Who were IDB’s top contractors in 2021?

In 2021, the Inter-American Development Bank reported a record figure: $23.4 billion in financing for new approvals, commitments, and private sector mobilization. This went to a wide range of project areas — from climate change to education and health care. Since its establishment in 1959, IDB has become one of the main sources of development funding in Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2021, the bank approved 103 projects, worth $14.5 billion, and disbursed $12.5 billion. IDB spends its money through flexible financing, guarantees, concessional financing, grants, and private sector financing under IDB Invest, among other mechanisms. Here, Devex examines how much IDB money was spent via contracts for consulting services, as well as for goods and civil works — all of which fall under sovereign guarantee and technical assistance operations. This article also identifies the top 10 contractors and the specific services that the bank procured from them. What does the data tell us? Data gathered from its online contracts portal shows that IDB spent nearly $1.8 billion on goods and civil works in 2021. Among its supplier countries, Argentina won the biggest share, worth $485.6 million. Brazil followed, with $249.1 million, while Paraguay saw $156.3 million and the U.S. got $135.3 million. Transport was the priority sector for goods and civil works, with $633 million. Other priorities included health, with $332.2 million; water and sanitation, with $228 million; and energy, with $185.7 million. Meanwhile, $377.5 million was spent on consulting services. Of this, $295.7 million went to companies and consortiums, while $81.8 million went to nearly 4,300 individual consultants. Argentina also ranked first among supplier countries of consulting services, receiving $69.1 million. That was followed by Spain, with $67 million; Paraguay, with $32.4 million; and Colombia, with $31.3 million. The data also suggests that local consultants were preferred over their international counterparts by a slim margin. Local suppliers got $201.1 million, while $176.4 million went to those based in other countries. Among sectors, the top priority was water supply and sanitation, with $84.7 million for 377 contracts. Other priorities included governance, with $82.5 million; transportation, with $40.3 million; and health, with $34.5 million. IDB’s top goods and civil works contractors For civil works and goods, the top 10 contractors collectively received $499.5 million, or 27.8% of the total disbursement. 1. Pan American Health Organization Founded: 1902 Location: Washington, U.S. Total contract amount: $125.7 million PAHO serves as the World Health Organization’s regional office for the Americas. It received $125.7 million for medical instruments and supplies as part of IDB’s COVID-19 response programs in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Nicaragua. 2. AstraZeneca Founded: 1999 Location: Cambridge, England. Total contract amount: $89.7 million AstraZeneca was awarded $89.7 million for the supply of COVID-19 vaccines to Argentina. This was part of IDB’s $595.8 million pandemic response in the country. The pharmaceutical and biotechnology company is one of the leading producers and suppliers of COVID-19 vaccines. 3. Vialtec and Constructora Heisecke Founded: 1984 and 1976 Location: Villa Elisa and Luque, Paraguay Total contract amount: $49.2 million The consortium of construction companies Vialtec and Constructora Heisecke received $49.2 million for building highways and streets under a $235 million agroindustrial corridors program in Paraguay. 4. Los Trigales Constructora and Benito Roggio e Hijos Founded: 1996 and 1974 Location: Mariano Roque Alonso and Asunción, Paraguay Total contract amount: $49 million Another contractor for the agroindustrial corridors program in Paraguay, the consortium comprising LT Constructora and Roggio was awarded $49 million for construction services. 5. SUPERCEMENTO S.A.I.C. Founded: 1955 Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina Total contract amount: $37.1 million SUPERCEMENTO works in a wide range of construction services, which includes building houses, dams, hospitals, and infrastructures for flood control. It was awarded $37.1 million for water well drilling services under the Water and Sanitation Services Development Program in Argentina. The $270 million project will increase access to water and sanitation services in selected provinces in the country. 6. Sinohydro Founded: 1950 Location: Beijing, China Total contract amount: $33.3 million Sinohydro is PowerChina’s flagship company, working in the hydroelectric and construction sectors. It received $33.3 million for construction services under the Road Network Upgrade and Expansion Program in Guyana, worth $66.2 million. 7. Rovella Carranza and Mota-Engil Mexico Founded: 1986 and 2010 Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Mexico City, Mexico Total contract amount: $31.3 million The consortium of Rovella Carranza and Mota-Engil Mexico was awarded $31.3 million for construction works related to the Cristo Redentor System Corridor, or CRSC, improvement project in Argentina. The $531.9 million program will enhance cross-border integration between Chile and Argentina by expanding the Caracoles Tunnel, retrofitting the Cristo Redentor Tunnel, and constructing bypass roads. 8. Lemiro Pablo Pietroboni, Helport, and Sabavisa Founded: 1960, 1962, and 1989 Location: Entre Rios and Buenos Aires, Argentina Total contract amount: $29.8 million The consortium of three construction companies Lemiro Pablo Pietroboni, Helport, and, Sabavisa was awarded $29.8 million for the design, construction, and readjustment of the Comodoro Pierrestegui Airport in Argentina. The contract is part of the $50 million Development and Integration Program of the Salto Grande Region. 9. Herso, Zonis, Concret Nor, and Ferromel Founded: 1992, 1974, 1997, and 1977 Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina Total contract amount: $28.7 million The consortium of Herso, Zonis, Concret Nor, and Ferromel was awarded $28.7 million for construction services under the $500 million Gral Roca Railway improvement program in Argentina. 10. Wolong Electric Yinchuan Transformer and Totalfor Comercio Internacional Founded: 2005 and 2012 Location: Zheijang, China, and Quito, Ecuador Total contract amount: $25.7 million The consortium of Wolong and Totalfor Comercio Internacional was awarded $25.7 million for the procurement of transformers, autotransformers, and primary air-insulated and gas-insulated substation equipment. This contract is under a $303.8 million project that will expand, strengthen, and improve the operation of the electrical system in Ecuador. IDB’s top consulting contractors The top consultancies collectively received $116.9 million — 39.5% of the total amount awarded to companies and consortiums. 1. Agbar Founded: 1867 Location: Barcelona, Spain Total contract amount: $61.4 million Agbar is a company that specializes in water distribution and treatment. It received the biggest consulting services in 2021, worth $61.4 million, for water management studies. The contract is under a $256 million program that will improve the operational management of Panama City’s National Water and Sewer Systems Institute. 2. Bureau de Nutrition et Développement Founded: 1968 Location: Port-au-Prince, Haiti Total contract amount: $13 million BND received $13 million for the distribution of meals in primary schools in Haiti. The contract is part of a $70 million program that aims to improve quality of life for vulnerable individuals affected by COVID-19 in Haiti through a school feeding program and cash transfers. BND focuses on the distribution of food aid and has worked with other government and non-government organizations, such as the European Union and World Food Programme. It has been among IDB’s top consultants since 2019. 3. Dynamus Founded: 1997 Location: Asunción, Paraguay Total contract amount: $10.5 million Dynamus offers human resource management services. It received $10.5 million for the design and implementation of an agricultural census. The consultancy is part of the Census and Agricultural Surveys System project in Paraguay, worth $15 million. 4. Logus Tecnologia Founded: 1994 Location: Brasília, Brazil Total contract amount: $6.4 million Logus Tecnologia was awarded $6.4 million for the modeling and automation of a public dividend management system, which is part of a $77 million program to modernize fiscal management, upgrade tax administration, and improve management of public expenditure in Ceará, Brazil. The company specializes in the development of solutions for public management. 5. United Nations Office for Project Services Founded: 1973 Location: Copenhagen, Denmark Total contract amount: $6 million UNOPS was awarded $6 million to provide human resource services for COVID-19 case management in Haiti. The contract is part of an ongoing transport connectivity project, worth $225 million. A portion of the budget has been rechanneled for pandemic response. 6. Stantec and Ingeniería y Asistencia Técnica Argentina SA Founded: 1954 and 1961 Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina Total contract amount: $4.5 million A consortium between IATASA and Stantec Argentina was awarded $4.5 million for technical assistance and advisory services related to an $80 million program that will modernize the Salto Grande Binational Hydropower Complex, which supplies electricity to Argentina and Uruguay. 7. Centrales Eléctricas de Nariño Founded: 1955 Location: Nariño, Colombia Total contract amount: $4.3 million CEDENAR received a $4.3 million consultancy under the Water, Basic Sanitation, and Electrification Program — a $231.4 million project that will increase access to water, sanitation, and electricity in the Colombian Pacific region. The company generates, distributes, and sells electric power in the Nariño department of Colombia. 8. Strata Engenharia and Proes Consultores Founded: 1993 and 2021 Location: Belo Horizonte, Brazil Total contract amount: $4 million Formally established as Consorcio Supervisor Projetista Strata Proes in 2021, the consortium of Strata Engenharia and Proes Consultores was awarded $4 million for operational studies related to the strategic program for transportation infrastructure and logistics in Paraná, Brazil. The $435 million program will increase the capacity of the transport system in the state. 9. Arandas, Cria Rumo Consultoria, and Magnetoscópio Founded: 2011, 2006, and 1990 Location: Bahia, Brazil Total contract amount: $3.5 million Arandas, Cria Rumo Consultoria, and Magnetoscópio formed a consortium in 2021, combining years of experience in media, marketing, and consulting in the tourism sector. The consortium was awarded $3.5 million for a consultancy contract under the National Tourism Development Program in Salvador, Brazil — a $71.2 million project that aims to increase income and employment in the city through tourism. 10. Nippon Koei LAC and B&T Consultores Founded: 2003 Location: Tokyo, Japan, and Guatemala City, Guatemala Total contract amount: $3.3 million The consortium between Nippon Koei LAC and B&T Consultores was awarded $3.3 million for technical assistance and advisory services under the Road Infrastructure Development Program — a $150 million project that will improve productivity and socioeconomic growth in Guatemala through infrastructure and transportation services. Try out Devex Pro Funding today with a free 5-day trial, and explore funding opportunities from over 850+ sources in addition to our analysis and news content.