U.S. exporters directly to the foreign government. Consult the Advocacy Center’s program web page on trade.gov for additional information.

Financing of Projects 

Major infrastructure and development projects in Togo are typically financed through a combination of public resources, concessional loans, bilateral donor assistance, and borrowing from multilateral development institutions. Priority sectors include energy (notably electrification and renewable energy), transport and logistics infrastructure, and healthcare facilities.
Large-scale projects often rely heavily on external financing. Suppliers able to package competitive financing arrangements with their technical solutions are generally more successful in securing contracts. Donor- and lender-financed projects may also follow specific procurement procedures, creating opportunities for U.S. firms familiar with multilateral development bank processes.

Multilateral Development Banks and Financing Government Sales. Price, payment terms, and financing can be a significant factor in winning a government contract. Many governments finance public works projects through borrowing from the Multilateral Development Banks (MDB). The Guide to Doing Business with Multilateral Development Banks overviews how to work with MDBs. The International Trade Administration (ITA) has a Foreign Commercial Service Officer stationed at each of the five different Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs): the African Development Bank; the Asian Development Bank; the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; the Inter-American Development Bank; and the World Bank.

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

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As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

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The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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