Bid on procurement opportunities for IFI and UN-financed projects

You are ready to make a bid for an IFI or UN-financed project once your company has:

• read all of the publicly available information on a project of interest
• followed the instructions given in the specific project notice
• prepared a bid submission that is fully responsive and, focused on the expertise or technologies that will solve challenges and contribute to the projects' success.
• contacted a member of the broader Development Assistance Market Support network or a trade commissioner in market if needed
• clarified questions about the EOI/RFP, before the submission deadline

Before bidding, use these portals to research procurement opportunities (note, some of these portals need a subscription for full access).

• Development Business Online (UNDB) is the official platform for consulting, contracting, and export opportunities. Trusted source of procurement information from the IFIs, UN agencies, and government institutions.
• dgMarket is a portal for government procurement tenders and tenders of international development agencies.
• UN Global Marketplace (UNGM) is a single point of entry to most of the UN procurement market and a global vendor sourcing portal for the UN procurement system.
• Development Aid (DevAid) is a membership organization providing comprehensive information services for the international developmental sector.
• Devex (Development Executive) is the largest provider of recruiting and business development services and news for global development.

• understand the bid package for the contract of interest.
• when preparing Expressions of Interest and proposals, attention to detail is key.

• establish relationships with IFI/UN staff in HQ and Borrowing Member Countries by attending events, visiting IFI offices and arranging for virtual meetings.
• if visiting a Borrowing Member Country, contact Country Directors/Country Managers and sector specialists based in the country, to introduce your product or service
• always be prepared, review all publicly available information and have specific topics to discuss
• demonstrate what you can do to help project officers advance their project
• be ready to share your experiences, capabilities and solutions to the problems they are trying to solve
• participate in events organized by Canada's Office of Liaison with International Financial Institutions to gain intelligence and make contacts
• identify your niche expertise or technologies
• respect the rules of when to engage with staff, and when it is not appropriate, such as after a submission deadline

• target a geographic area where you believe you can have success. If you have already exported successfully to a particular market, you can expect that your strategy would adapt well to other project opportunities there.
• visits to the borrowing country are essential for consulting and engineering firms, and can be very fruitful for exporters of goods and equipment as well.

• review IFI/UN contract awards data to learn who your competitors are and, view them as potential partners instead
• find and work with a local partner (Read our Partnering Guide), they:
  • offer your company a local presence and expertise
  • already have someone in the area which can help reduce costs
  • may offer an advantage during the evaluation process
  • the local Trade Commissioner Service team can connect you with qualified local contacts
• small and medium enterprises (SMEs) should partner with and sub-contract to companies at the local (in-country) and international levels to help them become familiar with the process.

• being involved in an IFI/UN project from start to finish can require a substantial long-term (months to years) investment on your part
• the IFIs and UN encourage an open and transparent competitive bidding processes, thus opportunities for direct contracting will be limited.
• firms from across the globe take part in IFI and UN projects, so we encourage firms to be selective and prepare as much as possible before bidding.
• you should consider IFI/UN-funded business opportunities as just one element of your larger international marketing strategy, rather than the only entry point into a new market
• though a less risky entry point for new markets, things can and do, go wrong. Act quickly to reach out to the support network as soon as issues or, concerns arise.