Can private-sector projects be used in World Bank, ADB and other international tenders even without EKAP?

A private-sector reference should not be rejected merely because it does not appear in EKAP. EKAP is part of Turkey's public-procurement infrastructure; it is not a universal registry that determines whether an engineering or construction project exists or whether an MDB can count it as experience. In an international tender, the decisive document is usually the qualification section of the live bidding document. If the criterion asks for one or more similar contracts of a specified minimum value and does not restrict the employer type, a private factory, power plant, industrial utility, hotel, data center or infrastructure concession can potentially satisfy the criterion if the bidder can prove the required facts.

The evidence burden, however, can be higher because a private employer may not issue a standardized public certificate. A robust package should establish the legal identity of both parties, signed contract and amendments, contract amount and currency, start and completion dates, bidder's role, scope, key quantities, acceptance or taking-over status and employer contact information. Depending on the tender, invoices, payment certificates, final account, commissioning records, independent engineer certificates, occupancy/use permits or other third-party evidence may strengthen the file. The objective is to make the experience independently understandable and verifiable.

ADB's standard works experience form illustrates this logic. It asks for contract identification, award and completion dates, total contract amount, participation percentage and amount where the bidder was a JV partner or subcontractor, employer name and contact details, and the key activities demonstrating similarity. The form does not transform EKAP status into an international eligibility condition. It asks what was actually done and how it can be verified. The employer's public or private status becomes relevant only if the live criterion or another applicable rule expressly makes it relevant.

Private-sector references should nevertheless be screened for three common weaknesses. First, group-company confusion: the contract may belong to a sister company rather than the bidding legal entity. Second, marketing-value inflation: the project may be advertised as a USD 200 million development while the bidder performed only a USD 25 million package. Third, weak acceptance evidence: the client may be willing to issue a generic “good performance” letter that says nothing about quantities, value or completion. These weaknesses can be fixed only with documentary precision, not stronger adjectives.

A practical solution is to prepare a one-page reference verification sheet for every private project. It should identify the exact bidder legal entity, client, contract number, project location, role, original and final value, bidder's own executed value, start/completion dates, status, key quantities, major systems, proof documents, client verification contact and any limitations on use. If a future tender asks for a specific similar activity—such as tunneling diameter, treatment capacity, MW installed, bridge span or transmission-line length—the sheet should point directly to the source record that proves it.

The bid/no-bid implication is important. A contractor may have excellent private-sector experience but still be unable to qualify if its archive cannot prove the key facts before the submission deadline. Reference quality is therefore an asset-management issue. Gokbilge can help build the technical side of this archive—scope matrices, key-quantity extracts, system descriptions, completion logic and employer-verification packs—so that legitimate private-sector experience is not lost merely because it was documented for project delivery rather than future procurement.

This article compares Turkish public-procurement work-experience rules with international tender qualification practice. The applicable tender document, procurement framework, current Turkish legislation, country law and issuing/receiving authority requirements always govern the specific case. It is not legal advice. Requirements can change by procurement package and date, so bidders should verify the live tender documents and current official rules before submission.