Formal Procurement Bidding and Marketing Skills Training
RCTReview
Small business managers in lower-income settings lack formal marketing skills and practical knowledge required to participate in formal tender processes. These informational barriers prevent small firms from winning large supply contracts with government agencies and formal corporations.
Picture this
Picture a talented local contractor who only gets small informal jobs because the contractor does not know how to write formal commercial proposals or find government contract listings. Teaching the contractor how to draft professional tenders and navigate commercial bidding portals acts like giving them a map and key to major institutional projects.
What the evidence says
Offering contract bidding and marketing skills training increased the number and diversity of buyers supplied, bidding frequency, and total contract values; three years later, participating firms were 25 percent more likely to remain operational and employ more workers.
- Who was studied
- Local small and medium enterprises in Liberia.
- How
- Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) evaluated one to three years post-intervention.
What to do
Deliver specialized managerial training focused on contract bidding techniques, tender proposal preparation, and formal buyer negotiation strategies to small business owners.
From the source
"Three years later, a quarter of these firms were more likely to be operating and employing slightly more workers."
Market Access: Connecting Firms and Entrepreneurs to Markets to Spur Business and Job Growth