Procurement

IUCN procurement covers the purchase of goods and services, including the procurement of consultancy services and the contracting of implementing partners. IUCN is committed to ensuring that procurement is conducted to a high standard and that best practices are adhered to at all times

Competitive tendering

For all contracts above CHF 25,000, contractors are selected through a formal competitive process unless an exception from competition is justified and formally granted.

For any competitive procurement with an estimated value of CHF 100,000 or higher, the opportunity to submit a Proposal is open to all eligible Suppliers. All such opportunities are advertised on this webpage.

The exact process for taking part and submitting a Proposal varies from case to case. The relevant information is included in each published Request for Proposals. The competitive process is rigorous and designed to determine the best combination of quality and costs. We ensure that all potential suppliers are subject to the same conditions and that information received is confidential. In addition, we stipulate that our suppliers:

  • adhere to sound environmental practices;
  • maintain ethical business practices at all times;
  • are not involved in any form of corruption or any fraudulent activities;
  • do not engage in any collusive or coercive practices.

IUCN seeks to minimise environmental impacts in all its procurement decisions. Suppliers and Proposals are evaluated on the basis of both environmental and commercial factors, determined as appropriate for each individual purchase, and including: capacity and expertise; whole-life-cost; quality; fit to requirements; environmental policy, impact and risk management approach; financial health of the Supplier; previous experience and reputation.

Purchases are evaluated using a variety of criteria clearly detailed in each Request for Proposals (RfP). Only the criteria and their relative importance as stated in the RfP will be used to evaluate Proposals.

For more information, please check our Procurement Policy using the above button.

Exclusion criteria

Suppliers will be excluded from taking part in a procurement procedure if they or persons having powers of representation, decision-making or control over them:

  1. have a conflict of interests, real or perceived, that may affect, or may be perceived to affect, them in the execution of their responsibilities under the proposed contract;
  2. are not registered on the professional or trade register of the State in which they are established;
  3. have been convicted of failing to comply with environmental regulatory requirements or other legal requirements relating to sustainability and environmental protection;
  4. are bankrupt or being wound up, are having their affairs administered by the courts, have entered into an arrangement with creditors, have suspended business activities, are the subject of proceedings concerning those matters, or are in any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure provided for in national legislation or regulations;
  5. have been convicted of an offence concerning their professional conduct by a judgment of a competent authority which has the force of res judicata;
  6. have been guilty of grave professional misconduct;
  7. are not in compliance with their obligations relating to the payment of social security contributions or the payment of taxes in accordance with the legal provisions of the country in which they are established or with those of Switzerland or those of the country where the contract is to be performed;
  8. have been the subject of a judgment which has the force of res judicata for fraud, corruption, involvement in a criminal organisation, money laundering or any other illegal activity.

Complaints procedure

The contact details and processes for communicating as part of a tender are detailed in each respective Request for Proposals. These must be followed in the first instance. Attempts at communicating with IUCN in regard to an ongoing competitive process in any way other than as prescribed in the RfP may lead to the disqualification of the Proposal/Bidder.

If you have a complaint or concern regarding the propriety of how a competitive process is being or has been executed, then please contact procurement@iucn.org. Such complaints or concerns will be treated as confidential and are not considered in breach of the above restrictions on communication.