Award Recommendation

The Award Recommendation is the evaluation committee's formal written conclusion: it names the bidder with the best compliant offer, states the recommended contract price, and provides the documented basis for the decision that authorised officials and, for MDB-financed contracts, the financing bank will review before any contract is signed.

What is Award Recommendation?

After evaluation is complete and a winning bidder is identified, the evaluation team produces an evaluation report and a formal Award Recommendation. This document summarises how bids were received and assessed, identifies the recommended awardee and the basis for the recommendation, states the recommended contract value, and attaches or references the supporting evaluation worksheets. The recommendation is an internal decision document, not yet a binding commitment to any bidder.

For contracts subject to prior-review by an MDB, the borrower submits the Award Recommendation together with the evaluation report to the bank and must wait for a no-objection-letter before signing the contract. The bank reviews the recommendation against its procurement rules and can raise concerns or require the borrower to re-evaluate if it finds procedural issues. Only after the bank issues its no-objection does the Award Recommendation become the basis for contract signature.

For post-review contracts, the borrower signs the contract based on its own Award Recommendation and the bank audits the process retrospectively.

Why Award Recommendation matters for bidders

As a bidder, you are not notified of the Award Recommendation directly. What you typically receive is an intention-to-award notice or a rejection notification. However, understanding that the recommendation is an internal review document explains why there is a delay between the end of evaluation and a formal contract offer. During this period, particularly under prior-review contracts, the MDB is assessing the recommendation. Unsuccessful bidders can sometimes access the evaluation summary through a debriefing request, which draws on the same recommendation document.

FAQ

Can the award recommendation be overturned?

Yes. If the MDB's no-objection review identifies a procedural error or a substantive problem with the evaluation, it can withhold the no-objection and ask the borrower to address the issue, which may result in re-evaluation or a different recommendation.

How long does the review of an award recommendation take?

MDB no-objection review periods are typically set out in the financing agreement, often five to ten business days, though complex or contested cases can take longer. The standstill-period, where applicable, runs concurrently or after the no-objection.

Is the award recommendation publicly disclosed?

The recommendation itself is usually not publicly disclosed in real time. The outcome is publicly communicated through the contract-award-notice published after the contract is signed. Unsuccessful bidders may access relevant portions through a debriefing.