Doing business with International Institutions

Do you want to work with international organisations? We’re here to help you make the most of business opportunities in this field!

International Organisations and Institutions offer many business opportunities. They include the provision of goods and services to the organisations themselves and the projects they support, which often rely on the skills and capacities of external companies. These organisations also require consultancy services to supplement their expertise.

Business opportunities exist in:

1. Corporate / Institutional Procurement

2.  Project Procurement

3. Consultancy

What conditions apply?

The selection and awarding criteria for contracts with International Organisations vary from one organisation to another. However, they do have certain elements in common:

• Companies that wish to take advantage of the business opportunities these organisations offer must be well prepared

• Companies must set aside the appropriate time, personnel and resources, seeking external support if necessary

• Proven references will be a prerequisite for suppliers of goods, services and expertise

• (Potential) collaboration with international organisations is generally on a long-term basis.

Although we encourage companies in all sectors to consider these organisations, not all companies are eligible to do business with them. Eligibility criteria may relate to the size of the company, in terms of its finances or staffing, or its proven relevant experience. The International Organisation will ensure that its chosen partner is capable of fulfilling the contract successfully, in accordance with the established principles of the organisation.

The benefits of working with an International Organisation

• International Organisations strive to promote healthy competition between companies, and to ensure transparency throughout the process.
• By working with International Organisations, you can be confident of receiving payment, provided that work is completed according to the terms of the contract.
• Working with an International Organisation contributes to the financial stability of a company, while providing quality references.

We can help you prepare

Our Economic and Commercial Attachés in cities in which International Institutions and Organisations Internationales are based, or operate, are on hand to support you every step of the way. Our Economic and Commercial Attaché in Brussels is also a useful point of contact.

In order to help you build contacts with International Organisations, hub.brussels works in collaboration with agencies in the other Belgian regions to offer companies the opportunity to participate in visits to these International Organisations, as well as seminars and information sessions.

For example, we have organised visits to the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the United Nations, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and NATO.

As a first step, we recommend checking the websites of the International Organisations you are interested in regularly, in order to familiarise yourself with some background information.

The following factsheets contain the key links you will need. In addition to these factsheets, we also attach a series of practical “questions and answers”.