Bidding opportunities
Bidding opportunities
Workers at the UNHCR warehouse load essential relief items, including tents, tarpaulins, and blankets, onto a truck for distribution. Their efforts ensure the timely delivery of critical supplies to displaced communities, providing much-needed assistance to those in need.
To protect some of the world's most vulnerable people in so many different places and types of environments, UNHCR must purchase goods and services worldwide. This might range from buying core relief items to fleets of heavy-duty vehicles needed in the most inaccessible parts of the African continent to purchasing needles and thread for a self-help project in Pakistan.
This page offers essential guidance on opportunities for suppliers interested in doing business with UNHCR. It outlines how UNHCR assesses markets, conducts transparent tendering and contract award processes in line with UN procurement principles.
Besides the opportunities published on this UNHCR webpage, we encourage you to visit the United Nations Global Marketplace platform to check potential global, regional or local opportunities
A market assessment is one of the initial steps in the procurement process and contributes to informed decision-making before planning a procurement action.
When conducting a market assessment, UNHCR treats the following general procurement principles set out in the Financial regulations and rules of the United Nations as highly important:
- fairness, integrity and transparency
- effective international competition
- best value for money
- the interest of the United Nations.
Through an informal market assessment, the Procurement Function and Requesting Function explore the market to evaluate it on:
- the available technologies
- alternatives to the item(s) in question (including innovative solutions)
- delivery options
- lease or purchase options.
The most used assessment methods are Request for Information and Request for Expression of Interest.
UNHCR invites potential suppliers, particularly manufacturers, interested in qualifying to supply critical items to follow the instructions outlined in the published qualification documents.
Please note, if there are no notices listed when clicking on a particular button, we are not currently requesting market assessments of that type.
Request for Information (RFI)
An RFI is an informal market assessment gathering information to make decisions on next steps.
Through an RFI, UNHCR requests written information about the capabilities of various vendors in the market, market conditions and technical solutions available, including the relevant financial implications.
View UNHCR public RFI opportunities:
Request for Expression of Interest (REOI)
An REOI is a formal or informal market assessment methodology through which UNHCR can request potential bidders to express interest in providing goods or services, or to enter into a Lease Agreement.
A formal REOI draws up a list of pre-qualified vendors to be later invited to a formal tendering process.
View UNHCR public REOI opportunities:
There are different types of tender documents published by UNHCR to fulfill a procurement requirement, namely Invitations to Bid (ITB), Requests for Proposal (RFP) and Simplified Requests for Proposal (SRFP).
Suppliers interested in formal tender opportunities are recommended to register in the UNHCR Supplier registration portal and UNGM portal and regularly check for bidding opportunities on the different platforms. Please note the following:
- Learn more about the UNHCR Supplier portal on the How to become a supplier page and in the Step-by-step procurement guide.
- Any correspondence should quote the tender reference no. in the subject line. Offers not sent in accordance with instructions or received after the closing of the tender may not be considered.
- Supply staff have no access or knowledge of the offers before the closing deadline. After the closing deadline, the Bid Opening Secretary will open and register the offers in front of witnesses, before forwarding them to the Supply Management Service.
- Bidders may not, for any reason, unilaterally amend any term or condition of their offer after the closing of the tender. UNHCR reserves the right to accept all or only part of an offer and to make multiple awards. UNHCR will not furnish any information concerning the acceptance or rejection of any offer to any person until a contract has been awarded. A message is sent to successful and unsuccessful bidders after a decision has been taken.
For tender opportunities in specific regions or countries please also see the different platforms used by the UNHCR regional or country UNHCR offices. Find country/regional website links via the 'Change site' dropdown in the top left corner of the UNHCR website. Please note the channels each office uses to advertise their tenders may differ (websites, newspapers etc.).
Bidding opportunities
View UNHCR public tender opportunities via the buttons below. Notices are listed in date order, with the most recently added listed first.
Please note, if there are no notices listed when clicking on a particular button, we are not currently requesting tenders of that type.
Request for proposal (RFP)
A formal request for a proposal where requirements are higher value but not fully defined at the time of solicitation. Innovation and specific expertise may be sought. Price is only one of several pre-determined factors. The different evaluation criteria are stipulated in the RFP and an award is based on the most responsive proposal.
View UNHCR public RFP opportunities:
Simplified Request for Proposal (SRFP)
A formal request to submit a proposal for requirements of relatively low monetary value but used for purchases of complex requirements. Price is only one of several factors comprising the evaluation criteria, and an award recommendation is based on the most responsive proposal.
View UNHCR public SRFP opportunities:
Invitation to bid (ITB)
A formal invitation to submit a bid, usually associated with the requirements that are clearly or concisely defined, with low complexity, and have a monetary value above the RFQ threshold. Award recommendations are based on the lowest priced technically compliant offer.
View UNHCR public ITB opportunities:
Contract award
All UNHCR contractual arrangements are subject to the Financial regulations and rules of the United Nations and the Financial rules for voluntary funds administered by the High Commissioner.
Regulation 5.12 of the Financial Rules and Regulations of the UN states that the following general principles shall be given due consideration when exercising the procurement functions of the United Nations:
- Best value for money
- Fairness, integrity and transparency
- Effective international competition
- The interest of the United Nations.
UNHCR contracts are awarded following these principles. A tabulation of bids is prepared after the Supply Management Service has received the offers. The salient points of each offer are compared. Contracts are awarded on the basis of the financial evaluation criteria as outlined in the tender's cover letter.
The UNHCR Committee on Contracts reviews and decides on UNHCR contracts involving major amounts. All proposals to enter into commercial contracts valued at 40,000 USD or more for field operations require the approval of the Committee on Contracts, whilst for headquarters, contract award can be approved by the Head of Supply Management Service (SMS) up to 1.5 million USD, and above such threshold by the Headquarter Committee on Contracts. In the effort to make the UNHCR procurement process as transparent as possible, SMS is posting on the United Nations Global Marketplace (UNGM) all HQ contract awards resulting from a formal solicitation process.
Depending on the value of the award, the following Committees on Contract are in place at UNHCR:
Headquarters Contracts Committee
At Headquarters, the Committee on Contracts shall, in respect of all contracts negotiated and/or proposed for award by UNHCR in relation to the purchase, rental or sale of goods and services, review and advise the Chairperson on:
- all contracts to be entered into with one single vendor that are equal to or greater than US$ 150,000 unless delegated to a Regional Committee on Contracts;
- a notification of all contracts entered into with one single vendor within the previous period of 12 months which, in total, amount to US$ 200,000 or more excluding, however, contracts that have been the subject of the Committee's previous approval;
- all contracts, or series of related contracts, which involve income to UNHCR of US$ 150,000 or more and any contracts relating to activities where the estimated income there from within any 12 month period, when aggregated with the estimated income from any other contract or contracts already made with the same party in the same 12 month period, amounts to US$ 150,000 or more;
- proposals for amendments of contracts, as specified under Amendments to Contracts;
- proposals for the delegation of procurement of US$ 100,000 and above to IPs where there is no competent Local or Regional Committee on Contracts that can deal with the matter;
- proposals for the authorization of a waiver of competitive bidding for contracts valued at US$ 150,000 and above;
- review of contracting policy of UNHCR; and such other matters as may be referred to, and accepted by, the Committee.
Regional Contracts Committee
The Regional Committee on Contracts established at Regional Directorates or for Regional Coordinators with a Senior Supply Officer on staff shall, in respect of all contracts negotiated and/or proposed for award by UNHCR in relation to the purchase, rental or sale of goods and services, review and advise the Chairperson on:
- all contracts to be entered into with a single vendor that are equal to, or greater than, US$ 150,000 up to a maximum of US$ 500,000;
- a notification of all contracts entered into with one single vendor within the previous period of 12 months which, in total, amount between US$ 150,000 and US$ 500,000 excluding, however, contracts that have been the subject of the Committee's previous approval;
- all contracts or series of related contracts which involve income to UNHCR of US$ 150,000 up to a maximum of US$ 500,000 and any contracts relating to activities where the estimated income there from within any 12 month period, when aggregated with the estimated income from any other contract or contracts already made with the same party in the same 12 month period, amounts to US$ 150,000 up to a maximum of US$ 500,000;
- proposals for amendments of contracts, as specified under Amendments to Contracts;
- proposals for the delegation of procurement of US$ 100,000 or more to IPs where there is no competent Local Committee on Contracts that can deal with the matter;
- proposals for the authorization of a waiver of competitive bidding for contracts value at US$ 50,000 and up to US$ 149,999;
- Such other matters as may be referred to, and accepted by, the Committee not explicitly reserved for the Headquarters Committee on Contracts.
Contractual issues exceeding the limit of US$ 500,000 shall be referred to the Committee on Contracts at Headquarters. Committees on Contracts established at Regional Directorates or for Regional Coordinators that do not have a Senior Supply Officer will have the same authority as a Local Committee on Contracts.
Local Contracts Committee
The Local Committee on Contracts shall, in respect of all contracts negotiated and/or awarded by UNHCR in relation to the purchase, rental or sale of goods and services, review and advise the Chairperson on:
- all contracts entered into with a single vendor that are equal to or greater than US$ 20,000 up to US$ 150,000;
- a notification of all contracts entered into with one single vendor within the previous period of 12 months which, in total, amount to US$ 20,000 up to US$ 150,000 excluding, however, contracts that have been the subject of the Committee's previous approval;
- all contracts or series of related contracts which involve income to UNHCR of US$ 20,000 up to US$ 150,000 and any contracts relating to activities where the estimated income there from within any 12 month period, when aggregated with the estimated income from any other contract or contracts already made with the same party in the same 12 month period, amounts to US$ 20,000 up to US$ 150,000;
- proposals for amendments of contracts as specified under Amendments to Contracts;
- proposals for the procurement of US$ 100,000 and above per Sub-Project to IPs;
- proposals for authorization of a waiver of competitive bidding for contracts valued at US$ 20,000 up to a maximum of US$ 50,000;
- Such other matters as may be referred to, and accepted by, the Committee not explicitly reserved for the Regional Committee on Contracts.
Contractual issues exceeding the limit of US$ 150,000 shall be referred to the Regional Committee on Contracts (if relevant); all other contractual issues shall be referred to the Committee on Contracts at Headquarters.
In offices where there is no Supply Officer available, a Representative may exceptionally decide, at his/her discretion, to set a lower limit than US$ 20,000, as he/she deems appropriate, so as to extend the authority of the Local Committee on Contracts to review and advise on, purchases below US$ 20,000.
Vendor protest
Read about the appeals process
UNHCR takes all complaints extremely seriously and has installed an appeals process.
In the procurement process, UNHCR offers all bidders the opportunity to discuss an unsuccessful bid and obtain additional information on their procurement exercise. This is called a procurement debrief and is part of UNHCR’s policy of transparency.
UNHCR also has a linked appeals process, called a procurement protest, for vendors not awarded an order or contract in a high-value Procurement Action, as specified below.
Debrief: An unsuccessful Bidder shall submit a request for a debriefing to the procurement Function within 10 calendar days of the unsuccessful Bidder’s receipt of notification from UNHCR that it was not awarded the contract.
Protests are also allowed for joint procurement exercises with UN entities when UNHCR is the lead organization.
A Vendor Protest may be filed by a registered UNHCR Vendor who is unsuccessful in an eligible high-value UNHCR Procurement Action and who has participated in a Procurement Debrief (the “Complainant”). An eligible high-value UNHCR Procurement Action is a UNHCR request for proposal or a UNHCR invitation to bid in which the contract award amount exceeded USD 250,000 or its equivalent in another currency. The Vendor Protest must be received by UNHCR no later than 15 calendar days after the date of the Procurement Debrief.
It should be sent by email to both:
- the Head, UNHCR Supply Management Service (SMS): [email protected].
- the Head, UNHCR Legal Affairs Service (LAS): [email protected].
Protest letter
The protest letter must contain the following minimum information in order to be receivable, and hence proceed to an inquiry and decision on the merits:
- complainant’s name and contact details.
- a copy of the notification issued by UNHCR to the Complainant of an unsuccessful proposal or bid in an eligible high-value UNHCR procurement exercise.
- the procurement exercise reference, the name of the contracting office/UNHCR business unit and the name of the responsible UNHCR procurement officer.
- detailed statement of all factual and legal grounds for the Vendor Protest.
- detailed statement of how the Complainant was prejudiced.
- detailed statement of the costs incurred by the Complainant in making the bid.
- copies of all relevant documents supporting the Complainant’s claims, allegations, statements and costs incurred.
UNHCR will initially perform a review of the Vendor Protest to determine whether it was timely and correctly submitted and complies with the minimum requirements set out above. In this regard, the Complainant carries the burden of presenting substantial evidence that support the claim. Unsupported allegations and assertions are not sufficient for the Vendor Protest to be receivable.
Nothing in the above procedures or in any procedure or action by or relating to UNHCR with respect to or in connection with a Procurement Debrief or a Vendor Protest shall be deemed in any way to constitute a waiver of any of the privileges and immunities of the United Nations or of its subsidiary organs, including UNHCR (as a subsidiary organ of the United Nations).
Contact us
By email: [email protected].