Guidelines for procurement related to development cooperation projects

When the Ministry for Foreign Affairs uses development cooperation appropriations to purchase services, the procurement is put out to tender in accordance with the Act on Public Procurement and Concession Contracts (1397/2016).  In connection with intergovernmental agreements, the parties may agree that when purchases are made in the partner country, competitive tendering is arranged in accordance with the valid legislation in that country.

A Kosovan woman writing on a paper with hosts of Mundesia organisation.
Asime Tahiri (63) has learned to read and write on a course provided by Mundesia. Photo: Marja-Leena Kultanen / Kehitys-lehti

Development cooperation funds are also used to purchase various consultancy services for the project in question, for example.

According to Finnish legislation, the Act on Public Procurement and Concession Contracts(Link to another website.), which entered into force in 2017, is observed in purchases that are put out to tender.  

The national threshold value for the procurement of goods and services is EUR 60,000, which means that purchases that exceed this value are put out to tender in accordance with the Act. Purchases that remain below the national threshold value, that is, small purchases, will normally remain outside the rules procedure of the Act on Public Procurement and Concession Contracts. 

Purchases for which competitive tendering is arranged are announced in the Hilma service for public procurement(Link to another website.) in the manner laid down in the Act. 

Future purchases are also listed in the calendar of the government's central purchasing body(Link to another website.). The calendar provides preliminary information and lists future small purchases. 

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has invited tenders for the Framework Agreement for Programme Planning which it can use to commission planning services for development cooperation projects. FCG Finnish Consulting Group was selected as the framework agreement supplier from 15 September 2021 to 15 September 2025. Information on the commissions carried out in 2022 is available here (pdf in Finnish).

In its development cooperation purchases, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs pays special attention to the prevention of corruption. 

To find out more about the different procedures, consult for example the Handbook on Government Procurement (2017, in Finnish)(Link to another website.) which describes the different phases and the conduct of competitive tendering. It is based on the perspective of the unit engaged in the procurement process but is useful for suppliers, too. 

The Foreign Ministry is currently updating its procurement guidelines. 

Read more about the principles related to development cooperation in the Manual for Bilateral Programmes.

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