Trinidad and tobago Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in trinidad and tobago, 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

Opportunities to sell to the government exist in digital transformation, healthcare, construction, and public utilities.  The GoTT tends to engage foreign suppliers in these areas more willingly when bids come with financing proposals.  Competitiveness factors like price, value, training, and post-sale service are important elements of any bid.  Agencies publish tender announcements in the three daily newspapers and also on the government website under “Active Tender Notices Online.”  There are approximately 100 government ministries and state companies with the authority to purchase goods and services.  The GoTT established a new procurement regime in 2023 that is still in early phases of implementation. For more information on how your company may become registered, please review the following website: https://oprtt.org/.

TT is not a party to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement.  Some U.S. firms have identified a lack of transparency as an obstacle to foreign direct investment, specifically in public procurement.  TT’s public procurement processes have historically suffered from the widespread perception of corruption and opacity.  The newly implemented procurement process aims to address these issues but excludes multiple sectors such as national security, and government-to-government transactions.  The new procurement process has already been amended to reduce oversight and accountability.  Since the process’ full implementation in April 2023, government procurement staff and vendors alike have struggled with the new process creating delays and greater uncertainty in selling to the government.

U.S. companies bidding on foreign government tenders may also qualify for U.S. Government advocacy. Within 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 in competition with foreign firms in foreign government projects or procurement opportunities. 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 agency officials expressing support for the U.S. exporters directly to the foreign government. Consult the Advocacy Center’s program web page on trade.gov 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. 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.

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