Archive photo: Containers at Haifa port in 2011. Hanay/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped; image adaptation under the same license)
Israel’s Finance Ministry published a sole-supplier procurement notice Wednesday naming the OECD for a €300,000 study linked to the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, or IMEC.
The notice, numbered 4000623405, was published and updated October 28. It cites the sole-supplier exemption under Regulation 3(29). The notice is not evidence of a signed contract, a completed payment or a decision on the corridor’s route.
Energy connectivity is the proposed focus
An accompanying professional opinion from the ministry’s Chief Economist Division says the ministry wants to take part in the second stage of OECD research on IMEC, focused on energy connectivity along the corridor.
The opinion describes potential work on electricity and clean-hydrogen links, infrastructure gaps, regulatory barriers and investment opportunities. The ministry says participation could help bring Israeli data, infrastructure needs and alternatives into the study while preserving the OECD’s professional independence.
Ministry sets out sole-source arguments
The ministry argues that the OECD’s Connectivity Scoreboard methodology and experience studying other international trade corridors make it uniquely suited to the work. It also says the organization’s diplomatic standing and mandate would help it obtain sensitive regional data and support cooperation between governments in ways commercial consultants could not.
The ministry describes the work as part of a wider study for the countries advancing IMEC, rather than a report commissioned only for Israel. It argues that joining the financing would help Israel influence the planning discussion and reduce the risk of being bypassed. Those are the ministry’s stated reasons for the exemption, not confirmation that a particular route has been agreed.
The notice lists an engagement window from October 28, 2026, to December 31, 2028. The attached professional opinion, dated October 28, describes the proposed term as one year from signing, with an option for another year, and values the engagement at €300,000.
JBizNews Desk | Jerusalem
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