PPS Expands Horizons of Global Public Procurement Cooperation with ITC

 - Bilateral Meeting to Take Place in Seoul on Friday, June 12, to Review Key Cooperative Achievements over the Past 13 Years

 - Both Agencies Seek Future Cooperation, Focusing on Enhancing the Utilization of Global Tender Data and Upgrading Public Procurement Infrastructure in Developing Countries

The Public Procurement Service (Administrator Baek Seung-bo) held a bilateral meeting with the International Trade Centre (ITC) at the Seoul Regional Office on June 12 to discuss ways to support Korean suppliers' access to overseas procurement markets and expand cooperation in global public procurement.

The meeting was attended by PPS Administrator Baek Seung-bo and ITC Executive Director Pamela Coke-Hamilton.

PPS and ITC have maintained a cooperative partnership since 2014 and have expanded collaboration in various areas since signing an MOU in 2017, including personnel exchanges, the provision of overseas procurement tender and contract award information, and support for public procurement infrastructure and capacity building in developing countries.

In particular, PPS has been utilizing Procurement Map, a global public procurement information portal operated by ITC, to support Korean companies seeking to enter overseas procurement markets.

As of 2025, Korea accounts for 38.3 percent of total usage of the ITC Procurement Map. Since 2024, PPS has also provided customized data on overseas public procurement contract awards tailored to the interests of Korean suppliers.

Both institutions exchanged wide range of opinion on the direction of combining expertise, in line with the external trade environment changes at this meeting. 

During the meeting, the two institutions exchanged views on ways to combine their respective expertise in response to changes in the global trade environment.

PPS emphasized the need to strengthen Korean suppliers' ability to utilize the ITC Procurement Map and proposed promoting wider use of global tender and contract award information through the Global Public Procurement Marketplace (GPPM), scheduled to be held in November.

ITC agreed to further strengthen cooperation in public procurement capacity building for developing countries by leveraging Korea's KONEPS expertise and ITC's global network.

The two institutions have jointly implemented projects to support the adoption of e-procurement systems and improve public procurement practices in countries including Egypt, Mexico, Cambodia, and Tunisia.

PPS Administrator Baek Seung-bo said that "ITC is a key partner in supporting Korean companies' participation in global procurement markets and promoting the global expansion of K-Procurement."

He added that "Through continued close cooperation with ITC, we will support Korean companies in expanding their presence in overseas procurement markets while sharing Korea's accumulated experience in public procurement and digital transformation with the international community."

*문의: 국제협력담당관 신봉기 사무관(042-724-7470)