Top sectors for individual consultants in international development: exclusive insights from September

In September 2026, DevelopmentAid’s tender database featured 1,978 consultancy opportunities for international development professionals. While this number represents a 6% shrink compared to the previous month, the decline was not uniform across either regions or sectors. The opportunities in Africa grew by 19%, and demand actually increased in the majority of the most popular sectors. At the same time, of the almost 2,000 opportunities published, 98% concerned consulting services with just 2% being related to goods, works, or unspecified categories.

In this article, we analyze in detail the varying monthly demand for development consultants across regions and sectors, and reveal why the month of October is the best time to become a DevelopmentAid member.

Demand increased in Africa but fell everywhere else

In September, Africa-based consultancy opportunities increased by 19% compared to the previous month but this was an exception because demand for individual consultants dropped in every other continent by between 2% and 21%.

Table I – Number of individual consultant opportunities published in September 2026, per continent.

This table also displays the variation (in %) in the number of consultancies compared to our previous analysis in August 2026. Data collected by Sofia Oliveira from DevelopmentAid’s database. Note: consultancies can be based on multiple continents.

Top 5 sectors in highest demand

The top 5 sectors with the most opportunities remain the same as in our August analysis, although there were a couple of shifts in the ranking order:

• Education & Training dethroned Environment as the top sector
• Finances overtook Human Rights & Law

Interestingly, despite the overall reduction in the number of expert contracts available, all the top sectors apart from Environment had a higher demand for external consultants compared to August.

Table II – Number of individual consultant opportunities published in September 2026, per sector.

Only the 5 sectors with the most published consultancies are shown. This table also displays the variation (in %) in the number of consultancies compared to our previous analysis in August 2026. Data collected by Sofia Oliveira from DevelopmentAid’s database. Note: consultancies can be classified into more than one sector.

Sector #1 – Education & Training, 366 opportunities

In September 2026, DevelopmentAid’s database hosted 366 assignments in this sector open to individual consultants – an 8% increase compared to August. The focus of these calls varied from curriculum development and graphic design to training delivery.

Table III – Two consultancies in education and training published during September 2026.

Sector #2- Environment, 355 opportunities

Although Environment-focused freelancers remained in high demand, the number of opportunities dropped by 22% compared to August. The preparation of a training course and the delivery of specialized consulting services are two examples of the expertise sought by this sector.

Table IV – Two consultancies in the Environment sector published during September 2026.

Sector #3 – IT & Engineering, 307 opportunities

IT & Engineering once again remained near the top of the ranking with 307 consultancy opportunities available, which represents a 10% higher demand than in the previous month. The calls within this sector vary widely in scope, from specific training needs to structural engineering and digital entrepreneurship (see the two examples below).

Table V – Two consultancies in IT & engineering published during September 2026.

Sector #4 – Finances, 279 opportunities

With a 10% growth in opportunities, Finances climbed to 4th place in our ranking during September. The expert consultants sought by this sector were for the preparation of investment plans and general financial project support.

Table VI – Two consultancy opportunities in Finance published during September 2026.

Sector #5 – Human Rights & Law, 275 consultancies

Our top 5 wraps up with Human Rights & Law, which featured 275 calls for proposals in September. Despite a 4% increase in the opportunities available, this sector nevertheless dropped one place in the ranking.

Table VII – Two consultancies in Human Rights & Law published during September 2026.

The 5 sectors with the least demand

The number of Energy-related consultancy opportunities grew by 26% in September, while those in Project Management fell by 17%, which led these two sectors to swap places near the bottom of the least in-demand sector ranking. The other four sectors in the bottom 5 remained the same.

Table VIII – Number of individual consultant opportunities published in September 2026, per sector.

Only the 5 sectors with the least published consultancies are shown. This table also displays the variation (in %) in the number of consultancies compared to our previous analysis in August 2026. Data collected by Sofia Oliveira from DevelopmentAid’s database. Note: consultancies can be classified into more than one sector.

Where is the money coming from? Top 5 funding agencies

The funding landscape has undergone multiple changes in rankings since August 2026:

• The Asian Development Bank financed 18% fewer consultancies and therefore dropped from 2nd to 3rd place.
• The European Commission reduced the number of supported expert contracts by 15%, disappearing from our top five.
• The International Labour Organization returned to the top 5 ranking despite a 2% cut in funded calls for experts.

Nonprofit organizations continue to head the ranking but newly funded expert opportunities fell by 17% compared to the analysis we undertook in August 2026.

Table IX – Top 5 funding agencies with the largest number of consultant opportunities published in September 2026.

This table also shows the variation (in %) in the number of consultancies compared to our previous analysis in August 2026. Data collected by Sofia Oliveira from DevelopmentAid’s database.

How is demand for development consultants evolving?

Since the beginning of 2026, we have published nine exclusive monthly consultancy trend articles based on the calls published on DevelopmentAid – the world’s largest database in international development. While there have been certain fluctuations, the number of opportunities is now 20% higher than it was back in January, with the peak over the nine months being reached in July.

Figure 1 – Number of consultant opportunities published between January and September 2026. Data collected by Sofia Oliveira from DevelopmentAid’s database.

What does the September data reveal?

September’s figures point to a consultancy market with decreasing opportunities, although this decline was far from uniform. Africa had more calls for experts than it registered in August, for example. And the demand is actually increasing in most of the top sectors with the exception of the Environment sector.

For individual consultants, this serves as an important reminder that simply looking at the total number of contracts available as an indicator of demand can be misleading: a shrinking market can still contain growing niche areas. And as the demand for development experts continues to fluctuate, it is vital that freelancers stay informed about procurement trends so they can adapt their offers/skills to the evolving needs of international development organizations.

October is the perfect month to become a DevelopmentAid member: the platform is offering 15% off all memberships and services for experts.

Keep following our monthly analysis to learn where demand will move next.