A competitive field of organizations working in the water sector in Georgia gathered at this regional summit in Tbilisi to learn about the Asian Development Bank’s new procurement directive for public tenders that will be financed by ADB loans in 2026 and beyond.
DevelopmentAid attended the two-day seminar to meet and engage with stakeholders interested in the Georgian market and provide valuable insights into the information services provided by our organization.
The participants were briefed on the investment opportunities within the various agencies of Georgia’s Ministry of Infrastructure, which oversees the ADB loans for developing the country’s water and sanitation sector. During the two-day event, the organizers also facilitated knowledge exchange, provided information on the new ADB Procurement Directive for borrowers, and responded to clarification requests to improve participation in the forthcoming tenders to be announced by the Ministry.
According to the ADB, the goal of the event was to enable early market engagement with potential bidders for upcoming tenders, inform them about forthcoming opportunities, and obtain their feedback to further improve the tendering process and increase participation.
Mariam Phochkhua and Sofia Gujejiani from DevelopmentAid’s Georgian office served as our organization’s representatives at the event, engaging with stakeholders to align our business intelligence services with the evolving needs of the Georgian market.
“Attending the ADB event was genuinely interesting and enjoyable. It was great to see both international and local companies equally interested in the Georgian market, whether entering it or strengthening their presence. The session on the New Procurement Directive for ADB borrowers stood out, where Olivier Leonard, ADB Procurement Specialist, combined future opportunities with insights from past trends. Seeing the financial overviews, top consultants and suppliers, along with gaining practical tips on preparing bids and proposals, made it all very real and useful,” commented Sofia Gujejiani of the Business Development Department.
Both Gujejiani and Phochkhua agreed that it was vital for organizations working in the sector to access the information shared by the ADB during such events as soon as possible. Access to this information, together with a complete history of the bank’s (and other international financial institutions’) procurement notices on www.developmentaid.org, contributes to a much more efficient bidding process.
DevelopmentAid thanks the hosts for organizing such a welcoming and useful event and looks forward to attending future ADB forums.
The ADB Business Opportunities Seminar – Water Sector Engagement Conference in Georgia was organized by the United Supply Company of Georgia, the Ministry of Infrastructure of Georgia, and the ADB. The event took place in Tbilisi on 19 – 20 March 2026 and was attended by Georgia’s Minister of Infrastructure, Revan Sokhadze; ADB Georgia Country Director Lesley Bearman Lahm; Jingmin Huang, Director, Water and Urban Development, ADB; Salome Vashakidze, Deputy Director, United Water Supply Company of Georgia; and Olivier Leonard, ADB Principal Procurement Specialist.
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