What is JONEPS?
JONEPS (Jordan National Electronic Procurement System) is Jordan's centralised government e-procurement portal, accessible at joneps.gov.jo. It is operated by the General Supplies Department (GSD) under the Ministry of Finance as part of Jordan's broader public financial management reform.
JONEPS was launched to replace what was previously a paper-based procurement system. It is mandatory for government entities and covers the full procurement lifecycle: tender announcement, bid submission, evaluation, and contract award.
What JONEPS publishes:
- Open tenders — competitive bids published to all eligible suppliers, typically for contracts above JOD 100,000
- Limited tenders — invitations to a shortlist of pre-qualified vendors for medium-value procurements
- Request for proposals (RFPs) — consultancy and professional services procurement with technical and financial evaluation
- Direct purchase orders — small-value procurements below threshold, sometimes published for transparency
- Contract awards — outcomes of completed procurement exercises, including vendor name and contract value
- Tender amendments — changes to specifications, closing dates, or eligibility requirements
Key fact
Jordan's public procurement accounts for approximately 15-18% of GDP, representing JOD 3-4 billion annually (roughly USD 4-5.6 billion). JONEPS modernised this entire spend from paper-based processes to a digital system. With significant additional procurement funded by USAID, the EU, and the World Bank flowing through government channels, the total addressable market for vendors is even larger.
Budget spending analysis
Understanding how Jordan's procurement budget is structured helps vendors target the right opportunities at the right time.
Procurement thresholds
Jordan's Government Procurement Bylaw defines clear thresholds that determine how agencies must procure goods and services:
| Value (JOD) | Procurement Method | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Below JOD 5,000 | Direct purchase | Procuring entity |
| JOD 5,000 - JOD 100,000 | Limited tender (3+ quotes) | Procuring entity |
| Above JOD 100,000 | Open tender | Government Tenders Department (GTD) |
| Consultancy services | Request for Proposals (RFP) | Varies by value |
For procurements above JOD 100,000, the Government Tenders Department (GTD) — a central body under the Ministry of Finance — takes over the evaluation and award process. This means the largest contracts go through a centralised review, making the GTD a key institution to understand.
Spending breakdown by entity type
| Entity Type | Share of Procurement | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Central government ministries | ~50% | Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Defence |
| Municipalities | ~25% | Greater Amman Municipality, Zarqa, Irbid |
| Independent entities & SOEs | ~25% | Water Authority, NEPCO, Royal Jordanian |
Top procurement sectors
- Infrastructure — roads, water networks, transport, public buildings. The largest single category, driven by World Bank and USAID funded projects.
- IT and e-government — digital transformation, government cloud, e-services. The Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship (MODEE) is a major buyer.
- Healthcare — hospital equipment, pharmaceuticals, medical consumables. Driven by Ministry of Health and Royal Medical Services.
- Education — school construction, EdTech, curriculum materials, university equipment.
- Military and security — non-classified procurement from Jordan Armed Forces and Public Security Directorate.
- Water and energy — renewable energy projects, water treatment, desalination. A growing sector given Jordan's resource scarcity.
Budget calendar
Jordan's fiscal year follows the calendar year (January-December). Understanding the budget cycle helps predict tender volume:
- November: The government submits the General Budget Law to Parliament for the following fiscal year.
- January-February: Budget is approved and published. Ministries receive their allocations.
- Q1-Q2 (March-June): First wave of new tenders as agencies begin executing their annual procurement plans. Highest volume period.
- Q3 (July-September): Mid-year execution. Supplementary tenders and amendments. Development partner funded projects often peak here.
- Q4 (October-December): Year-end spending push. Agencies rush to commit remaining budget. Shorter tender timelines.
Who buys on JONEPS?
Understanding which entities buy what is critical for targeting the right opportunities. Here are the most active procuring entities on JONEPS:
Ministry of Public Works
Roads, government buildings, infrastructure projects, engineering consultancy
Ministry of Health
Healthcare equipment, pharmaceuticals, hospital construction, medical IT
Ministry of Digital Economy (MODEE)
IT/e-government, digital transformation, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure
Greater Amman Municipality
Urban infrastructure, waste management, public transport, smart city
Water Authority of Jordan
Water networks, treatment plants, desalination, environmental engineering
Royal Jordanian
State airline procurement — fleet services, IT systems, ground operations
National Electric Power Co. (NEPCO)
Power grid, renewable energy, transmission infrastructure, grid IT
Jordan Armed Forces
Non-classified procurement — vehicles, logistics, facilities, IT systems
How to register on JONEPS
To participate in tenders published on JONEPS, vendors must complete the supplier registration process. This applies to both domestic and international companies.
What you need:
- Valid commercial registration certificate (for Jordanian companies: Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply registration)
- Tax registration number and tax clearance certificate from the Income and Sales Tax Department
- Chamber of Commerce or Industry membership certificate
- Company profile including financial statements (audited, typically for the last 2-3 years)
- Classification certificate from the relevant authority (mandatory for construction — issued by the Ministry of Public Works)
- Bank details and a financial guarantee or bid bond capability
- Digital signature certificate for electronic bid submission
Foreign companies: International vendors can participate in Jordanian government tenders, particularly for open tenders above JOD 100,000. Requirements include authenticated and legalised company documents (apostilled or embassy-attested), a local representative or agent in Jordan for some tender categories, and compliance with Jordan's foreign investment regulations. Many development partner funded tenders (World Bank, USAID) explicitly encourage international participation.
Registration is submitted through the JONEPS portal. Processing typically takes 5-10 business days. Once approved, vendors receive login credentials to access tender documents and submit bids electronically.
Arabic interface? Hook handles it.
JONEPS is primarily in Arabic with limited English content. Most tender documents, specifications, and evaluation criteria are published in Arabic only. Hook indexes both Arabic and English JONEPS content, so you search in plain English and get structured results — no translation required.
Join the waitlist →The bilingual challenge
JONEPS has an Arabic-language interface with some English support, but the majority of procurement content — tender notices, technical specifications, terms of reference, evaluation criteria — is published in Arabic only. This creates a significant barrier for international vendors.
Key Arabic procurement terms you will encounter on JONEPS:
| Arabic Term | Transliteration | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| مناقصة | munaqasa | Tender / Bid |
| عطاء | ataa | Bid / Offer |
| إحالة | ihala | Contract Award |
| كفالة | kafala | Guarantee / Bond |
| دفتر الشروط | daftar al-shurut | Terms of Reference / Specifications |
| لجنة العطاءات | lajnat al-ataaat | Tender Committee |
| الشراء المباشر | al-shiraa al-mubashir | Direct Purchase |
Even if you can navigate the portal interface in English, the actual tender documents and correspondence from procuring entities will almost always be in Arabic. This is where most international vendors either invest in local partners or rely on tools that can bridge the language gap.
Understanding Jordanian procurement law
Jordan's government procurement is governed by the Government Procurement Bylaw (Nizam al-Mushtarayat al-Hukumiyya), which has been updated several times, most recently to align with international best practices as part of Jordan's economic reform programme.
Key legal principles:
- Transparency — all open tenders must be publicly advertised, with award decisions published
- Competition — open tendering is the default method; limited tendering requires justification
- Equal treatment — all bidders must receive the same information and be evaluated against the same criteria
- Value for money — lowest price is not always the winner; evaluation considers technical merit alongside cost
Tender types under Jordanian law
| Type | When Used | Evaluation Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Open tender | Default for goods and works above JOD 100,000 | Lowest evaluated price or best value |
| Limited tender | Specialised goods/services, emergency, or when fewer than 3 open bids received | Price and technical compliance |
| Request for Proposals | Consultancy and professional services | Quality-Cost Based Selection (QCBS) — typically 70-80% technical, 20-30% financial |
| Direct purchase | Below threshold, sole source, or urgent requirement | Price comparison (minimum 3 quotes for JOD 1,000-5,000) |
The Government Tenders Department (GTD) is the central body that oversees procurement above JOD 100,000. The GTD evaluates bids, makes award recommendations, and can reject all bids if none meet requirements. Understanding the GTD's role is important because appeals and complaints are also directed to this body.
How to search JONEPS
JONEPS provides a search interface for published tenders, but navigating it effectively requires understanding its structure:
- Category filters — JONEPS organises tenders by procurement category (goods, works, services, consultancy). Filter by category to narrow results quickly.
- Entity search — search by procuring entity name to see all open tenders from a specific ministry or authority. Useful for tracking your target buyers.
- Tender status — filter by status: open for bidding, under evaluation, awarded, or cancelled. Open tenders are what you want for new opportunities.
- Date range — filter by publication date or closing date to focus on current opportunities.
- Tender number — if you have a specific JONEPS reference number, search directly to find the tender details.
The fundamental limitation is the same one every government procurement portal shares: keyword search in Arabic is brittle. Agencies describe procurements in formal government Arabic that rarely matches how vendors think about their products and services. A cybersecurity project becomes "information security systems for electronic government services." A cloud migration becomes "transfer of data centre infrastructure to shared computing environment."
Common questions for vendors
Can foreign companies bid on JONEPS tenders?
Yes. Jordan's procurement law allows international participation, particularly for open tenders. Many development partner funded projects (World Bank, USAID, EU) explicitly require international competitive bidding. You may need a local agent or representative for certain categories, and documents must be legalised through Jordanian embassies or apostille.
What is the Government Tenders Department (GTD)?
The GTD is a central government body under the Ministry of Finance responsible for evaluating and awarding all procurement above JOD 100,000. While individual ministries initiate tenders and draft specifications, the GTD manages the competitive process, opens bids, evaluates proposals, and makes award recommendations. It is distinct from the General Supplies Department (GSD), which manages the JONEPS platform itself.
Are bid bonds required?
Yes. Most open tenders require a bid bond (kafala), typically 1-5% of the estimated contract value. Bid bonds must be issued by a bank licensed to operate in Jordan. Performance bonds (5-10% of contract value) are required upon contract award. For foreign vendors, the bid bond can usually be issued by an international bank with a Jordanian correspondent.
Is there a local preference for Jordanian companies?
Jordan's procurement bylaw includes provisions for domestic preference, typically a 10-15% price preference for Jordanian manufacturers in goods procurement. For works contracts, there may be requirements for local content or local subcontracting. However, for development partner funded tenders, international procurement rules typically override local preference provisions.
How Hook helps vendors find Jordanian contracts
Hook is an AI-powered search tool that sits on top of JONEPS. Instead of navigating an Arabic-language portal and running keyword searches you hope will match government terminology, you ask Hook in plain English.
Example queries Hook understands:
- "Show me water infrastructure tenders in Jordan closing this month"
- "What IT contracts has the Ministry of Digital Economy issued this quarter?"
- "Find renewable energy procurement from NEPCO and the Ministry of Energy"
- "Healthcare equipment tenders from Ministry of Health above JOD 500,000"
- "World Bank funded project tenders in Jordan for construction"
Hook returns structured results: JONEPS reference number, procuring entity, tender title (translated), estimated value in JOD, and closing date — formatted for direct import into your CRM or proposal pipeline. No copy-paste. No Arabic translation. No reformatting.
Hook also monitors JONEPS continuously. New tenders appear in Hook within minutes of posting. For vendors selling to Jordan's government, this replaces the manual daily portal checks that most BD teams currently rely on.
Next: Read our guide to using Hook for Jordan procurement or explore more procurement guides.