Five institutions collaborate, including Ewha Womans University, IOM and UNIDO
South Korea held its first bidding competition aimed at improving young people's understanding of and capabilities in the international organization procurement market.
The Public Procurement Service said Friday it hosted the inaugural "University Student International Organization Bidding Competition" at the Seoul Regional Office of the Public Procurement Service in Seocho-gu, Seoul.
The event drew participation from five collaborating institutions — the Korea Government Procurement Export Promotion Association, Ewha Womans University, the International Organization for Migration Korea Mission, the UN Industrial Development Organization Korea Investment and Technology Promotion Office, and a consortium of companies active in the UN procurement market — lending the competition added expertise.
Preliminary applications were accepted over two months beginning in June, drawing 33 teams in total, of which eight advanced to the final round after screening.
In the final round, each team analyzed an actual international organization tender notice and presented a proposal, with all presentations and question-and-answer sessions conducted in English.
The Public Procurement Service evaluated teams on their grasp of international tender notices and the feasibility of their bidding strategies. The grand prize winner received a commendation from the commissioner of the Public Procurement Service, while the two teams that took top honors each received awards from IOM and UNIDO respectively.
Public Procurement Service Commissioner Baek Seung-bo said winning contracts through competitive bidding is the key to breaking into the international organization procurement market, and that the ability to write strong bid proposals is a critical factor. "Starting with this competition, we will continue to provide support to identify outstanding talent equipped with global procurement capabilities," he said.
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
