Assessing the Challenges Affecting Local Supplier’s Access to Public Procurement Opportunities: Evidence from Choma District, Zambia

Public procurement represents a strategic instrument for promoting local economic development by providing business opportunities for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). However, despite policy reforms aimed at increasing local supplier participation, many SMEs continue to experience barriers that limit their access to public procurement opportunities. This study explored how local suppliers perceive public procurement opportunities and examined the challenges they face when participating in public procurement processes in Choma District, Zambia. Anchored on Institutional Theory, the study adopted an exploratory qualitative case study design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 17 purposively selected local suppliers and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. The findings revealed that local suppliers generally perceive public procurement, particularly Constituency Development Fund (CDF) projects, as an important avenue for business growth and local economic empowerment. However, these positive perceptions are undermined by persistent institutional challenges, including delayed government payments, lengthy bureaucratic procedures, limited digital capacity for electronic government procurement (e-GP), inadequate access to procurement information, and perceived political interference in contract awards. The study concludes that while procurement reforms have expanded opportunities for local suppliers, institutional weaknesses continue to constrain effective participation. It recommends strengthening transparency and accountability in procurement systems, improving payment efficiency, enhancing supplier capacity through training on procurement regulations and e-GP platforms, simplifying administrative procedures, and broadening dissemination of procurement information. These interventions would improve SME participation and enhance the contribution of public procurement to sustainable local economic development in Zambia.