The Philippine trade and investment office in the Philippine Embassy in Switzerland, in coordination with the Board of Investments (BOI), the Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) and the United Nations Office in Geneva (UNOG), organized a webinar entitled “United Nations Procurement: Business Opportunities for Philippine Exporters”, on 8 September. It was participated by more than 70 private sector participants, mostly manufacturers of PPE and food products.

In 2019, the UN bought a total of USD19.9 billion worth of goods and services. Top items and services procured were pharmaceutical and medical devices, transportation equipment and services, and food. The Philippines is rank 65th with 911 registered suppliers having a share of .30% of total UN procurement or USD 59 million for 2019. There is a lot of room to increase the Philippines’ share in the UN’s total procurement.

The UN resource speakers presented the United Nations Global Marketplace (www.ungm.org), a global online marketplace where the UN tenders and bid notices are accessible by registered suppliers. Mr Cornel Martiniuc and Mr Michel Martinod discussed the step-by-step process of how to register as a UN vendor/supplier, the UN procurement procedures, and also practical tips, and information on how to identify business opportunities.

The UNGM is a free platform for any interested suppliers. Payment terms is usually 40 days upon delivery unless special arrangements are specified in the tender. Certification and standards required are the minimum for health and safety since procurement is normally at the lowest price. Registration for basic level takes only a day while for Levels 1 (for contracts from USD 150k to USD 500k) and Level 2 (contracts above USD 500k) can take a few weeks due to the required documents and references. ♦

Date of Release: 25 September 2020