Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD)

Eligibility: As of January 2002, all Norwegian bilateral development assistance has been fully untied, which allows suppliers from anywhere in the world to bid on contracts funded by Norwegian development assistance.

Registration: There are no registration requirements for bidding on contracts financed by Norwegian aid.

Procurement Rules: Procurement preparations normally commence as soon as the Financial Agreement between NORAD and the cooperating partner (executing agency) has been signed. Responsibility for the preparation of the tender documents, the procurement process and contract negotiations rest with the cooperating partner. Procurement practice must conform to Norwegian regulations, which comply with open bidding procedures, and be in accordance with the partner country's procurement guidelines. The Procurement Body will often seek an Expression of Interest or Pre-qualification from suppliers in advance of any procurement.

Finding Opportunities: NORAD's "Business Opportunities" website contains information on planned programmes/projects, tender notices, contract awards and private sector development support schemes. It also has links to "Norsk Lysningsblad" (DOFFIN), and the European Union's "Tenders Electronic Daily" (TED), where NORAD posts notices for contracts above certain thresholds. Norwegian embassies are in the process of establishing their own websites that will contain information about the partner country and the bilateral cooperation programme. Detailed information about NORAD's 2000-2005 strategy is available under "About NORAD" on the agency's website.