In recent years, as the Belt and Road Initiative has continued to advance, Chinese construction firms have undertaken numerous overseas projects, including schools, vocational education centers, university campuses, and educational infrastructure. From Africa to the Middle East, and from Southeast Asia to Latin America, an increasing number of international education initiatives are being rapidly brought to fruition.

However, for many school furniture companies, a pressing issue has emerged:

Why is it that, despite both producing school desks and chairs, some companies manage to secure a place in the supply chains of state-owned enterprises such as China State Construction Engineering Corporation, China Railway Group, and China Railway Construction Corporation, while others remain unable to participate in large-scale overseas school‑furniture projects?

In fact, for large engineering general contractors like China State Construction, the focus in procuring school furniture has long since shifted from mere product pricing to whether suppliers possess the comprehensive capabilities required to manage large-scale projects.

So, what specific requirements do China’s overseas education projects impose on school furniture suppliers?

The procurement logic for overseas school furniture projects is undergoing a transformation.

In the past, school furniture procurement placed greater emphasis on the products themselves.

Today, with the widespread adoption of the EPC general contracting model, school furniture has become an integral part of educational infrastructure projects.

For China State Construction, a comprehensive overseas school project encompasses not only the construction of academic buildings but also includes:

• Student desk and chair configuration
• Teacher Office Furniture Configuration
• Library Furniture Configuration
• Laboratory Furniture Configuration
• Student Dormitory Furniture Configuration
• Locker and communal space furniture arrangement

Procurement has evolved from single‑product offerings to comprehensive space‑solution packages.

This means that school furniture suppliers must not only be capable of manufacturing products, but also possess expertise in project management, delivery, and overseas construction projects.

Requirement 1: Do you have experience providing services for large-scale projects?

For state-owned enterprises like China Construction, project experience is often a key criterion in supplier selection.

The reason is very simple.

School construction projects exhibit distinct engineering characteristics.

An overseas school project may involve:

• Hundreds of classrooms
• Thousands of student desks and chairs
• Hundreds of sets of office furniture for teachers
• Multiple laboratory and library spaces

If a supplier lacks experience with large-scale projects, it is easy for the following issues to arise:

• Configuration error
• Delivery Delay
• On-site installation issues
• Difficulties in project coordination

Therefore, school furniture suppliers with a proven track record of successful projects are more likely to gain the approval of general contractors.

Requirement No. 2: Does the organization have the capability for stable delivery?

In overseas engineering projects, delivery capability often matters more than product price.

Because school furniture is typically installed during the later stages of construction.

If the furniture does not arrive on time, it could very likely affect:

• Project Acceptance
• School start date
• Owner’s handover milestones

Therefore, furniture suppliers for Chinese architectural schools typically need to possess:

✔ Scalable production capacity

✔ Stable supply chain system

✔ Enhance project management processes

✔ Rapid response capability

For large-scale overseas school furniture projects, factory size and production capacity often determine project execution efficiency.

Requirement 3: Whether international certification qualifications are held.

Overseas education programs typically must meet international standards and local regulatory requirements.

In particular, for international aid‑construction projects and government‑funded education infrastructure initiatives, certification credentials often serve as a critical threshold for gaining access to the procurement system.

Common requirements include:

• ISO 9001 Quality Management System Certification
• ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Certification
• EN 1729 Standard for School Furniture
• BIFMA testing standards
• SGS testing and certification

These certifications not only attest to product quality but also reflect a company’s management capabilities and level of internationalization.

For large-scale overseas school furniture projects, certification credentials have become a key criterion in procurement evaluations.

Requirement Four: Do you have experience in overseas exports?

Many school furniture companies excel in domestic projects but may not be able to effectively serve overseas construction projects.

Because overseas projects involve:

• International Logistics and Transportation
• Product Packaging Standards
• Container Stowage Plan
• Local Acceptance Standards
• Cross-border project communication

Especially in regions such as Africa and the Middle East, project environments are complex, placing higher demands on suppliers’ international project experience.

Accordingly, when selecting school furniture suppliers, Chinese construction firms typically give preference to companies with extensive export experience and a proven track record of overseas projects.

Extensive experience in international projects not only enhances project efficiency but also effectively mitigates procurement risks.

Requirement No. 5: Can you provide an end-to-end solution?

This is one of the procurement trends that has changed most significantly in recent years.

An increasing number of overseas education projects are adopting a comprehensive school furniture solutions model.

Compared with traditional procurement methods, an end-to-end solution can help project stakeholders:

• Plan instructional spaces in advance
• Optimize the product configuration plan
• Unified procurement standards
• Enhance project management efficiency
• Shorten the overall delivery cycle

For general contractors, a school furniture supplier that can deliver end-to-end solutions is far more valuable than a mere product vendor.

Accordingly, “product manufacturing capability plus project service capability” is emerging as the new benchmark for industry competition.

Why are more and more EPC projects choosing specialized school furniture manufacturers?

For large engineering firms such as China State Construction Engineering Corporation, China Railway Group Limited, and China Railway Construction Corporation, school furniture procurement is essentially a component of project management.

What they are more eager to find is:

Partners who are able to participate in the project’s construction,

And not just the manufacturer that sells the product.

This is also why professional school‑furniture companies—equipped with capabilities in R&D and design, space planning, manufacturing, and international delivery—are emerging as key suppliers for overseas education projects.

Jiansheng Furniture Supports Global Education Infrastructure Projects

As a school furniture manufacturer with 23 years of industry experience, Jiansheng Furniture remains committed to providing comprehensive solutions for educational spaces.

Currently, Jiansheng operates a modern industrial park spanning 150,000 square meters, with a monthly production capacity exceeding 100,000 sets of desks and chairs. Its products are exported to 132 countries and regions, and it provides school furniture and related services for education ministry projects in more than 30 countries.

For overseas school furniture projects, Jiansheng can provide:

✓ Comprehensive school furniture solutions

✓ Classroom Space Planning and Design

✓ 3D rendering design

✓ Project bidding support

✓ Custom Product Development

✓ International logistics and transportation services

✓ Project installation guidance service

From student desks and chairs to library furniture, and from laboratory furnishings to dormitory furniture, Jianjin can provide one-stop procurement support for overseas education projects.

As educational cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative continues to deepen, overseas school construction projects are placing increasingly stringent demands on school furniture suppliers.

Project experience, delivery capabilities, certification credentials, overseas export expertise, and the ability to deliver end-to-end solutions have become key criteria for large general contractors like China State Construction in selecting their partners.

In the future, school furniture companies that can genuinely participate in project development and ensure successful project implementation will gain greater opportunities for growth in the overseas education‑infrastructure market.