The government of Morocco has launched tenders for three industrial complexes with a total value in excess of $500m. The work is being let as public–private partnerships.

The complexes will take the form of the Bouznika–Cherrat industrial zone, a greenfield industrial zone at Sahel Lakhyayta and an extension of the existing Had Soualem industrial area. Bouznika is about 40km northeast of Casablanca and the others are located near each other, about 40km southwest of the city.

The deal is being organised by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Green and Digital Economy (MCINET) and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a US development aid initiative. An attempt to launch the projects was made last May, but was disrupted by the Covid pandemic.  

The five-year programme has a budget of $450, granted by MCC, supplemented by a grant from the government of Morocco, adding up to at least 15% ($68m) of the US sum.

Sahel Lakhyayta and Had Soualem will have an area of 111 ha, and site clearance work has already been carried out by the Moroccan government. Bouznika will have an area of 25ha.

A statement from MCINET said the aim of the parks was to “attract investment to Morocco’s industrial sector and create employment opportunities for Morocco’s highly skilled workforce, particularly important in the current global economic context impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic”.

Companies are being invited to bid for one, two or three sites. However, they must make a separate bid for each.

Bidders will have to pay a variable entry fee. They will then buy the land, construct all necessary on-site infrastructure, and manage the completed industrial zones “to full capacity and at a world-class standard”.

The winning bids will be selected through a two-stage process. The first will evaluate technical and financial credentials and assess their project plans; the second will evaluate the financial offer, which will be based on the coherence of the business plan, the entry fee offered, and the projected selling or leasing price of parcels of land.

Selected candidates will sign a 30-year partnership agreement with the government of Morocco for Had Soualem and Sahel Lakhyayta, and 15 years for Bouznika.

Interested companies must email their bids by 17 September. See here for further details.

The MCC was set up in 2004 , and aims to “change the conversation on how best to deliver smart US foreign assistance by focusing on good policies, country ownership, and results”.