160 local construction companies from across Afghanistan attended a Vendor Workshop hosted by CRLP
“Supporting local contractors is important for improving implementation quality, transparency, and effective delivery of community infrastructure across Afghanistan,” said Joyce Dalgliesh, CRLP Programme Director.
Across Afghanistan’s construction sector, local contractors play a critical role in delivering small-scale infrastructure that supports communities, creates jobs, and improves access to basic services. Yet many still face challenges in accessing procurement opportunities and navigating complex tender requirements.
To bridge this gap, on 5 May 2026, UNOPS, through the Community Resilience and Livelihoods Project (CRLP), brought together contractors from across the country for its third Vendor Workshop for small-scale construction works. The virtual session was designed not just as passive learning, but also a practical learning platform to strengthen skills, improve bid quality, and open doors to more transparent and competitive participation in UNOPS procurement processes.
Opening the Door to Opportunity
Organized by the procurement unit, the workshop is part of a broader effort to support the delivery of more than 300 small-scale infrastructure contracts in 14 cities across Afghanistan. These works contracts rely heavily on the participation of local firms, making contractor capacity a key driver of successful implementation. Their participation reflected strong interest from the local construction sector in strengthening engagement with UN systems and improving competitiveness in bidding processes.
Understanding How UNOPS Procurement Works
The workshop offered a detailed and practical walkthrough of UNOPS procurement systems, helping contractors better understand how to engage effectively with opportunities.
“Understanding procurement rules and documentation requirements is key for vendors to submit competitive and compliant bids,” he explained, emphasizing the importance of clarity and compliance in successful submissions,” Ghulam Ali Faqirzada, Procurement Specialist said.
Participants were taken through UNOPS procurement principles, solicitation methods, contract types, and bid submission requirements. The vendor session also introduced the United Nations Global Marketplace (UNGM) platform and UNOPS eSourcing system. UNGM is used by all UN agencies, exposing contractors to opportunities beyond CRLP. Through practical guidance, contractors learned how to register as vendors, express interest in tenders, and navigate the digital procurement environment more effectively.
Ethics, Transparency, and Fair Competition
“Ethical behaviour is fundamental to fair competition and maintaining trust in procurement processes,” Dominic Anyanzo, the Procurement Advisor noted, highlighting the importance of accountability and compliance with the UN Supplier Code of Conduct.
The session reinforced UNOPS commitment to integrity and transparency across all procurement activities. The discussion also covered prohibited practices, fraud prevention, and reporting mechanisms—ensuring contractors clearly understood expectations when engaging in UNOPS-funded projects.
From Tendering to Implementation
The workshop also guided participants through the full lifecycle of CRLP works contracts, from tender preparation to project implementation, providing an in-depth explanation of tender documents, evaluation criteria, and bid assessment processes, including both technical and financial evaluations.
Supporting contractors to deliver successfully
The vendor workshop also emphasized the role that CRLP plays to ensure that contractors meet the standards expected of them and conduct their operations in a manner that safeguards the environment and communities where they will operate. CRLP provides contractors with the designs, bill of quantities and quality management plan. In addition, contractors are trained on international standards for Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI), Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH), and Occupational Health, Safety, Security, and Environmental (HSSE).
Innovation and delivery enhancement
Contractors received an awareness session on the digital payments process- a system implemented by CRLP to support transparent, timely, and secure wage payments for laborers while reducing cash-handling risks during project implementation. Contractors welcomed the process and highlighted its role in improving accountability, efficiency, and payment tracking during project delivery.
A Two-Way Learning Space
Rather than a one-way presentation, the workshop created an interactive space where contractors could raise questions through online channels and live discussion. All questions were systematically categorized and addressed by relevant technical experts, ensuring clarity and practical responses.
Voices from the Participants
For many contractors, the workshop provided clarity on processes that often felt complex or inaccessible.
“The workshop clarified many long-standing questions about bidding processes and procurement requirements,” shared one participant.
Others highlighted the importance of transparency and openness:
“Sharing procurement steps openly helps us better prepare competitive and compliant bids,” noted another contractor.
Participants also emphasized the value of conducting the session in local languages, which significantly improved understanding and accessibility. Several recommended more regular capacity-building sessions and simplified bid templates to further strengthen local participation and fairness in competition.
Partnerships with Local Businesses in Afghanistan
Since its inception, CRLP has engaged 209 private contractors for 885 contracts in cities across Afghanistan. In addition, 697 contractors have been trained on UN procurement processes, helping improve understanding of bidding requirements, implementation standards, and compliance procedures.
Beyond infrastructure delivery, the project continues to support the growth of local businesses and strengthen Afghanistan’s construction sector by strengthening technical skills and quality standards in the industry. Collaboration with materials testing laboratories and efforts to standardize locally sourced construction materials, including sand and stone, are also strengthening the local construction industry and enhancing consistent infrastructure implementation across project areas.