Technical Cooperation (TC)

Technical Cooperation (TC) refers to the grant and concessional funding that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development makes available to finance advisory services, studies, and capacity-building programmes alongside or in preparation for its investment operations in transition economies.

What is Technical Cooperation (TC)?

EBRD's TC programme is funded by donor contributions from governments and other institutions rather than from EBRD's own lending capital. Donors include EU member states, the European Union itself, and other bilateral donors who channel funds through EBRD to support specific priorities in EBRD's economies of operations. TC assignments cover a wide range of activities: project preparation studies, environmental and social assessments, institutional and regulatory reform advice, financial management support for public entities, and post-investment support to help clients implement the improvements that EBRD's financing was intended to achieve.

TC contracts are procured competitively through ecepp-ebrd-client-e-procurement-portal or, in some cases, through EBRD's own direct procurement procedures when EBRD itself is the executing entity rather than a client. The ebrd-procurement-policies-and-rules-ppandr apply to TC procurement in the same way as to investment operations. TC assignments tend to be smaller in contract value than investment-related civil works but are often the entry point through which consulting firms build relationships with implementing clients and EBRD country offices that lead to larger subsequent opportunities.

Why TC matters for bidders

For consulting firms, advisory practices, and research organisations, EBRD's TC programme represents a distinct and significant stream of work that runs parallel to the investment procurement pipeline. TC assignments in regulatory reform, infrastructure planning, environmental management, and financial sector development are competitively tendered and open to firms from all countries, consistent with EBRD's universal eligibility policy. Winning a TC assignment frequently positions a firm as a known and trusted advisor to the client, which is a competitive advantage when the investment phase generates larger consulting contracts. Monitoring ECEPP for TC notices alongside investment procurement notices is therefore part of a complete EBRD engagement strategy for consulting and advisory businesses.

FAQ

Who funds EBRD Technical Cooperation?

TC is funded by donor contributions from governments, the European Union, and other bilateral and multilateral donors who entrust funds to EBRD to deploy in its economies of operations. EBRD administers these funds and ensures they are spent through competitive procurement.

Are TC contracts open to firms from all countries?

Yes. EBRD's eligibility policy is universal for TC as well as for investment procurement, meaning firms from any country, EBRD member or not, can participate in TC tenders published on ECEPP.

How large are typical TC assignments?

TC assignments vary considerably in size, from small study contracts worth EUR 50,000 to multi-year institutional reform programmes worth several million euros. They are typically smaller than major civil works contracts but offer high strategic value as relationship-building and market-entry opportunities.