UN procurement opens doors for Ningbo firms

Enterprises in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, are stepping confidently onto the global stage as United Nations suppliers.

At the 2025 UN Procurement Engagement Workshop held on July 21 in Cixi, a county-level city in Ningbo, more than 30 company representatives registered on the United Nations Global Marketplace (UNGM) - some in just five minutes - with guidance from UN officials.

"I didn't expect crossing the threshold to be this simple," said Zhou Jingwen, director of foreign trade department at Ningbo Ding'an Electric Appliance Co Ltd.

This wave of registrations pushes the number of Ningbo-based UN suppliers to over 500 - an outcome that reflects the city's strong industrial foundations. With more than 10,000 large-scale manufacturers and 29,000 foreign trade enterprises, Ningbo offers a complete, efficient supply chain capable of supporting procurement needs across the UN's 13 product and service categories.

The push toward this new frontier of global procurement has accelerated since Ningbo signed a three-year cooperation agreement with the United Nations Development Programme and the China Center for International Economic Exchanges in 2024.

Ningbo has fast-tracked efforts to engage with international public procurement. But registration is just the beginning. Companies must closely monitor tender opportunities and prepare tailored bids - a step Ningbo firms are now actively embracing. Since early 2024, the Ningbo Council for the Promotion of International Trade has already helped companies secure more than $1.5 million in UN contracts.

"After 30 years in water purification, we're ready to expand our brand globally," said Xu Huajie, general manager of Ding'an, "UN procurement is the right path and I want our equipment to help children in developing countries access clean water."

For others, like Aquart Electrical Appliance Co Ltd, the event was a wake-up call.

"We've heard of UN procurement but never explored it," said the company's general manager Lyu Meige, "Now that we see how well it aligns with our products, we're committed to pursuing it."