The Asian Development Bank (ADB) Business Opportunities Fair (BOF) 2026 concluded on September 24, 2026, with a series of post-BOF training, workshop, and knowledge-sharing sessions at ADB Headquarters in Manila.
Held from September 21 to 24, the 2026 BOF brought together consultants, consulting firms, contractors, suppliers, government agencies, development partners, and other stakeholders interested in participating in ADB-financed projects across Asia and the Pacific. The event provided practical insights into ADB procurement processes, business opportunities, project delivery, and partnership-building.
The Day 4 program focused on strengthening participants’ practical understanding of procurement, proposal preparation, contract management, project implementation, safeguards, and approaches to delivering quality and sustainable development outcomes.
A key feature of the day’s program was a panel discussion on the experience of consulting firms in competing for and delivering ADB-financed assignments. Ms. Elvira C. Ablaza, Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Pacific Rim Innovation and Management Exponents, Inc. (PRIMEX), Philippines, participated as one of the panelists in Panel 1, “Winning and Delivering ADB-Financed Consulting Contracts.”
“ADB should put equal importance to Asian consultants who are just as competent, if not more excellent, than their non-Asian counterparts.” – Ms. Elvira C. Ablaza
The panel brought together senior representatives from consulting firms across the Philippines, People’s Republic of China, United States, Singapore, Spain, and India. Alongside Ms. Ablaza, panelists included Mr. Raphael Chan of NAREE International Limited, Ms. Laura Iglesias of CDM Smith, Mr. Rishabh Jain of KPMG Services Pte Ltd, Mr. Pablo Mendiguren of IDOM, and Mr. Shalender Sharma of IPE Global.
Moderated by Mr. Julian Doczi, Senior Procurement Specialist at ADB, the session provided an opportunity for experienced consulting professionals to share perspectives on the practical realities of pursuing and delivering ADB-financed consulting contracts. The discussion was followed by an audience question-and-answer session.
For Ms. Ablaza, the discussion provided an opportunity to bring the perspective of a Philippine consulting firm with extensive experience in development consulting and international projects. Her professional experience includes work connected with development institutions and organizations such as ADB, CIDA, and the UN-FAO, providing a perspective grounded in long-term engagement with development-sector consulting. In her parting message, Ms. Elvira shared what she considers the best marketing strategy: “to deliver an excellent output.”
The agenda also placed the consulting industry within the broader question of how ADB-financed contracts can generate stronger development outcomes. Panel 2, “Improving the Value for Money, Quality, Sustainability, and Innovativeness of ADB-Financed Consulting Contracts,” brought together senior representatives from Roland Berger, Ezra & Macquarie Group, PADECO, Groupe Huit, Tonkin + Taylor, SMEC, and Beca. The session was likewise followed by an audience Q&A.
Together, the two panels complemented the technical workshops by moving beyond the mechanics of procurement to examine the experience of firms involved in ADB-financed consulting assignments from competing for opportunities and preparing proposals to delivering contracts and contributing to quality, sustainability, innovation, and value for money.
The September 24 sessions therefore provided a practical conclusion to the 2026 BOF. While the workshops offered guidance on bidding documents, proposal preparation, procurement evaluation, safeguards, contracts, and project delivery, the panel discussions added perspectives from consulting practitioners who work directly within the development project environment.
For consulting firms and professionals seeking to engage with ADB-financed projects, the final day offered opportunities to deepen their understanding of procurement requirements while learning from the experiences of industry practitioners. The discussions reinforced the importance of not only securing consulting assignments but also translating those opportunities into effective contract delivery and quality development outcomes.
