In February 2026, our tender database featured 2,025 tender announcements available for independent contractors in the international development field, which represents a 23% increase in demand compared to the previous month. This higher demand was distributed heterogeneously across the globe and various sectors which we have analyzed in detail, so that this article can help you to understand the market’s priorities and refine your bidding strategy accordingly.
Don’t miss out on the latest tenders for individuals featured in this article, as you can still bid on these.
Our February assessment reveals three key changes compared to last month:
- Latin America and the Caribbean surpassed Europe in terms of the number of tenders available for individuals.
- Financial Services climbed to second position in the top three sectors with tenders for individuals, surpassing Education and Training.
- The demand for individual contractors increased 76% in the Community Development & NGOs sector, but nevertheless, this remains a low-priority category.
Table I – Five tenders open to individual consultants in February 2026.
Insight #1: Asia and Africa host 71% of tenders for independent consultants
The increase in tender opportunities for independent consultants was experienced all across the globe, from Oceania to North America but Asia and Africa still dominate the market, with 47% and 24% of all tenders for individuals, respectively. This is not surprising as it has proven to be the same throughout every analysis since November 2025. However, one relevant geographical shift did emerge compared to our January insights: Latin America and the Caribbean surpassed Europe in terms of the number of opportunities available.
Table II – Number of tenders published in February 2026 for individual consultants, per continent.
This table also displays the variation (in %) in the number of tenders compared to our analysis in January 2026. Data collected by Sofia Oliveira from the DevelopmentAid’s database. Note: tenders can be based on multiple continents.
Insight #2: Consulting services represent 98% of tenders for individuals
Compared to January 2026, consulting services and works were the only two procurement categories that experienced an increase in demand for international development experts in February. Furthermore, consulting services continue to dominate, representing a staggering 98% of the analyzed tenders.
Table III – Number of tenders published in February 2026 for individual consultants, per need category.
This table also displays the variation (in %) in the number of tenders compared to our January 2026 analysis. Data collected by Sofia Oliveira from the DevelopmentAid’s database. Note: tenders can span over more than one category.
Insight #3: Environment, Finances, and Education lead the demand for development consultants
In February 2026, Environment once again led the sector ranking, comprising 19% of all the tenders open to individuals. This sector was followed by Financial Services (with 15%) and Education & Training (with 14%). Thus, the top three most sought sectors remained the same compared to last month’s insights, with a slight shift in order: Financial Services are now in higher demand than Education & Training.
Table IV – Number of tenders published in February 2026 for individual consultants, per sector.
Only the three sectors with the most published tenders are displayed. This table also displays the variation (in %) in the number of tenders compared to our January 2026 analysis. Data collected by Sofia Oliveira from the DevelopmentAid’s database. Note: tenders can be classified into more than one sector.
Insight #4: Tenders for individuals in the Community Development & NGO sector are on the rise, but still minimal
A 76% increase of the number of tenders for individuals in the NGO sector was recorded during February 2026 but this still only represents 2% of the opportunities available, placing it at the bottom of procurement priorities, along with the Transportation and the Fundraising & Grants sectors.
Given the extreme importance of fundraising for the sustainability of many non-profits working in international development, one might wonder why this sector consistently ranks at the bottom of procurement priorities. One possible explanation is that institutions prioritize having this expertise available in-house rather than hiring external consultants. Although this is in line with what has been seen in the job market recently, we could not find any data to support or refute the applicability of this hypothesis in the case of tenders for individuals.
Table V – Number of tenders published in February 2026 for individual consultants, per sector.
Only the three sectors with the least tenders are displayed. This table also displays the variation (in %) in the number of tenders compared to our January 2026 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 funds 24% of all tenders for consultants
The Asian Development Bank has been the top funding agency for individual tenders since December 2025, with the number of procurement calls having increased from then on. In fact, in February 2026, 24% of tenders was funded by the Asian Development Bank. Non-profit organizations were in second place, funding 16% of all tenders open to development consultants, followed by the United Nations with 13%. The World Bank and the International Labour Organization completed the ranking by financing 12% and 7% of all individual tenders, respectively.
Table VI – Top 5 funding agencies with the largest number of tenders for individual consultants published in February 2026.
This table also displays the variation (in %) in the number of tenders compared to our analysis in January 2026. Data collected by Sofia Oliveira from the DevelopmentAid’s database.
Moving towards data-driven decision-making for your career
- Who is paying for external contractors?
- What are the priority sectors?
- Which consulting skills are in demand?
These variables could result in major changes in the demand for your services over the next quarter. Developing new skills or shifting the focus to an overlapping sector might significantly improve your ability to win a tender or increase your fees. Nowadays keeping up with the evolution of market requirements is therefore key for anyone operating as an individual consultant.
If you want to take your market analysis a step further, become a DevelopmentAid member to access real-time information on the international development sector, including the ability to find and filter tenders according to your specific needs.
