UNDP strives to build long-term business relationships with reputable vendors across the globe that have goods and services that will help us address some of the world’s most urgent needs and pressing problems.

UNDP buys goods and services for each of its Country Offices as well as UNDP Headquarters in New York. Responsibility for procurement is decentralized, meaning that the entire procurement cycle – from sourcing to contract management – is done locally. A Country Office’s Resident Representative, or his or her designee, oversees the process.

The Country Office will enter into contracts with vendors, which may be companies or individuals. Headquarters plays a limited role with the Office of Procurement (OP) providing support and specialized assistance. The Procurement Oversight Unit (POU), an independent unit within the Bureau for Management Services, reviews contracts that exceed the delegated authority of the Business Unit. The POU ensures that procurement undertaken by UNDP Business Units complies with relevant guidelines, and that procurement risks are properly assessed and mitigated.

As a public organization, we must strictly adhere to the UNDP Financial Regulations and Rules, which mandate that contracts be awarded through a competitive process, obtaining bids through formal tenders. To ensure consistency across all our offices and business units, UNDP uses standard bidding documents, available in English, Spanish and French.

Examples of goods and services frequently procured by UNDP country offices include: