Technical Assistance Special Fund

The Technical Assistance Special Fund (TASF) is the Asian Development Bank's main vehicle for financing grant-funded advisory services, policy studies, capacity building programmes, and project preparation work across its developing member countries, generating a steady stream of consulting assignments procured under ADB's standard selection methods.

What is the Technical Assistance Special Fund?

ADB finances two broad categories of technical assistance: project preparatory technical assistance, which funds the feasibility studies and detailed design work needed before a loan project can be approved, and advisory and capacity development technical assistance, which funds policy advice, institutional strengthening, and knowledge products. The TASF provides the grant financing for many of these assignments from resources contributed by ADB's developed-country members and by ADB's own income.

Because TASF-financed assignments are grants rather than loans, the executing agency is typically ADB itself or a dmc government ministry, and the procurement follows adb-procurement-policy rules. Consulting firms are selected through standard methods: qcbs for most assignments, quality-based selection for highly specialised work, and cqs for smaller-value engagements. TASF assignments tend to be shorter in duration and smaller in value than loan-financed contracts, but they are valuable for building relationships with ADB project teams and gaining country-specific experience that strengthens proposals for larger loan-financed contracts.

Why the Technical Assistance Special Fund matters for bidders

TASF-financed consulting assignments are often the entry point for consulting firms breaking into the ADB market. Because they are smaller and faster to procure than loan-financed works or goods contracts, competition is slightly less intense, and they give firms the chance to demonstrate sector expertise directly to ADB task team leaders who later manage the larger investment projects. Firms that perform well on TASF assignments are frequently invited to shortlists for the project preparatory work that precedes major infrastructure loans. Monitoring ADB's technical assistance pipeline, available on adb.org alongside the main project pipeline, is therefore part of any systematic ADB business development strategy.

FAQ

Are TASF assignments open to firms from all ADB member countries?

Generally yes, subject to ADB's standard eligibility rules. Since TASF is ADB-financed, the same member-country eligibility that applies to loan-financed contracts applies here.

How large are typical TASF-financed consulting assignments?

Values vary widely, from under USD 500,000 for targeted advisory work to several million dollars for complex multi-country programmes, but most fall in the USD 500,000 to USD 3 million range.

Where are TASF opportunities advertised?

ADB publishes technical assistance consulting opportunities on its main procurement portal at adb.org and through the cms, where registered consultants may receive direct notifications of relevant assignments.