Acquisition and Assistance Office

The USAID/Ethiopia Contracting Office, identified as Addis Contracts, serves as the primary procurement authority responsible for managing acquisition activities that support USAID’s development and humanitarian objectives in Ethiopia. This office oversees the full lifecycle of contracts for technical assistance, management consulting, and infrastructure services aligned with national priorities in public health, education, governance, and resilience-building. It ensures compliance with U.S. foreign assistance regulations and host-country requirements, facilitating timely and transparent award processes that enable program implementation through qualified service providers. Contractor relationships are diverse and performance-driven, with the office engaging a broad range of professional service firms specializing in development programming, systems strengthening, and technical advisory services. While no single contractor dominates the portfolio, the office routinely partners with international and local firms capable of delivering context-specific expertise in health systems, education policy, and institutional capacity development. Vendor partnerships are characterized by rigorous evaluation, performance-based monitoring, and a preference for firms with demonstrated experience in complex, multi-stakeholder environments. The USAID/Ethiopia Contracting Office does not utilize socioeconomic set-asides, with 100% of procurements conducted under full and open competition. This reflects a strategic emphasis on selecting the most qualified providers regardless of business size or certification status, prioritizing technical merit and program impact over socioeconomic preferences. While small business participation is not formally incentivized through set-asides, firms of all sizes are evaluated on equal footing based on capability and past performance. The office’s procurement focus is overwhelmingly centered on NAICS 541990—All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services—reflecting its reliance on specialized consulting and implementation support. Additional activity includes management consulting services (NAICS 541611 and 541618) and limited infrastructure contracting (NAICS 237110). The technical domain spans health system strengthening, mental health and psychosocial support, governance reform, and resilience programming, requiring deep subject-matter expertise and adaptive management capabilities.