Belgium Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in belgium, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Selling to the Public Sector
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Selling to the Government

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.

For detailed information on EU rules and regulations for public procurement, please refer to the European Union Country Commercial Guide

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

Most projects are financed by public and private sector lenders at commercial rates. As a member of the European Union, Belgium has access to EU-funded programs, which provide a wide range of support in the form of grants, loans and co-financing for training, feasibility studies, and infrastructure projects in the environmental, transportation, energy, and other key sectors. EU initiatives are designed to support projects within the Member States and the EU wide “economic integration” projects that cross borders.

Multilateral Development Banks and Financing Government Sales. Price, payment terms, and financing can be a significant factor in winning a government contract. Many governments finance public works projects through borrowing from the Multilateral Development Banks (MDB). The Guide to Doing Business with Multilateral Development Banks overviews how to work with MDBs. The International Trade Administration (ITA) has a Foreign Commercial Service Officer stationed at each of the five different Multilateral Development Banks (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.