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Export-Import Bank of the United States seal

Export-Import Bank of the United States

Abbreviation: EXIM

President and Chair (as of 2026): Reta Jo Lewis

2026 Budget: $128M

SAM.govCGAC Code: 8300

Website: exim.gov

EXIM is the official export credit agency of the United States, providing loans, loan guarantees, and insurance to facilitate U.S. goods and services exports when private financing is unavailable.

EXIM operates at no cost to taxpayers and has returned billions of dollars in deficit-reducing receipts to the U.S. Treasury over its lifetime.

How to Win EXIM Contracts

Winning work at the Export-Import Bank of the United Statesmeans understanding a procurement culture that blends rigorous compliance, deep mission focus, and a preference for vendors who can speak the agency's language from day one. This guide walks through how EXIM buys, the vehicles it uses, and the steps your company should take to go from registered vendor to awarded contractor.

Understanding EXIM Procurement

The Export-Import Bank of the United States obligates roughly $50-80M annually in contracts supporting export credit operations, trade finance risk assessment, IT, and policy analysis. EXIM’s procurement budget is modest relative to its multi-billion-dollar lending authority.

Contracts cluster around IT modernization, credit-risk analytics, country-level risk assessment, litigation support for defaulted exposures, and administrative services.

How EXIM Buys

EXIM uses GSA MAS, OASIS+, and NITAAC for most buys. The Office of Procurement runs all contracting centrally.

Risk assessment and trade-finance advisory services are typically single-award task orders to specialist firms.

Major Contract Vehicles

  • EXIM IT Support ContractsApplication development, infrastructure, and cybersecurity.
  • Credit Risk Analytics BPAsCountry-risk and obligor-risk modeling support.
  • OASIS+ Task OrdersProfessional services across policy and operations.
  • GSA MASDefault for commercial IT and administrative support.

Step 1: Get Registered and Compliant

Required Registrations

SAM.gov registration with UEI and CAGE code, full FAR representations and certifications.

EXIM-Specific Requirements

FedRAMP Moderate for cloud services. Trade-finance domain experience for risk and advisory roles. SOC 2 Type II for data handling.

Certification Programs

8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, SDVOSB. ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 are plus-ups.

Step 2: Identify Opportunities

Primary Sources

SAM.gov filtered by EXIM. The agency publishes a modest annual forecast.

Key Offices

EXIM Office of Procurement — Washington, DC.

Top Contract Types

FFP for commodity services. T&M/LH for advisory. IDIQs for multi-year programs.

Step 3: Position Your Company

Build Relationships

Attend EXIM Annual Conference, trade-finance industry events (BAFT, ICC), and small-business matchmakers. Trade-finance is a tight-knit professional community.

Relevant NAICS Codes

  • 541512Computer Systems Design
  • 541611Management Consulting
  • 541990Professional/Scientific Services NEC
  • 522210Credit Card Issuing
  • 541199Support Activities for Financial Services

Step 4: Develop Winning Proposals

Technical Approach

Demonstrate trade-finance and export-credit domain expertise. Generic federal services narratives lose.

Past Performance

Prior EXIM, OPIC/DFC, MCC, or commercial trade-finance past performance is strongest.

Pricing Strategy

EXIM is price-sensitive but values domain expertise; balance rate discipline with credible key personnel.

Winning Strategies

  1. Specialize in trade-finance and export-credit risk analytics.
  2. Build country-risk expertise for specific EXIM target markets.
  3. Use OASIS+ and GSA MAS as primary vehicles.
  4. Track EXIM’s China and Transformational Exports Program (CTEP) and Make More in America initiatives.
  5. Team with commercial trade-finance firms for co-propose opportunities.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  1. Treating EXIM like a domestic regulator, since it’s a trade-finance operation.
  2. Under-staffing country-risk teams with generalists instead of specialists.
  3. Missing the political cycle, since EXIM’s reauthorization cycles affect procurement tempo.

Small Business Programs

EXIM consistently meets small-business goals, with strong WOSB and 8(a) utilization.

Key Contracting Offices

  • EXIM Office of Procurement — Washington, DC

EXIM by the Numbers

Annual Contract Spend
~$65M contract obligations (FY2025)
Contract Actions / Year
~400 prime awards/year
Top NAICS
541512
Computer Systems Design

Ready to Win EXIM Contracts?

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