Tendering for products, supplies, works, and services is a widely recognized practice among aid donors and development banks and is a billion-worth industry among private companies. What is less generally known, however, is that donors also issue tenders that are open to individuals.
With the help of the information available on the DevelopmentAid platform – the largest database in the international development sector – we have ranked international development organizations based on the number of opportunities available for individual consultants.
Predominantly in the area of consultancy, but also in the field of specific development-oriented services such as Monitoring and Evaluation or Environmental Compliance, these opportunities are available across a multitude of donors and programs around the world.
In 2023, the total number of publicly available tenders for individuals was around 29,854 and, of these, 25,441 were published by just 10 development organizations.
According to the DevelopmentAid database, these TOP-10 most active organizations include large aid agencies, development banks, and also non-profit organizations. The list is headed by the European Commission (EC) followed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Bank (WB), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the French Development Agency (AFD), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) (English: German Corporation for International Cooperation GmbH), and nonprofit organizations (NPO).
Statistics on calls for tenders for individual consultants
Which are the TOP-three aid donors with the most tenders for individuals?
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
The mission of the UNDP is to help nations to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable economic and human development. With offices in over 170 countries, it is the largest UN development aid agency.
The UNDP is the international development network that provides developing nations with funding, professional guidance, training, and assistance. Each day, the UNDP publishes up to 10 new tenders for individuals.
Eager to learn more about the UNDP? You might want to read ‘A brief history of the UNDP’
Based on data from our platform, it is also the largest donor with individual consultant tenders. A significant proportion of the tenders are related to environmental and natural resource management, information and communication, and macroeconomic and public finance.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB)
The main goal of the ADB is to promote economic development and cooperation among the nations that make up the Asia-Pacific region. Established in 1966 and headquartered in Manila in the Philippines, the ADB facilitates socio-economic growth for its members and associates by offering grants, equity investments, loans, and technical support.
Read ‘A brief history of the Asian Development Bank’
On the DevelopmentAid platform, ADB publishes around 12 new tenders for individuals on a daily basis. By becoming a DevelopmentAid Professional Member, you will be able to discover ADB tenders for individual consultants which have an emphasis on civil engineering, health, and information and communication technology.
The World Bank (WB)
The WB is a major source of finance and knowledge for developing nations around the globe. The organization is dedicated to alleviating poverty and facilitating economic and sustainable growth. This international financial institution offers interest-free loans and grants to the governments of developing nations.
With over 10 new tenders for individuals posted each day on the DevelopmentAid platform, the WB is a major donor. If you wish to bid on a WB tender for individuals, consider the following sectors: information and communication technology, education, programme and resource management, finance and accounting, health, and social development.
See also ‘A brief history of the World Bank’
Note that our Professional and Professional Plus members have full access to tenders for individuals. Contact us to learn more about our membership or become a member today.
