A joint workshop by EXIM and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Developmen. Last year the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) provided opportunities to tender for supplier and construction contracts for € 989 million and contracts for consulting services for € 111 million, and 11 Hungarian companies won tender contracts for € 138,000. On 26 April 2018 EXIM and EBRD held a joint workshop for Hungarian companies, with the participation of EXIM Deputy Chief Executive of Operations Dr. Dancsó József and EBRD’s Senior Public Procurement Specialist Dirk Plutz.

Last year the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) provided opportunities to tender for around 250 supplier and construction contracts (for a total of €989 million) and over 2,000 consulting and service contracts (for approximately € 111 million). 11 Hungarian companies submitted their bids and won 4 contracts, for a total of € 138,000. As this great result indicates, Hungarian enterprises have good chances to succeed at international tenders.

The number of active Hungarian small and medium-sized enterprises increased significantly in recent years, thanks, among other factors, to the supporting programs of the Hungarian government. To inform Hungarian SMEs about international tender opportunities, rules of participation and the operation of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, EXIM and EBRD held a joint workshop on 26 April 2018 in Budapest. The event was attended by 70 representatives from 50 companies.

Deputy Chief Executive of Operations of EXIM, Dr. Dancsó József emphasized in his welcome speech: “EXIM plays a key role in strengthening relations between SMEs and international financial institutions, helping the good positioning of Hungarian enterprises and their successful participation in international tenders”. He added that “the cooperation is now especially important for Hungarian companies because EU funding is expected to be lower after the end of the EU2020 period. Therefore it is imperative to encourage the expansion of international relations, as the expansion in foreign markets might be one of the main pillars of sustainable long-term growth for Hungarian companies.”

Senior Public Procurement Specialist and Associate Director of the Procurement Policy Department of EBRD Dirk Plutz said: “The EBRD provides many opportunities for suppliers, contractors and consultants in Hungary. I strongly encourage Hungarian enterprises to participate in tender processes. You can’t win a tender without first submitting your bid.”

EXIM’s Director for International Organizations and Foreign Representative Offices Szőcs Gábor said: “EXIM closely monitors tender opportunities on a daily basis and informs interested companies. EXIM supports and helps Hungarian enterprises to win tender contracts.”

After the presentations, Hungarian company representatives had the chance to meet EBRD representatives in B2B meetings organized by EXIM.

The purpose of the event was to contribute to the strategic goals of EXIM, i.e. support direct and indirect access of Hungarian enterprises to export markets, improve the competitiveness of Hungarian SMEs, improve the foreign trade performance of Hungary and contribute to the country’s economic growth.