In addition to international procurement action, field offices are authorized to undertake local and required procurement action which include a wide range of requirements.
For purchases within the authority of field offices, the Procurement Division plays a normative role in setting policies and providing advisory support. Vendors may wish to establish separate contact with field offices.
General inquiries
Registration as a vendor with the United Nations Secretariat and many other organisations of the UN system is done through the United Nations Global Marketplace (UNGM). Visit the website to create your account and to complete your application to become a registered vendor. Note: In UNGM the UN Secretariat includes the UN Procurement Division, Peacekeeping and Political Missions, Regional Economic Commissions (ECA, ECLAC, ESCAP, ESCWA), Tribunals (ICTY, ICTR, AKRT) and Offices Away from Headquarters (UNOG, UNON, UNOV).
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No, every UN System entity (WFP, UNICEF, UNESCO, UNDP, etc.) has its own procurement capacity, expertise and portfolio. The UN Secretariat Procurement conducts procurement for the UN Secretariat in New York, Peacekeeping/Political Missions, Tribunals and Commissions. Selected Offices Away from Headquarters do have delegated procurement authority to carry out their own procurement up to established financial limits. The UN Secretariat Procurement generally conducts purchases beyond these limits and for global acquisition projects.
No, the United Nations Global Marketplace (UNGM) provides a one-stop portal for applying to become a registered vendor with 22 different Agencies, Funds and Programmes and UN Secretariat that together represents 95% of the procurement expenditure of the UN System. The UN entities use UNGM as a sourcing tool in search for suppliers, as well as to publish new business opportunities. The UNGM registration is free of charge.
Yes. All procurement opportunities for the UN Secretariat are published on our website in the Expression of Interest section as well as on the United Nations Global Marketplace website
As an approved UN Secretariat vendor, the best way to stay informed about upcoming business opportunities is to regularly monitor the Procurement Division website, where all open procurement notices are published.
To ensure that relevant opportunities reach you directly, it is important that the UNSPSC codes in your vendor profile in the United Nations Global Marketplace accurately reflect your core goods and services, as these are used by buyers when searching for vendors.
You may also subscribe to the UNGM Pro, which will notify you by email of procurement notices that match your selected codes through the Tender Alert Service (TAS).
You are encouraged to consult the Expression of Interest section on the UN Secretariat Procurement website or United Nations Global Marketplace where all open Expressions of Interest (EOI) are published and contact the procurement officer for information. Please note, however, that the first step to participating in procurement opportunities with the UN Secretariat and other agencies of the UN System is by registering as a vendor at the United Nations Global Marketplace. Contact information for the UN Secretariat can be found in the Contact Us section and on the UNGM website for other Agencies, Funds and Programmes.
As an inter-governmental organisation, the UN Secretariat is exempt from the payment of taxes and duties for its purchases.
The United Nations does accept GSA pricing, however, as a rule, the UN Secretariat makes its purchases on the basis of Best Value for Money (BVM). You should always offer the best prices combined with the best quality of products or services that match our procurement requirements when offering a quotation, bid or proposal.
The UN Secretariat does not normally make specific visits to individual companies. However, the UN system does organize Business Seminars which offer opportunities for companies to meet with procurement officials and which may include visits to select industries.
Contact information for UN Secretariat Procurement can be found in the Contact Us section and on the UNGM website for other Agencies, Funds and Programmes.
Yes, of course. The UN Secretariat procures on an international basis from vendors of all sizes and from all geographical locations. Sometimes our requirements are large and sometimes our requirements are small. For this reason, we have different levels of registration and companies can choose the level at which they wish to register based on the size of their company and the size of contract that they are able to manage. A description of the different levels of registration and the requirements for each level can be found at Vendor Registration.
Contact information for UN Secretariat Procurement can be found in the Contact Us section and on the UNGM website for other Agencies, Funds and Programmes.
Delivery requirements for purchases are usually specified in the tender documents (ITB, RFP). Delivery requirements may range from Ex-Works (EXW) to Delivered At Place (DAP) or Free Carrier (FCA). Your ability to comply with the stated delivery requirements will be factored into the evaluation process.
We are not authorized to issue visas. Visas to the United States can only be issued by the US Embassy or Consulate in your country.
The United Nations Secretariat payment terms are normally net 30 days upon receipt of invoice and delivery of goods or performance of contractual services, whichever is later. Advance payments and progress payments prior to delivery of goods or performance of contractual services ordered may be approved on an exceptional basis at the discretion of the UN Secretariat, if such payments are required pursuant to normal commercial practice or considered to be in the interest of the UN Secretariat. The United Nations does not issue letters of credit.
The United Nations Secretariat may require a successful contractor to furnish performance bonds in the United Nations standard format or similar forms of financial guarantee. The amount of performance bonds/guarantees will vary depending on the nature of the requirements. The UN may also include a liquidated damages clause in its contractual documents in case adherence to the schedule of delivery of goods or performance of contractual services is critical to meet the requirements of the UN.
No. The United Nations Secretariat procures goods and services on an international basis and we prefer to deal directly with Vendors. Presence in the United States will not result in any advantage for your company.
No. The UN Secretariat does business with vendors from all over the world guided, among others, by the Best Value for Money principle. Nevertheless, the UN also represents 193 Member States, which guides it to diversify its vendor database in its business dealings. The UN is therefore constantly seeking to attract suppliers from countries and regions hitherto under-represented and is actively increasing its sources of supplies of goods and services from vendors in countries categorised as developing or with economies in transition.