How to bid: Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)

Where to find notices

Portail de passation de marchés de projets de la BID : appels d'offres (Tenders)
Listing filterable by country, notice type and status. Notice types: general notice, specific notice (including civil works), expression of interest, prequalification and contract award. A form lets you receive new notices by email. The specific notices read give the project code, the deadline, the beneficiary's contact e-mail, the notice text and its files. Available in English, Arabic and French.
Free to read and download, no account. Email subscription.
Portail des consultants (DACON, Database on Consultants)
Roster of registered consulting firms and individual consultants who want to be informed of opportunities in IsDB-financed projects.
Online registration, with a secure login to keep the profile up to date.
dgMarket
The IsDB Guidelines cite it for publishing international tender notices, alongside UNDB Online, which ceased all activity on its website on 31 March 2025. I could not check what dgMarket publishes for the IsDB today: follow the IsDB portal first.
Site et presse du bénéficiaire
For national tenders, the notice is published on the beneficiary's website and, where available, in other widely distributed media.

The buying methods

ICB (International Competitive Bidding) et ICB/MC
The IsDB's normal method for goods, works and related services. ICB is open to firms from member countries and others. ICB/MC is limited to firms from member countries. The beneficiary uses the standard RFB (Request for Bids) document.[1]
LIB (Limited International Bidding)
ICB by direct invitation without open advertising. Possible for small values, a limited number of manufacturers, a unique product or an emergency. The beneficiary submits a supplier list to the IsDB.[1]
NCB (National Competitive Bidding)
The beneficiary country's national procedure, accepted by the IsDB for small, scattered or labour-intensive contracts, after adjustments. It stays open to eligible foreign firms on the same terms.[1]
Shopping (demande de cotations)
Comparison of written quotations for off-the-shelf goods or small simple works. At least three firms are asked, and the time to reply is 10 to 30 days.[1]
Direct Contracting (contrat de gré à gré)
Contract with a single firm, without competition, in limited cases. There is no standstill period.[1]
QCBS, QBS, LCS, FBS, CQS, SSS (consultants)
For shortlisted firms: QCBS (quality and cost, usual weights 80/20), QBS (quality only), LCS (lowest cost among qualified, for small routine assignments), FBS (fixed budget), CQS (qualifications, no request for proposals) and SSS (single source, exceptional).[2]

Registering and being eligible

The Guidelines we read do not require firms to register with the IsDB to answer a tender: you bid to the beneficiary. Only consultants have an IsDB-specific roster (DACON). The portal's supplier registration page could not be read.

Consulting firms and individual consultants can register online in DACON. You supply contact details, management, staff specialisations, experience and past projects. Registration gives a secure login to keep the profile current. It does not guarantee a place on a shortlist.[3]
Dossiers must require that goods, works or services comply with the boycott regulations of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the League of Arab States and the African Union. The bidder provides a letter of oath. Same rule for consultants (Goods and Works Guidelines 1.8.1; Consultancy Guidelines 1.11.1).[1][2]
A member-country firm must be established or incorporated in a member country, have its principal place of business there and be more than 50% beneficially owned by firms or citizens of member countries (1.8.4). A 'domestic' firm must meet the same tests for the beneficiary country (1.8.5).[1]
A country can be excluded if the beneficiary country's law prohibits trade with it, if a UN Security Council decision requires it, or under the IsDB's cross-debarment agreement (1.8.2). A firm or individual sanctioned by the IsDB is ineligible for the period set (1.8.7).[1]
A state-owned enterprise of the beneficiary country can compete only if it is legally and financially autonomous, operates under commercial law and does not depend on the government budget (1.8.6).[1]
Eligibility is checked during evaluation. If a firm hides information to avoid exclusion, the beneficiary may cancel the contract, penalise the firm and claim compensation (1.8.3). For consultants, eligibility is finally determined at contract signature (consultancy 1.11.3).[1][2]

Finding notices

Announcement is in two steps: a general notice after funds are approved, then a specific notice when the dossier is available. For ICB the general notice is published on the IsDB website and on the beneficiary government's portal. The specific notice is published the same way and says where to get the dossier (Goods and Works Guidelines, Part 2, 1.2.2 to 1.2.5). The Guidelines also cite UNDB Online or dgMarket, but UNDB ceased all activity on its website on 31 March 2025.[1][7]
Media chosen must be in at least one of the IsDB's working languages: Arabic, English or French (1.2.6).[1]
For NCB the specific notice is published on the beneficiary's website and, where available, other widely distributed media (2.4.1).[1]
For consulting, the request for expressions of interest is published on the IsDB website and in at least one national newspaper for international or member-country shortlists. For a domestic shortlist it is on the beneficiary's website and widely distributed media. Firms normally get at least 14 days to respond (Consultancy Guidelines 1.5.4 and 1.5.5). Here too the Guidelines cite UNDB Online or dgMarket, and UNDB ceased all activity on its website on 31 March 2025.[2][7]
The IsDB tenders portal is filterable by country, notice type and status, and offers a subscription to new notices. Notices are public: the specific notices read for Burkina Faso and Senegal give the beneficiary's contact e-mail and files that download without an account.[4][8][5][6]

Preparing the bid

The IsDB publishes standard documents (February 2023 for most), including those for goods, major and small works, non-consulting services, consultant requests for proposals, and shopping documents.

Preparation periods: generally at least 42 days from publication of the specific notice for ICB or ICB/MC, and at least 84 days for large works or complex plants (1.12.2.1). For NCB, generally at least 28 days (2.5.1).[1]
Bid security: required by the beneficiary, generally 1% to 3% of the contract value, issued by a bank or financial institution chosen by the bidder. In its place the beneficiary may require a bid-securing declaration that suspends a defaulting bidder from its contracts (1.9.9).[1]
Joint ventures: in ICB, association of non-member firms with member-country firms is encouraged. In ICB/MC it may be accepted, but the lead member-country firm must perform at least 50% of the contract. In NCB, the domestic firm must perform at least 50% (1.11.1 to 1.11.3). With subcontracting, the firm keeps more than 50% of the contract value (1.11.4).[1]
Preference: with IsDB consent, in ICB a margin of preference of at most 15% of the lowest evaluated offer can be given to goods made in member countries, if local added value reaches 30% or more (1.12.8.1).[1]
Performance security: normally not more than 10% of the contract price for a bank guarantee (1.11.1.1). Retention money: not more than 10% of the contract price (1.11.2).[1]
Consultancy shortlists: five to six firms, with no more than two from any one member country for international and member-country shortlists (Consultancy Guidelines 1.6.2).[2]

Submitting and bid opening

The date, time and place for receipt and opening are in the invitation. Opening is public, at the deadline or just after, and bidders or their representatives may attend. Bids received after the deadline are returned unopened. Each bidder's name and total amount are read aloud and recorded, and a copy of the record is sent to the IsDB and all bidders (1.12.3.1). After opening, the substance or price of a bid cannot be changed (1.12.4.1).[1]

After award

Each dossier provides a standstill period of at least 10 business days between sending the notification of intention to award and the notification of award. There is no standstill for a recognised emergency, a call-off under a framework agreement, direct contracting or a single bid in an open process (1.12.13). For consulting, same minimum length (Consultancy Guidelines 2.9).[1][2]
Award is subject to IsDB no-objection after the standstill. A contract awarded without no-objection, under prior review, is not eligible for IsDB financing (1.12.16.1 and 1.12.17.2).[1]
The award notice is published through the same media as the specific notice (1.12.17.1).[1]

Complaining

Complaints go to the beneficiary. The IsDB monitors their handling. They can challenge the bidding documents, an exclusion before award and the award decision. Contract-performance disputes fall under the contract (Goods and Works Guidelines 1.20 and Annex B, 2.1 to 2.3).[1]
Deadlines: against the dossier, at least 10 business days before the submission deadline, or 5 business days after an amendment; against exclusion, 10 business days after notice; against the award, before the standstill ends (Annex B, 5.1).[1]
If a complaint is received during the standstill, the beneficiary informs the IsDB, sends it a draft response and, under prior review, does not award without no-objection. If no no-objection arrives during the standstill, the standstill is automatically extended (1.12.15).[1]
The complaint must be written and state the complainant's identity, its interest, the project and lot, the reference, the current stage, any earlier exchanges, the nature of the problem and the IsDB rule allegedly breached (Annex B, 5.2).[1]

Traps to know about

An 'ICB/MC' notice closes the door to firms whose capital is not mostly held by firms or citizens of member countries. Read the member-country definition before buying the dossier.
The Guidelines require a letter of oath on boycott regulations in every dossier. Prepare it in advance with your other administrative papers.
In a joint venture with a foreign firm on an NCB or ICB/MC, your firm must perform at least half of the contract. A partner that wants to keep most of the work cannot lead.
When the notice cites national procedures (NCB), the country's code also applies, adjusted to IsDB requirements. Read the country guide.

What we could not confirm

Rather than guess, we list here what no reliable source allowed us to confirm. On these points, rely on the tender file or ask the body concerned.

dgMarket, cited by the Guidelines, refused our reading tools on 2 November 2026: we did not check whether it still republishes IsDB notices.
The Guidelines read are the Bank's, dated September 2018, published April 2019 and revised February 2023. We did not check whether a newer version exists.
Not read: the portal's Vendor Registration page, DACON eligibility criteria (the page only mentions basic criteria set by the IsDB), the IsDB's list of sanctioned firms, and any beneficial-ownership rule.
The value thresholds that trigger ICB, NCB or shopping depend on each project's financing agreement and procurement plan, not on the Guidelines. They are therefore not given here.

Sources

Guidelines for the Procurement of Goods, Works, and Related Services under IsDB Project Financing (approved 2 Sept 2018, published April 2019, revised February 2023) (Islamic Development Bank, 2023-02)
Guidelines for the Procurement of Consultancy Services under IsDB Project Financing (approved 2 Sept 2018, published April 2019, revised February 2023) (Islamic Development Bank, 2023-02)
Consultants Portal (Database on Consultants, DACON) (Islamic Development Bank)
Project Procurement (IsDB portal home: tenders, documents, consultants, vendor registration) (Islamic Development Bank, 2026-11-02)
Acquisition d'équipement de laboratoire de simulation de conduite de réseau pour le Centre de Formation de la SONABEL (avis spécifique, projet BFA-1043) (Islamic Development Bank, project procurement portal, 2026-08-19)
Travaux de construction des 08 plateformes départementales de l'Agropole Centre (avis spécifique, projet SEN 1055) (Islamic Development Bank, project procurement portal, 2026-09-09)
UN Development Business Phase Down (United Nations, UN Development Business, 2025-03-31)
Tenders (IsDB project procurement) (Islamic Development Bank)

Bidding to: Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)