| Business opportunities exist at each stage of the project cycle. However, the types of opportunities, the size of opportunities, the “buyer” of goods and services, and the manner in which goods and services are bought vary according to which stage a project is in. As a general rule, projects in the “Pipeline” generate short-term consulting opportunities of less than US$ 100,000. Consultants may be hired by both the World Bank and the borrowing country during this stage. Projects in “Implementation” generate large and small contracts for goods and equipment suppliers and for civil works and consulting firms. Companies respond to open tenders and are selected by the borrowing country according to formal procedures and evaluation criteria. No matter what stage the project is in, companies interested in selling their goods and services to the World Bank or to the borrowing country should expect the competition for the opportunities to be very strong. There is no prequalification or registration requirement to bid on projects financed by the World Bank, but consulting firms with at least 5 professionals may register with the database, DACON. DACON is sometimes used by borrowing countries and World Bank staff to identify potential consultants. However, registration in DACON is not mandatory. The table below provides an overview of business opportunities during the project cycle. For each stage of the project cycle it outlines the types of opportunities, who is procuring the goods or services, and sources of information on business opportunities. The procurement methods applied in each case will depend on the nature, size and scope of the contract. The Guidelines: Procurement under IBRD Loans and Credits detail the selection methods that may be used in the procurement of goods, works, and non-consulting services. The Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants by World Bank Borrowers detail the selection methods for consulting services link to guidelines (this is discussed in greater detail in the Procurement Methods section of this guide).
Business Opportunities during the Project Cycle Stage | Type of Opportunity | “Buyer” | Sources of Information | Pre-Pipeline | Short-Term Consulting (< $100,000) | World Bank | ESW, PRSP, CAS, Sector Studies REI is published for all contracts with an estimated value above $50,000 | Identification | Short-Term Consulting | World Bank | MOS REI is published for all contracts with an estimated value above $50,000 | Preparation | Short-Term Consulting | Borrowing Country | MOS, PID | Medium-Term Consulting Services (> $200,000) | Borrowing Country | Appraisal | Short-Term Consulting | World Bank | MOS, PID REI is published for all contracts with an estimated value above $50,000 | Negotiation & Approval | N/A | N/A | GPN | Implementation | Consulting Services, Equipment, Goods & Civil Works | Borrowing Country | PID, PAD, GPN, REI, SPN, PRCA | Supervision | Short-Term Consulting | World Bank | Post-Evaluation | Short-Term Consulting | World Bank | PID, PAD, GPN, REI, SPN, PRCA |
Business Opportunities in the Project Pipeline  |
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