EACOP Seeks Bids for Integrity Software on 296-km Ugandan Section

East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) Ltd. has opened bidding for integrity management software covering the 296-kilometer Ugandan section of its export line. Expressions of interest close at 5:00 p.m. East Africa Time on Nov. 16, 2026. The tender, issued through a formal procurement notice, targets a combined Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) and Pipeline Integrity Management System (PIMS) platform — the software layer that schedules inspections and ranks maintenance priorities by failure risk.

What does the tender cover?

The full EACOP system runs 1,447 kilometers underground from Lake Albert in Uganda to the port of Tanga on Tanzania's coast. The line is heated, a design choice that keeps waxy Albertine crude (Uganda's heavy, paraffin-rich oil) flowable in transit. The Ugandan segment spans 298 kilometers across 10 districts. The Tanzanian segment accounts for 1,149 kilometers across eight regions.

The current tender applies to the Ugandan portion only. A corresponding call for the Tanzanian segment has been issued separately.

What must the software do?

The procurement notice sets out concrete technical requirements. The selected contractor will deliver:

• An interactive GIS (geographic information system) environment tied to the project's Pipeline Open Data Standard architecture, the industry data model for pipeline assets
• Direct integration with the Computerized Maintenance and Inspection Management System, to automate routine workflows
• Specialized engineering calculations supporting integrity assessments

The scope is a full implementation contract, not a licensing deal. The vendor must field a 24/7 technical support team and show proof of technical expertise in comparable software deliveries.

How is the contract structured?

EACOP Ltd. has amended its procurement structure for this award. The company intends to award a combined contract to a joint venture holding registered entities in both Uganda and Tanzania. The structure forces cross-border execution with local partners.

Qualified applicants face a defined gate. Submissions must demonstrate:

• Registration on the Petroleum Authority of Uganda National Supplier Database
• Compliance with national content regulations
• ISO 9001 certification
• Three consecutive years of audited financial statements
• Qualifications for round-the-clock technical support

Expressions of interest go electronically to [email protected]. Pre-qualified vendors will receive invitations to bid after evaluation and execution of a non-disclosure agreement.

Why does this matter now?

The tender signals the pipeline's operator is building the digital integrity backbone before full operations. Heated, underground crude lines carrying waxy barrels across two jurisdictions demand continuous risk-ranked inspection programs, and the RBI/PIMS platform is the system of record for that work. The two-country award structure also embeds local content into a critical control system rather than confining it to construction labor.

The takeaway: EACOP has set a Nov. 16, 2026 deadline for software vendors on the Ugandan section, with a parallel tender running for Tanzania's 1,149 kilometers.