Why is this article relevant for development experts:
- It introduces the concept of “shortlists” and explains how to use them.
- Readers receive practical knowledge and tools for using shortlists to advance their career and networking.
- Development experts get a step-by-step guide and video tutorial on how to maximize their expert profiles.
When a donor or development bank in the aid sector puts out a tender, they often evaluate the bids that they receive to create a “shortlist.” As the name implies, this is a brief list of the bids that passed the first round of evaluation and have higher chances of being awarded the tender.
So, how can you make use of this information and secure a job or a lucrative consultancy assignment as an expert individual or consultant? Using the search tools on the platform, DevelopmentAid members can easily find the tenders that are in the “shortlisted” phase, as well as the contact and other relevant information about the organizations which have made the cut. This puts you in the perfect position to contact the shortlisted organizations and see if a professional collaboration might be possible.
Furthermore, even if this offer doesn’t pan out immediately, contacting a shortlisted organization is a great way to get yourself included for consideration on future bids that these companies plan to submit.
💡 Remember, organizations that get shortlisted are the ones with a proven track record of delivering services to aid agencies and donor organizations, so it’s always a good idea to reach out to them and professionally introduce yourself.
How organizations get shortlisted
Every aid agency and development bank has their own eligibility and evaluation criteria when narrowing the bids they’ve received in response to a tender down to a shortlist of the most viable offers.
Why do donors create shortlists? In the international development sector, donors and aid agencies create shortlists for tenders to safeguard an efficient, high-quality, and secure procurement process.
Organizations that don’t make the shortlist are out of the running.
Previous experience working together and the company’s reputation go a long way to making the shortlist.
How can shortlists benefit individual aid professionals and consultants?
Before a tender has been awarded, the shortlist shows you the companies that have made the grade and have submitted a bid worth further consideration and/or dialogue. As such, knowing which companies have been shortlisted is an easy way to discover the most successful organizations in the sector.
Furthermore, when an organization has been shortlisted, they may be looking for or are open to collaboration with individual professionals and/or consultants, making it the perfect time to reach out to them with your CV. Even if they don’t require any outside help at the moment, introducing yourself will leave you well-placed for consideration for that company’s future bids.
Here are the key benefits of using shortlists on DevelopmentAid
🔹 Consultants can identify organizations that are actively bidding
A shortlisted organization is already competing for a specific assignment. This helps consultants identify firms that are expanding their teams and may require additional expertise before project implementation begins.
🔹 Target business development more effectively
Instead of approaching hundreds of organizations, consultants can focus on those that have recently demonstrated interest and capacity in their sector, region, or donor portfolio.
🔹 Increase the likelihood of being recruited
Organizations that frequently reach the shortlist often maintain rosters of external consultants and regularly recruit experts for proposal preparation, project implementation, or reserve capacity. Building relationships with these organizations can lead to future assignments, even if recruitment for the current tender has already closed.
🔹 Understand the competitive landscape
Shortlists reveal which consulting firms, NGOs, engineering companies, universities, and consortia are most active in particular countries, sectors, and donor-funded programs. This helps consultants identify potential employers or long-term partners.
How to get access to shortlisted organizations
Access to tenders with a shortlisted status is open for Professional, Professional Plus, and Premium DevelopmentAid members.
Platform users can navigate over to the main Tenders page, search for tenders relevant to their sector of expertise, and then filter status by “shortlisted.” It’s also a good idea to use the “Modified after” filter to find only recently added shortlists. All filtered tenders will contain the names of shortlisted companies, and their contact and other information can be found via DevelopmentAid’s Organizations database.
Furthermore, eligible DevelopmentAid members can also create personalized Alerts for tenders in their sector specifically for tenders with a Shortlisted status. Please note that only some donors/banks use shortlists for their tenders.
A quick guide to making the most of shortlisted organizations
For eligible DevelopmentAid members, the process is quite simple:
- Go to the main Tenders page and search for tenders in your sector of expertise
- Filter the results to only show tenders with a status of “Shortlisted,” which will display a list of the companies that have been shortlisted
- Go to the Organizations database to get the contact and other information for these companies
- Send them your CV and a cover letter directly
- Set up an automatic Alert so that you’ll be notified when a tender in your sector enters the Shortlisted phase.
If you want to maximize your career success as an international development expert or consultant, start making the most of shortlisted organizations today. Book a call with DevelopmentAid Career Advisors for a quick but comprehensive introduction into the platform’s multiple possibilities.
