Applications are now open for the Caribbean Development Bank International Master in Public Procurement Management Scholarship 2026/2027, a major postgraduate funding opportunity for public procurement professionals from eligible Caribbean Development Bank Borrowing Member Countries.

The Caribbean Development Bank, commonly known as CDB, is supporting candidates to pursue the International Master in Public Procurement Management (IMPPM) at the University of Rome Tor Vergata in Italy during the 2026/2027 academic year. The programme is intended to strengthen public procurement capacity across the Caribbean, support the professionalisation of the public procurement workforce, and help participating countries modernise procurement systems in ways that improve value for money, integrity, accountability and development outcomes.

The scholarship package is extensive. It covers the full tuition fee, travel to and from Italy for the in-person study period, accommodation support, subsistence while in Italy, a USD 350 lump-sum allowance toward visa and other essential administrative costs, and in some cases reasonable travel costs associated with completing the visa process outside the applicant’s country of residence.

The application deadline is:

3 October 2026 at 5:00 PM Atlantic Standard Time (AST).

Applications must be submitted in PDF format by email to:

MasterIPPM@caribank.org

This opportunity is aimed at experienced public procurement professionals who are citizens of eligible CDB Borrowing Member Countries and who are currently employed in professional public procurement roles within government or eligible Caribbean public regional institutions.

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About the Caribbean Development Bank Scholarship

The Caribbean Development Bank is offering this scholarship as part of its broader commitment to strengthening public financial management systems across its Borrowing Member Countries.

Public procurement plays a critical role in government performance because large amounts of public expenditure pass through procurement systems. Strong procurement institutions can help governments:

• Improve value for money
• Strengthen accountability
• Reduce corruption risks
• Improve transparency
• Support sustainable development
• Improve project delivery
• Encourage fair competition
• Advance inclusive procurement
• Modernise public-sector purchasing

CDB views investment in procurement professionals as an important part of improving the development impact of both nationally financed and CDB-supported projects.

The 2026/2027 academic year marks the fifth consecutive year that CDB has supported this scholarship initiative.

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What Is the International Master in Public Procurement Management?

The International Master in Public Procurement Management, or IMPPM, is a full-time postgraduate programme delivered by the:

Faculty of Economics, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy.

The programme is designed for professionals working in public procurement and related areas who want to develop deeper expertise in:

• Procurement management
• Procurement law
• Procurement economics
• Integrity
• Anti-corruption
• Negotiation
• Sustainable procurement
• Innovative procurement
• Public-private partnerships
• Procurement reform
• Strategic procurement

The programme is delivered entirely in:

English.

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Programme Structure

The programme runs for approximately one year and combines several different learning components.

These include:

1. In-person classroom teaching in Rome
2. Distance learning
3. A mandatory professional internship
4. A final dissertation

The academic model is therefore designed to combine theoretical learning with direct professional application.

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In-Person Study in Rome

Students are expected to attend:

4.25 consecutive months of in-person classes in Rome.

The programme includes:

13 academic modules

covering important areas of public procurement.

Attendance is compulsory, and students are expected to participate actively in all modules. Each module concludes with an examination intended to assess the skills and knowledge acquired.

For professionals already employed in government or public institutions, this means employer support is particularly important.

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Expected Start Date

The 2026/2027 edition is expected to begin in:

Early 2027.

The exact dates will be confirmed by the University of Rome Tor Vergata.

Applicants should therefore be prepared to arrange:

• Employer release
• Visa documentation
• Travel
• University documentation
• CIMEA or Declaration of Value procedures

soon after selection.

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Scholarship Benefits

The CDB scholarship offers a broad financial support package.

Full Tuition Fees

The scholarship covers:

The full tuition fee for the postgraduate programme.

The sponsoring organisation pays the tuition fee directly to the University.

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Travel to and From Italy

The scholarship covers:

Travel costs to and from Italy

for the in-person phase of the programme.

It also provides:

A per diem while in transit.

This substantially reduces the financial barrier to attending the residential component in Rome.

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Accommodation Support

Scholarship recipients receive:

An allowance for accommodation on campus at the University.

Applicants should understand that the notice describes this as an allowance, rather than simply stating that accommodation itself is automatically prepaid in full.

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Living and Subsistence Allowance

The scholarship also provides:

An allowance for subsistence costs while in Italy.

This is intended to support the recipient’s living costs during the 4.25-month period in Rome.

The official notice does not state the exact amount of the subsistence allowance in the material provided, so applicants should not assume a specific monthly figure unless CDB confirms it separately.

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USD 350 Administrative Allowance

Selected candidates also receive:

USD 350 as a lump-sum allowance

paid in advance after the scholarship award is confirmed.

This payment is intended to help cover costs such as:

• Visa expenses
• CIMEA documentation
• Declaration of Value
• Other essential administrative expenses required to study and travel to Italy

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Additional Visa-Related Travel Support

Some selected candidates may need to travel outside their country of residence to complete the Italian visa process.

Where this is necessary, the scholarship may cover reasonable and necessary travel-related costs, including:

• Economy airfare
• Accommodation
• Applicable per diem

for the minimum required visa-processing period.

These costs are arranged or reimbursed by the sponsoring organisation according to its applicable procedures.

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Mandatory Professional Internship

A major part of the programme is the required:

500-hour professional internship.

The internship is normally completed within:

• The participant’s home organisation, or
• Another institution acceptable to the University

This component is designed to ensure that participants apply their new knowledge directly within a professional procurement environment.

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Final Dissertation Requirement

Scholarship recipients must also prepare a:

Final dissertation

based on a case study addressing procurement issues relevant to:

• Their organisation
• Their country
• The Caribbean region

This gives participants the opportunity to link academic learning to practical public-sector procurement challenges.

Potential dissertation themes might include:

• Sustainable procurement
• Procurement digitisation
• Procurement transparency
• Anti-corruption systems
• Procurement law reform
• Innovative procurement
• Public-private partnerships
• Procurement capacity building
• Green procurement
• Inclusive procurement

Applicants should expect their research to have direct professional relevance.

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Employer Release Is Required

Because the in-person study period in Rome lasts approximately 4.25 months, candidates must be:

Formally released from their professional duties

for the full period of in-person study.

Their employer must also support their participation in:

• Distance learning
• Academic assignments
• Other programme requirements

without conflicting professional obligations.

Shortlisted candidates will need written confirmation from their employer granting this release before proceeding to the second stage of evaluation.

Applicants are therefore strongly encouraged to speak with their employers before applying.

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Post-Study Employment Commitment

Scholarship recipients must continue serving their employer for at least:

12 months after completing the programme.

This is a formal condition of the award.

An agreement must be reached between the scholarship recipient and their employer stipulating that the full tuition cost must be reimbursed if the recipient leaves before completing the required 12-month service period.

Applicants should therefore consider carefully whether they are willing and able to make this employment commitment.

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Why the Return-to-Employer Requirement Matters

The scholarship is designed as a capacity-building investment.

CDB is not only funding an individual academic degree.

It is investing in:

• Public-sector institutions
• National procurement systems
• Regional procurement expertise
• Procurement reform
• Knowledge transfer

The 12-month service requirement helps ensure that the knowledge gained through the programme is transferred back into the applicant’s professional environment.

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Knowledge-Sharing After Graduation

Scholarship recipients are also expected to share what they have learned with colleagues in:

• Their home country
• Their institution
• The broader Caribbean region

Possible activities may include:

• Presentations
• Training sessions
• Professional discussions
• Knowledge-sharing workshops

Topics could include:

• Sustainable procurement
• Digital transformation
• Innovative procurement strategies

Approximately 6 to 12 months after graduation, CDB intends to follow up with scholarship recipients to assess the impact of the programme.

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Who Can Apply?

Eligibility is relatively specific.

Applicants must satisfy both:

• CDB scholarship requirements
• University of Rome Tor Vergata admission requirements

Candidates should carefully review all conditions before applying.

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Citizenship Requirement

Applicants must be citizens of one of the eligible CDB Borrowing Member Countries.

The eligible countries and territories listed in the official notice are:

• Anguilla
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Barbados
• Belize
• British Virgin Islands
• Cayman Islands
• Dominica
• Grenada
• Guyana
• Haiti
• Jamaica
• Montserrat
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Suriname
• The Bahamas
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Turks and Caicos Islands

Applicants from countries outside this list are not eligible under the published call.

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Employment Requirement

Candidates must be employed:

At the time of application and throughout the programme

in a:

Professional public procurement role

within either:

• The government of a CDB Client country, or
• A Caribbean public regional institution

This scholarship is therefore not intended for people who are merely interested in procurement but are not professionally working in the field.

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Academic Qualification

Applicants must hold at least:

A recognised Master’s-level university degree.

The degree must be equivalent to an Italian two-year:

Master of Science degree

such as the Italian:

• Laurea Magistrale
• Laurea Specialistica
• Laurea vecchio ordinamento

Applicants should be prepared to provide documentation showing equivalency through the appropriate Italian recognition process where required.

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Professional Experience Requirement

Applicants should normally have at least:

Five years of relevant procurement experience

including at least:

Two years in public-sector procurement.

This reflects the programme’s professional orientation.

It is designed for practitioners who already understand the basics of procurement and want to strengthen their strategic and technical expertise.

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Can Applicants With Less Experience Apply?

Possibly.

The official notice contains an important flexibility provision stating that:

Applicants who are highly motivated but have:

• Recently completed a Master’s degree, and/or
• Limited procurement experience

may still be considered at the discretion of:

• CDB
• The University

This means five years of experience is the normal requirement, but there is limited discretion for exceptional candidates.

Applicants with less experience should therefore make a particularly strong case in their motivation letter.

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English-Language Requirement

Candidates must be proficient in:

• Written English
• Spoken English

This is essential because the full Master’s programme is delivered in English.

The notice provided does not specify a mandatory IELTS, TOEFL or other standardized test score, so applicants should not assume one is required unless the University’s separate admission rules state otherwise.

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Conflict-of-Interest Requirement

Applicants must not have:

Business or personal relationships with CDB or the University of Rome Tor Vergata

that would create:

• An actual conflict of interest
• A perceived conflict of interest

Applicants must also sign a declaration confirming that they meet the eligibility requirements and have no relevant conflict of interest.

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One Candidate Per Country Rule

The CDB states that:

Only one candidate from the same country may receive a scholarship award in any given year.

This policy is intended to distribute the programme’s benefits more equitably across eligible Caribbean countries.

However, CDB reserves the right to make exceptions where there are insufficient eligible candidates.

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Selection Criteria

Meeting the formal eligibility criteria does not guarantee selection.

The evaluation places particular emphasis on:

• Relevant professional experience
• Leadership potential
• Ability to use the programme to improve procurement outcomes
• Potential contribution to procurement modernisation
• Capacity to apply knowledge in the applicant’s institution
• Potential regional impact

CDB particularly highlights areas such as:

• Sustainable procurement
• Inclusive procurement

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Leadership Potential

Applicants should demonstrate not only technical procurement experience but also the ability to:

• Influence institutional change
• Lead reform
• Train colleagues
• Strengthen procurement systems
• Improve professional standards
• Contribute to modernization

A strong application should therefore explain how the candidate will use the degree after returning home.

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Sustainable and Inclusive Procurement

CDB specifically highlights:

Sustainable and inclusive procurement

as important areas for future procurement modernisation.

Applicants with relevant experience or future plans in areas such as:

• Green procurement
• Climate-conscious procurement
• Social inclusion
• SME participation
• Gender-responsive procurement
• Sustainable supply chains

may therefore have a strong opportunity to show programme relevance.

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How to Apply

Applications must be submitted:

By email

to:

MasterIPPM@caribank.org

All documents must be submitted in:

PDF format.

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Required Application Documents

Applicants must submit three core documents.

1. Updated Curriculum Vitae

The CV should clearly show:

• Education
• Procurement experience
• Public-sector experience
• Current employment
• Leadership experience
• Procurement reform experience
• Relevant training
• Professional certifications
• Major projects
• Regional or international experience

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2. Motivational Cover Letter

Applicants must submit a:

Motivational cover letter

explaining their interest in the scholarship programme.

A competitive letter should explain:

• Why public procurement matters to the applicant
• Why the IMPPM is relevant to their current work
• What procurement challenges exist in their country or institution
• What reforms they hope to support
• How they will apply the knowledge after graduation
• How they will contribute to sustainable and inclusive procurement
• How the scholarship will benefit their institution and country

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3. Signed Eligibility Declaration

Applicants must submit a:

Signed Declaration

confirming that they meet all eligibility conditions.

This includes confirmation that there is no actual or perceived conflict of interest.

The required template is attached to the official Call for Applications and must be completed and signed.

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Stage 1: Shortlisting

After the deadline, a CDB evaluation panel will review the applications.

The panel will shortlist up to:

Six candidates

who best satisfy the eligibility and qualification criteria.

Shortlisted candidates will then be contacted by the University for an interview.

At this stage, applicants may need to provide proof that their employer is willing to release them from work for the in-person programme period.

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Stage 2: University Interview

The University of Rome Tor Vergata will interview shortlisted candidates to confirm their suitability for the Master’s programme.

In consultation with CDB, the University then identifies final candidates for scholarship awards.

There is one inconsistency in the official notice worth flagging: the overview says CDB is offering scholarships to two candidates, while the selection-stage section says the University will identify three candidates for scholarship awards.

Because the headline and overview explicitly describe two scholarships, applicants should treat two awards as the advertised number unless CDB issues clarification. Anyone needing certainty can contact CDB directly before applying.

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Final Scholarship Confirmation

Successful candidates will receive:

• An Admission Letter from the University
• A Scholarship Offer Letter from CDB

The scholarship is formally confirmed once the recipient satisfies the University’s admission requirements.

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Application Deadline

Applications must be received by:

3 October 2026 at 5:00 PM AST.

Applicants in other time zones should convert the deadline carefully.

Because applications are sent by email, it is advisable to submit before the final day and confirm that:

• All files are attached
• All files are readable
• The Declaration is signed
• Documents are PDFs
• Email address is correct

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How to Prepare a Strong Application

1. Connect Your Experience to Procurement Reform

Avoid writing only that you want another degree.

Explain what procurement problem you want to solve.

Possible examples include:

• Inefficient procurement processes
• Limited digitisation
• Weak transparency
• Delays in procurement
• Limited sustainability standards
• Weak supplier diversity
• Public procurement capacity gaps

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2. Demonstrate Leadership Potential

Because leadership is explicitly part of the selection criteria, show examples of situations where you have:

• Led procurement processes
• Improved systems
• Coordinated teams
• Introduced new procedures
• Trained colleagues
• Managed complex procurements

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3. Explain the Regional Value

CDB is interested not only in individual development but also in wider Caribbean impact.

Where possible, explain how your learning could benefit:

• Your institution
• Your country
• Other Caribbean procurement professionals

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4. Highlight Sustainable Procurement

If you have experience involving:

• Environmental criteria
• Climate considerations
• Social safeguards
• Responsible sourcing

include it clearly.

Sustainable procurement is specifically highlighted in the selection criteria.

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5. Discuss Employer Support Early

Do not wait until you are shortlisted to tell your employer you may need more than four months away from normal duties.

The official notice explicitly encourages applicants to discuss the possibility of employer release early.

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6. Be Ready for the 12-Month Return Commitment

Applicants should understand before applying that they will be expected to remain with their employer for at least one year after completing the programme.

This is not a minor administrative detail.

It is part of the scholarship’s institutional-capacity-building model.

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Key Details at a Glance

Programme: International Master in Public Procurement Management

University: University of Rome Tor Vergata

Country: Italy

Academic year: 2026/2027

Sponsor: Caribbean Development Bank

Advertised scholarship places: 2

Programme length: Approximately one year

In-person study: 4.25 consecutive months in Rome

Modules: 13

Language: English

Internship: 500 hours

Dissertation: Required

Tuition: Fully covered

Travel to/from Italy: Covered

Accommodation allowance: Included

Subsistence allowance: Included

Administrative allowance: USD 350

Visa-related travel: May be covered where necessary

Employer release: Required

Post-study service requirement: Minimum 12 months with employer

Application deadline: 3 October 2026, 5:00 PM AST

Application email: MasterIPPM@caribank.org

Questions: procurement@caribank.org

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Conclusion

The Caribbean Development Bank International Master in Public Procurement Management Scholarship 2026/2027 offers experienced Caribbean public procurement professionals a rare opportunity to complete an internationally focused postgraduate programme at the University of Rome Tor Vergata with extensive financial support.

The scholarship covers full tuition, travel to and from Italy for the in-person academic period, accommodation and subsistence allowances, a USD 350 administrative allowance, and eligible visa-related travel costs where necessary.

The programme combines 4.25 months of classroom teaching in Rome, distance learning, a 500-hour professional internship and a final procurement-focused dissertation.

Applicants must normally be citizens of eligible CDB Borrowing Member Countries, work in professional public procurement within government or an eligible regional public institution, hold a recognised Master’s-level degree, possess at least five years of relevant procurement experience including two years in public-sector procurement, and be proficient in English.

The scholarship is especially suited to professionals who want to strengthen their expertise in procurement reform, sustainable and inclusive procurement, integrity, anti-corruption, procurement law, public-private partnerships and strategic public purchasing.

Applications must be submitted in PDF format to:  MasterIPPM@caribank.org   by:3 October 2026 at 5:00 PM AST.

To know more about this opportunity, VISIT HERE.

To explore more global scholarship opportunities, VISIT HERE.