Colombian Association of BPO

The Colombian Association of BPO (BPrO) is Colombia’s national trade body for its BPO, contact center, IT services, and back-office service firms, representing more than 100 direct member companies and driving Colombia’s nearshore export growth into the US and Europe.

Founded to unify the sector, BPrO sets standards and drives Colombia’s nearshore export growth.

It represents contact centers, IT services, and back-office providers, sets industry standards, and lobbies government on labor, tax, and export policy that shape the wider sector.

Colombia has built one of Latin America’s biggest nearshore delivery markets, and BPrO is the industry’s collective voice. It sits between operators, regulators, and foreign buyers, keeping the trade flowing across borders.

Buyers in the US and Europe usually meet BPrO before they meet individual providers. The association runs trade missions, publishes sector data, and vouches for members on quality and compliance.

Key takeaways

• BPrO represents 100+ member firms across contact centers, ITO, and back-office services in Colombia.
• The sector employs roughly 700,000 people and generates about USD 13-14 billion in annual revenue (ProColombia, 2024).
• BPrO’s four workstreams cover policy advocacy, talent development, standards, and international trade promotion.
• The United States is Colombia’s largest BPO export market, driven by nearshore time-zone fit and bilingual talent.

How it works

The Colombian Association of BPO, known locally as BPrO, unites more than 100 outsourcing firms operating across Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, and Barranquilla. BPrO operates as a member-funded trade association.

Colombian outsourcing firms pay dues in exchange for policy representation, benchmarking data, training programs, and market-access support. The board sets priorities each year, working closely with MinTIC and ProColombia on export-growth targets.

Operations and funding

Members pay annual dues based on headcount and revenue. That pool funds a small permanent staff in Bogotá plus specialist committees.

External grants from ProColombia and joint programs with the Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications (MinTIC) add capacity for export missions and workforce projects.

Four core workstreams

• Policy advocacy on labor law, tax incentives, and free-trade-zone status for outsourcing firms.
• Talent development, including bilingual training, university partnerships, and certification schemes.
• Standards and compliance work, covering service quality and personal-data handling.
• Trade promotion, running buyer missions, trade shows, and country-brand campaigns for foreign clients.

Industry data (2024 estimates)

Standards and compliance work

BPrO co-authors voluntary codes on service quality and data handling. Colombia’s Habeas Data statute, Law 1581 of 2012, sets the legal floor for personal-data processing across the country.

The association helps members map controls to buyer expectations from the US, UK, and EU, so cross-border contracts pass client audits without friction.

Examples

BPrO’s membership spans multinational giants and Colombian-born operators. You’ll find global contact center groups, homegrown information technology outsourcing (ITO) firms, and specialists in customer support delivery, all using BPrO channels to reach foreign buyers.

• Konecta — Colombia’s largest homegrown business process outsourcing (BPO) provider, which absorbed Comdata in 2022 to become one of Latin America’s biggest contact-center groups.
• Teleperformance Colombia, the French-owned multinational running large bilingual operations in Bogotá and Medellín for US and European clients.
• Atento, a pan-regional operator with Colombian delivery centers serving US and Spanish-market accounts across telecom and financial services.
• Sutherland and Concentrix, US-headquartered operators with Colombian sites focused on customer service and technical support.

Engagement models for foreign buyers

Buyers usually enter Colombia through one of three routes. Direct contracting with a BPrO member handles most contact-center and back-office work, with quick ramp-up and no local entity needed.

Build-operate-transfer arrangements let US and European firms stand up captive centers with local help, then take ownership once the site is stable.

Wholly-owned captives count as foreign direct investment (FDI) and qualify for free-trade-zone tax breaks — BPrO helps buyers map incentives before they commit capital.

Related terms

• Business Process Outsourcing (BPO): umbrella term for contracting non-core business functions to third-party providers.
• Contact Center: centralized operation handling inbound and outbound customer communication across voice and digital channels.
• Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO): delegation of IT services like software development, infrastructure, or support to external providers.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): cross-border capital placed in physical operations, often through captive delivery centers.
• Customer Service: buyer-facing support function that BPrO members deliver at scale from Colombian sites.

FAQ

What does BPrO stand for?

BPrO is the Spanish-language acronym for the Colombian Association of BPO. It represents business process outsourcing, contact center, and IT services firms operating in Colombia.

How many companies belong to BPrO?

Over 100 firms hold BPrO membership, from Colombian-born specialists to multinational operators. The exact roster shifts each year as new members join and consolidations reshape the sector.

Is Colombia a good nearshore option for US buyers?

Yes — Colombia offers Central-Time-zone overlap, a large bilingual talent pool, and free-trade-zone incentives that trim effective tax rates; ProColombia’s 2024 data pegs the US as the sector’s largest export destination.

Does BPrO enforce data-protection rules?

BPrO doesn’t enforce them; regulators do, so the association helps members align with Colombia’s Habeas Data law (Law 1581 of 2012) and buyer rules from the EU and US, publishing guidance and running training.

Where is BPrO headquartered?

BPrO is based in Bogotá, Colombia’s capital and largest BPO delivery hub, with regional outreach to Medellín, Cali, and Barranquilla where much of the sector’s workforce sits.

Ready to shortlist Colombian BPO partners? Talk to Outsource Accelerator for a vetted nearshore scoping call.