Doing Business With Donor Agencies

International development is like any industry - companies want to know how they can do business with other organizations, and in this case, the funding agencies. But before any firm approaches these institutions, it should be aware of the conditions that could restrict its eligibility to do so. Some countries like the U.K. and Australia have untied their aid programs and as a result, nationality is no longer an issue when bidding for contracts funded by their respective development agencies. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development created a Web site that publishes a list of untied aid projects. Devex also posts such information on its ”Projects & Tenders” page. Although not all donors provide tips on how to seek and compete for opportunities, some of the major ones as well as U.S. and Canadian government bodies do. Interested firms can find them readily at the agencies’ Web sites or through a quick online search. There are several sources of helpful advice for those eyeing to provide goods and services to the United Nations. The U.N. Association of the United States of America proposed a five-step approach that would involve performing market research, establishing relationships with U.N. officials and procurement officers, getting included in the supplier roster, familiarizing with the bidding process, and efficiently executing contracts. In addition, the U.N. Inter-Agency Procurement Services Organization came out with two publications: a 14-page document titled ”Doing Business With the UN System” and the ”General Business Guide” for Potential Suppliers of Goods and Services With Common Guidelines for Procurement by Organizations in the UN System. The World Bank’s Business Center is a one-stop shop for organizations seeking information on how they can work with the global lender. It clarifies the bank’s procurement procedures, explains the project cycle, and specifies where to search for available business opportunities. Interested consultants and vendors may also want to visit the bank’s frequently asked questions section for businesses. AusAID provides comprehensive advice to firms that want to do business with the agency. Its Web site has a special page with advice on how to secure business opportunities. This section offers suggestions on how companies should strategize when preparing their bids and tender proposals. It caters to both seasoned industry players and new entrants, which can benefit from a downloadable brochure that AusAID specially made for them. The Millennium Challenge Corp. also offers advice to organizations eager to get involved in the U.S. government corporation’s activities. But instead of a document, a podcast is featured. The video captures a public outreach meeting MCC held to help firms do business with the agency and its partner countries. Transcripts for the meeting and a second similar event are available to those who do not have the time to sit through the whole podcast. The Canadian International Development Agency likewise has a “doing business” Web page. The information provided is extensive, including Cida’s procurement policies, one’s eligibility to work in projects, types of required goods and services, and advice on how to submit proposals. For other donors, the best source of similar information may be documents prepared by U.S. and Canadian trade and commerce agencies. Firms should note that although the guides were developed for U.S. and Canadian contractors, they can help those headquartered elsewhere, provided they are not covered by eligibility restrictions. Export.gov, an online service to “assist American businesses in planning their international sales strategies and succeed in today’s global marketplace,” offers downloadable brochures on how to do business with the Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Inter-American Development Bank. It is managed by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada published several guides to specifically help Canadians seeking international business opportunities. The subjects of these documents include the “Asian Development Bank - one on grant-funded technical assistance contracts and another on loan-backed procurements - as well as the AfDB, Arab and Islamic development funds and financial institutions, Caribbean Development Bank, European Investment Bank, and Japan International Cooperation Agency. The same agency also provides an overview of how other bilateral and multilateral donors procure goods and services. The list includes EuropeAID, Global Environment Facility, U.K. Department for International Development, French Development Agency, KfW of Germany, Finland’s Department for Development Policy, Swedish International Development Agency, and Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.