Engagement
An Asia-headquartered client was considering participation in a major government infrastructure tender offer in one of the Gulf Arab States. The client sought intelligence on its competitors in the tender. It commissioned us to map the key local decision makers on the award of the tender and the government’s priorities in awarding the contract.
Investigation
Through our in-country sources, we established that the government’s urgent priority was to attract U.S. political support for the country’s domestic and regional agenda. For that reason, we advised our client that several U.S. bidders identified in the course of competitor mapping were in a better position to win the contract. Our investigation further revealed that the successful bid would require a joint venture with a local partner and create significant local employment, which conflicted with our client’s investment plan.
Result
On the basis of our findings, the client decided not to submit a bid for this tender, saving it significant time and resources.
