News Flash !  World Bank Lending Reaches All-Time High

The World Bank Group committed $58.8 billion in fiscal year 2009 to help countries struggling amid the global economic crisis, a 54 percent increase over the previous fiscal year and a record high for the global development institution.  In FY09 (July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2009), the Bank Group supported 767 projects to promote economic growth, fight poverty, and assist private businesses, including $20.7 billion in infrastructure financing, a critical sector to provide the foundation for rapid recovery from the crisis and job creation.  This support was provided in loans, grants, equity investments and guarantees to help countries and private-sector firms deal with the devastating effects of the global financial meltdown.   Click here for more details.

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The World Bank lends and invests billions of dollars in developing countries every year.  This constant stream of funds is used to procure goods, consulting services, and civil works projects that contribute to economic development and poverty alleviation in those countries. 

The U.S. Commercial Service has an office in the World Bank to help U.S. firms pursue contracts that arise from this spending.

U.S. firms can successfully pursue many types of World Bank-funded procurement opportunities and  U.S. firms have been particularly successful in capturing Bank-funded consulting work.  The U.S. consistently ranks among the top ten suppliers of consulting services in Bank-funded projects. 

Successful firms tend to have some international experience and previous exposure to a structured procurement system, such as those used by large multinationals or U.S. Federal agencies. 

The World Bank's procurement process is transparent but can appear complex at first glance.  A highly recommended training course is available from the U.S. Commercial Service to help you understand the project approval process and identify the types of projects that will produce bidding opportunities for your company.  This course is intended for business development staff and capture teams that are required to identify, track, and capture overseas procurement opportunities.