Foreign firms do not need a local entity or office for most tenders, but portal access requires a Mexican tax ID. Tenders often need local presence and Spanish, so working with a Mexican partner is strongly recommended.
Procurement portals
How to take part
- Obtain a Mexican tax ID.
- On ComprasMX choose 'Licitantes, Proveedores, Contratistas' → 'Registro de Licitantes, Proveedores y Contratistas'.
- Use the navigation guide and PDF registration guide under 'Material de Apoyo'.
- Read specifications closely and bid exactly to them.
Local preference & limits
- The Strategic Procurement Committee requires 65% national content in procurements.
- Under the Public Works Law, subcontracting is capped at 49%.
- A 2 June 2025 decree favours domestic production of medicines, health supplies and medical devices from FY2026 (detailed rules unpublished as of Sept 2025).
- A new procurement law (LAASSP) was published on 16 April 2025, replacing the 2000 law.
Bid language · Spanish. ComprasMX offers Google auto-translation, but submissions are in Spanish.
Development-bank projects
Many public works are financed by multilateral development banks (IDB, World Bank, etc.). Use the IDB projects database and follow the bank's procurement rules.
Good to know
- Open tenders are the default, but 19 exceptions allow restricted (min. 3 invitees) or direct awards; defence (SEDENA, SEMAR) uses these often.
- Offering extras beyond the specification can disqualify a bid.
- Small errors such as punctuation in the company name can disqualify; check documents with your local representative.
- Brand-preference complaints can be filed before award with the agency's complaints office/internal control body or with SABG.
- Federal procurement has stronger oversight than state or municipal.
Sources
- trade.gov — Mexico: Selling to the Government (2026-02-17)
- Garrigues — México: publicada nueva LAASSP (2025-04-30)
Summary of public sources. Check the original and latest rules before bidding.
