Crown Agents

Crown Agents is an international development company committed to global development and growth. Our expertise in public financial management helps governments raise revenue, manage debt and plan expenditure more effectively. Our procurement and supply chain services, together with banking and asset management services, help ensure that wealth generated is spent or invested for the good of all. Through technical assistance, consultancy and training, we help to reduce poverty, improve health and increase prosperity. Integrity and capacity building underpin everything we do.

Crown Agents is owned by The Crown Agents Foundation, a non-profit-distributing company limited by guarantee, which owns all the shares in, and oversees the ethos and activities of Crown Agents. The Secretary of State for International Development is a nominating body of the Foundation and has nominated a senior DFID official (currently Director of Finance and Corporate Performance, Sam Sharpe) as a Permanent Member.

Experience

Crown Agents works for clients in more than 100 countries, and provides a comprehensive portfolio of services to multilateral agencies such as the World Bank, European Commission, United Nations agencies the Global Fund and regional development banks, and to bilateral donors such as DFID, KfW, SIDA, CIDA and the Danish, Japanese and US governments.

Our clients are public and private sector organisations, both donor-funded and those seeking best value for their own resources.  

In-House Specialisations

Procurement | Governance & Public Expenditure Management | Public Financial Management | International Banking and Payment Services | Legal Advisory Services | Humanitarian Assistance Services

Procurement:

Crown Agents is recognised internationally as one of the world’s leading independent procurement agents. We specialise in health procurement services and technical assistance to health programmes, often to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB. Crown Agents is a major purchaser and quality assurer of contraceptives throughout the developing world.

Procurement - Capacity Building:

Provision of procurement-related advice, training and assistance to procuring entities. Management of change in public procurement at institutional, organisational and individual levels.

Governance & Public Expenditure Management:

Institutional and organisational development, anti-corruption & assisting with the management of fiduciary risk through aid management & verification, VFM audit, contract assessment, provision of advice & guidance, monitoring & evaluation, specific high value contract assessment, capacity & institution building and training & capacity development, delivered in-country, regionally or at Crown Agents’ International Management Training Centre.

Public Financial Management:

Strengthening and modernising public financial management systems at state and local level. Our particular areas of expertise are in policy formulation and the development of revenue authorities (customs and tax), trade facilitation, debt & cash management and the budgetary process.

International Banking and Payment Services:

Crown Agents Bank is authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Services Authority. The Bank provides banking and other financial management and payment services to donors, governments, Crown Agents’ clients and other organisations involved in development aid activities, disbursing some £3 billion of funds a year. The Bank is contracted by DFID to provide a range of management, administration and banking services for the disbursement of UK development aid funds under its Financial Aid programme which also covers pooled donor funds, and other third party monies.

Legal Advisory Services:

CA Legal provides commercial legal advice to DFID and other clients, and may be contacted directly or through DFID Procurement Group.

Humanitarian Assistance:

Crown Agents is exclusively contracted by DFID’s Conflict, Humanitarian and Security Department - and to provide support to the Stabilisation Unit - to provide a 24/7 emergency humanitarian response capability – the CHASE Operations Team.

Crown Agents is also on call 24/7 to respond urgently to other humanitarian needs in procurement, quality assurance and inspection, and air charter.