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Plain-language definitions of the global procurement terms that show up in MDB notices, TORs, and day-to-day bidding.
Showing 725 of 725 terms
A bid whose price is so far below the buyer's estimate or competing offers that it raises doubts about whether the bidder can perform the contract at that price without cutting corners or defaulting.
Read definitionThe EU procurement term for a submitted tender whose price appears too low to cover costs, requiring the contracting authority to seek a detailed explanation before deciding whether to accept or reject it.
Read definitionThe EU procurement term for a submitted tender whose price appears too low to cover costs, requiring the contracting authority to seek a written explanation before deciding whether to accept or reject it.
Read definitionAn EU public contract whose estimated value exceeds the relevant EU procurement threshold, triggering full directive compliance including mandatory TED publication and structured competitive procedures.
Read definitionA code used by development banks and procurement systems to classify the specific type of work or activity a contract covers, often complementing sector and theme classifications in project and contract records.
Read definitionThe Asian Development Bank's binding framework that defines corrupt, fraudulent, coercive, and collusive practices in project procurement and empowers ADB to investigate, sanction, and debar firms that violate it.
Read definitionADB's framework of standards and advice for developing member countries adopting electronic procurement systems, supporting digital transformation of public procurement while maintaining compliance with ADB's core procurement principles.
Read definitionThe Asian Development Bank's reformed procurement framework adopted in 2017, introducing fit-for-purpose principles, Open Competitive Bidding, and stronger value-for-money standards for all ADB-financed projects.
Read definitionThe Asian Development Bank's governing framework for all project procurement, adopted in 2017, that replaced the previous guidelines with a principles-based approach centred on value for money and fit for purpose.
Read definitionAn official amendment to a bidding document issued by the procuring entity to correct errors, clarify requirements, or extend deadlines, forming part of the contract from the moment it is issued.
Read definitionThe Abu Dhabi government's centralised procurement portal at adgpg.gov.ae, aggregating tenders from 156 Abu Dhabi government entities with a public JSON API, UNSPSC categorisation, and bilingual Arabic-English content.
Read definitionA works contract where payment is based on the measured quantities of work actually completed at tendered unit rates, common in civil engineering under FIDIC and Commonwealth procurement traditions.
Read definitionA formal internal or institutional review of a procurement decision conducted by the contracting authority or the financing institution itself, as the first-tier remedy before independent or judicial review.
Read definitionA World Bank and MDB mechanism that allows a borrowing government to begin procurement steps, including advertising, bidding, and evaluation, before the loan financing that will fund the contract is formally approved.
Read definitionAn upfront payment made to a contractor or supplier at contract start, typically ranging from 10 to 30 percent of the contract value, to cover mobilisation costs before work begins.
Read definitionA bank guarantee securing a buyer's advance payment to a contractor, ensuring the funds are repaid if the contractor fails to deliver the goods or works for which they were advanced.
Read definitionADB's permission for a borrower to begin certain procurement steps before a loan or grant is formally approved, reducing the gap between project approval and contract award on time-sensitive infrastructure projects.
Read definitionThe continent's primary multilateral development bank, financing infrastructure, agriculture, industrialisation, and integration across all 54 African countries with about $11 billion in annual commitments.
Read definitionAfrica's principal multilateral development bank, committing roughly USD 11 billion per year to infrastructure and development across all 54 African countries, with two funding windows that carry different eligibility rules for bidders.
Read definitionThe concessional lending window of the African Development Bank that finances the poorest African countries and opens procurement to suppliers from every country worldwide.
Read definitionThe competitive purchasing of seeds, fertilisers, agricultural machinery, irrigation equipment, and advisory services by governments and international agencies to improve food security and rural livelihoods.
Read definitionThe use of machine learning and natural language processing to match supplier capabilities against tender notices more accurately than keyword filters, surfacing relevant opportunities that exact-match search misses.
Read definitionA multilateral development bank established in 2016 with 109 members that finances infrastructure across Asia and beyond, with no nationality restrictions on which firms can bid for contracts.
Read definitionThe AIIB's rules governing how borrowers must procure goods, works, and services on bank-financed projects, emphasising open competition, value for money, and eligibility for firms from all countries.
Read definitionA broad-form insurance policy that covers loss or damage from any cause not specifically excluded, used in procurement to describe the wide-coverage property and works policies that a contractor must hold during project delivery.
Read definitionAbu Dhabi's government e-marketplace platform enabling suppliers to register, list products and services, and transact with Abu Dhabi government entities through a centralised digital procurement channel.
Read definitionAbu Dhabi's government procurement marketplace, accessible through the ADGPG portal, listing open and completed tenders from 156 Abu Dhabi government entities using UNSPSC codes and bilingual Arabic-English notices.
Read definitionWorld Bank-sanctioned procurement approaches that allow borrowers to use UN agency procedures, other MDB rules, or third-party procurement agents instead of the standard World Bank Procurement Regulations.
Read definitionThe EBRD's yearly statistical report on procurement activity across all financed projects, publishing contract volumes, methods, sector breakdowns, and supplier country data that suppliers can use for competitive analysis.
Read definitionThe EBRD's yearly statistical report on procurement activity across all financed projects, publishing contract volumes, methods, sector breakdowns, and supplier country data that suppliers can use for competitive analysis.
Read definitionA set of laws, regulations, and procedures designed to prevent criminals from disguising illegally obtained funds as legitimate income, with direct implications for suppliers registered with international procurement bodies.
Read definitionA register of suppliers that have passed a Gulf SOE's pre-qualification process and are therefore eligible to receive tender invitations through the buyer's closed procurement platform.
Read definitionThe closed list of pre-qualified suppliers that Gulf SOEs maintain internally, granting listed vendors access to tender invitations and excluding all others from visibility into the procurement pipeline.
Read definitionA binding, private dispute resolution process used in international procurement contracts where an independent tribunal hears evidence from both parties and issues an enforceable award in place of court litigation.
Read definitionA private, binding dispute resolution process in which parties submit their disagreement to an independent arbitral tribunal, whose award is enforceable across more than 170 countries under the New York Convention.
Read definitionA multilateral development bank established in 2016 with 109 members that finances infrastructure across Asia and beyond, with no nationality restrictions on which firms can bid for contracts.
Read definitionAnalysis of historical contract award data to identify which suppliers win, at what prices, and in which sectors, giving bidders a factual basis for competitive positioning and price benchmarking.
Read definitionThe published criteria and weightings that EU contracting authorities use to compare compliant tenders from qualified suppliers and identify the most economically advantageous offer for contract award.
Read definitionThe published criteria and weightings that EU contracting authorities use to evaluate compliant tenders from qualified suppliers and select the most economically advantageous tender for contract award.
Read definitionAward data analysis is the structured examination of historical contract award records to reveal who wins international tenders, at what prices, and under which conditions, giving suppliers a fact-based benchmark for their own bids.
Read definitionThe formal internal document produced by the evaluation committee that identifies the winning bidder, states the recommended contract value, and summarises the evaluation findings for review and approval.
Read definitionAn unconditional written commitment by a bank to pay a specified sum to a beneficiary on demand, used in procurement to back bid securities, performance obligations, advance payments, and retention releases.
Read definitionProcurement carried out by the MDB itself using its own staff and budget, rather than by the borrowing country, typically covering the bank's internal consulting and technical assistance needs.
Read definitionA public contract in the EU whose estimated value falls below the applicable EU procurement directive threshold, meaning it is governed by national rules and general EU principles rather than the full directive procedures.
Read definitionThe requirement to identify and disclose the natural persons who ultimately own or control a company bidding on an MDB-financed project or registering as a vendor with a major procurement body.
Read definitionThe IDB's dedicated procurement portal for Bank-Executed Operations, where the bank itself acts as buyer rather than delegating procurement to a national government borrower.
Read definitionThe IDB's dedicated procurement portal for Bank-Executed Operations, where the bank itself acts as buyer rather than delegating procurement to a national government borrower.
Read definitionA final sealed bid submission requested from shortlisted suppliers after initial proposals have been evaluated, allowing clients to obtain improved pricing or technical terms before contract award.
Read definitionThe overarching procurement principle that an award should optimise quality, quantity, risk, and price together rather than simply choosing the cheapest compliant offer.
Read definitionA bank guarantee or surety instrument submitted with a bid to Gulf SOEs and government entities as financial assurance of the bidder's serious intent, forfeited if the winner refuses to sign the contract.
Read definitionA formal request from a contracting authority to a bidder seeking explanation of an ambiguous element in a submitted bid, without allowing the bidder to change the substance of its offer.
Read definitionThe formal internal document that records how bids were assessed against published criteria, justifies the award recommendation, and forms the evidentiary basis for a procuring entity's no-objection request to the financing bank.
Read definitionThe formal document prepared by an evaluation committee that records the assessment of all submitted bids, the responsiveness determination, the comparative evaluation, and the recommendation for contract award.
Read definitionA formal postponement of the bid submission deadline issued by a contracting authority, which automatically extends each bidder's bid validity period by the same number of days.
Read definitionA formal amendment to a submitted bid delivered before the submission deadline, allowing a bidder to correct errors or update pricing and documents without withdrawing and resubmitting.
Read definitionThe formal procedure at which sealed bids are opened at the submission deadline, bid details are read aloud, and representatives of bidders and observers may witness the process to ensure transparency.
Read definitionA formal challenge lodged by a bidder who believes a procurement process was conducted incorrectly, triggering a review by the financing institution, a national review body, or an independent mechanism.
Read definitionThe formal decision to exclude a submitted bid from further evaluation because it fails a mandatory compliance requirement, is technically non-responsive, or is found to be abnormally low after investigation.
Read definitionA guarantee a bidder lodges with its bid that the buyer can call if the bidder withdraws or refuses to sign, deterring frivolous bids on major contracts.
Read definitionA financial guarantee a bidder lodges with its offer on major contracts that the buyer can call if the bidder withdraws during validity or wins but refuses to sign, deterring non-serious bids.
Read definitionThe period after the submission deadline during which a bidder is legally bound to honour its offer, typically 90 to 120 days for goods and works, giving the buyer time to evaluate and award without risk of price withdrawal.
Read definitionThe number of days after the bid submission deadline during which a bidder is bound by its offer and the buyer may proceed to award without requiring the bidder to resubmit.
Read definitionA bidder's formal request to cancel a submitted bid before the submission deadline, permitted without penalty in most procurement frameworks when the withdrawal notice arrives in time.
Read definitionBid/no-bid analysis is the formal evaluation framework suppliers use to decide whether to submit a proposal, weighing strategic fit, competitive advantage, resource cost, and probability of award against one another.
Read definitionThe complete package of instructions, specifications, and contract conditions that a procuring entity issues to invited suppliers so they can prepare and submit a compliant, comparable bid.
Read definitionA structured list of all work items in a construction or supply contract, with quantities pre-measured by the procuring entity, against which bidders enter unit rates to produce a total bid price.
Read definitionThe requirements under development bank environmental standards that protect ecosystems, habitats, and species from project-related harm, including the mitigation hierarchy and offsets that contractors must apply in sensitive areas.
Read definitionA pre-competed standing arrangement used by certain UN entities that allows repeated purchases from an approved supplier at agreed prices without re-running a full competitive solicitation for each transaction.
Read definitionA standing procurement arrangement used by UN agencies to pre-qualify suppliers for repeated purchases of specific goods or services over a defined period, avoiding a full solicitation each time.
Read definitionThe strategic combination of concessional public or philanthropic funds with commercial finance to make development projects financially viable and attract private capital to markets it would not otherwise enter.
Read definitionThe model used in most MDB-financed projects where the borrowing country's implementing agency runs the procurement process while the bank sets the rules and reviews key decisions.
Read definitionA member country that receives loans or grants from an MDB to finance development projects and is responsible for repaying the loan and ensuring procurement under the project follows MDB rules.
Read definitionThe informal name for the New Development Bank, the multilateral lender established by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa in 2015 to finance infrastructure and sustainable development in emerging economies.
Read definitionA project delivery model where a private contractor finances, builds, and operates a public facility for a defined concession period, recovering investment through user fees or availability payments, then transfers the asset to the government.
Read definitionA PPP variant where the private party finances, builds, legally owns, and operates an infrastructure facility during the concession period before transferring ownership back to the public authority at expiry.
Read definitionThe integrated set of military capabilities covering command networks, communications systems, computing infrastructure, and intelligence collection that forms the core of NCIA's technology procurement portfolio worth billions annually.
Read definitionThe integrated set of military capabilities covering command networks, communications systems, computing infrastructure, and intelligence collection that form the core of NCIA's technology procurement portfolio.
Read definitionA regional development bank owned by 23 member countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, approving a record $18.7 billion in 2025 and financing infrastructure, green projects, and private-sector development across the region.
Read definitionA regional development bank owned by 23 member countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, approving a record $18.7 billion in 2025 and financing infrastructure, green projects, and private-sector development across the region.
Read definitionAn individual order placed against an existing framework agreement or indefinite quantity contract, activating a specific quantity of goods or services under the pre-agreed terms without a new full tender process.
Read definitionThe formal termination of a procurement process before a contract is signed, ending the competition permanently rather than restarting it, on grounds such as budget withdrawal, scope change, or lack of responsive bids.
Read definitionKuwait's centralised government procurement authority operating the country's largest public tender dataset at capt.gov.kw, covering more than 23,000 government tenders across all ministries and public bodies.
Read definitionKuwait's central government procurement authority, operating the largest Gulf government tender portal with over 23,000 records, covering all public-sector entities and requiring Playwright browser automation to bypass Cloudflare access controls.
Read definitionThe process of measuring greenhouse gas emissions associated with a procurement contract, used by buyers to compare suppliers on environmental impact and to meet climate reporting obligations alongside price and quality.
Read definitionA structured quantification of the greenhouse gas emissions generated across the supply chain and life cycle of a procured good, work, or service, used to compare options and set contractual emission limits.
Read definitionCERN's mandatory online platform at procurement.cern.ch where registered suppliers receive tender invitations, submit bids, and manage orders for the laboratory's CHF 1.3-1.5 billion annual procurement programme.
Read definitionThe tracked ratio of contract value awarded to each CERN member state relative to that country's financial contribution, used to maintain approximate proportionality across CERN's CHF 1.3-1.5 billion annual procurement.
Read definitionThe framework by which CERN distributes contract value among its 24 member and associated member states in approximate proportion to each country's budget contribution, reserving 92 percent of direct contracts for member state suppliers.
Read definitionCERN's internal classification system that categorises the goods and services it purchases, used to route tender invitations to correctly categorised registered suppliers on the CERN eProcurement Portal.
Read definitionThe Incoterms rule under which the seller pays the cost of transporting goods to the destination port and arranges minimum marine insurance, with risk transferring to the buyer as soon as goods are loaded on the vessel at the origin port.
Read definitionAn Incoterm requiring the seller to deliver goods on board a vessel at the port of shipment and to pay the freight and minimum insurance costs to bring them to the named destination port.
Read definitionA procurement approach that prioritises products and services designed for reuse, repair, remanufacturing, and recycling, reducing waste and resource consumption across the supply chain.
Read definitionThe formal process under a contract by which a party asserts entitlement to additional time or money, and the escalation path if the claim is rejected and becomes a dispute requiring third-party resolution.
Read definitionProcurement of goods, works, and services specifically designed to reduce communities' vulnerability to current or projected climate impacts such as flooding, drought, and extreme heat.
Read definitionFunds mobilised from public, private, and multilateral sources to support mitigation and adaptation actions that address climate change, generating a large and growing stream of international procurement.
Read definitionProcurement of goods, works, and services whose primary purpose is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as renewable energy plants, energy-efficient retrofits, and low-carbon transport systems.
Read definitionAn analysis of how physical climate hazards and the transition to a low-carbon economy may affect a project's design, assets, communities, and long-term viability, now required by most major development banks.
Read definitionPublic expenditure formally classified as contributing to climate goals, allowing financiers and governments to track, report, and scale climate-relevant procurement within their portfolios.
Read definitionThe Asian Development Bank's next-generation Consultant Management System, migrating from the legacy CMS platform to a commercial SaaS e-procurement system to streamline consultant registration and assignment matching across ADB's portfolio.
Read definitionThe Asian Development Bank's next-generation consultant registration and matching platform, rebuilding the original CMS on a commercial SaaS e-procurement system with improved workflow and API potential.
Read definitionAn arrangement in which two or more financiers, such as MDBs, bilateral donors, or private lenders, jointly fund a single development project, each contributing a defined share of the total cost.
Read definitionIn MDB procurement, coercion means impairing or harming, or threatening to impair or harm, directly or indirectly, any party or the property of any party to influence improperly a party's actions in a bank-financed project.
Read definitionTemperature-controlled storage and transport equipment - refrigerators, freezers, cold boxes, and refrigerated vehicles - procured to maintain vaccine and medicine integrity from manufacturer to end user.
Read definitionIn MDB procurement, collusion means an arrangement between two or more parties designed to achieve an improper purpose, including influencing improperly the actions of another party in a bank-financed project.
Read definitionOne of the five sanctionable practices defined by the World Bank, covering arrangements between bidders to fix prices, share markets, or otherwise undermine genuine competition in Bank-financed procurement.
Read definitionThe single number produced by merging a proposal's technical score and financial score using a stated weighting, used in consulting and complex services procurement to select the offer with the best overall value rather than the lowest price.
Read definitionThe single final score derived by blending a proposal's technical score and financial score using the published weighting, which determines the ranking and the winning firm in quality-weighted procurement.
Read definitionThe weighted aggregate of a consulting firm's technical and financial scores under QCBS, calculated after both envelopes are opened and used to rank firms and select the winner.
Read definitionA numeric or alphanumeric identifier assigned to a specific product or service category within a classification system, used to route tender notices, register supplier capabilities, and analyse procurement spend.
Read definitionThe EU's eight-digit product and service classification system that determines which tenders appear in the Official Journal and are routed to suppliers on the TED portal.
Read definitionThe obligations placed on borrowers and contractors to protect the health, safety, and security of communities living near or affected by a project's construction and operational activities.
Read definitionA World Bank and MDB approach where project-affected communities directly manage small-scale procurement for local infrastructure and services, using simplified procedures appropriate to community capacity rather than standard government procurement rules.
Read definitionA World Bank procurement approach where local communities directly manage and procure small-scale goods, works, and services for their own development projects rather than using a central government implementing agency.
Read definitionAn EU procurement procedure for complex contracts where the authority engages in structured dialogue with shortlisted candidates to develop workable solutions before inviting final bids.
Read definitionThe systematic collection and analysis of publicly available data on competitors, market prices, and award patterns to help suppliers make informed bid decisions and sharpen their pricing and positioning.
Read definitionThe systematic gathering and analysis of publicly available procurement data to understand which competitors win contracts, at what prices, and in which sectors, informing a supplier's bidding strategy.
Read definitionAn EU procurement method that shortlists candidates, invites initial tenders, and then allows negotiation with shortlisted suppliers to refine and improve those tenders before final submission.
Read definitionThe structured examination of which suppliers win contracts in a target sector, what they charge, which buyers they serve, and what technical and commercial strengths make them competitive, used to inform bidding strategy and proposal positioning.
Read definitionCompetitor analysis in procurement is the structured assessment of rival bidders' strengths, pricing, and win patterns to help a supplier differentiate its proposals and make smarter pursuit decisions.
Read definitionThe master contract between a government and a private concessionaire granting the right to build, operate, and earn revenue from a public infrastructure facility for a defined period before transferring it back to the state.
Read definitionAn EU contract under which a contracting authority grants an operator the right to exploit a works or services concession, with the operator taking on the substantial operating risk in exchange for revenue from users or the authority.
Read definitionA loan provided to a developing country government on below-market terms, including low interest rates and long repayment periods, used by MDBs to finance projects in lower-income countries.
Read definitionA World Bank sanction that allows a firm or individual to continue participating in Bank-financed activities subject to conditions, typically used when the entity cooperates fully and implements remedial measures.
Read definitionA mandatory disclosure in which a bidder confirms it has no relationship, financial interest, or prior role that would compromise its independence or give it an unfair advantage in the procurement process.
Read definitionAn IDB Group online platform connecting suppliers, buyers, and trade partners across Latin America and the Caribbean to facilitate business networking, trade finance, and access to project opportunities.
Read definitionA contract among multiple independent companies that have agreed to bid and work together on a procurement contract, defining each member's scope, responsibilities, and commercial arrangements while each retains its own legal identity.
Read definitionA specialist insurance policy covering physical loss or damage to works under construction, plant, equipment, and third-party liability during the construction period, widely mandated in international civil works tenders.
Read definitionA broad-form insurance policy covering physical loss or damage to works under construction, plant, and materials on site from any cause not excluded, commonly mandatory under international construction and civil works contracts.
Read definitionThe competitive purchasing of civil and building works - from roads and dams to hospitals and schools - by governments and development institutions using standardised competitive bidding procedures.
Read definitionThe Asian Development Bank's dedicated online portal where consulting firms and individual experts register their profiles and receive notifications of consulting assignments across ADB-financed projects.
Read definitionA simplified consulting-selection method used by development banks for small or routine assignments, awarding directly to the best-qualified firm without a competitive proposal process.
Read definitionThe competitive selection of firms and individual consultants to deliver technical advice, studies, design, and supervision on development-financed projects using quality-focused evaluation methods.
Read definitionAn unallocated financial reserve built into a project budget to cover unforeseen costs or risks that cannot be attributed to specific items at the time the contract is prepared.
Read definitionThe signed legal document that formalizes the relationship between a procuring entity and the winning supplier, incorporating the bid, the general and special conditions, and all other tender documents by reference.
Read definitionThe public announcement published by the buyer after a contract is signed, identifying the winning supplier, the contract value, and the procurement method used, providing transparency and market intelligence.
Read definitionThe mandatory EU publication that a contracting authority dispatches to the OJEU within 30 days of signing a contract, identifying the winning supplier, the contract value, and the procedure used.
Read definitionSoftware and processes that manage a contract from initial drafting through negotiation, execution, performance monitoring, renewal, and close-out in a single, auditable digital system.
Read definitionContract mining is the extraction of structured competitive intelligence from the text of published contract award notices, including bidder names, bid prices, evaluation scores, and rejection reasons, to inform future bid strategy.
Read definitionThe bilateral process between a client and the highest-ranked consulting firm to finalise the scope, deliverables, staffing, and fee before signing, conducted after technical and financial evaluation is complete.
Read definitionThe mandatory EU publication that formally opens an above-threshold procurement competition, setting out the contracting authority's requirements, selection criteria, award criteria, and submission deadline.
Read definitionThe mandatory EU publication that formally opens an above-threshold procurement competition, setting out the contracting authority's requirements, selection criteria, award criteria, and submission deadline.
Read definitionThe five foundational principles, economy, efficiency, fairness, transparency, and integrity, that underpin the ADB Procurement Policy (2017) and guide all procurement decisions on ADB-financed projects.
Read definitionIn MDB procurement, corruption means directly or indirectly offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting anything of value to improperly influence the actions of another party in a bank-financed project.
Read definitionThe highest NATO information classification level, applied to material whose unauthorised disclosure would cause exceptionally grave damage to the Alliance, requiring the most rigorous security clearance for any contract personnel involved.
Read definitionA contract that reimburses the contractor for all allowable costs incurred and adds a fixed fee or percentage markup, shifting cost risk to the buyer and used when scope cannot be defined before work begins.
Read definitionA contract in which the buyer reimburses the contractor for all allowable and audited costs of performance, plus an agreed fee, used for complex or uncertain scopes where fixed pricing is not feasible.
Read definitionThe set of legal and regulatory obligations requiring buyers, banks, and suppliers to prevent funds or assets from being used to finance terrorist organisations, with direct relevance to international procurement compliance.
Read definitionA multi-year strategic document that defines an MDB's development priorities, planned lending, and operational engagement with a specific borrowing country for a three-to-five-year period.
Read definitionThe Asian Development Bank's multi-year strategic framework for a specific developing member country, setting the sectors, thematic priorities, and lending targets that drive the project pipeline for that country.
Read definitionThe Asian Development Bank's medium-term strategic plan for each borrowing country, setting sectoral priorities and a lending pipeline that drives which procurement opportunities will emerge over the next three to five years.
Read definitionA diagnostic review conducted by an MDB to evaluate a borrowing country's national procurement systems, laws, and institutional capacity before and during project financing.
Read definitionA diagnostic study, typically prepared jointly by ADB and a developing member country government, that assesses the country's public procurement system against international standards and identifies reforms needed to improve efficiency and integrity.
Read definitionAn ADB diagnostic report that evaluates a borrowing country's national procurement systems, identifying strengths, gaps, and risks that determine how much of a project's procurement ADB will supervise directly.
Read definitionA World Bank diagnostic that evaluates the quality of a country's national procurement laws, institutions, and practices to identify systemic risks and inform how Bank-financed procurement will be supervised.
Read definitionCountry risk assessment evaluates the political, economic, regulatory, and payment risks of operating in a specific procurement market, helping suppliers decide whether and how to pursue contracts in that country.
Read definitionA multi-year document the EBRD publishes for each economy of operations, setting the sectors and reform priorities where the bank will concentrate its financing and advisory work.
Read definitionThe European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's strategic plan for each of its 38 economies of operation, defining the sectors, reform objectives, and investment pipeline that will generate procurement opportunities over the strategy period.
Read definitionThe African Development Bank's country-level strategic document that defines priority sectors, financing objectives, and planned projects for a borrowing member country over a multi-year cycle, directly shaping the procurement pipeline.
Read definitionThe African Development Bank's medium-term strategic plan for each member country, setting sector priorities and a lending pipeline that signals where infrastructure and development contracts will be generated over the next five years.
Read definitionA cloud-based spend management and procurement platform used by WFP and other large buyers, covering sourcing, purchase orders, invoicing, and supplier management in a single environment.
Read definitionThe United Nations system that classifies all goods and services into a single coherent hierarchy, linking product codes to the ISIC industry classification and serving as the international reference for trade-in-services statistics and procurement scope definitions.
Read definitionThe United Nations system for classifying all goods and services by their physical characteristics and nature, used alongside ISIC in national statistics and referenced in international trade and procurement frameworks.
Read definitionThe European Union's mandatory eight-digit coding system that classifies procurement objects on the TED platform, letting buyers and suppliers across member states describe and find contracts using a shared language.
Read definitionA development priority such as climate, gender, or governance that a development bank applies across projects in multiple sectors, shaping safeguard requirements, evaluation criteria, and reporting obligations for contractors.
Read definitionThe agreement among the five major multilateral development banks under which a sanction imposed by one bank is automatically enforced by all the others.
Read definitionThe 2010 agreement among five major multilateral development banks under which a debarment of two years or more imposed by one bank is automatically enforced by all five, creating a unified global exclusion from MDB-financed procurement.
Read definitionThe requirements under development bank environmental standards that prevent damage to tangible and intangible cultural heritage during project construction and operations, including chance finds procedures contractors must follow.
Read definitionThe currency or currencies in which a bidder is required to express its price in a tender submission, as specified in the instructions to bidders in the solicitation documents.
Read definitionThe currency or currencies in which the employer will actually pay the contractor under the contract, which may differ from the currency used to express the bid price.
Read definitionThe NSPA business model under which individual NATO member nations pay directly for goods and services they order through the agency, with NSPA acting as a buying agent on a no-profit, no-loss basis.
Read definitionThe NSPA business model under which individual NATO member nations pay directly for goods and services they order through the agency, with NSPA acting as a collective buying agent on a strict no-profit, no-loss basis.
Read definitionThe competitive purchasing of security software, threat detection systems, penetration testing, and cybersecurity advisory services by governments and international institutions to protect critical infrastructure and data.
Read definitionThe Incoterms rule under which the seller is responsible for all transport costs and risks until the goods are ready for unloading at the named destination, making it the most straightforward delivery term for international procurement.
Read definitionAn Incoterm requiring the seller to deliver goods to a named destination - including all transport, freight, and intermediate handling - ready for unloading by the buyer, with risk transferring only at the final delivery point.
Read definitionA method of valuing varied or unforeseen work by paying the contractor the actual cost of labour, plant, and materials plus an agreed percentage for overheads and profit, used when measurement is impractical.
Read definitionA formal sanction that bars a company or individual from competing for contracts financed by a multilateral development bank for a defined period.
Read definitionA World Bank sanction that imposes debarment for a set period but allows early restoration of eligibility if the firm or individual fulfils specified compliance conditions before the term expires.
Read definitionThe meeting or written explanation provided to an unsuccessful bidder that explains why their offer was not selected, covering the evaluation scores, the relative strengths of the winning bid, and any deficiencies found.
Read definitionA signed statement required of every bidder confirming it meets the nationality, debarment, and legal standing criteria for a specific procurement process under the applicable procurement rules.
Read definitionA formal signed statement required by NATO procurement agencies confirming that a supplier is incorporated in a NATO member nation or approved partner nation and therefore eligible to receive classified solicitations and contract awards.
Read definitionA formal self-certification that a company is incorporated in a NATO member nation or approved partner country, required before participating in any NSPA or NCIA procurement process.
Read definitionThe contractual period after practical completion of construction works during which the contractor remains liable to remedy defects in workmanship or materials that appear, at its own cost, before the final completion certificate is issued.
Read definitionThe specialised procurement domain covering goods, works, and services acquired by military and security organisations, governed by rules that balance competition with security, eligibility restrictions, and classified information requirements.
Read definitionThe competitive and classified purchasing of military equipment, weapons systems, logistics, and services by national defence ministries and alliance bodies such as NATO's support and procurement agencies.
Read definitionEU Directive 2009/81/EC establishing a harmonised procurement framework for defence and sensitive security contracts, balancing open competition with member states' rights to protect national security interests.
Read definitionThe underlying software platform that powers the EBRD's ECEPP procurement portal, enabling fully electronic tender management from notice publication through bid submission and contract award.
Read definitionA contract that gives one contractor responsibility for both designing and constructing a facility against the owner's output requirements, eliminating the traditional separation between designer and builder.
Read definitionAny of the Asian Development Bank's member countries classified as developing, which are the borrowers and primary beneficiaries of ADB financing and the locations where ADB-funded procurement opportunities arise.
Read definitionA World Bank lending instrument that provides direct budget support to governments in exchange for policy and institutional reforms, rather than financing a discrete project with its own procurement tenders.
Read definitionA single-source procurement method under MDB-financed projects where a contract is awarded to one supplier without competition, permitted only in narrowly defined circumstances with explicit justification.
Read definitionA standing panel of independent experts appointed at contract start that issues binding decisions on disputes during construction, allowing works to continue while the decision is challenged if either party is dissatisfied.
Read definitionA standing panel of independent experts appointed at contract start to visit the project regularly and issue binding decisions on disputes within 84 days, with those decisions enforceable even if a party gives notice of dissatisfaction.
Read definitionA standing panel of independent experts that issues non-binding recommendations on disputes referred by contracting parties, used on projects where the parties prefer a facilitative rather than adjudicative first-tier mechanism.
Read definitionAn independent panel of experts appointed at contract start that issues non-binding recommendations on disputes, giving parties a rapid, informed assessment before they decide whether to proceed to arbitration.
Read definitionThe exclusion of a bidder or bid from a procurement competition on grounds of ineligibility, debarment, conflict of interest, or fraud, rather than on the merits of the submitted documents.
Read definitionThe use of AI and machine learning to automatically read, classify, extract, and analyse procurement documents such as tender notices, specifications, contracts, and bid submissions to reduce manual review time.
Read definitionAutomated extraction and structuring of key procurement data from RFPs, TORs, bidding documents, and award notices, turning unstructured PDF text into searchable, actionable information.
Read definitionA price adjustment that MDB procurement rules allow borrowing countries to apply in favour of locally produced goods or domestic contractors when evaluating bids alongside international competitors.
Read definitionA development project financed by one or more external donors, such as MDBs, bilateral aid agencies, or foundations, whose procurement rules govern how contracts are tendered and awarded.
Read definitionThe engineering or architectural drawings issued as part of a bidding document for works contracts that define the physical dimensions, layout, and construction details that bidders must price and contractors must build to.
Read definitionAn EU electronic purchasing arrangement open throughout its duration to any qualified supplier, used for commonly available goods and services and operated entirely online through successive mini-competitions.
Read definitionAn EU electronic purchasing arrangement open throughout its duration to any qualified supplier, used for commonly available goods and services and operated entirely online through successive mini-competitions.
Read definitionAn online competitive event in which pre-qualified suppliers submit successive, progressively lower price bids in real time until the auction closes, with the lowest compliant price winning.
Read definitionA digital product and price list hosted on a procurement platform that allows buyers to order pre-approved goods or services directly without running a fresh competitive process each time.
Read definitionThe use of internet-based systems and digital platforms to carry out purchasing processes, from publishing tender notices through to contract award, replacing paper-based workflows.
Read definitionA digital process in which buyers publish tender documents online, suppliers submit bids electronically, and opening and evaluation are managed through a platform rather than in paper.
Read definitionThe EBRD initiative that channels technical assistance and financing to increase women's participation and leadership in engineering, infrastructure, and construction sectors across its economies of operations.
Read definitionThe EBRD initiative that channels technical assistance and financing to increase women's participation and leadership in engineering, infrastructure, and construction sectors across its economies of operations.
Read definitionThe sole electronic portal where the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development publishes all procurement notices, from initial advertisement through to contract award.
Read definitionThe European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's governing framework for all procurement on its financed projects, setting the principles, methods, and supervision standards that both clients and bidders must follow.
Read definitionThe binding document that sets out how the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development requires its clients to conduct procurement on all bank-financed projects, covering methods, eligibility, and oversight.
Read definitionThe European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's sole official procurement portal, where all notices for EBRD-financed projects are published and where registered suppliers submit bids electronically end-to-end.
Read definitionThe 38 countries in Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean where the EBRD is mandated to invest and where its financed procurement opportunities arise.
Read definitionThe competitive purchasing of school construction, textbooks, educational technology, and advisory services by governments and development institutions to expand and improve access to quality education.
Read definitionThe structured XML notice format mandated for all EU above-threshold procurement publications since 2023, replacing free-text notices with machine-readable data fields covering 40 notice subtypes.
Read definitionThe structured XML notice format mandated for all EU above-threshold procurement publications since 2023, replacing free-text notices with machine-readable data fields covering 40 notice subtypes.
Read definitionThe world's largest multilateral development bank by financing volume, owned by the 27 EU member states, funding infrastructure, climate, and development projects inside and outside the European Union.
Read definitionThe external financing arm of the European Investment Bank, delivering loans, guarantees, and blended finance in Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific, and other developing regions outside the EU.
Read definitionThe EIB's official reference document setting out procurement rules and standards that borrowers must follow when procuring goods, works, and services under EIB-financed projects.
Read definitionThe EIB's PeopleSoft-based online platform where vendors register, receive tender invitations, and submit bids for the bank's own corporate procurement of goods and services.
Read definitionAn online competitive event where pre-qualified suppliers submit successively lower price bids within a defined time window, with the buyer awarding to the lowest qualifying offer at close.
Read definitionAn expedited MDB and UN procurement process triggered by a declared emergency, natural disaster, or crisis that allows abbreviated competition timelines and direct contracting where normal competitive methods would cause harmful delays.
Read definitionThe competitive acquisition of power generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure, equipment, and services by governments and development institutions to expand reliable electricity access.
Read definitionThe legally binding schedule of environmental and social commitments a borrower makes to the World Bank, translating the project's assessment findings and applicable standards into time-bound, monitorable obligations.
Read definitionThe World Bank's overarching policy framework that sets environmental and social requirements for all investment project financing, replacing the earlier Safeguard Policies from 2018 onward.
Read definitionThe World Bank's 2018 policy framework that sets ten Environmental and Social Standards governing how borrowers must assess and manage environmental, social, labour, and community risks in bank-financed projects.
Read definitionA systematic study that identifies, predicts, and evaluates the environmental and social consequences of a proposed project, required by development banks before financing is approved for significant infrastructure contracts.
Read definitionThe operational document derived from an ESIA that translates environmental and social impact mitigations into specific measures, responsibilities, timelines, and monitoring indicators a contractor must implement during project execution.
Read definitionThe ten individual standards within the World Bank's Environmental and Social Framework, each covering a specific risk area that borrowers must address in financed projects.
Read definitionScored or pass-fail requirements in a tender evaluation that assess the environmental performance of a bidder's proposed goods, works, or services alongside technical quality and price.
Read definitionA structured process that identifies, predicts, and evaluates the environmental consequences of a proposed project before approval, producing a report that informs financing decisions and shapes contractor obligations.
Read definitionA contract that places full responsibility for design, equipment procurement, and construction with a single contractor, who delivers a complete facility to the buyer for a fixed lump sum price.
Read definitionA contract that places full responsibility for design, equipment procurement, and construction with a single contractor, who delivers a complete facility to the buyer for a fixed lump sum price.
Read definitionA contract model used in oil and gas and energy projects where a single contractor takes full responsibility for engineering, procuring all equipment and materials, and constructing the facility for a fixed or reimbursable price.
Read definitionA contract that engages one firm to design, manage procurement, and supervise construction on behalf of the owner, while the owner holds direct contracts with the construction trades, separating management from execution risk.
Read definitionA contract that engages one firm to design, manage procurement, and supervise construction on behalf of the owner, while the owner holds direct contracts with the construction trades, separating management from execution risk.
Read definitionQualification criteria specifying the types, quantities, capacities, and availability of plant, machinery, or specialised equipment a contractor must own or have committed access to in order to qualify for a works contract.
Read definitionA contract provision that allows the contract price to be adjusted upward or downward to reflect changes in costs such as labour, fuel, or materials over the contract period.
Read definitionUNOPS's online procurement platform at esourcing.unops.org where registered vendors access UNOPS tenders, submit bids electronically, and track evaluations for infrastructure, construction, and procurement agent contracts globally.
Read definitionUNOPS's dedicated online sourcing platform at esourcing.unops.org that manages the full tendering cycle, including bid opening and evaluation, for UNOPS's $1.5 billion procurement programme spanning infrastructure, goods, and services worldwide.
Read definitionDubai's government e-procurement portal covering over 40 entities including DEWA, RTA, and Dubai Municipality, operating on the Jaggaer platform with guest access available for browsing tender opportunities.
Read definitionSaudi Arabia's central government e-procurement platform hosting over 283,000 tenders from public entities across the kingdom, freely accessible to any visitor without registration or authentication.
Read definitionThe world's largest multilateral development bank by financing volume, owned by the 27 EU member states, funding infrastructure, climate, and development projects inside and outside the European Union.
Read definitionA standardised self-declaration form used across the EU that allows suppliers to assert they meet selection criteria and exclusion grounds without submitting full supporting documents at bid stage.
Read definitionThe fixed currency conversion rate specified in tender documents that procurement officers use to translate bids submitted in different currencies into a single evaluation currency, ensuring all offers are compared on a consistent financial basis.
Read definitionThe official rate used by a procuring entity to convert bids expressed in different currencies into a single evaluation currency, fixed at a specific date stated in the solicitation documents.
Read definitionThe categories of misconduct or circumstance under the EU Procurement Directive that require or permit a contracting authority to exclude a supplier from participating in a public procurement procedure.
Read definitionThe government body or institution with overall accountability for an MDB-financed project's results, which may delegate day-to-day procurement to one or more implementing agencies.
Read definitionA qualification criterion specifying the number, type, size, and recency of similar contracts a bidder must have completed to demonstrate it can perform the work being tendered.
Read definitionA government-backed institution that provides loans, guarantees, and insurance to help domestic companies export goods and services, covering commercial and political risks that private lenders will not absorb.
Read definitionA short submission firms make in response to a notice so the buyer can build a shortlist of qualified consultants before issuing the full request for proposals.
Read definitionA pre-qualification step used by UN agencies to build a shortlist of qualified suppliers or consultants before issuing a formal RFP or ITB, based on capability and experience statements.
Read definitionThe competitive purchasing of building maintenance, cleaning, security, catering, and integrated facility services by international institutions for their offices, camps, and mission premises worldwide.
Read definitionThe African Development Bank's agricultural transformation priority, directing financing toward food security, agribusiness value chains, irrigation, storage, and smallholder productivity across the continent.
Read definitionThe internationally recognised FIDIC suite of standard contract templates used by the African Development Bank for civil works and plant contracts, providing a consistent legal framework for AfDB-financed infrastructure projects across Africa.
Read definitionThe internationally recognised suite of standard construction and engineering contracts published by FIDIC that the African Development Bank mandates for works and plant procurement, defining risk allocation between employer and contractor.
Read definitionThe FIDIC Conditions of Contract for Construction, the globally dominant standard form for civil engineering and building works, where the employer provides the design and the contractor builds to it on a remeasured basis.
Read definitionThe FIDIC Conditions of Contract for Construction, the most widely used standard contract form for civil engineering works globally, allocating design responsibility to the employer and construction responsibility to the contractor.
Read definitionThe FIDIC Conditions of Contract for EPC and Turnkey Projects, used for fixed-price lump-sum contracts where the contractor takes full responsibility for engineering, procurement, and construction with minimal employer involvement during execution.
Read definitionThe FIDIC Conditions of Contract for EPC/Turnkey Projects, designed for fixed-price, date-certain delivery where the contractor bears all design, construction, and performance risk with minimal employer involvement during execution.
Read definitionThe FIDIC Client/Consultant Model Services Agreement, the standard form for appointing consulting engineers and advisory firms on design, supervision, and project management assignments, setting out duty of care, intellectual property, and liability terms.
Read definitionThe FIDIC Client/Consultant Model Services Agreement, the standard contract form for engaging consulting engineers and professional services firms, covering scope, fees, liability, and intellectual property.
Read definitionThe FIDIC Conditions of Contract for Plant and Design-Build, used when the contractor is responsible for both engineering design and construction, with payment typically on a lump-sum basis against employer-defined performance requirements.
Read definitionThe FIDIC Conditions of Contract for Plant and Design-Build, used for contracts where the contractor both designs and constructs or installs plant or works against the employer's performance requirements.
Read definitionThe last payment made under a contract after all works are complete, defects remedied, and accounts agreed, settling the outstanding balance including retained funds and any accepted claims.
Read definitionA qualification criterion requiring a bidder to demonstrate sufficient annual turnover, liquid assets, or access to credit to finance the contract without cash-flow constraints during performance.
Read definitionThe stage of procurement evaluation that assesses and compares the prices or costs submitted by technically qualified bidders, applying any permitted adjustments before determining the lowest or best-value offer.
Read definitionThe sealed price component of a consulting bid that states a firm's total fee and cost breakdown, opened only after technical proposals are scored and only for firms that pass the minimum technical threshold.
Read definitionThe World Bank's 2016 principle that procurement methods, documents, and oversight intensity should be tailored to the specific context, risk, and complexity of each contract rather than applied uniformly.
Read definitionA consulting-selection method used by development banks where the budget is disclosed in the Request for Proposals and the contract goes to the technically highest-scoring firm that stays within that budget.
Read definitionA contract that sets a defined price for a defined scope, with the contractor bearing the risk of cost overruns, covering lump sum, unit price, and firm-fixed-price structures across goods, works, and services.
Read definitionThe large-scale competitive purchasing of staple grains, pulses, vegetable oils, and fortified foods by the World Food Programme and other agencies for humanitarian food assistance and development nutrition programmes.
Read definitionA method under MDB-financed projects where works are carried out directly by the borrower's own staff and equipment rather than through a competitively awarded contract with an external contractor.
Read definitionA contract provision that excuses a party from performance obligations when an extraordinary event beyond its reasonable control makes performance impossible or illegal, typically entitling the affected party to a time extension.
Read definitionA US federal law that prohibits US persons and companies, and foreign companies listed on US exchanges, from bribing foreign government officials to obtain or retain business, with broad extraterritorial reach affecting international procurement.
Read definitionThe UN procurement process applied to contracts above $40,000, requiring a published notice, sealed bids or proposals, structured evaluation, and documented award justification in line with the UN Procurement Manual.
Read definitionA pre-negotiated EU procurement arrangement that sets agreed terms and prices with one or more suppliers for a fixed period of up to four years, allowing call-off orders to be placed without a full re-tender each time.
Read definitionA standing arrangement between a buyer and one or more suppliers that sets pre-agreed terms and prices for repeated purchases over a defined period, avoiding a fresh competitive process each time.
Read definitionA standing arrangement between a buyer and one or more pre-qualified suppliers that sets agreed terms and prices for repeated purchases over a defined period, avoiding a full tender process each time goods or services are needed.
Read definitionA pre-competed agreement that places one or more consulting firms on an approved roster for a defined category of services, allowing the buyer to assign specific tasks by call-off without re-running a full competitive selection each time.
Read definitionA standing agreement between a client and one or more consulting firms that pre-agrees rates, terms, and conditions, enabling the client to call off individual assignments quickly without running a full competition each time.
Read definitionIn MDB procurement, fraud means any act or omission that intentionally misleads a party to obtain a financial or other benefit, or to avoid an obligation, in connection with a bank-financed project.
Read definitionThe five sanctionable practices defined in World Bank Procurement Regulations: fraudulent, corrupt, collusive, coercive, and obstructive practices, any of which can result in contract cancellation, debarment, and cross-MDB exclusion.
Read definitionThe five categories of sanctionable misconduct defined by the World Bank, covering corrupt, fraudulent, collusive, coercive, and obstructive practices that can result in debarment from all World Bank-financed activities.
Read definitionThe international standard requiring that indigenous peoples and local traditional communities be consulted in good faith before project activities affecting their lands, resources, or cultural heritage proceed, with the right to withhold consent.
Read definitionThe US military and federal logistics classification system that groups supply items into four-digit classes, forming the goods portion of the broader Product and Service Codes system used across US government procurement.
Read definitionThe US Department of Defense coding system that groups military and federal supply items into classes, forming the product-side foundation of the PSC code structure for goods procurement.
Read definitionA pre-tender notice published by NCIA that signals an upcoming procurement requirement, giving registered suppliers early warning and an opportunity to signal their interest before a formal solicitation is issued.
Read definitionA pre-tender notice published by NCIA on Neo eProcurement that signals an upcoming procurement requirement, giving registered suppliers early warning before a formal solicitation is issued.
Read definitionCERN's proposed next-generation particle accelerator, a 91-kilometre circular tunnel that would succeed the LHC and drive a new multi-decade procurement programme for advanced accelerator, magnet, and infrastructure components.
Read definitionThe national-level public procurement laws and regulations governing government contracting in each of the six Gulf Cooperation Council states, which vary significantly by country and apply separately from SOE procurement policies.
Read definitionAn organisation formally approved by the GCF Board to access GCF funding, implement projects, and manage procurement on the fund's behalf, ranging from multilateral banks to national development institutions and private-sector entities.
Read definitionAn organisation formally approved by the GCF Board to access GCF funding, implement projects, and manage procurement on the fund's behalf, ranging from multilateral banks to national development institutions and private-sector entities.
Read definitionA GCF facility providing grants and technical assistance to help developing countries strengthen climate strategies, build institutional capacity, and prepare project proposals to access GCF funding.
Read definitionA project document that identifies gender gaps relevant to the project's objectives and specifies targeted actions, indicators, and resources to address those gaps and promote equal benefits for women and men.
Read definitionThe standardized legal clauses included in every contract of the same type under a given procurement framework, covering rights, obligations, payment, variations, disputes, and termination without modification.
Read definitionThe project-level announcement published by a development bank borrower at project launch that signals all planned procurement under a loan or grant and gives suppliers advance notice to prepare.
Read definitionThe structured internal evaluation a supplier conducts before committing resources to a bid, scoring factors such as eligibility, competitive position, strategic fit, and bid cost to produce a disciplined recommendation to pursue or decline a tender.
Read definitionA go/no-go decision is the structured evaluation a supplier conducts before committing proposal resources to a specific tender, assessing fit, winnability, and strategic value against a consistent set of criteria.
Read definitionThe WTO plurilateral agreement that opens signatories' above-threshold public procurement markets to suppliers from all other signatory countries, covering roughly USD 1.7 trillion in annual government spending.
Read definitionThe WTO plurilateral agreement that opens signatories' above-threshold public procurement markets to suppliers from all other signatory countries, covering roughly USD 1.7 trillion in annual government spending.
Read definitionNon-repayable funds provided by an MDB or donor government to a developing country for a specific project, generating procurement opportunities that follow the grantor's procurement rules.
Read definitionA fixed-income instrument whose proceeds are exclusively applied to eligible green projects, creating a traceable financing pathway from capital markets to climate and environmental expenditure.
Read definitionThe world's largest dedicated climate fund, channelling finance to developing countries through accredited entities to support both mitigation and adaptation, with $15.9 billion committed across 286 projects in 133 countries.
Read definitionThe procurement process used by GCF-accredited entities to acquire goods, works, and services for climate projects, governed by the GCF's own procurement policy and subject to GCF oversight.
Read definitionA purchasing approach in which environmental performance, resource efficiency, and reduced ecological impact are built into evaluation criteria alongside price and technical quality.
Read definitionA project-level system that receives, tracks, and resolves complaints from communities and workers affected by a development-bank-financed project, providing an accessible alternative to legal action.
Read definitionCanada's national procurement classification code that groups similar goods and services into commodity categories, used by the Government of Canada to standardise purchasing and help suppliers register their capabilities on the Buyandsell.gc.ca portal.
Read definitionCanada's national procurement classification code, used on the Buyandsell.gc.ca portal to categorise goods and services on federal government tender notices and standing offers.
Read definitionA World Bank mechanism that provides intensive, direct procurement and implementation support to borrowers with high-risk profiles or limited capacity, going beyond standard supervision to hands-on assistance.
Read definitionThe specialised procurement of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, diagnostics, vaccines, and health services by governments, multilateral agencies, and development banks, governed by quality assurance standards and pre-qualification requirements that go beyond standard commercial tendering.
Read definitionThe competitive purchasing of medicines, medical devices, health infrastructure, and clinical services by international institutions and governments to improve population health outcomes worldwide.
Read definitionThe five strategic development priorities that guide all African Development Bank financing: Light Up and Power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialise Africa, Integrate Africa, and Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa.
Read definitionThe five strategic transformation goals adopted by the African Development Bank to guide its investments: Light Up and Power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialise Africa, Integrate Africa, and Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa.
Read definitionCERN's major upgrade programme for the Large Hadron Collider, driving a decade-long procurement wave for advanced superconducting magnets, cryogenics, and precision accelerator components through the mid-2030s.
Read definitionCERN's major upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider, targeted for the late 2020s, that will increase collision rates by a factor of five to ten and is driving a sustained multi-year procurement programme for advanced accelerator components.
Read definitionThe six-digit international commodity coding system maintained by the World Customs Organization that classifies traded goods for customs, trade statistics, and procurement across more than 200 countries.
Read definitionThe World Customs Organization's six-digit product classification system used in international trade and customs declarations, often referenced in procurement for imported goods.
Read definitionThe accelerated competitive purchasing of emergency relief supplies, logistics services, shelter materials, and food by UN agencies and NGOs in response to natural disasters, conflict, and displacement crises.
Read definitionThe World Bank arm that lends to middle-income and creditworthy lower-income countries, generating tens of billions in project procurement annually across infrastructure, health, education, and public sector reform.
Read definitionThe World Bank's original lending arm that provides loans and guarantees to middle-income and creditworthy low-income countries, financing the large infrastructure and development projects that generate most World Bank procurement.
Read definitionArbitration administered by the International Chamber of Commerce under its ICC Rules, the world's most widely used institutional framework for resolving international commercial and procurement disputes.
Read definitionThe International Chamber of Commerce's standard trade terms that define which party bears the cost of transport, insurance, and customs duties, and at what point risk transfers from seller to buyer in international goods contracts.
Read definitionThe UAE's mandatory local content measurement programme requiring suppliers to ADNOC and other government entities to hold a certified ICV score reflecting their economic contribution to the UAE economy.
Read definitionThe official document issued by an accredited UAE certifying body that records a company's In-Country Value score, required by ADNOC and other Abu Dhabi entities for supplier registration and bid evaluation.
Read definitionThe World Bank arm that provides grants and concessional loans to the world's poorest countries, financing large-scale procurement in infrastructure, health, education, and agriculture across more than 70 eligible nations.
Read definitionThe World Bank's concessional lending arm that provides grants and zero-interest credits to the world's poorest countries, funding development projects that generate substantial procurement opportunities.
Read definitionThe leading multilateral development bank for Latin America and the Caribbean, generating 20,000 to 30,000 contracts per year across 26 borrowing member countries through three separate procurement portals.
Read definitionThe private-sector arm of the Inter-American Development Bank Group, financing companies and projects directly in Latin America and the Caribbean without requiring a government guarantee.
Read definitionThe World Bank Group's private-sector arm, investing in companies and projects in developing countries, with FY2025 commitments of $71.7 billion and procurement managed through the private-sector client rather than IFC directly.
Read definitionThe World Bank Group's private-sector arm that invests directly in companies and projects in developing countries, with procurement managed by private clients rather than by IFC itself.
Read definitionSaudi Aramco's mandatory local content programme requiring all suppliers billing more than SAR 375,000 per year to measure and grow their Saudi-based economic contribution across procurement, workforce, investment, and R&D.
Read definitionThe mandatory five-year commitment document each Aramco supplier must submit, detailing planned local procurement, Saudi workforce, capital investment, and R&D targets to demonstrate IKTVA programme progress.
Read definitionThe numerical rating Saudi Aramco assigns to each supplier measuring their contribution to the IKTVA programme across local procurement, Saudi workforce, capital investment, and R&D dimensions.
Read definitionA structured evaluation document prepared jointly by the World Bank and the borrowing country at project close, assessing whether the project achieved its objectives and what lessons should inform future operations.
Read definitionThe government ministry, department, or entity in a borrowing country that is responsible for running procurement and delivering project outputs under an MDB-financed project.
Read definitionThe UAE's mandatory local content measurement programme, required of all suppliers to ADNOC and other Abu Dhabi entities, that scores how much economic value a company generates inside the country.
Read definitionSaudi Aramco's mandatory local content programme that measures how much value suppliers generate inside Saudi Arabia and creates a scored competitive advantage in all Aramco procurement.
Read definitionThe web-based e-tendering platform integrated with UNGM and used by UNICEF, WHO, and other UN agencies to publish solicitations, manage supplier responses, and conduct electronic bid openings at ungm.in-tend.co.uk.
Read definitionThe web-based e-tendering platform used by UNICEF, WHO, and other UN agencies, accessible at ungm.in-tend.co.uk, where suppliers download solicitation documents, submit bids electronically, and receive award communications.
Read definitionA contract that establishes unit prices and terms for a defined category of goods or services, with no commitment to a minimum order volume, allowing the buyer to place orders as needs arise over the contract period.
Read definitionAn external expert appointed by an MDB or enforcement authority to oversee a sanctioned company's implementation of its integrity compliance programme and report independently on whether the company is meeting its remediation commitments.
Read definitionA review of a contested procurement decision conducted by a body that is structurally separate from the contracting authority and the financing institution, providing an impartial second-tier remedy for procurement disputes.
Read definitionA framework document that sets the principles, procedures, and entitlements governing how a project will identify and address impacts on indigenous peoples when the specific affected groups cannot be determined at appraisal.
Read definitionA procurement method used by development banks and UN agencies to engage a single expert directly on the basis of qualifications and CV, suited to assignments that do not require a full firm.
Read definitionA national defence procurement policy requiring foreign suppliers to generate defined levels of industrial activity within the purchasing country as a condition of major contract awards, similar to offset agreements.
Read definitionThe African Development Bank priority that finances manufacturing capacity, special economic zones, industrial value chains, and private-sector development to shift African economies from raw commodity export toward higher-value production.
Read definitionThe UN procurement process for contracts between $4,000 and $40,000 where a procurement officer obtains at least three written quotations from eligible suppliers without publishing a formal public notice.
Read definitionThe specialised purchasing of roads, bridges, ports, railways, dams, and related civil works through competitive international tenders, typically financed by development banks or government budgets.
Read definitionAn EU procurement procedure that combines research and development with the subsequent purchase of the resulting innovative product or service in a single structured process without reopening competition.
Read definitionThe mandatory insurance policies a bidder must hold or commit to obtain before contract award, covering risks such as third-party liability, professional indemnity, and construction damage as specified in the tender documents.
Read definitionThe mandatory insurance policies a bidder must hold or commit to holding before and during contract execution, as specified in bidding documents, covering risks such as physical damage, third-party liability, and professional error.
Read definitionThe African Development Bank priority that finances regional infrastructure, trade connectivity, cross-border transport corridors, energy interconnectors, and digital links to reduce the fragmentation that limits intra-African commerce.
Read definitionA structured internal system of policies, controls, training, and reporting mechanisms that a company implements to prevent, detect, and respond to fraud, corruption, and other sanctionable practices in its procurement activities.
Read definitionThe process of researching a counterparty, partner, or supplier before entering a business relationship to identify sanctions, debarment, corruption history, or beneficial ownership concerns that could create compliance or reputational risk.
Read definitionThe World Bank Group's independent investigative unit that detects, investigates, and deters fraud, corruption, and other sanctionable practices in World Bank-financed projects and internal operations.
Read definitionThe advance notice sent to all bidders informing them of the buyer's decision to award a contract to a named supplier, triggering the standstill period during which unsuccessful bidders may challenge the decision.
Read definitionThe leading multilateral development bank for Latin America and the Caribbean, generating 20,000 to 30,000 contracts per year across 26 borrowing member countries through three separate procurement portals.
Read definitionThe open, internationally advertised procurement method that multilateral development banks use for their largest contracts to attract qualified bidders worldwide.
Read definitionA simplified MDB procurement method for small-value goods that solicits price quotations from suppliers in at least two different countries, combining speed with a minimal level of international competition.
Read definitionAdvisory work the EBRD conducts with governments and regulators in its economies of operations to improve the legal, regulatory, and institutional conditions that attract private investment.
Read definitionThe World Bank's main lending instrument that finances discrete projects such as roads, schools, and power plants, and which triggers the formal procurement rules that govern nearly all World Bank tenders.
Read definitionThe formal document that opens a competitive procurement for goods or works, inviting suppliers to submit sealed, priced bids against a defined specification.
Read definitionThe formal notice a borrowing agency publishes to invite contractors to demonstrate their capacity and experience before being invited to submit priced bids on a large works contract.
Read definitionThe formal sealed-bid solicitation used by UN agencies for purchases above USD 40,000 where requirements are fully quantifiable and award goes to the lowest substantially responsive bid.
Read definitionThe formal UN solicitation document used for goods and works contracts above USD 40,000 where requirements are fully quantifiable, evaluated on price after bidders meet technical compliance.
Read definitionA multilateral development bank serving 57 member countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, financing development projects using Shariah-compliant instruments and a regional hub system.
Read definitionThe Islamic Development Bank's regional office network, with hubs in eight cities across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, through which the bank manages project operations and tender publications by geography.
Read definitionThe United Nations framework for classifying economic activities into sections, divisions, groups, and classes, used as the global reference for industry statistics and as a backbone for national procurement classification systems.
Read definitionThe United Nations statistical classification of economic activities, used to categorise industries in national accounts and referenced by development banks when defining sector eligibility for projects.
Read definitionA multilateral development bank serving 57 member countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, financing development projects using Shariah-compliant instruments and a regional hub system.
Read definitionThe two-letter and three-letter country identifiers defined in ISO 3166-1, used across procurement portals, eligibility rules, and trade systems to identify countries consistently worldwide.
Read definitionThe International Atomic Energy Agency's unified supplier portal launched in September 2025, providing a single access point for vendor registration, tender participation, invoicing, and payment tracking for IAEA's specialised nuclear and laboratory procurement.
Read definitionThe International Atomic Energy Agency's integrated supplier platform, launched in September 2025, providing a single access point for vendor registration, bidding, invoicing, and payment tracking on IAEA procurement contracts.
Read definitionThe competitive purchasing of software, hardware, cloud services, data systems, and digital transformation consulting by international institutions and governments to modernise public administration.
Read definitionThe enterprise source-to-pay procurement software used by eSupply Dubai, K-Tendering Kuwait, and Sharjah SFD, offering guest-accessible tender browsing that makes Gulf procurement more visible than the fully closed SAP Ariba ecosystem.
Read definitionThe enterprise procurement software platform used by several Gulf government and petroleum buyers including eSupply Dubai, K-Tendering Kuwait, and Sharjah SFD, offering guest-accessible tender browsing as a relatively open alternative to closed SAP Ariba realms.
Read definitionAn enterprise procurement platform used by Kuwait K-Tendering, Dubai eSupply, Sharjah SFD, and NATO, offering guest access to browse opportunities before committing to full vendor registration.
Read definitionA formal partnership in which two or more firms combine their resources, qualifications, and legal standing to bid jointly on an international contract that neither could win alone.
Read definitionA contractual arrangement where two or more companies form a combined legal entity to bid jointly on a procurement contract, pooling capabilities, experience, and financial capacity to meet eligibility thresholds neither could satisfy alone.
Read definitionA contract between two or more companies that defines how they will collaborate to bid on and execute a procurement contract together, including each party's scope share, financial contribution, management responsibilities, and risk allocation.
Read definitionThe industrial return principle used by CERN and some space agencies that ties contract volumes awarded to a member state roughly to that state's share of the organisation's annual budget contribution.
Read definitionThe CERN principle that ties contract volumes awarded to a member state roughly to its share of the organisation's annual budget contribution, creating a quasi-guaranteed allocation across 24 member states.
Read definitionThe Jaggaer-based e-procurement portal operated by Kuwait Petroleum Corporation that consolidates tender listings from seven Kuwaiti petroleum companies, accessible to guests without registration.
Read definitionThe Jaggaer-based e-procurement platform operated by Kuwait Petroleum Corporation covering tenders from seven Kuwaiti petroleum companies, publicly accessible as a guest without authentication.
Read definitionQualification and bid criteria specifying the minimum qualifications, experience, and roles of named individuals a bidder must commit to assigning to a contract if awarded.
Read definitionA due diligence process used by large buyers, particularly Gulf state-owned enterprises and MDB-funded agencies, to verify a supplier's legal status, ownership, financial standing, and integrity before awarding a vendor code or contract.
Read definitionThe supplier due diligence and verification process used by QatarEnergy through its Mushtaryat platform to vet the legal standing, financial health, technical capability, and compliance credentials of prospective vendors before approving them.
Read definitionThe requirements set by development bank environmental and social standards that govern wages, working hours, occupational safety, non-discrimination, freedom of association, and the treatment of migrant and child workers on financed projects.
Read definitionThe standard requiring development bank borrowers to compensate and assist people displaced physically or economically by a project, restore their livelihoods, and avoid or minimise displacement wherever feasible.
Read definitionThe specialised procurement programme run by CERN to source particle accelerator components, cryogenic systems, and engineering services for the Large Hadron Collider and its major upgrade programmes.
Read definitionThe specialised procurement programme through which CERN sources the engineered components, superconducting magnets, cryogenics, and services required to operate and upgrade the world's largest particle accelerator.
Read definitionA bid received by the contracting authority after the stated submission deadline, which must be rejected and returned unopened under virtually all international procurement rules.
Read definitionA consulting-selection method used by development banks for standard, well-defined assignments where all technically qualified firms compete on price and the lowest financial offer wins.
Read definitionA bank's conditional payment undertaking that guarantees a seller receives payment once they present compliant shipping and trade documents, widely used in international goods contracts to manage payment risk across borders.
Read definitionAn evaluation method that calculates the total cost of ownership of a good or asset over its full operational life, including acquisition, operation, maintenance, and disposal, to enable fair comparison of options with different upfront prices.
Read definitionThe first of the African Development Bank's High 5 strategic priorities, targeting universal energy access across the continent through generation, transmission, distribution, and off-grid solutions financed at scale.
Read definitionA simplified EU procurement regime for certain social, health, education, and cultural services above EUR 750,000, applying fewer procedural requirements than the full directive while still requiring TED publication.
Read definitionA restricted form of international competitive bidding where the borrowing agency directly invites a small number of qualified suppliers from eligible countries instead of publishing an open notice.
Read definitionA pre-agreed daily or weekly sum the contractor pays the employer for each day of delay beyond the contract completion date, quantifying delay compensation without requiring proof of actual loss.
Read definitionThe competitive purchasing of liquefaction trains, cryogenic equipment, EPC services, and marine infrastructure for liquefied natural gas export and import terminal projects worth tens of billions of dollars.
Read definitionMandatory or scored obligations embedded in Gulf procurement conditions that require suppliers to source goods locally, employ nationals, or invest in-country, administered through programmes such as Saudi Arabia's IKTVA and the UAE's ICV scheme.
Read definitionMandatory or scored obligations in Gulf procurement that require suppliers to source goods locally, employ national workers, or invest in-country, used by Saudi Arabia (IKTVA), UAE (ICV), and other GCC states to build domestic economic capacity.
Read definitionThe competitive purchasing of freight forwarding, customs clearance, warehousing, last-mile delivery, and fleet management services by international institutions to move goods to programme beneficiaries.
Read definitionThe full set of consulting firms that respond to an expression of interest and are assessed before the client narrows the field to a shortlist eligible to receive the Request for Proposals.
Read definitionA standing agreement that fixes terms and prices with a supplier for repeated purchases over a set period, letting agencies order quickly without re-tendering each time.
Read definitionA procurement approach that divides a large contract into separately priced and awarded segments called lots, enabling multiple suppliers to compete and win portions of the overall requirement.
Read definitionThe EU practice of splitting a procurement into separate lots to allow small and medium-sized suppliers to bid for parts of a contract that would be too large or complex to win as a single package.
Read definitionThe bid that, after adjusting for all evaluation factors such as delivery, local preference, and lifecycle cost, carries the lowest total evaluated price and therefore wins the contract.
Read definitionA contract where the supplier agrees to deliver a defined scope of work for a fixed total price, transferring cost-overrun risk to the contractor while giving the buyer price certainty.
Read definitionA consulting contract type where the firm is paid a fixed total fee for delivering defined outputs or a completed scope of work, regardless of the actual staff hours expended.
Read definitionThe African Development Bank's interactive geographic platform that visualises the bank's project portfolio by country and sector, helping suppliers identify procurement hotspots across the continent.
Read definitionA price adjustment applied during bid evaluation under MDB procurement rules that artificially reduces the evaluated price of eligible domestic bids, giving local suppliers a defined competitive advantage over foreign competitors.
Read definitionAn insurance policy that covers goods and equipment against physical loss or damage while being transported by sea, air, road, or rail, commonly required in international procurement contracts for cross-border equipment supply.
Read definitionThe structured process of gathering information about available suppliers, market prices, technical capabilities, and competitive dynamics before deciding whether to bid on a specific tender or enter a new procurement market.
Read definitionMarket research in procurement is the structured investigation of buyer needs, competitive supply, and pricing benchmarks that a supplier conducts before committing resources to pursue a tender or enter a new geography.
Read definitionA contract that establishes the governing terms and conditions for an ongoing commercial relationship between a buyer and a supplier, under which individual statements of work or orders are placed without renegotiating the master terms each time.
Read definitionA departure from the bidding documents that limits the buyer's rights, reduces the bidder's obligations, or prevents fair comparison of bids, resulting in automatic disqualification of the submission.
Read definitionThe common set of definitions, investigation procedures, and cross-debarment rules adopted by the five major multilateral development banks to detect and sanction fraud and corruption in development-financed projects worldwide.
Read definitionThe shared agreement among the five major multilateral development banks that aligns their definitions of sanctionable practices, investigation procedures, and cross-debarment enforcement to create a unified global standard for procurement integrity.
Read definitionThe EU procurement evaluation standard that selects the winning tender on a combination of price and quality criteria rather than price alone, with each criterion's weighting published in advance so bidders know how the score is calculated.
Read definitionA voluntary, confidential dispute resolution process in which a neutral mediator helps contracting parties negotiate a mutually acceptable settlement, without imposing a binding decision.
Read definitionThe competitive purchasing of diagnostic equipment, surgical instruments, imaging systems, and other medical technology by international agencies and health ministries for clinical use in public health facilities.
Read definitionA country that has joined an MDB by subscribing to its capital and accepting its Articles of Agreement, gaining the right to borrow, vote on bank decisions, and have its nationals participate in financed procurement.
Read definitionThe UN procurement method for transactions below $4,000 where no formal competition is required, allowing a procurement officer to place an order directly with any eligible supplier at a reasonable price.
Read definitionThe World Bank Group member that provides political risk insurance and credit enhancement to private investors and lenders in developing countries, supporting projects that then generate their own commercial procurement.
Read definitionThe World Bank Group member that provides political risk insurance and credit enhancement to private investors and lenders in developing countries, supporting foreign direct investment rather than generating procurement itself.
Read definitionA guarantee issued by the World Bank's Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency that protects foreign investors and lenders in developing countries against losses from political risks such as expropriation, transfer restriction, and war.
Read definitionA payment tied to the verified completion of a defined project milestone or deliverable, linking cash release to tangible outputs rather than to elapsed time or measured quantities.
Read definitionThe minimum technical score a consulting firm must achieve in the technical evaluation stage to have its financial proposal opened and to remain in contention for contract award.
Read definitionA departure from bidding document requirements that does not affect the scope or substance of a bid, and which a contracting authority may waive or correct without disadvantaging other bidders.
Read definitionThe foreign investment licence issued by Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Investment that international companies must obtain to establish a registered legal entity in the Kingdom, a prerequisite for IKTVA compliance and Aramco vendor registration.
Read definitionThe foreign investment license issued by Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Investment that grants non-Saudi companies the legal right to operate a business entity in the kingdom, required for IKTVA compliance and major Saudi SOE procurement.
Read definitionA formal World Bank finding that a borrower's procurement violated the applicable regulations, triggering the Bank's refusal to finance the affected contract and requiring the borrower to repay any disbursed funds from its own resources.
Read definitionQatar's centralised government procurement portal aggregating tender notices from Qatari ministries and public bodies, geo-restricted to Qatar IP addresses and distinct from QatarEnergy's Mushtaryat platform for SOE procurement.
Read definitionQatar's centralised government e-procurement portal for public sector tenders, geo-restricted to Qatar IP addresses, and covering ministries and government entities outside the QatarEnergy and Ashghal procurement ecosystems.
Read definitionThe EU procurement standard that selects the winning tender on a combination of price and quality criteria, rather than price alone, giving buyers flexibility to reward innovation and sustainability.
Read definitionAn international financial institution jointly owned by member governments that lends to developing countries to fund infrastructure, social programmes, and economic development projects.
Read definitionQatarEnergy's proprietary Arabic-language e-procurement platform managing supplier registration, Know Your Supplier verification, RFQ and tender sourcing, and SAP Vendor Code issuance for all QatarEnergy procurement.
Read definitionQatarEnergy's proprietary e-procurement portal that manages supplier registration, Know Your Supplier (KYS) compliance, RFQ and tender sourcing, and issues a SAP Vendor Code to approved suppliers as the gateway to the company's $30 billion-plus LNG expansion procurement.
Read definitionThe six-digit industry classification system used across the United States, Canada, and Mexico that determines which contracts a supplier is eligible to bid on in North American public procurement.
Read definitionThe six-digit industry classification system used by the United States, Canada, and Mexico to categorise businesses and tenders on federal procurement portals such as SAM.gov.
Read definitionThe domestically advertised procurement method that development banks allow for smaller contracts where international bidders are unlikely to compete.
Read definitionA simplified MDB procurement method for small-value goods and minor works that collects price quotations exclusively from domestic suppliers in the borrowing country.
Read definitionCountry-level climate action plans submitted under the Paris Agreement that increasingly shape public procurement criteria, green tender requirements, and supplier eligibility conditions in development-bank-financed projects.
Read definitionNational climate action plans submitted to the UNFCCC by each country under the Paris Agreement, setting out emission reduction targets and adaptation priorities that drive public investment and procurement pipelines.
Read definitionThe collectively financed budgets contributed by all 32 NATO member nations to fund shared Alliance capabilities, with combined common fund budgets of EUR 4.6 billion in 2025 rising to EUR 5.3 billion in 2026.
Read definitionThe third NATO classification level, marking information whose unauthorised disclosure would cause damage to the Alliance, and representing the most common clearance level encountered in NCIA and NSPA commercial contracts.
Read definitionThe overarching policy framework adopted by NATO in July 2025 that governs all NCIA procurement, setting rules on competition, supplier eligibility, transparency, and contract management.
Read definitionThe lowest NATO classification level, marking information whose unauthorised disclosure would be disadvantageous to the Alliance, widely encountered in commercial procurement and requiring basic security measures rather than full facility clearance.
Read definitionThe second-highest NATO classification level, applied to information whose unauthorised disclosure would cause serious damage to the Alliance, required for many NCIA technology and command systems contracts.
Read definitionThe formal authorisation granted by a NATO member nation's national security authority that permits a company or individual to access classified NATO information up to a specified level.
Read definitionNATO's technology procurement agency responsible for communications systems, cybersecurity, C4ISR infrastructure, and IT services, using the mandatory Neo eProcurement platform for all supplier engagement since January 2024.
Read definitionNATO's technology procurement agency responsible for communications, cybersecurity, C4ISR systems, and IT infrastructure, using the Neo eProcurement platform for all supplier engagement.
Read definitionA multilateral development bank founded by the BRICS nations to finance infrastructure and sustainable development in emerging economies, with cumulative approvals of approximately $39 billion across 96 projects.
Read definitionA family of collaborative, plain-English engineering and construction contracts published by the Institution of Civil Engineers, designed to promote proactive project management and early dispute resolution through regular early warnings and programme updates.
Read definitionA procurement process in which the buyer engages directly with one or more suppliers in structured price and terms negotiations rather than relying solely on sealed competitive bids to determine the award.
Read definitionPost-evaluation discussions between the buyer and the recommended awardee to finalise contract terms, permitted within strict limits in most procurement frameworks to avoid undermining the competitive process.
Read definitionThe Oracle-based digital procurement platform that NCIA made mandatory in January 2024 for all supplier registration, tender distribution, bid submission, and contract communication with NATO's technology agency.
Read definitionThe Oracle-based digital procurement platform that NCIA made mandatory in January 2024 for all supplier registration, tender distribution, bid submission, and contract communication.
Read definitionThe SAP Ariba-based vendor registration process for NEOM, Saudi Arabia's giga-project development company, which provides free registration but requires invitation-based approval before a supplier can access or respond to any tender.
Read definitionA multilateral development bank founded by the BRICS nations to finance infrastructure and sustainable development in emerging economies, with cumulative approvals of approximately $39 billion across 96 projects.
Read definitionA special-purpose trust fund administered by the African Development Bank, established and financed by Nigeria to support development projects across the continent with its own procurement eligibility rules.
Read definitionThe commodity and service classification system used by state, county, and municipal governments across the United States and Canada to categorise procurement and match supplier registrations to open solicitations.
Read definitionA commodity and services coding system used extensively by US state and local government buyers to classify purchases and route solicitations to registered suppliers.
Read definitionThe written approval a multilateral development bank issues to an implementing agency confirming that a procurement decision may proceed, required before a contract can be signed.
Read definitionThe written confirmation from a financing institution such as the World Bank that it has reviewed a borrower's proposed procurement action and raises no objection to proceeding, a mandatory gate for prior-review contracts.
Read definitionA member country that contributes capital to an MDB and participates in its governance but does not borrow from it, typically a higher-income country whose nationals remain eligible to compete for MDB-financed contracts.
Read definitionA country outside Africa that holds membership of the African Development Bank as a donor shareholder, whose firms can bid on ADF-funded contracts but are excluded from ADB-window projects restricted to African nations.
Read definitionA bid that fails to meet one or more mandatory requirements of the bidding documents, disqualifying it from evaluation and award consideration before comparative assessment begins.
Read definitionA formal notice issued by NSPA or NCIA indicating the agency's intent to award a contract to a specific supplier, used in sole-source or negotiated procurement to provide transparency before commitment.
Read definitionA formal pre-solicitation document published by NCIA on Neo eProcurement that provides registered suppliers with detailed requirement information and invites confirmation of intent to bid before the full request for proposals is issued.
Read definitionNATO's central logistics and procurement agency that buys fuel, ammunition, transport, medical supplies, and support services for member nations, spending over EUR 10 billion annually on a no-profit, no-loss basis.
Read definitionNATO's central logistics and procurement agency that buys fuel, ammunition, transport, medical supplies, and support services on behalf of member nations, spending over EUR 10 billion annually.
Read definitionThe NSPA's secure online portal at eportal.nspa.nato.int where vetted suppliers on the Source File receive solicitation notices, submit bids, and manage their vendor relationship with the agency.
Read definitionThe NSPA's vetted supplier register of companies approved to receive solicitations; only firms listed in the Source File are invited to bid on NSPA contracts.
Read definitionThe European Union's hierarchical geographic classification that divides member states into regions at three levels, used on the TED procurement portal to identify where a contract will be performed and to filter opportunities by region.
Read definitionThe EU's hierarchical geographic classification system that divides member-state territories into regions, used on TED to specify where a contract will be performed and to filter opportunities by location.
Read definitionIn MDB procurement, obstruction means deliberately destroying, falsifying, or concealing evidence, or materially impeding an MDB's investigation into alleged sanctionable practices in a bank-financed project.
Read definitionThe requirements governing workplace hazard identification, risk control, protective equipment, incident reporting, and worker health programmes that contractors must implement on development-bank-financed projects.
Read definitionAn open web protocol for querying and retrieving procurement data from portals such as UNGM, QatarEnergy, and Ashghal, enabling structured, real-time access to tender notices and award records.
Read definitionThe independent investigative and compliance unit within the Asian Development Bank that receives integrity complaints, investigates suspected corrupt or fraudulent practices, and recommends sanctions against firms and individuals.
Read definitionConcessional grants and loans from governments and multilateral institutions to developing countries, intended to promote economic development, a large share of which flows through MDB projects that generate procurement opportunities.
Read definitionA contractual obligation imposed on a foreign defence supplier to invest in or transfer industrial benefit to the purchasing country, typically as a condition of winning a major defence contract.
Read definitionThe competitive purchasing of equipment, services, and works for oil and gas exploration, production, refining, and pipeline projects by national oil companies and international operators.
Read definitionThe EU's official legal gazette in which all above-threshold public procurement notices must be published before they carry binding legal force, with the searchable online supplement called TED providing API access to those notices.
Read definitionThe official legal gazette of the European Union in which all above-threshold public procurement notices must be published, giving them their binding legal force under EU directives.
Read definitionA multilateral development institution funded by OPEC member states that committed a record $3.2 billion in 2025 across public-sector, private-sector, and grant operations, with infrastructure as its largest spending category.
Read definitionThe Asian Development Bank's default procurement method for goods, works, and services that replaced the older ICB/NCB distinction with a single open, internationally advertised competition.
Read definitionThe Asian Development Bank's default method for procuring goods, works, and non-consulting services, replacing the older ICB and NCB distinction with a single open, competitive framework.
Read definitionThe default EU procurement method in which any interested supplier may obtain the tender documents and submit a full bid, with a minimum response period of 35 days from the date of notice dispatch.
Read definitionThe default EU procurement method in which any interested supplier may obtain the tender documents and submit a full bid, with a minimum response period of 35 days from the date of notice dispatch.
Read definitionThe African Development Bank's authoritative rulebook for procurement on bank-financed projects, setting out methods, thresholds, eligibility, and document standards that borrowers and bidders must follow.
Read definitionOpportunity scoring assigns a numerical rating to each procurement notice based on how well it matches a supplier's capabilities, strategy, and competitive position, enabling systematic prioritisation of a large tender pipeline.
Read definitionOracle's cloud-based ERP procurement module used by Abu Dhabi government entities including ADGPG as the backend for tender management, providing structured JSON APIs and deeplink URLs for supplier participation tracking.
Read definitionOracle's cloud-based procurement suite covering sourcing, supplier management, purchasing, and invoicing, used by government buyers and development institutions including ADGPG and UNDP's Quantum ERP.
Read definitionA contract that pays the supplier per unit of verified output delivered, such as households connected, vaccinations administered, or tonnes processed, rather than for the activities or inputs used to produce those outputs.
Read definitionA financing arrangement in which two or more donors or MDBs each independently fund separate, defined components of a single programme, applying their own procurement rules to their respective components.
Read definitionA procurement approach in which buying decisions are screened to ensure they support the temperature and resilience goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement and do not lock in high-carbon assets.
Read definitionThe specialised engineered parts, including superconducting magnets, radiofrequency cavities, vacuum systems, and beam diagnostics, that CERN and other accelerator laboratories procure to build and operate particle colliders.
Read definitionAn evaluation method that assesses each criterion as either met or not met, with any single failure disqualifying the offer, used to screen compliance before scored or price comparison stages.
Read definitionDocumented evidence of a supplier's track record on previously completed contracts, used to verify experience requirements and, in some frameworks, as a scored evaluation criterion reflecting delivery quality.
Read definitionA bank guarantee required by Gulf SOEs and government buyers at contract signature, typically 5 to 10 percent of contract value, as financial security against the contractor's failure to deliver according to the contract terms.
Read definitionA bank-issued guarantee requiring a contractor to pay a fixed sum if they fail to complete a contract as agreed, protecting the buyer against non-performance after award.
Read definitionA financial guarantee the winning bidder provides after contract award, typically 5 to 10 percent of the contract value, that the buyer can call if the contractor fails to perform, protecting the employer against non-delivery.
Read definitionA financial instrument, typically a bank guarantee or surety bond, that a contractor provides at contract signing to secure its obligation to perform the contract, allowing the employer to draw on it if the contractor defaults.
Read definitionA contract that ties payment to the achievement of defined performance outcomes or service standards rather than to inputs delivered, incentivising the contractor to optimise methods to meet targets efficiently.
Read definitionA contracting approach where payment to the supplier is tied to the achievement of defined output or outcome results rather than to the inputs, activities, or hours delivered, shifting performance risk from buyer to supplier.
Read definitionThe competitive purchasing of petrochemical plant equipment, chemicals, engineering services, and works for facilities that convert hydrocarbons into industrial feedstocks, plastics, and specialty chemicals.
Read definitionThe competitive purchasing of essential medicines, biologicals, and active pharmaceutical ingredients by international agencies and governments, governed by strict quality prequalification requirements.
Read definitionPipeline analysis maps forthcoming procurement opportunities expected over the next six to eighteen months by tracing project approvals, procurement plans, and budget cycles before tender notices are published.
Read definitionA financial product that protects investors and contractors against losses caused by government actions such as expropriation, currency transfer restrictions, or civil unrest in a host country.
Read definitionA person who holds or has recently held a prominent public function, such as a government minister or senior official, whose position creates elevated corruption risk requiring enhanced due diligence from suppliers and financial institutions.
Read definitionThe Global Fund's centralised purchasing arrangement under which health products are procured at volume-negotiated prices on behalf of recipient countries, making quality-assured medicines and diagnostics available at lower cost than individual country purchases.
Read definitionAn MDB oversight mechanism in which the bank examines completed procurement processes after contract award to verify compliance, rather than approving each step in advance as in prior review.
Read definitionThe contract-value level below which the World Bank reviews procurement after award rather than before, using sample audits to verify compliance without slowing down smaller purchases.
Read definitionA notarised legal document authorising a named individual to sign bid documents, guarantees, and contract forms on behalf of a company, required by most international buyers to confirm that the signatory is authorised to bind the organisation.
Read definitionA legal instrument authorising a named individual to sign bid documents and make binding commitments on behalf of a company or joint venture in an international procurement process.
Read definitionThe official written record of a pre-bid clarification meeting, capturing all questions raised by potential bidders and the procuring entity's answers, which are issued to all recipients of the bidding document.
Read definitionThe formal package of criteria and forms that a procuring entity issues to assess whether contractors or suppliers meet minimum capability standards before being invited to bid on complex contracts.
Read definitionA screening stage before bidding on large works or goods contracts, where the buyer confirms which firms have the capacity and track record to deliver before they bid.
Read definitionA contractual formula that adjusts payments to a contractor over time to reflect changes in labour, material, and equipment costs, protecting both parties from inflation risk on long contracts.
Read definitionPricing intelligence is the collection and analysis of historical award values, bid prices, and market cost benchmarks that a supplier uses to set a competitive and profitable price for an international tender.
Read definitionAn optional advance notice that EU contracting authorities publish to signal upcoming procurement, which can reduce mandatory tendering deadlines and, in some cases, act as a call for competition itself.
Read definitionAn optional advance notice that EU contracting authorities publish to signal upcoming procurement, which can reduce mandatory tendering deadlines and, in some cases, act as a call for competition itself.
Read definitionThe World Bank's mandatory pre-approval process for high-value contracts, under which the bank examines each stage of a procurement before the implementing agency may proceed.
Read definitionThe contract-value cutoff above which the World Bank must review and approve each procurement step before the borrower can proceed, acting as a real-time quality gate on high-value contracts.
Read definitionThe end-to-end digital process that covers every step from identifying a need and issuing a purchase order through to receiving goods or services and making payment, typically managed within an integrated enterprise system.
Read definitionThe high-level grouping of goods, works, or services used by a buying organisation to structure its spending, manage supplier relationships, and apply consistent rules and strategies across similar purchases.
Read definitionThe formal process through which a bidder can challenge a procurement decision on an MDB-financed project, triggering a review by the implementing agency and potentially by the MDB itself.
Read definitionThe central purchasing authority of the United Nations Secretariat, responsible for procuring goods, works, and services for UN headquarters and field missions worldwide under the UN Financial Regulations.
Read definitionThe central procurement authority of the United Nations Secretariat, based in New York, responsible for all Secretariat purchases above delegated thresholds and for maintaining the UN Procurement Manual and vendor registration standards.
Read definitionOfficial World Bank documents that elaborate how borrowers and task teams should apply the Procurement Regulations to specific topics such as technology, consulting, and emergency procurement.
Read definitionProcurement intelligence is the analysis of how buyers plan, budget, and award contracts, giving suppliers the market-wide context they need to prioritise sectors, geographies, and relationships.
Read definitionSoftware that aggregates tender notices, award data, and market signals from multiple procurement sources to help suppliers identify opportunities, track competitors, and time their bids.
Read definitionA formal public announcement that a procuring entity issues to advertise an upcoming or active tender, inviting qualified suppliers to obtain bidding documents or submit expressions of interest.
Read definitionThe rolling 18-month schedule that a World Bank implementing agency publishes listing every planned contract, its method, estimated value, and timeline.
Read definitionThe mandatory forward-looking schedule that World Bank borrowers publish in STEP, listing every planned contract for the next 18 months with method, threshold, and estimated timing.
Read definitionAn ADB internal oversight body that reviews and clears significant procurement decisions on ADB-financed projects before they are executed, providing a quality-control check independent of the task team handling the project.
Read definitionThe structured methodology MDBs use to assess the risk of procurement failure on a project, determining how much oversight the bank will apply and which contracts require prior review.
Read definitionThe World Bank's formal assessment of the risk level associated with a specific project's procurement environment, which determines oversight intensity including prior review thresholds and supervision frequency.
Read definitionThe estimated contract value above which EU member states must follow the full EU procurement directives and publish notices on TED, with separate thresholds applying to goods and services, works, and utilities contracts.
Read definitionThe estimated contract value above which EU member states must follow the full EU procurement directives and publish notices on TED, with separate thresholds applying to goods and services, works, and utilities.
Read definitionProcurement trend analysis identifies directional shifts in how buyers procure, including changes in contract values, preferred methods, sector priorities, and supplier diversity policies, so suppliers can adapt their strategy ahead of the market.
Read definitionAn insurance policy that covers a professional firm against claims arising from errors, omissions, or negligent advice in the services it provides, commonly required for consultants, engineers, and designers in international procurement.
Read definitionA periodic payment made to a contractor based on certified work completed to date, keeping cash flowing through a long contract without waiting until completion for full settlement.
Read definitionThe World Bank's primary project design document, approved by its board before a loan or grant is authorised, setting out project scope, cost, procurement arrangements, and risk assessment.
Read definitionA financing structure in which a standalone project entity raises debt and equity on the strength of the project's future cash flows rather than on the balance sheet of the sponsors, with lenders accepting limited or no recourse to the sponsors.
Read definitionA dedicated team established within a borrowing country's implementing agency to handle the day-to-day procurement, financial management, and reporting requirements of a specific MDB-financed project.
Read definitionA coordination and management team established for an MDB-financed project that typically spans strategic oversight, procurement, financial management, and stakeholder coordination across all project components.
Read definitionThe specific numeric or alphanumeric code an MDB or aid agency assigns to a project to record its primary industry sector, used in project databases, disbursement reporting, and procurement plan filtering.
Read definitionA defined allowance included in a contract for works or items whose scope or cost cannot be determined precisely at the time of bidding, to be spent only on the engineer's instruction.
Read definitionThe four-character US federal classification codes that describe what the government is buying on each contract or solicitation, used on SAM.gov and USASpending.gov to categorise every federal procurement action.
Read definitionThe four-character codes used by the US federal government to classify the specific products and services acquired under each contract, appearing on every SAM.gov solicitation alongside the NAICS code.
Read definitionA bid opening procedure held in a venue accessible to all interested parties, including observers, civil society, and the general public, to promote transparency and deter corruption in public procurement.
Read definitionA long-term contract between a government and a private party under which the private party provides a public service or infrastructure facility and assumes significant financial, technical, and operational risk in exchange for revenue or payments over the contract period.
Read definitionA long-term contract between a government and a private party under which the private party provides a public service or infrastructure facility and assumes significant financial, technical, and operational risk in exchange for revenue or payments over the contract period.
Read definitionThe formal procurement instrument issued by a UN agency to a supplier confirming the agreed goods or services, price, quantity, delivery terms, and payment conditions for a specific transaction.
Read definitionThe legally binding procurement instrument a UN agency issues to a supplier confirming the goods or services ordered, price, delivery terms, and the general conditions of contract governing the transaction.
Read definitionThe minimum standards of experience, financial strength, technical capacity, and legal standing that a bidder must meet to be eligible for contract award in an international procurement process.
Read definitionThe most common selection method for consulting services, scoring technical quality and price together using a published weighting to pick the best overall proposal.
Read definitionA consultant selection method that ranks firms on technical quality alone, then negotiates price with the top-ranked firm, used where expertise outweighs cost.
Read definitionThe Oracle-based enterprise resource planning system used by UNDP and UNFPA to manage internal procurement, finance, and project operations, and which integrates with UNGM for external tender publication.
Read definitionThe Oracle-based enterprise resource planning system used by UNDP and UNFPA to manage their internal finances, procurement workflows, and supplier transactions, replacing the legacy Atlas system from 2023 onwards.
Read definitionThe relaunch of a procurement process from scratch after all bids are rejected, a serious irregularity is found, or a complaint is upheld, resetting the competition with a new solicitation.
Read definitionAny of the 54 African nations that are full members of the African Development Bank, whose firms receive eligibility to bid on ADB-window contracts and whose governments can borrow from all AfDB financing windows.
Read definitionAn AI-driven ranking mechanism that scores each tender opportunity against a supplier's profile, past wins, capabilities, and strategic priorities, surfacing the most relevant notices from a high-volume feed instead of requiring manual review of every result.
Read definitionRelevance scoring uses AI and natural language processing to rate how closely a procurement notice matches a supplier's capability profile, reducing manual triage time across large volumes of international tender alerts.
Read definitionThe competitive acquisition of solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, and other clean energy assets and services by governments and development institutions to expand low-carbon electricity supply.
Read definitionA notice published by a multilateral development bank or borrowing agency inviting consulting firms to submit brief capability statements so a shortlist can be drawn up before the full request for proposals is issued.
Read definitionThe formal UN solicitation used for complex or qualitative requirements above USD 40,000, evaluated through scored technical and financial proposals rather than price-only compliance.
Read definitionThe formal solicitation document sent to shortlisted consulting firms that sets out the full scope of work, evaluation criteria, and submission requirements for a complex or qualitative assignment.
Read definitionAn informal UN solicitation for straightforward goods or services between USD 4,000 and USD 40,000, requiring at least three written quotations and awarding to the lowest compliant price.
Read definitionAn informal solicitation used by UN agencies and development banks for smaller, well-defined purchases by collecting price quotations from at least three suppliers without requiring the full formalities of an Invitation to Bid.
Read definitionA formal document required by development banks when a project will displace people from land or livelihoods, setting out how affected households will be compensated and assisted to restore their living standards.
Read definitionA framework document prepared when the exact boundaries of land acquisition are not known at appraisal, setting the principles and procedures that will govern compensation and resettlement once project sites are confirmed.
Read definitionThe development bank standard requiring projects to minimise energy, water, and material consumption, avoid generating hazardous waste, and prevent or control pollution to air, water, and soil throughout the project lifecycle.
Read definitionA bid that conforms in all essential respects to the requirements of the bidding documents, making it eligible for evaluation and award consideration under international procurement rules.
Read definitionA two-stage EU procurement method where a contracting authority first shortlists candidates based on qualification evidence, then invites only those shortlisted firms to submit a full tender.
Read definitionA two-stage EU procurement method where a contracting authority first shortlists candidates based on qualification evidence, then invites only those shortlisted firms to submit a full tender.
Read definitionA consulting arrangement that pays a fixed periodic fee to keep a specialist available for advisory work on demand, commonly used by development banks and international organisations for ongoing technical support.
Read definitionA percentage withheld from each progress payment as a performance security, released in two tranches at substantial completion and at the end of the defects liability period.
Read definitionA bank guarantee allowing a contractor to receive withheld retention money early, while still protecting the buyer against defects discovered after practical completion of the works.
Read definitionAn MDB mechanism that reimburses a borrower for eligible project expenditures already paid before the loan agreement became effective, provided the prior procurement fully complied with MDB rules.
Read definitionThe contractual distribution of identified project risks between buyer and supplier, specifying which party bears the cost and responsibility when each risk materialises during contract execution.
Read definitionThe contractual process of assigning each identified project risk to the party best placed to manage or absorb it, shaping which obligations, insurances, and liabilities a contractor accepts in a tender.
Read definitionThe World Bank's pre-2018 set of operational policies covering environmental assessment, natural habitats, forests, pest management, cultural property, and involuntary resettlement, still governing projects approved before October 2018.
Read definitionThe five categories of misconduct, fraud, corruption, collusion, coercion, and obstruction, that multilateral development banks investigate and that can result in debarment from all bank-financed projects.
Read definitionThe World Bank's independent appellate body that reviews contested sanctions decisions, with the power to uphold, modify, or overturn debarments imposed by the Evaluation and Suspension Officer on firms and individuals found to have engaged in fraud or corruption.
Read definitionThe World Bank Group's independent adjudicatory body that reviews cases of alleged fraud, corruption, collusion, coercion, and obstruction to determine whether firms or individuals should be debarred from World Bank-financed projects.
Read definitionThe principal international sanctions lists maintained by the US Treasury's OFAC, the UN Security Council, and the EU, which procurement bodies and suppliers must screen counterparties against before entering contracts.
Read definitionThe enterprise procurement platform used by major Gulf state-owned enterprises including ADNOC, Saudi Aramco, and NEOM, which gates tender access behind mandatory vendor registration and pre-qualification.
Read definitionThe public-facing marketplace module of SAP Ariba where buyers post sourcing events to reach unregistered suppliers, though major Gulf SOEs have deliberately disabled their participation in it.
Read definitionAn enterprise cloud procurement platform used by Gulf SOEs including ADNOC, Saudi Aramco, SABIC, and NEOM to manage vendor qualification, sourcing, and contracting behind a gated supplier network.
Read definitionThe tendering and sourcing module within SAP Ariba where Gulf SOEs publish RFQs, RFPs, and competitive bid events exclusively to pre-qualified vendors in their approved vendor list.
Read definitionThe SAP platform module used by Gulf SOEs such as ADNOC to manage contingent workforce and contractor services procurement, operating alongside SAP Ariba Sourcing for goods and projects.
Read definitionThe unique identifier assigned to an approved supplier within a Gulf SOE's SAP system, required before any purchase order, contract, or payment transaction can be processed by that buyer.
Read definitionThe official business registration certificate issued by Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Commerce that legally establishes a company's presence in the kingdom and is required for procurement participation with government entities and SOEs.
Read definitionThe section of a goods or services bidding document that lists every item to be supplied, with quantities, delivery locations, and deadlines, forming the scope and payment basis of the contract.
Read definitionThe specialised purchasing of research instruments, laboratory apparatus, and highly engineered components by international scientific organisations such as CERN, ESA, and ESO, governed by technical specifications that differ substantially from standard commercial procurement.
Read definitionAn evaluation method that assigns numerical marks to each proposal against weighted criteria, producing a ranked score that objectively compares quality across competing offers.
Read definitionA bid submitted in a closed, tamper-evident package that prevents the buyer or other bidders from seeing its contents until all bids are simultaneously opened at a publicly announced time and place.
Read definitionThe industry-based coding labels that multilateral development banks apply to projects and loans, indicating which economic sector a project targets and which firms are likely to receive procurement contracts from it.
Read definitionSector opportunity analysis maps the volume, value, and competitive intensity of procurement activity in a specific industry or technical domain, helping suppliers prioritise which sectors to pursue across international markets.
Read definitionThe minimum standards of financial standing, technical capacity, and professional suitability that suppliers must satisfy before an EU contracting authority will evaluate their tender on merit.
Read definitionThe minimum standards of financial standing, technical capacity, and professional suitability that suppliers must meet to be eligible to participate in an EU procurement procedure, assessed before evaluating tenders.
Read definitionA document or contract schedule that defines the measurable performance standards a service provider must meet, specifying metrics, measurement methods, reporting frequencies, and the consequences of underperformance.
Read definitionA procurement tender publication system built on Microsoft SharePoint, used by QatarEnergy to publish tender data publicly via ASMX web services, providing one of the most accessible procurement data feeds among major Gulf energy buyers.
Read definitionDevelopment finance structured to comply with Islamic law by replacing interest-bearing loans with sale, lease, and partnership instruments such as Murabaha, Istisna, and Ijarah.
Read definitionA simplified competitive method used by MDBs for small-value purchases of goods or works, requiring price quotations from at least three suppliers without a formal tender process.
Read definitionA simplified MDB procurement method for low-value goods and works that requires price quotations from at least three suppliers, with no formal bidding documents or bid security.
Read definitionThe reduced set of typically three to six consulting firms invited to submit full technical and financial proposals after an expression of interest screening, forming the competitive pool for a consulting assignment.
Read definitionA consulting selection method that awards a contract to one firm without competition, permitted only in narrow circumstances such as continuity of work, emergency response, or unique expertise.
Read definitionA procurement structuring strategy that groups related works or goods into packages sized to attract the widest competitive field, balancing efficiency of large packages against accessibility for smaller contractors.
Read definitionWFP's end-to-end procurement platform launched in November 2025 and built on Coupa Software, replacing all previous WFP sourcing systems for supplier registration, tendering, bid submission, and contract management.
Read definitionThe World Food Programme's end-to-end e-procurement platform built on Coupa Software, launched in November 2025 to manage all WFP supplier registration, tendering, evaluation, and contract management in a single system.
Read definitionA structured process that identifies and evaluates the social consequences of a proposed project for affected communities, informing project design and establishing the baseline for mitigation planning.
Read definitionThe quantified and qualitative benefit to communities, workers, and society generated by a procurement contract beyond the direct delivery of the goods or services purchased.
Read definitionThe complete procurement lifecycle from identifying a supplier need, running a sourcing event, awarding a contract, and managing the relationship through to final invoice payment, unified within a single digital platform.
Read definitionThe mandatory licence that foreign and domestic suppliers must obtain from Abu Dhabi's Supreme Petroleum Council before they can provide oil and gas field services to ADNOC and its subsidiaries.
Read definitionThe mandatory regulatory clearance from Abu Dhabi's Supreme Petroleum Council required for foreign companies providing oil and gas field services in the emirate, a prerequisite for ADNOC supplier registration.
Read definitionThe project-specific contract clauses that amend, supplement, or delete provisions in the General Conditions of Contract to reflect the particular requirements of a single procurement.
Read definitionThe contract-level announcement that opens a specific competitive tender under a development bank project, giving bidders the details they need to decide whether and how to compete.
Read definitionSpend analysis is the aggregation and categorisation of historical procurement expenditure by buyer, sector, method, and geography to reveal where the largest and most accessible contract opportunities are concentrated.
Read definitionThe systematic analysis of an organisation's purchasing data, categorised by supplier, commodity, geography, and time, to identify patterns, savings opportunities, and compliance gaps.
Read definitionA project document that maps affected and interested parties, sets out how and when they will be consulted throughout the project lifecycle, and describes the grievance mechanism available to communities and workers.
Read definitionA pre-approved template for procurement documents that development banks and multilateral agencies require borrowers to use, ensuring consistency, transparency, and compliance across all financed contracts.
Read definitionWorld Bank template documents used by borrowers to solicit competitive bids for goods and works contracts, containing mandatory clauses that protect bidder rights and ensure fair competition.
Read definitionPre-approved template packages issued by the World Bank that borrowers must use when running competitive tenders, ensuring bidding conditions are fair, complete, and consistent across all financed projects.
Read definitionThe World Bank's mandatory template bidding and proposal documents that borrowers must use for contracts above defined thresholds, ensuring consistency and fairness across all financed procurement.
Read definitionThe pre-approved, harmonised bidding templates published by development banks and international organisations that standardise how tenders are structured, reducing preparation time for both buyers and suppliers bidding on internationally financed contracts.
Read definitionThe World Bank's mandatory template document for selecting consulting firms, containing standardised instructions, evaluation criteria, and contract conditions that borrowers must use for qualifying assignments.
Read definitionThe World Bank's pre-approved template for soliciting consulting proposals, covering technical and financial evaluation rules, contract conditions, and all mandatory submission forms for quality-and-cost-based selection.
Read definitionThe mandatory pause between notifying bidders of an intended award and signing the contract, during which unsuccessful bidders can seek a debriefing or file a challenge before the decision becomes legally binding.
Read definitionThe World Bank's mandatory internal e-procurement platform that manages the full procurement lifecycle for all Investment Project Financing operations, from procurement plans through contract management, accessible only to borrowers and Bank staff.
Read definitionThe ADB-mandated process by which executing agencies analyse the market, assess risks, and select procurement methods for a project before issuing any tenders, resulting in a documented strategy that shapes the entire procurement programme.
Read definitionA contract between a prime contractor and a third party (subcontractor) for the delivery of a defined portion of the prime contract scope, with the prime contractor remaining fully responsible to the buyer for the subcontractor's performance.
Read definitionThe practice by which a prime contractor on an MDB-financed contract engages specialist firms to perform defined portions of the work, subject to MDB rules on approval thresholds, eligibility, and disclosure.
Read definitionThe EU framework requirements governing how prime contractors disclose, manage, and remain legally responsible for subcontractors on public contracts, including direct payment rights available in some member states.
Read definitionThe EU procurement framework requirements governing how prime contractors disclose, manage, and remain responsible for subcontractors on public contracts, including direct payment rights in certain member states.
Read definitionSubcontractor intelligence is the research and profiling of specialist firms and local partners that a prime contractor can bring into a bid to fill capability gaps, satisfy local-content rules, or strengthen technical scoring.
Read definitionA bid that meets all essential requirements of the bidding documents and is eligible for evaluation, even if it contains minor irregularities that the contracting authority may waive or correct.
Read definitionA consulting arrangement in which part or all of the consultant's fee is contingent on achieving a defined outcome, such as closing a transaction, reaching financial close, or securing a rating.
Read definitionSupplier intelligence is the systematic profiling of competing firms, including their past awards, technical capabilities, pricing patterns, and teaming relationships, to sharpen a supplier's own bidding strategy.
Read definitionA secure, buyer-hosted web application through which vendors register, submit bids, track purchase orders, upload invoices, and manage their profile in a single authenticated environment.
Read definitionA three-party contract in which a surety company guarantees to a project owner that a contractor will fulfil its obligations, serving as an alternative to a bank guarantee in some procurement contexts.
Read definitionA procurement framework that balances economic value, environmental responsibility, and social equity so that public spending supports long-term sustainable development goals.
Read definitionThe World Bank's mandatory e-procurement system that tracks the full lifecycle of procurement under Investment Project Financing, from 18-month rolling plans through to contract management.
Read definitionTeaming partner analysis is the evaluation of potential consortium or subcontractor partners to identify which combination of firms creates the strongest eligible, qualified, and competitive bid for a specific tender.
Read definitionAdvisory, training, and capacity-building services funded by MDBs or donors to help borrowing countries design projects, strengthen institutions, and build the skills needed to implement development programmes effectively.
Read definitionThe Asian Development Bank's primary grant facility for financing advisory services, capacity building, and project preparation work in developing member countries, typically procured through consulting-firm selection methods.
Read definitionGrants or concessional funding provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to finance advisory services, feasibility studies, and capacity-building that prepare projects for investment or support institutional reform in transition economies.
Read definitionGrant-funded advisory assignments the EBRD arranges to prepare, support, or strengthen investment projects in its economies of operations, often the first paid entry point for consultants into an EBRD project cycle.
Read definitionThe stage of proposal assessment where evaluators score submitted proposals against published technical criteria before any prices are considered, filtering out non-compliant offers first.
Read definitionThe published scoring framework that evaluators use to assess consulting technical proposals, covering sub-criteria such as methodology, key expert qualifications, and firm experience, each with an assigned weight.
Read definitionThe part of a consulting bid that presents a firm's methodology, work plan, team qualifications, and relevant experience, evaluated and scored before the financial proposal is opened in methods such as QCBS.
Read definitionThe section of a bidding document that defines the precise technical requirements, standards, and performance criteria that goods or works must meet for a bid to be considered responsive.
Read definitionThe official online supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union where all above-threshold public contracts in Europe are published, covering roughly 750,000 notices each year.
Read definitionThe official online supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union where all above-threshold public contracts in Europe are published, covering roughly 750,000 notices each year.
Read definitionA non-refundable fee charged by Gulf government buyers for access to the official tender document package, published alongside tender notices on portals such as Etimad and used to signal serious bidder intent.
Read definitionA non-refundable fee charged by Gulf government entities to suppliers purchasing the official tender documents, a common feature of GCC public procurement that must be paid before accessing the full bid specification.
Read definitionTender intelligence is the systematic collection and analysis of procurement notices, award data, and market signals to help suppliers find, evaluate, and win international contracts more efficiently.
Read definitionThe employer's right to end a contract when the contractor has committed a material breach such as prolonged suspension, insolvency, or persistent failure to perform, with the employer entitled to recover additional completion costs.
Read definitionThe document that defines the objectives, scope, deliverables, and timeline of a consulting assignment, against which proposals are written and evaluated.
Read definitionThe cross-cutting development theme labels that multilateral development banks attach to projects, indicating policy priorities such as climate, gender, or governance that shape procurement requirements and evaluation criteria.
Read definitionAn insurance policy that covers a contractor or supplier against claims by members of the public or other parties for bodily injury or property damage caused by the contractor's operations during a project.
Read definitionA contract that pays the consultant or service provider for the actual time spent at agreed staff rates plus reimbursable expenses, used when the scope or duration of an assignment cannot be defined precisely in advance.
Read definitionA consulting contract type where the firm is paid for the actual time its staff spend on the assignment at agreed daily or monthly rates, plus reimbursable expenses, making it suitable for assignments with uncertain scope.
Read definitionThe set of financial instruments, including letters of credit, guarantees, and supply-chain financing, that enable buyers and sellers to complete cross-border transactions by managing payment timing and counterparty risk.
Read definitionThe EBRD's core investment criterion measuring whether a project will move a recipient economy toward competitive markets, private ownership, and sound institutions in a way that persists after bank financing ends.
Read definitionAn African Development Bank financing mechanism that provides enhanced concessional support to fragile and conflict-affected African states, unlocking procurement opportunities in some of the continent's most challenging operating environments.
Read definitionCompetitive tenders for roads, railways, airports, ports, and urban transit systems, usually financed by development banks or sovereign budgets and open to international contractors.
Read definitionA pooled financing mechanism administered by an MDB on behalf of one or more donor governments, used to fund technical assistance, grants, and specialised project components outside the bank's core lending programme.
Read definitionA contract in which the contractor delivers a fully completed, operational facility ready for immediate use, taking responsibility for all design, procurement, construction, testing, and commissioning under a single fixed price.
Read definitionA bid submission format where the technical proposal and the financial proposal are sealed in separate envelopes so the evaluator scores technical quality before seeing any prices, preventing financial information from influencing technical assessment.
Read definitionA competitive procurement process for complex goods or works where technical proposals are solicited and refined in a first stage before final priced bids are invited in a second stage, allowing specifications to be clarified before financial commitment.
Read definitionThe business operating license issued by a UAE licensing authority (mainland DED or a free zone authority) that legally authorises a company to conduct specified commercial activities in the UAE.
Read definitionA UK law that prohibits offering, giving, requesting, or receiving bribes in both public and private sectors, with broad extraterritorial reach and a strict corporate liability offence for failing to prevent bribery by associated persons.
Read definitionThe arrangement by which a UN agency such as UNOPS, UNICEF, or UNDP procures goods, works, or services on behalf of a client government or another organisation, using the UN's procurement procedures and contractual authority.
Read definitionThe collective framework of shared administrative, staffing, and operational standards that govern all UN system organisations, enabling coordinated procurement and supply-chain collaboration across more than 40 agencies.
Read definitionThe confidential UN register of vendors barred from competing for UN procurement contracts, maintained by the UN Secretariat and accessible to agency procurement officers to screen suppliers before award.
Read definitionThe United Nations numeric coding scheme for countries and geographic regions used in statistical reporting, development aid classification, and procurement data systems run by UN agencies.
Read definitionThe authoritative rulebook governing procurement by the UN Secretariat, setting out principles, methods, thresholds, approval authorities, and documentation requirements for all purchases from external suppliers.
Read definitionThe minimum ethical, labour, environmental, and anti-corruption standards that suppliers must commit to meeting as a condition of registration with any United Nations procurement body.
Read definitionMeasures imposed by UN agencies on suppliers found to have committed fraud, corruption, misrepresentation, or serious contract violations, ranging from formal warnings to placement on the UN Ineligibility List.
Read definitionA universally accepted set of procedural rules for ad hoc international arbitration published by the UN Commission on International Trade Law, widely used in investment and procurement disputes.
Read definitionThe entry-level vendor registration tier on the UN Global Marketplace, granting access to tender opportunities valued up to $40,000 and requiring only a company profile and UNSPSC category selections.
Read definitionThe second tier of UN Global Marketplace vendor registration, covering tender opportunities from $40,000 to $500,000 and requiring legal, financial, and reference documentation reviewed within two to four weeks.
Read definitionThe highest tier of UN Global Marketplace vendor registration, required for contracts above $500,000, open only to companies established for at least three years with completed Level 1 documentation on file.
Read definitionThe three-tier registration system on the UN Global Marketplace that determines which tender values a supplier can access and respond to across the UN system.
Read definitionThe email notification service on the UN Global Marketplace that sends suppliers automatic alerts when new tender opportunities matching their registered UNSPSC categories are published by any connected UN agency.
Read definitionThe publicly available UNICEF product database listing more than 5,000 essential goods with indicative procurement prices, used by governments, NGOs, and UN agencies worldwide as a global benchmark for supply cost planning.
Read definitionThe Copenhagen-based procurement arm of UNICEF, the single largest UN procuring entity at $5.6 billion annually, responsible for sourcing vaccines, medicines, nutrition supplies, education materials, and humanitarian goods for children in 190-plus countries.
Read definitionA contract that pays the contractor a fixed rate for each measurable unit of work actually completed, with the final contract value determined by the quantities measured on site rather than an upfront fixed total.
Read definitionThe shared procurement portal where suppliers register once to do business with dozens of UN agencies and view their tender and award notices in one place.
Read definitionThe global, hierarchical coding system that classifies products and services so buyers and suppliers can categorise spend and match tenders consistently worldwide.
Read definitionThe global, hierarchical coding system that classifies products and services into an eight-digit code so buyers and suppliers can categorise spend, register capabilities, and match tenders consistently across UN agencies and development institutions worldwide.
Read definitionThe EU procurement directive that governs contracting by entities operating in the water, energy, transport, and postal services sectors, applying higher thresholds and more flexible procedures than the standard public sector directive.
Read definitionThe specialised competitive purchasing of human vaccines by international agencies and governments, dominated by UNICEF Supply Division and GAVI, with published pricing benchmarks used globally.
Read definitionThe core procurement principle requiring that public funds achieve the best possible outcome when weighed across quality, cost, fitness for purpose, and risk, not simply the lowest quoted price.
Read definitionThe World Bank's overarching procurement objective, requiring that each contract achieve the best possible outcome relative to cost by balancing quality, timeliness, and risk rather than simply selecting the lowest price.
Read definitionA formal instruction issued under a contract that directs the contractor to add, omit, or alter scope, with the associated cost and time adjustment determined through the contract's valuation mechanism and agreed before or after execution of the changed work.
Read definitionA formal written instruction from the engineer or employer that directs the contractor to add, omit, or alter scope under an existing contract, with agreed adjustments to price and time.
Read definitionSoftware used by large buying organisations to register, qualify, categorise, and manage their supplier base, controlling who is eligible to receive tender invitations and track performance across contracts.
Read definitionThe mandatory multi-step assessment process Gulf SOEs use to evaluate and approve suppliers before granting access to their closed tendering systems, typically taking 3-12 months for major buyers.
Read definitionSaudi Arabia's national transformation strategy, launched in 2016, which shapes procurement priorities across government and SOEs by directing spending toward economic diversification, local content, tourism, entertainment, infrastructure, and technology sectors.
Read definitionA World Bank mechanism that allows firms and individuals to self-report past sanctionable conduct in exchange for a negotiated outcome that avoids public debarment, conditioned on full cooperation and compliance reform.
Read definitionA World Bank mechanism that allows companies to self-report sanctionable practices, cooperate with remediation, and implement an integrity programme in exchange for reduced or avoided debarment.
Read definitionA notice published voluntarily by an EU contracting authority before awarding a contract without a prior competition, giving potential challengers a 30-day window to contest the decision before the contract is signed.
Read definitionThe Global Fund's online health product marketplace where recipient countries can purchase quality-assured medicines, diagnostics, and supplies at pre-negotiated Pooled Procurement Mechanism prices without running individual competitive tenders.
Read definitionThe Global Fund's online health product marketplace where recipient countries can purchase quality-assured medicines, diagnostics, and supplies at pre-negotiated Pooled Procurement Mechanism prices without running individual competitive tenders.
Read definitionThe period after delivery or completion during which a supplier or contractor guarantees that goods, works, or systems will perform as specified and undertakes to repair or replace defective items at no additional cost to the buyer.
Read definitionThe specialised procurement of water supply, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure, equipment, and services by development institutions and governments to improve access in low- and middle-income countries.
Read definitionThe International Organization for Migration's dedicated supplier portal for browsing open tenders, registering vendor profiles, and submitting bids for IOM's migration-related procurement across camp management, transport, and services.
Read definitionThe International Organization for Migration's dedicated e-procurement portal where suppliers register, browse IOM tender opportunities, and submit bids for migration-related goods and services contracts globally.
Read definitionThe published ratio that determines how much of the combined score comes from technical quality versus price in consulting and complex services procurement, with 80:20 being the most common split used by development banks.
Read definitionThe published percentage split that determines how much of the final evaluation score comes from technical quality versus price, setting the strategic balance between quality and cost in a tender.
Read definitionThe legal and procedural safeguards that protect individuals who report suspected fraud, corruption, or other sanctionable practices in bank-financed or government procurement projects from retaliation by their employers or other parties.
Read definitionThe WHO assessment programme that certifies medicines, vaccines, diagnostics, and medical devices meet international quality, safety, and efficacy standards, making prequalification a prerequisite for supply to UN agencies and donor-funded health procurement globally.
Read definitionThe publicly searchable WHO database of medicines that have passed the WHO Prequalification Programme assessment, certifying their quality, safety, and efficacy and making them eligible for procurement by UN agencies and donor-funded programmes.
Read definitionThe WHO database of vaccines assessed and approved for quality, safety, and efficacy by the WHO Prequalification Programme, required for supply to UNICEF, PAHO revolving fund, GAVI-funded programmes, and other international immunisation initiatives.
Read definitionWin rate analysis measures the proportion of pursued tenders a supplier converts to contract awards, then traces the causes of wins and losses to improve future bid selection and proposal quality.
Read definitionThe independent accountability mechanism that allows communities and individuals affected by World Bank-financed projects to file complaints alleging that the Bank failed to follow its own policies and procedures.
Read definitionThe policy overhaul adopted by the World Bank in 2016 that introduced a fit-for-purpose, value-for-money approach to procurement, replacing rigid procedural rules with outcome-focused principles.
Read definitionThe binding rulebook that governs all procurement under World Bank Investment Project Financing, setting out eligible methods, documentation requirements, and oversight obligations for borrowing countries.
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