In May 2025, our database featured 5,500+ open tenders in the international development sector which we have analyzed to draw insights into the top locations, sectors, and trends to help you to refine your bidding strategy.
At DevelopmentAid, we centralize all information regarding international aid, from the latest funding opportunities to global aid news, editorials, and industry trends. Our tender database, which is currently the largest in the world, includes the details of over one million tenders, including:
- 5,500+ open tenders
- 29,000+ forecasted calls
- 37,000+ notices at the early intelligence stage
Thanks to this massive database, we can draw exclusive insights to guide your tender bidding strategy. Because our readers found our last analysis so useful, we are sharing this new one which focuses on the tenders open during May 2025.
Where is the demand?
Insight #1: Over 80% of open tenders were based in Africa, Asia, and Europe
Africa led the ranks in the development sector with 1,600+ open tenders. Asia and Europe followed with 1,500+ and 1,400+ open tenders, respectively. Note that the tenders available in Europe showed a particularly sharp increase since our last assessment in February, with a 35% rise in the number of open tenders.
Fig.1. Number of open tenders per continent and respective variation (in %) since our last assessment, in February 2025.
Source: This data was collected by Sofia Oliveira from the DevelopmentAid’s database during May 2025.
What are organizations procuring?
Insight #2: 52% of open tenders sought consulting services
In May 2025, consulting services remained in the most demand, representing 52% of all open tenders. The provision of goods ranked second, while works and non-consulting services remained those least sought. Non-consulting services was the only category that experienced a drop in demand.
Fig.2. Number of open tenders per target category and respective variation (in %) since our last assessment, in February 2025.
Source: This data was collected by Sofia Oliveira from the DevelopmentAid’s database during May 2025.
Who is eligible?
Insight #3: 86% of open tenders were available to organizations, 14% to individuals
In May 2025, our database contained 4,700+ tenders that were open to organizations. While individuals could also apply to some of these, their options were more limited and they were only eligible for 975 open tenders, which represents a 2% decrease compared to February.
Fig.3. Number of open tenders per eligible tenderer type and respective variation (in %) since our last assessment, in February 2025.
Source: This data was collected by Sofia Oliveira from the DevelopmentAid’s database during May 2025.
Demand by sector
Insight #4: IT & Engineering, Environment, and Transportation were the top three sectors
IT & Engineering remained the sector with the most demand, and the number of open tenders increased by 6% compared to February. This sector includes tenders such as the one launched by the United Nations Development Program that was looking for organizations to supply and install solar systems in Pakistan. Another great example is a call for qualified vendors to provide ICT infrastructure support and hosting services to the European Parliament.
The number of tenders published in the environment sector grew by 15%, cementing its second place in this ranking. For instance, the Global Green Growth Institute was looking for universities or research centers interested in strengthening the institutional and community-based management of mangroves and in Tanzania, FAO was seeking to procure consulting services to assess landscape restoration opportunities.
Transportation secured third place but the number of notices fell by 4%. Available tenders included the procurement of a firefighting vehicle in Poland, and the request for bids to build four climate-resilient bridges in Sierra Leone.
Although still far from the top, Health and Education & Training were two of the sectors that experienced the highest increase over the past months with the tenders to be found in these sectors including:
- The Ministry of Health and Population (Nepal) opened a tender for medical and non-medical equipment for health facilities.
- The Ministry of Education and Science (Somalia) needed a partner to deliver literacy, numeracy, and skills training for women.
Insight #5: Fundraising & Grants, Youth, and Energy were the sectors with the least demand
Just as in February, Fundraising & Grants and Youth had the least number of open tenders but in May, energy-related tenders completed the bottom 3, after a 19% drop in demand.
Fig.4. Number of open tenders per sector and respective variation (in %) since our last assessment, in February 2025.
Source: This data was collected by Sofia Oliveira from the DevelopmentAid’s database during May 2025.
Moving towards data-driven decision-making
Keeping up with the latest tender trends should be a crucial step in your fundraising or business strategy which is why you should consider becoming a DevelopmentAid member.
Should your non-profit focus on grants alone? How important will tender bidding be for your business over the next quarter?
Knowing if your expertise or goods are in demand can help you to answer these two questions and then make data-driven decisions. You can also leverage our insights to prioritize certain sectors or categories in an effort to maximize your bidding efficiency and success.
If you need a tool that helps you to find and filter tenders according to your specific criteria, you can register on DevelopmentAid and use our tender database.
