Development Business

About Us

Development Business (DB) is the official publication for consulting, contracting and export opportunities worldwide. DB is published by the United Nations Department of Public Information and is available by subscription. It provides the tools you need to successfully bid on international contracts financed and/or implemented by content providers such as the United Nations, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and other multilateral banks, the Millennium Challenge Corporation and national governments.

Development Business offers up-to-date information on:

• Procurement Notices
• Development Bank Operational Summaries
• Contract Awards
• Events Listings
• Procurement News
• Knowledge Center

The DB database is updated daily. It offers easy-to-use search capabilities (searchable by region, country, sector, bank, date posted, deadline and keyword) that enable users to quickly identify sales and consulting leads. Click here to find out more about the subscription process.

DB contains three general categories of information sources as follows:

1. Procurement Notices: Each year DB publishes thousands of procurement notices announcing contracts financed by development banks, UN agencies and governments. We receive each notice directly from our contacts in the banks or agencies. There are two categories of procurement notices: (i) General Procurement Notices (GPN), and (ii) Specific Procurement Notices (SPN). GPNs alert potential bidders to the overall types of goods and services needed for a project and invite firms to express interest in being placed on lists to receive further announcements. These are followed by SPNs (specific invitations to bid, to prequalify or to submit consulting proposals). SPNs spell out the specific goods, works and services needed for a project, often citing the major requirements for bidding, including how to obtain bidding documents, their cost and the bid deadline date. The addresses of the executing agencies are listed, often with the e-mail address as well as telephone and fax numbers.

2. Development Bank Operational Summaries: The Operational Summaries provide information on hundreds of projects being considered for financing by the following major development banks:

• World Bank
• Inter-American Development Bank
• African Development Bank Group

The listings in the summaries include, among other things, a brief description of the project, the official name, the loan amount and contact information.

3. Contract Awards: DB publishes contract awards from its partners (including the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank) with pertinent information regarding the contracts. Contract awards help companies and consultants monitor the competition and follow-up on subcontracting opportunities. Projects financed by the major development banks require goods and services from a broad range of firms, including:

• Consultancies in diverse fields, including computer training, education, financial management, environmental assessment, public health, privatization and community planning.
• Manufacturing, Wholesale and Exporting firms of almost every type of product, from heavy equipment, machine tools and vehicles to specialized materials, personal computers, chemical products and pharmaceuticals.
• Engineering and Contracting Firms with expertise in infrastructure projects (e.g., roads, rail, ports), water delivery and power systems, telecommunications and industrial plants, among others.

In order to view the Contract Awards you need to be a subscriber. After logging in, go to Projects and Tenders and perform an advanced search using the Contract Awards button at the top of the dialogue box.

Do you supply any of the following key sectors?

Our Business Directory prominently features businesses that are interested in development work. Advertise your company with us today, and get your company exposed to the thousands of users from the development community who frequent the site on a daily basis.

Click here for a full list of sectors:

Agriculture
Airports
Construction
Consultants
Dams
Education
Environment
Protection
Finance
Fisheries
Forestry
Gas/Oil
Health & Nutrition
Industry
Wind Power
Information Technology

Infrastructure
Irrigation
Livestock
Logistics
Medical
Mining
Miscellaneous
Nuclear Energy
Energy
Pipelines
Population
Ports
Power
Private Sector Management
Public Sector
Management

Railways
Reconstruction / Rehabilitation
River Transport
Roadways
Rural Development
Social Protection
Telecommunications
Tobacco
Tourism
Transportation
Urban Development
Waste Management
Water Supply / Sanitation

Why should you subscribe to Development Business?

• Have immediate access to the latest tenders for worldwide projects.
• Rely on official information on global business opportunities and projects in the pipeline.
• Become part of the global network and bid for contracts in over 160 countries and 40 business sectors.
• Expand your business overseas.
• Track your competition and find sub-contracting opportunities.

In 2011, DB listed over $90 billion worth of projects financed by the world’s leading development banks.

Development Business is now in its fourth decade of continuous service in assisting developing countries worldwide.

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