Tender for studies of El Salvador's first submarine cable

Auto-translated from Spanish

Original title: Concurso para estudios del primer cable submarino de El Salvador

CAF - Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean

Published: Aug 17, 2026

Updated: Sep 4, 2026

Source: CAF - Development Bank of Latin America

About This Opportunity

This is a consulting contract in the education and training, energy and power and health and medical services sectors. Located in El Salvador, Latin America, this opportunity is open to firms and consortiums. Proposals must be submitted before September 11, 2026.

Published through CAF - Development Bank of Latin America, a multilateral development bank that follows standardized international procurement guidelines. Projects funded by multilateral institutions are generally open to international bidders from eligible member countries for consulting in the education and training sector. Consulting assignments are typically evaluated with a strong emphasis on the technical proposal, including the methodology and qualifications of key experts. Shortlisted firms may be invited to submit financial proposals in a second stage. Interested parties should review the full documentation on the original source before submitting their proposal.

Description

Auto-translated from Spanish

**About the consultancy** El Salvador is moving forward with the implementation of its first submarine cable to connect directly to the global Internet network, a project financed by CAF with sovereign funds of USD 145 million. Currently, the country has between 4 and 5 Tbps of international capacity through terrestrial cable operators; with the new infrastructure, it is projected to initially double that capacity and reach up to four times the current level in the next five years. In addition to expanding capacity and contributing to reducing connection costs, the project aims to create conditions for the development of data centers and industries related to digital transformation, as well as strengthen Telehealth and Teleeducation initiatives. In this context, the consultancy will support the General Superintendence of Electricity and Telecommunications (SIGET) in the studies and design phase, through a comprehensive analysis to identify risks, mitigation measures, and opportunities to maximize the use of the new infrastructure. The work will be developed in four dimensions: economic, technical, political and regulatory, and financial. **Who can participate?** National or foreign legal entities that prove their existence and legal representation and are qualified to carry out the required activities may submit proposals. Firms may also participate through consortia or temporary unions, in accordance with the conditions established in the tender documents. In case of contemplating subcontracting, these must be declared in the proposal and may not exceed 50% of the consultancy's activities. **What should the proposal include?** The proposal must be submitted in two files: File A. Expression of interest and methodological proposal: It must include the required legal and administrative documentation, the experience of the firm and the team, the bid security bond, and the methodological proposal, with its work plan and schedule. The methodology will have a maximum length of 40 pages and the bond must correspond to 10% of the consultancy budget, with a validity of 180 days. File B. Estimated budget: It must include the economic proposal and the corresponding forms. The budget must be presented in United States dollars, include all consultancy costs, and not exceed USD 500,000. **Key dates** August 31, 2026, 23:59 h (Panama time) Deadline for submitting requests for clarification or modification. September 4, 2026, 23:59 h (Panama time) Deadline for submitting proposals. Award will be made once the bids are evaluated. The selected BIDDER will be informed, and the other bidders via email before the end of September 2026. **How to submit the proposal?** Proposals must be sent by email to ECHOMALI@CAF.COM and AFORERO@CAF.COM, following the structure, formats, and documentation established in the Terms and Conditions. The total weight of the email may not exceed 10 MB. If the files exceed this limit, a link to download the documentation must be sent. The offer must be submitted in Spanish. Additional or complementary documentation may be submitted in English or Portuguese, in accordance with the conditions established in the tender documents. Before submitting the proposal, we recommend reviewing in detail the legal, technical, financial, and documentary requirements of the tender.

Data provenance

This notice is sourced from CAF - Development Bank of Latin America and was originally published on August 17, 2026. Last refreshed today. Original language: Spanish. BidsFactory mirrors official procurement notices and links back to the source for full legal text.

About CAF - Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean

CAF - Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean has issued 92 procurement notices on BidsFactory, including 12 currently open and 0 awarded contracts. Activity concentrates in Education & Training, Urban Development & Housing, and Environment & Climate. Tenders span 10 countries including El Salvador, Venezuela, and Chile. Notices are distributed via CAF - Development Bank of Latin America. Most recent publication: September 3, 2026.

Frequently asked questions about this tender

When does this tender close?

The submission deadline is September 11, 2026. You have 7 days left to prepare and submit your proposal to the contracting authority.

Who is the contracting authority?

This notice was issued by CAF - Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean in El Salvador. The authority is responsible for evaluating bids, awarding the contract, and managing performance.

What type of contract is this?

This is a Consulting contract in the Education & Training sector. The classification helps bidders match the opportunity to their qualifications and registered scope of supply.

Where will the contract be performed?

The contract is for delivery in El Salvador. Foreign bidders should review local registration, taxation, and any in-country presence requirements before submitting.

How can I submit a bid?

Visit CAF - Development Bank of Latin America to access the full notice, required documents, and submission instructions provided by the contracting authority.