Unsolicited Proposals
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Bangladesh: unsolicited PPP proposals

Last checked: 20 October 2026 · Countries

Bangladesh screens unsolicited PPP proposals under the Guidelines for Unsolicited Proposals, 2018, issued under the Public-Private Partnership Act, 2015 1. A proponent sends a concept note and then a full proposal to the contracting authority, with copies to the line ministry and the PPP Authority 1. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gives in-principle approval 1. The project is then bid out, and the proponent gets a bonus of 7 per cent of its evaluation score 1. A July 2026 law folds the PPP Authority into Invest Bangladesh 4.
Law
Public-Private Partnership Act, 2015, Act No. 18 of 2015 2
Amendment
Bangladesh Public-Private Partnership (Amendment) Act, 2023, Act No. 19 of 2023 2
Rules for proposals
Guidelines for Unsolicited Proposals, 2018, published in the Bangladesh Gazette 1
Earlier rules
2016 guidelines, repealed and replaced by the 2018 guidelines 3
Approving authority
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) 1
Proponent bonus
7 per cent of the evaluation score of its proposal 1
Validity of in-principle approval
18 months 1
Cost reimbursement
None. The proponent bears all proposal costs 1

The law and the rules

The Guidelines for Unsolicited Proposals, 2018 were made under the Bangladesh Public-Private Partnership Act, 2015 and took effect on publication in the official Gazette 1. The PPP Authority website marks the 2016 guidelines as repealed and replaced by the 2018 guidelines 3.

The Bangladesh Public-Private Partnership (Amendment) Act, 2023 is Act No. 19 of 2023. The gazette date is 11 July 2023. It changed the governance of the PPP Authority, provided for a chief executive officer appointed by the government and repealed section 41 of the 2015 Act. It does not mention unsolicited proposals 2.

Who may submit and how

The guidelines call the first submitter the Original Proponent. Consortia may apply with a memorandum of understanding or letter of intent among members. Proponents must show technical and financial capability and disclose contract non-performance and litigation from the last five years 1.

Submitting a proposal is non-binding. The government has no obligation to accept, review or return a proposal 1.

StageWhat happensArticle
Concept note 1Proponent sets out the scope and its background. The contracting authority may endorse, reject or return it. Endorsed notes go through the line ministry to the PPP Authority for screening 14 and 5 1
Full proposal 1Due within 3 months of the authority's acceptance letter. It includes a project description, a broad feasibility study and proponent details 16 and 7 1
PPP Authority check 1The Authority checks the proposal against minimum information requirements and may reject or endorse it 17 1
In-principle approval 1The line ministry asks the CCEA to select the project for PPP and confirm the proponent as Unsolicited Bidder 18 1

Competition and the bonus

After development work the contracting authority may start bidding based on the unsolicited proposal or decline to proceed. A decision not to proceed needs CCEA approval 1. Bidding follows the Procurement Guidelines for PPP Projects, 2018 1.

The Unsolicited Bidder is treated as shortlisted without pre-qualification evaluation. It must still submit an RFQ application to update its information 1. A bonus of 7 per cent of the evaluation score of its proposal is added to its score. The bidder with the highest score after the bonus is recommended as preferred bidder 1. The CCEA may approve other methods of competitive testing 1.

Deadlines and costs

  • In-principle approval is valid for 18 months. A formal government request must be issued in that period, or the proponent must resubmit within 1 month after expiry to get a further 18 months 1
  • If bidding is relaunched within 24 months of a decision not to proceed, the proponent must be invited to resume its status 1
  • All proposal costs fall on the Original Proponent, and the government is not liable for them 1
  • The government may use non-confidential information from the proposal in procurement documents, excluding confidential pricing and specific technical solutions 1
  • The PPP Authority's interpretation of unclear wording is final and binding 1

Invest Bangladesh

An Invest Bangladesh press release of 16 July 2026 said Parliament passed the Invest Bangladesh Bill, 2026 on 15 July 2026. It said the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority and the PPP Authority would be unified into one authority under the Prime Minister's Office 4.

The release said four laws, including the Public Private Partnership Act, 2015, will be repealed when the Act takes effect. It said the Act would allow small PPP projects to get simplified approval through the relevant ministries or divisions 4. The release did not say how existing guidelines will be handled 4.

The PPP Authority website lists the Invest Bangladesh Act, 2026 and S.R.O. No. 307-Act/2026 dated 20 August 2026 among its legal documents 3. This page has not confirmed whether the 2018 guidelines still apply to new proposals.

Common questions

Who approves an unsolicited PPP proposal in Bangladesh?

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gives in-principle approval and final approval 1.

What advantage does the original proponent get in Bangladesh?

Automatic shortlisting and a bonus of 7 per cent of the evaluation score of its proposal 1.

Are development costs reimbursed in Bangladesh?

No. The 2018 guidelines say the Original Proponent bears all proposal costs 1.

What happened to the PPP Authority?

An Invest Bangladesh press release said it would be unified with two other agencies into Invest Bangladesh under a 2026 law 4.

Rules and fees change. Check the official site linked above before you apply or pay. Spotted an error? Email [email protected] with the official link.

Sources

  1. Bangladesh Gazette, published by the PPP Authority: Guidelines for Unsolicited Proposals, 2018
  2. Bangladesh Gazette, published by the PPP Authority: Bangladesh Public-Private Partnership (Amendment) Act, 2023, Act No. 19 of 2023 (11 July 2023), in Bangla
  3. Public Private Partnership Authority, Bangladesh: Acts, rules and policies page (accessed 20 October 2026)
  4. Invest Bangladesh: press release, Invest Bangladesh to be formed as apex investment development agency by unifying BIDA, BEZA and PPPA (16 July 2026)

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