UN International Procurement Seminar 2025

• Meetings are short – be prepared!

• Study the agency in advance and what they procure. Check out UNGM websites: The UN System Organizations and Procurement data by organization.

• Focus on what you have to offer – bring printed materials, prototypes and demos.

• Provide examples of relevant experience and show your product/service in practice

• Leave time for questions.

• Please note that some meetings will be conducted virtually to allow the most relevant procurement officials to meet with delegates – please therefore bring a laptop to the venue.

Practical tips for venturing into the UN market

• Register as a potential supplier on UNGM, and keep contact details and registration information up to date.

• Ensure that the company name provided in the registration reflects the company name as provided in the company's Certificate of Incorporation.

• Familiarize oneself with each UN organization's procurement procedures using the UN Organizations' pages in the Knowledge Center.

• Access the Annual Statistical Report on UN procurement on UNGM to identify key UN procurement trends and needs.

• Regularly check procurement opportunities on UNGM.

• Consider subscribing to the UNGM Pro to receive notifications when relevant procurement opportunities are published on UNGM.

• Familiarize yourself with the guiding principles for UN procurement and the common General Terms and Conditions of Contracts. Most provisions are common within the UN system, but there can be differences from organisation to organisation. Other specific Terms and Conditions are part of the actual contract, such as, deliverables, delivery timeline, payment schedules, Terms of Reference, etc.

• Engage with UN procurement events such as webinars or supplier training sessions to stay informed.

Practical tips for preparing and submitting bids and proposals

• Respond promptly to bid invitations from UN organizations.

• If unable to submit an offer, inform the UN organization accordingly.

• Carefully review the bidding documents, conditions and requirements and seek clarification on any uncertainties before submission.

• Ensure compliance with all requirements set out in the bidding documents, including quality and, financial statements etc. Submit the bid, catalogues etc, in the requested format and language.

• Meet the submission deadline —late submissions are not accepted.

• Attend public bid openings when invited, as they provide better understanding of the  procurement process.