World Chambers Federation

ICC World Chambers Federation forms strategic alliance with UNDB

  • 18 December 2014
ICC Diversity

The International Chamber of Commerce, the world business organization, through its World Chambers Federation, has formed a strategic alliance with Development Business (DB) to increase participation of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in international procurement.

Development Business is a programme in the United Nations Department of Public Information that has been servicing private sector clients since 1978. It is the official website for consulting, contracting and exporting opportunities, and for publishing dozens of procurement notices and contract awards from the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the African Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, national governments, several United Nations’ agencies and others.

During the signing ceremony, Nina Brandt, Chief of Development Business said: “With the debates on the post 2015 agenda gaining momentum and the primacy of SMEs in development achieving greater traction, this partnership will accelerate progress towards a better informed private sector that is well prepared to bid for public sector procurements.”

Louise Kantrow, ICC’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, responded on the relevancy of this collaboration “DB is furthering the United Nations priority of reaching out to SMEs for greater participation in public sector contracts. This partnership is ideally suited to chambers of commerce, whose raison d’etre is to support small- and medium-sized enterprises develop their businesses. Tapping into a global procurement marketplace can be a valuable new business opportunity.”

The main goals of the partnership include:

  • to engage more SMEs in the global marketplace whether individually, through consortia with larger companies or via joint ventures amongst themselves;
  • to better understand the challenges SMEs face, so that service needs can be identified and tools improved accordingly;
  • to grow mutual networks and form strategic alliances to better serve SMEs;
  • to increase information for SMEs on relevant updates, events and developments around public sector contract opportunities.

ICC WCF and DB also launched a survey to start soliciting feedback from companies and consultants who are interested in bidding for public sector contracts. The goal of the survey is to assess common challenges for SMEs as well as the general interest in participating in procurement related training. After filling out the survey, participants are invited to register for a one-week free trial account on www.devbusiness.com

Follow ICC World Chambers Federation on Twitter @worldchambers.

Follow United Nations Development Business on Twitter @devbusiness.