PROJECT PROCUREMENT

The Procurement Framework

The World Bank's Procurement Framework governs projects financed by Investment Project Financing (IPF). The Framework was launched in July 2016. It supports Borrower’s achieve value-for-money with integrity in delivering sustainable development. The Framework promotes flexibility in tailoring procurement approaches that are fit-for-purpose and reflect choice, quality, and value for money in public spending.  

Mandatory Documents

The Procurement Framework comprises mandatory requirements set out in the Regulations, Policy, Directive and Procedure. The Regulations govern the procurement of Goods, Works, Non-Consulting Services, and Consulting Services for IPF operations financed in whole, or in part, by the World Bank. The Regulations specify the rules that must be followed, but also provide flexibility for Borrowers to design the right approach to market taking into account country and project specific risks, issues and opportunities.

Supporting Documents

The application of the Procurement Framework is supported by a suite of Standard Procurement Documents (SPDs), Procurement Guidance, tools, templates listed below.

Translations

Various translations of documents have been provided. Additional translations will be added as they become available.

Prevailing version: In the case of a discrepancy between the English version and a translated version the English version shall prevail.

Regulations, Policy, Directive, Procedure

• Bank Regulations
  Procurement Regulations for Investment Project Financing (IPF) Borrowers
  February 2025: English, French, Spanish
       Summary of Revisions: English, French, Spanish

Retired previous versions:

• September 2023: English, French, Spanish
      Note: Summary of Revisions              
• November 2020: English, French, Chinese, Spanish, Vietnamese
• August 2018: English, Chinese, French, Spanish
      Note: Summary of Revisions
• November 2017: English, French, Spanish
• July 2016: English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Japanese, Portuguese,
  Russian, Spanish, Turkish, Vietnamese
  
  
• Bank Policy
  Procurement Policy in Investment Project Financing (IPF) and Other Operational Procurement Matters
  July 2016 English, Chinese
  
  
• Bank Directive
  Procurement Directive in IPF and Other Operational Procurement Matters
  April 2024 English
  
  
• Bank Procedure
  Procurement Procedure in IPF and Other Operational Procurement Matters
  March 2025 English
   

Understanding Bank procurement

• A Beginner’s Guide for Borrowers - Procurement under World Bank IPF - Procurement Guidance English
• A Beginner’s Guide for Suppliers - Finding business opportunities and winning contracts financed by the World Bank – Procurement Guidance English 
• A Beginner’s Guide to Standard Procurement Documents (SPDs) -  An overview for practitioners – Procurement  Guidance English
• Bank Oversight - Post Review, Independent Procurement Review, and Integrated Fiduciary Reviews – Bank Guidance English
• Noncompliance in IPF Operations – Bank Guidance English
• Procurement-Related Complaints - Procurement Guidance English, Chinese, Spanish
• Situations of Urgent Need of Assistance or Capacity Constraints – Bank Guidance English
• Thresholds for Procurement Approaches and Methods by Country – Bank Guidance English

Initiating the Procurement Process

• Aggregated Procurement – Fact Sheet English
• Beneficial Ownership Disclosure Requirement - Mandatory Note English
• Conflict of Interest – Procurement Guidance English
• Conflict of Interest Declaration – Template English
• Early Market Engagement Fact Sheet English
• Framework Agreements - Procurement Guidance English
• General Procurement Notice (GPN) - Template English
• HEIS -  Hands-on Expanded Implementation Support – Bank Guidance English
• Letter of Acceptance of World Bank’s Anti-Corruption Guidelines and Sanctions Framework (to be signed by all bidders/proposers/consultants at procurement stage) – Template English, French, Spanish
• Letter of Acceptance of World Bank’s Anti-Corruption Guidelines and Sanctions Framework (to be signed by winning bidders/proposers/consultants post contract award) – Template English, French, Portuguese, Spanish
• PPSD Guidance Long Form - Project Procurement Strategy for Development - Procurement  Guidance English
• PPSD Guidance Short Form - Project Procurement Strategy for Development – Procurement  Guidance English, Chinese, Spanish
• PPSD Template Long Form – Template English
• PPSD Template Short Form – Template English
• Procurement Plan – Template English, French
• Procurement Planning - Stages of Procurement – diagram English
• Procurement Planning Flow Chart – example of decision logic English
• Request for Expression of Interest (REoI) – Template English
• Value for Money – Procurement Guidance English
   

Evaluating and Selecting Suppliers

• Abnormally Low Bids and Proposals – Procurement Guidance English, Chinese
• Competitive Dialogue: How to undertake a Competitive Dialogue Procurement Process - Procurement Guidance English
• Complaints - Procurement-Related Complaints -  Procurement Guidance English, Chinese, Spanish
• Evaluating Bids and Proposals Using Rated Criteria – Procurement Guidance English, Chinese, French, Spanish
• Negotiations and Best and Final Offer - in Procurement of Goods, Works, and Non-consulting Services – Procurement Guidance English 
• Price Benchmarking – Procurement Guidance English
• Procurement Evaluation Report – Template English French
• Rated Criteria – Webpage English
   

Contract Implementation

• Contract Management, General Principles  – Procurement Guidance English
• Contract Management, Practice  – Procurement Guidance English
• Contract Price Adjustment - Procurement Computation Workbook (Excel) English
• Supply Chain Management - Procurement Guidance English
   

Sustainable Procurement

• Contract Clauses for Implementing Sustainable Procurement (For use by Borrowers in IPF National Procurements) – Example Clauses English
• Environmental & Social Framework (ESF) - Webpage English
• Gender-Based Violence (GBV) - Contractor Disqualification – Webpage English
• Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, and Sexual Harassment (SEA/SH) - Questions & Answers English
• Solar Panels –  Forced Labor Risk - Bidder Declaration - Mandatory Note English, Chinese, French, Spanish
• Sustainable Procurement: Guidance and Additional Resources – Webpage English
  
  

Specialized Procurement

• Health –  A Buyer’s Guide to Medical Diagnostic Equipment – Procurement Guidance English
• Health – Engaging an Expert Consultant for Medical Diagnostic Equipment – Procurement Guidance English
• PPP - Public Private Partnerships – Procurement Guidance English

4. UN Agencies - Standard Form Agreements

Standard Forms of Agreement between World Bank Borrowers and UN Agencies

You will find below the updated Standard Form of Agreement (SFA) master template to be used when a Borrower contracts a UN agency for Delivery of Outputs under Investment Project Financing. The SFA template has been updated to clarify that the Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework is the applicable environmental and social policy framework and further responds to feedback on financial reporting, data privacy and protection, and more. An SFA master template for Technical Assistance is being finalized and will be posted as soon as practicable along with an SFA master template for the Procurement of Supplies.

Should you have any questions, please contact unagencies@worldbank.org

Standard Form of Agreement for Outputs

• SFA for Outputs Template
  November 2024 English, French

Standard Form of Agreement for Technical Assistance

• Forthcoming

Standard Form of Agreement for the Procurement of Supplies

• Forthcoming

The new SFAs included on this site replace prior SFAs with the following UN Agencies:

• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
• International Labor Organization (ILO)
• International Organization for Migration (IOM)
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
• United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
• United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
• United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
• United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
• United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
• United Nations World Tourism Organization (WTO)
• World Food Programme (WFP)
• World Health Organization (WHO)
• World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

For use of existing Supplies SFAs with several UN agencies, or for questions on how to work with a UN agency not listed here, please contact the UN Program Team: unagencies@worldbank.org

5. Alternative Procurement Arrangements (APAs)

The use of Alternative Procurement Arrangements (APAs) was approved by the Board of the World Bank in July 2015 as part of the New Procurement Framework.

An assessment methodology has been developed and is being tested to assess the legal and regulatory framework, and the capacity and capability of a borrower implementing agency.  It uses as its base the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Developments (OECD) Methodology for Assessing Procurement Systems (MAPS).  The assessment methodology has been designed to include an additional Pillar, covering procurement operations and the use of minimum standards.  It also uses an evidence based approach, analyzing procurement data and, gathering the views of the Private Sector and Civil Society Organizations (CSO).

See the Draft Guide to the Assessment: English, Chinese

The principles governing APAs consider whether agency procurement arrangements, including procurement performance and governance, provide assurance that the Bank’s financing will be used for the intended purpose(s), and in accordance with the Bank’s Core Procurement Principles:

·       Value for money

·       Economy

·       Efficiency

·       Integrity

·       Fit for purpose

·       Transparency

·       Fairness

6. Training

Access our E-Learning

Presentation: The new Procurement Framework and the new Standard Procurement Documents (SPDs) (April 7, 2017)   Related Questions and Answers

This presentation introduces the new suite of SPDs launched in July 2016. It introduces the new SPD features resulting from the Procurement Regulations and the circumstances in which they are applied. It provides information on:

1.  How the SPDs were developed
2.  Details of the new Request for Proposal SPDs for goods, works and non-consulting services
3.  Key regulatory changes, and how these are reflected in the SPDs, including:

- Eligibility
- Performance Based Specifications
- Value for Money and Rated Criteria
- New Request for Proposal SPDs and Initial Selection
- Best and Final Offer (BAFO) and Negotiations
- Sustainable Procurement
- Abnormally Low Tenders
- Most Advantageous Bid/Proposal
- Notification of Intention to Award
- Standstill Period, Debriefs and Complaints
- Value Engineering

Webinar: Enhancement of ESHS Outcomes Through Procurement (related questions and answers)
The webinar discusses the key ESHS enhancements and how they work in practice (from planning through to contract implementation). These enhancements have been made in order to improve contract performance and outcomes, and achieve better value for money. Enhancements have been made to the following documents:

• Standard Procurement Documents  (SPDs) applicable for Projects with Concept Notes after July 1, 2016;
• Standard Bidding Documents (SBDs) applicable for Projects with Concept Notes before July 1, 2016; and
• Standard Request for Proposal (RFP) document in regards to the selection of the supervising engineer of works contracts.
   

Private Sector Webinar: How to Complain (related Questions and Answers)
The webinar provides an overview on the types of complaints covered by the Procurement Regulations for Borrowers and the process for review and resolution of these complaints, covering among other topics: how these complaints shall be submitted and handled; general requirements and timelines for filing and resolving the complaints; the application of standstill period; debriefing by the Borrower; and the roles and responsibilities of the private sector, Borrowers and the World Bank in relation to the covered complaints.

New Procurement Framework Deep-Dive for IFI Liaisons (April 3, 2018) (related questions and answers)
The seminar provides in-depth knowledge and understanding of the following topics of the New Procurement Framework:

• Approved Selection Methods for Goods, Works and Non-Consulting Services covering among others Competitive Dialogue, BAFO and Negotiations
• Project Procurement Strategy for Development
• Overview of Standard Procurement Documents including standstill period, evaluation criteria; abnormally low bids/ proposals; sustainable procurement;  environmental, social, health and social (ESHS) including gender based violence (GBV)/sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) requirements; and consultant services key changes
• Procurement-related complaints - ensuring the new complaint mechanism is responsive and effective
• Direct Payment and Beneficial Ownership
• Contract Management

The seminar also includes a presentation on Corporate Procurement.