Advocacy Center Commercial Liaison Office
at the Inter American Development Bank
Our Mission and Scope
The Advocacy Center Commercial Liaison Office to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is an integral part of the United States Executive Director’s Office to the Bank. The Commercial Liaison Office’s mission is to help American businesses take advantage of commercial opportunities through the IDB’s numerous projects. Established in 1959 and with more than $100 billion in capital, the IDB is the oldest and largest regional development bank. Its primary goal is to help accelerate economic growth and social development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The IDB has 47 member countries: 26 borrowing members and 21 non-borrowing members, including the United States, its largest stakeholder. The region’s primary source of multilateral financing, the IDB provides loans, guarantees, and technical assistance for public- and private-sector projects and generates tens of thousands of contracts every year, ranging in size from a few thousand to several million dollars. These represent numerous commercial possibilities for businesses, including small- and medium-sized enterprises, in public works, supply of goods, and consulting services.
Business Services
The Advocacy Center’s representatives at the IDB provide the
following services to U.S. firms and organizations:
- Counseling: One-on-one consultations on how to do business with the IDB.
- Market Research and Outreach: Information on IDB project and procurement opportunities and business orientation seminars. Arrangement of marketing presentations to IDB project, sector, and financial specialists.
- Key Contact Information: Appointments with IDB experts.
- Advocacy: Active support to U.S. businesses competing for procurements (including representations and guidance on bidding and resolving payment problems).