For investors, the decisive question is whether their bid satisfies the legal and regulatory conditions for participation and evaluation. Entry into the round is determined at the submission stage by a number of mandatory parameters: the choice of petroleum contract under the Petroleum Code, the commitment to a minimum work programme within the exploration periods, the ability to meet the corporate, technical, financial, environmental and local content requirements set out in the Call for Expression of Interest. These are the criteria against which bids will be assessed.
This article sets out the legal and regulatory framework governing participation in Cameroon’s 2026 licensing round. It focuses on the mandatory requirements bidders must satisfy under the Petroleum Code and the SNH Call for Expression of Interest.
Key Milestones in the Bidding Process
Although the licensing round was launched on 1 August 2025, the process is now approaching its final stages. With the data consultation period closing on 15 March 2026 and the bid submission deadline fixed for 30 March 2026, prospective bidders are in the critical phase of finalising their technical evaluation, corporate structuring and financing arrangements. At this stage, the focus is on the preparation of a compliant and competitive proposal. The Call for Expression of Interest sets out the procedural timetable below.
all bidding companies or their representatives: 30 March 2026- 13:00 (local time) 6 Publication of the results: 24 April 2026 Participation in the Licensing Round: Pre-Qualification and Eligibility
Participation in the licensing round is subject to the pre-qualification requirements of the Petroleum Code and the Call for Expression of Interest. Under Law No. 2019/008 of 25 April 2019 Sections 2 and 7, petroleum operations may be conducted only by a petroleum company, defined as a commercial company or public industrial and commercial establishment with the technical and financial capacity to carry out such operations in safe, hygienic and environmentally safe conditions, accordance with applicable laws and international standards.
The process is open to both Cameroonian and foreign petroleum companies and there is no nationality restriction. A foreign company must, prior to the signing of the petroleum contract, establish a locally registered subsidiary that will remain in place for the duration of the contract. Participation is therefore limited to legally constituted entities, and the corporate, financial and operational documentation required in the proposal effectively excludes individuals.
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