Promoting Gender-responsive Public Procurement (GRPP) for Agricultural Products

Promoting Gender-responsive Public Procurement (GRPP) for Agricultural Products

Project Information

December 2022 – June 2026
Ecuador
Sector:
Agriculture
Theme:
Public procurement

4

legal and regulatory reforms opening Ecuador’s procurement to women

3,140

women trained across 16 provinces

1

practical guide published in three languages

4

legal and regulatory reforms opening Ecuador’s procurement to women

3,140

women trained across 16 provinces

1

practical guide published in three languages

About the project

Ecuador’s government is one of the country’s biggest food buyer, and women grow much of the country’s food. Until recently, the two markets barely overlapped. Worldwide, public procurement makes up around 12% of GDP and women-led businesses win just 1% of those contracts. An ITC SheTrades survey of nearly 100 women suppliers found more than 90% had never participated in a public procurement process. They named limited information, complex paperwork and payment uncertainty as the main barriers.
 
ITC SheTrades worked on three fronts. We partnered with the Ecuadorian government to reform the laws and regulations that decide who can sell to the state; organized speed-networking sessions to connect women suppliers directly with public procuring entities; and equipped women producers and entrepreneurs to bid, with training and step-by-step guides in Spanish, Kichwa and Shuar.
 
The Ecuador phase ran from December 2022 to June 2026, with expansion to East Africa, West Africa and Asia by the end of 2027.
 
This project is commissioned by the German government (BMZ) and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
What we do
  • Four new laws and regulations now in force. A March 2025 organic law recognizes women-led businesses in Ecuador’s procurement system for the first time. Three October 2025 reforms add operational rules, a preference margin for women-led suppliers, and a national definition aligned with ISO IWA 34.
  • National Interinstitutional Working Group established. It links Ecuadorian institutions across procurement, gender, agriculture and provincial governance, and will continue tracking the reforms beyond the project’s end in June 2026.
  • A step-by-step guide for women suppliers, in Spanish, Kichwa and Shuar. Vende al Estado: Pasos Claves para Mujeres en la Agricultura walks women farmers and entrepreneurs through registering as a public supplier, identifying procurement opportunities, preparing documents and submitting bids.
  • Training designed for women in agri-food. We delivered 72 workshops on selling to the state across 33 cities and 16 provinces, equipping 3,140 women with the steps to register, identify tenders and submit bids.
  • Speed-networking with government buyers. Each session pairs one procuring entity with a few women suppliers, opening direct conversations on procurement opportunities, documentation requirements and payment terms.

Resources

Public procurement guide for Ecuadorian women

Public procurement guide for Ecuadorian women
Vende al Estado: Pasos Claves para Mujeres en la Agricultura
Download in Spanish
Ju, úunt-nunkánam surúkta: Nuá Arákmau ju jíntian imiánkas nekátniuiti
Download in Shuar
Mamallaktachiyman katuy: Ministishka yuyaykuna warmi tarpukkuna katuchun
Download in Kichwa

Project information brochure

Project information brochure
Why involve women in agricultural public procurement?
Download

Project closure impact brochure

Project closure impact brochure
What did the project achieve in Ecuador?
Download

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