Selling to the Government
Interested companies can visit the Albanian Public Procurement Agency’s website (http://app.gov.al/) to learn about government procurement opportunities. All public procurements, including both local and central government, are published online and the bidding procedures take place online. Companies occasionally complain about problems in the technical and financial criteria of contracts, resulting in biased and distorted competition. Improper implementation of public procurement procedures has also been a problem. Most tender documents are in the Albanian language, not English. For large and complex projects, companies should consider retaining a local representative/partner, who can assist in accessing tender information and managing participation in the tender.
The Albanian government has held observer status to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement since 2001.
Many governments finance public works projects through borrowing from the Multilateral Development Banks. Please refer to “Project Financing” Section in “Trade and Project Financing” for more information.
U.S. companies bidding on Government tenders may also qualify for U.S. Government Advocacy. A unit of the U.S. Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration, the Advocacy Center coordinates U.S. Government interagency advocacy efforts on behalf of U.S. exporters bidding on public sector contracts with international governments and government agencies. The Advocacy Center works closely with our network of the U.S. Commercial Service worldwide and inter-agency partners to ensure that exporters of U.S. products and services have the best possible chance of winning government contracts. Advocacy assistance can take many forms but often involves the U.S. Embassy or other U.S. Government agencies expressing support for the U.S. bidders directly to the foreign government. Consult Advocacy for Foreign Government Contracts for additional information.
Financing of Projects
Multilateral Development Banks and Financing Government Sales. Price, payment terms, and financing can be a significant factor in winning a government contract. Albanian government finances many public works projects through borrowing from the Multilateral Development Banks (MDB). A helpful guide for working with the MDBs is the Guide to Doing Business with the Multilateral Development Banks (PDF). The U.S. Department of Commerce’s (USDOC) International Trade Administration (ITA) has a Foreign Commercial Service Officer stationed at each of the five different MDBs: the African Development Bank; the Asian Development Bank; the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; the Inter-American Development Bank; and the World Bank.
Learn more by contacting the:
Commercial Liaison Office to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Ms. Janelle Weyek
Senior Commercial Officer and Commercial Representative to the EBRD
U.S. Embassy in London
Commercial Liaison Office to the World Bank
Barbara White
International Trade Specialist
Office of the U.S. Executive Director at the World Bank
Albania has received World Bank assistance across a range of sectors since becoming a member in 1991. World Bank total commitment to Albania, from 1991 to August 31, 2021, is estimated at USD 2.52 billion across 86 projects.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) cumulative investments in Albania as of August 2021 reached close to $1.9 billion across115 projects. EBRD offers financial products including loans, equity, and trade guarantees for both public and private-sector clients. Almost half of EBRD commitment in Albania focuses on the private sector.