Trade Window of the Advocacy Fund (TAF)

UK helps give poor countries a voice in global talks

The Department for International Development will help rebalance international trade negotiations by providing legal advice and support to the poorest and most vulnerable countries through the Trade Window of the Advocacy Fund.

Ensuring that their views are represented during lengthy and complicated international trade negotiations severely stretches the already limited resources of the poorest developing countries. A lack of access to legal expertise or resources means that these countries can be marginalised in negotiations around their own future, making it harder to reach global and regional trade deals.

The Trade Window of the Advocacy Fund (TAF) aims to help rebalance international trade negotiations, by providing support to developing countries to prepare for and engage in key trade talks.

Managed by Crown Agents and Saana Consulting, in association with IOD PARC, the Trade Window will provide:

• Independent technical and legal advice to ensure that delegates can access high quality information as they prepare for key talks
• High-quality training for negotiators to ensure they have the technical and legal skills they need to bring the same negotiating power to the table.
• Logistical support to ensure countries can engage in key negotiations which will impact on their future.

TAF support will be available over the next four years to governments from the Least Developed and Low Income Countries, as well as some Lower Middle Income Countries where particular need is demonstrated.

In delivery of the three outputs, TAF will, in the main, contract the services of third party service providers who will deliver the value added advisory, training and capacity building services to the Applicants. Service providers are expected to include consultancy firms, law firms, training institutes, universities, think tanks, and other for-profit or not-for-profit organisations with relevant capability to undertake fee-for-service contracts on behalf of TAF.

Interested and qualified service providers will be registered on the TAF Service Provider Database. Only registered service providers (firms and individuals) will be eligible to participate under TAF’s procurement opportunities. The Fund Manager intends to run a series of adverts in the form of a Request for Expression of Interest (REOI) reflecting the technical requirements of TAF.

There are currently two REOIs open and these can be found by following the links in the Related links module on the right.

For more information about the Trade Window of the Advocacy Fund (TAF), please contact the fund manager:

Email: info@tradeadvocacyfund.com
Address: Trade Advocacy Fund
St Nicholas House
St Nicholas Rd
Sutton
Surrey
SM1 1EL