THE Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce has issued an Invitation for Bids (IFB) for the construction of an annex building to the Lethem Food-Processing Facility in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), at an estimated cost of $40 million.
According to the notice issued on Thursday, the ministry called on eligible and interested contractors to submit bids for the project, which forms part of government’s continued investment in agro-processing infrastructure in the hinterland.
Interested bidders can peruse the bidding documents at the ministry’s office at 229 South Road, Lacytown, Georgetown, before purchasing a complete set for a non-refundable fee of $3,000.
Bidders are required to submit one original copy of their bid, signed and stamped, along with two electronic copies and bid security equivalent to two per cent of the bid price. Completed bids must be submitted no later than 09:00hrs on Thursday, October 1, 2026, to the Chairman of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), at the Ministry of Finance, Main and Urquhart Streets, Georgetown.
The notice states that bids received after the deadline will be rejected and returned to bidders unopened. The bids will be opened publicly on the same day in the presence of bidders or their representatives and will remain valid for 120 days from the date of opening. Persons unable to attend the opening in person can also request to view the process virtually by writing to [npta.procurement@finance.gov.gy].
The new annex comes just months after the development of the Lethem Business Incubator Centre and Agro-Processing Facility, which was commissioned in April this year at a cost of $181 million.
The facility, built by the ministry and operationalised through the Small Business Bureau (SBB), was outfitted with dehydrators, blow-moulding machines, auger-packing machines and industrial blenders, providing farmers and small producers in the Rupununi with the means to process, preserve and package their goods for wider markets.
Under Minister Susan Rodrigues, the ministry has been pursuing a robust rollout of agro-processing and industrial infrastructure and avenues across the country, including in hinterland communities.
The continued expansion of facilities such as the one in Lethem is central to government’s food security and diversification agenda, giving farmers in remote communities’ greater capacity to add value to their produce rather than depending entirely on the sale of raw and perishable goods.
Government has also said that work will continue this year to upgrade existing agro-processing facilities in other regions, alongside training for agro-processors and expanded efforts to market Guyanese products regionally and internationally.
