Procurement
© UNESCO/Niamh Burke
A cargo plane transports the Aksum obelisk back to Ethiopia from Italy, 2005.
This page is designed to provide basic information on UNESCO procurement and to answer the questions of potential vendors (i.e. companies/entities) seeking registration and Business Opportunities with UNESCO.
If you are an Individual Consultant, please go to the Consultant Roster to register your CV in order to be considered for potential consultancy work with UNESCO.
Major Procurement Requirements
UNESCO procures goods, works and services at estimated USD 250 Million per year. An estimated 70 % of the total procurement expenditures are related to acquisition of professional services.
In addition to the requirements for the implementation of the programme activities under the main themes of Education, Natural Sciences, Social & Human Sciences, Culture, Communication & Information, UNESCO requires goods, works and services for general administration including Information Technology, Building Maintenance & Renovations as well as Conferences, Languages & Documents Services. Please also refer to UNESCO Worldwide, a section presenting the main activities of the Organization country by country.
Vendor Registrations
If your company/entity provides goods, works or services of interest to UNESCO and complies with UN procurement policies, you are invited to register your company as a potential supplier with UNESCO via the United Nations Global Marketplace UNGM website.
Although registration on UNGM does not automatically guarantee receipt of any enquiries or tender documents from UNESCO, it is an important procurement tool for UNESCO staff looking for potential new suppliers.
Procurement Policies
UNESCO follows the Common Guidelines for Procurement by Organizations in the UN System. The selection process for contractors is governed by the principles of economy, effectiveness, competition and transparency.
United Nation System General Business Guide
PDF file - 139 pages - 1,1 MB
Business Opportunities
UNESCO procurement needs and requirements of an estimated value of USD 100,000 and above are announced on the UN Global Marketplace (UNGM). Please select “Procurement Notices” under “Notices” and type “UNESCO” under “agency abbreviation starts with”.
United Nations Global Marketplace: Procurement notice
Procurement Notice Search page
Contract Awards
All UNESCO contractual arrangements are subject to the Financial Rules and Regulations of the Organization and its Administrative Manual.
Recent contract awards for tenders valued at USD 100,000 or more
PDF file - 50 Ko - 4 pages
From 2012 on, UNESCO contract awards established further advertisement will be published on the United Nations Global Marketplace website (UNGM)
Contact Us
more information of UNESCO procurement activities contact
procurement.info(at)unesco.org