In January 2026, the DevelopmentAid database contained 1,653 open tenders for individuals. We have analyzed which sectors featured the highest demand, which had the fewest opportunities, and which organizations are funding these contracts. Read on to learn what has changed within the individual tendering landscape since December 2025.
In the first month of 2026, procurement for individual consultant services in international development remained somewhat stable, with 1,653 published tenders – just a 3% increase compared to last December. This is one of the key findings from our monthly analysis of the calls available on our tenders database – a tool we maintain as part of our mission to provide near-real-time information on the world of international development.
Our January assessment also revealed three key shifts:
- Education & Training became the sector with the second-highest demand, with 254 published tenders for individual consultants.
- Transportation experienced a drop of 28% in procurement requirements, which meant this sector fell into the bottom three.
- The number of calls for individual consultants funded by nonprofit organizations substantially increased.
Table I – Five tenders for individual consultants published in January 2026.
Insight #1: Asia cements its leadership with 53% of published tenders for independent consultants
In January 2026, Asia was the continent with the most published tenders for independent consultants, with 879 calls advertised representing an increase of 8% compared to December 2025, thus reinforcing its geographical leadership. Africa and Europe followed, with 415 and 165 opportunities. However, while Europe experienced a 14% increase in the number of published tenders, Africa’s procurement requirements dropped by 1%, and Oceania and North America faced even sharper declines (Table II).
Table II – Number of tenders published in January 2026 for individual consultants, per continent.
This table also displays the variation (in %) in the number of tenders compared to our last analysis in December 2025. Data collected by Sofia Oliveira from the DevelopmentAid’s database. Note: tenders can be based on multiple continents.
Insight #2: Procurement of consulting services dominates the market
For those who read our December tender analysis, this insight will come as no surprise with consulting services representing 98% of the procurement market for freelancers in international development. However, although still relatively low, the calls for individuals to fulfill requirements in the three other categories (goods, works, and non-consulting services) increased in January.
Table III – Number of tenders published in January 2026 for individual consultants, per need category.
This table also displays the variation (in %) in the number of tenders compared to our December analysis. Data collected by Sofia Oliveira from the DevelopmentAid’s database. Note: tenders can span over more than one category.
Insight #3: Environment remains the sector with the highest demand
Compared to our last analysis in December 2025, there was one major change in the sector ranking with Education & Training now being in second position, with 254 published tenders for individuals. Despite still remaining at the top, the volume of environment-related calls dropped by 8%, while the opportunities in finances increased by 12%.
Table IV – Number of tenders published in January 2026 for individual consultants, per sector.
Only the three sectors with the most published tenders are shown. This table also displays the variation (in %) in the number of tenders compared to our December analysis. Data collected by Sofia Oliveira from the DevelopmentAid’s database. Note: tenders can be classified into more than one sector.
Insight #4: Fundraising & Grants sector is at the bottom of the ranking but demand is increasing
In January 2026, the Fundraising & Grants sector featured 20 published tenders for individual consultants – a 67% jump compared to December 2025. Nonprofit tenders, on the other hand, fell to 25. Similarly, transport-related calls suffered a 28% decline, which led this sector to fall straight into the bottom three.
Table V – Number of tenders published in January 2026 for individual consultants, per sector.
Only the three sectors with the least tenders are shown. This table also displays the variation (in %) in the number of tenders compared to our December analysis. Data collected by Sofia Oliveira from the DevelopmentAid’s database. Note: tenders can be classified into more than one sector.
Insight #5: The Asian Development Bank continues to lead the funding for individual consultant tenders
The Asian Development Bank is leading the demand for individual consultants, with 402 calls for proposals. Nonprofit organizations also substantially increased the number of tenders for individuals they fund, climbing to second place in this funding agencies ranking, while the World Bank dropped to third place.
Table VI – Top 5 funding agencies with the largest number of tenders for individual consultants published in January 2026.
This table also displays the variation (in %) in the number of tenders compared to our December analysis. Data collected by Sofia Oliveira from the DevelopmentAid’s database.
What’s next?
If you are fairly new to the world of consultancy, you should start to think about what you can do to secure a stable year-round income. We have some advice for you in this article:
If you are interested in bidding for individual tenders, but have not previously done so, you should:
