First of all, check the debarment lists: a firm debarred by a donor cannot be awarded a contract.
UNGM – United Nations Global Marketplace
For : UN agencies: WFP, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNDP, WHO, FAO, UNOPS, IOM and about thirty others.
- Create a free account on ungm.org with your company e-mail address.
- Fill in the company profile and choose your product and service categories (UNSPSC codes).
- Choose the agencies you want to be registered with and accept their terms.
- Some agencies require a higher registration level with documents (registration certificate, financial statements…). Prepare them in advance.
- UNGM's paid alert service is optional: public notices remain visible without a subscription.
EU Funding & Tenders Portal
For : European Union contracts, including external aid (EU delegations, INTPA, ECHO).
- Create an EU Login account (free).
- Register your organisation on the Funding & Tenders portal to get a PIC number.
- Upload the requested documents (statutes, proof of registration, tax number).
- For online tenders, the bid is submitted on the portal (eSubmission) with this PIC.
- The notices themselves are published on TED: Humanitarian Tenders lists them.
World Bank – Procurement
For : Contracts of World Bank-financed projects, procured by borrowing governments.
- There is no central registration: you respond directly to the project's implementing agency named in the notice.
- Read the project's General Procurement Notice: it announces upcoming contracts and sometimes invites firms to express interest.
- Check that your company is not on the World Bank's list of debarred firms.
- Prepare the World Bank standard documents (bid submission letter, qualification forms).
African Development Bank – Procurement
For : Contracts of projects financed by the African Development Bank.
- As with the World Bank, bids go to the implementing agency named in the notice.
- Purchases by the Bank's headquarters go through its own supplier portal.
- Check the African Development Bank's list of debarred firms.
SAM.gov (United States)
For : United States government contracts (State Department and other agencies).
- Create a Login.gov account, then register the entity on SAM.gov.
- You get a Unique Entity ID (UEI), required to receive a US contract or grant.
- Registration is free: beware of intermediaries who charge for it.
- It must be renewed every year.
Purchases by international and national NGOs
For : Purchases by international and national NGOs (NRC, IRC, DRC, Save the Children, ACTED…).
- There is no common portal: each NGO keeps its own supplier list per country.
- Send your company profile and documents to the logistics or procurement unit of the country office.
- Follow their notices on Humanitarian Tenders and create an alert for your country.
- Respect their rules: no gifts, conflict-of-interest declaration, supplier code of conduct.
Documents to prepare once and for all
- Certificate of registration (trade register) or statutes
- Tax number and up-to-date tax clearance
- Social security certificate (if you have employees)
- Bank letter or bank details in the company's name
- Financial statements for the last 2 or 3 years
- List of similar contracts with completion certificates
- Signed CVs of key staff
- Signed integrity declaration and supplier code of conduct
- List of owners and directors
- Trade-specific licences (pharmacy, transport, security…)
Keep these documents in the vault of your “My company” space: you will find them for every bid, with their expiry dates. My company →