Open Competitive Bidding (OCB), ADB

Open Competitive Bidding (OCB) is the Asian Development Bank's standard procurement method for goods, civil works, and non-consulting services, consolidating what older rules called International Competitive Bidding and National Competitive Bidding into one unified, open framework that applies across all ADB-financed projects.

What is Open Competitive Bidding (OCB), ADB?

ADB's 2017 Procurement Policy replaced the traditional ICB and NCB labels with a single OCB framework. The core principle is that competition must be as open as the market allows: international advertising is the default, and geographic or other restrictions on bidder eligibility are permitted only when specifically justified and approved by ADB. A procurement-plan for each project sets the contract packages and identifies which ones will use OCB.

Notices for OCB contracts appear on the ADB tenders portal and must also be published as a gpn at project approval and as specific spn notices before bidding opens. The bidding documents follow standard ADB templates. After bids are submitted and evaluated, contracts above certain thresholds require ADB prior review before the borrower can award. The old distinction between "ICB" and "NCB" was largely about advertising reach and eligibility pools; OCB simplifies this by making international competition the baseline and requiring explicit justification to limit it.

Why OCB matters for bidders

For a supplier evaluating ADB-financed opportunities, OCB means that most contracts are open to firms from all ADB member countries without restriction, and the rules for evaluating your bid are standardised and published in advance. The practical discipline is to register on the ADB tenders portal, monitor gpn notices to identify projects in your sector early, and then track the specific spn to download bidding documents when a package moves to procurement. Because ADB frequently co-finances projects with the World Bank or AIIB, a single project may generate OCB notices on multiple portals simultaneously, and following the ADB-specific notice is essential for complying with ADB's eligibility and document requirements.

FAQ

Is OCB the same as the old International Competitive Bidding?

OCB replaces both ICB and NCB under ADB's 2017 policy. It defaults to international competition, which is similar to the old ICB, but removes the rigid value thresholds that used to determine whether a contract got ICB or NCB treatment.

Which countries can bid on ADB OCB contracts?

Firms from all ADB member countries are eligible by default. ADB has 68 member countries across Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America. Restrictions are the exception and must be stated explicitly in the bidding documents.

Where are OCB notices published?

Notices appear on the ADB tenders portal at adb.org/projects/tenders and must be advertised as a General Procurement Notice and a Specific Procurement Notice before bidding opens.