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The European Union member states pledged in 2005 to raise development aid to 0.7 percent of their economies' gross national income by 2015, as suggested by the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals. Although Germany is not one of the largest donors yet, it is on track to meeting the goals. The country plans to reserve up to 0.5 percent of its GNI for development aid by 2010, and reach 0.7 percent by 2015.

The German government commissions development projects via its Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst and the Gesellschaft für technische Zusammenarbeit, or German Technical Cooperation, for instance, take over many projects assigned by the ministry. These organizations often obtain the help of private consulting companies or foundations to offer support in areas such as health, environment and rural infrastructure.

The GFA Consulting Group is an example. Founded in 1982 and based in Hamburg, it is active around the world through numerous subsidiaries and partner companies and has eight strategic fields of operation: environmental investment, health, water and sanitation, and the development of rural areas, the private sector and financial systems.

GFA also offers a certification service for managing forests and wood according to economical, ecological and social criteria. The consultancy has served hundreds of institutional clients by helping them carry out projects financed by bilateral donors, the European Commission, the World Bank, KfW Entwicklungsbank and many regional development banks. At present it has about 280 staff members and its turnover in 2007 is estimated to reach more than €50 million.

GOPA Consulting Group is an independent private consultant company founded in 1965 and based in Bad Homburg. It has project offices in more than 60 countries and maintains representative offices in Belgium, Brazil, Guatemala, South Africa, Vietnam and the United States. GOPA, in English, stands for Association for Organization, Planning and Training. The company is one of the leading German development consulting firms and one of the strongest consulting groups in Europe, having worked with the German government, the World Bank, the European Union, the Asian Development Bank and other well-known development organizations.

Since its establishment it has implemented more than 3,000 projects in more than 130 countries. GOPA has five departments: Economic Development and Good Governance, Human Resources and Social Development, Infrastructure Development, Information Technology for Development, Rural Development and Environment.

Rodeco Consulting was founded in 1973 and is based in Bad Homburg. The company focuses its attention on infrastructure and institutional development – particularly in the fields of solid waste, wastewater, water supply, water resource management, public utility management and training. Rodeco runs about 100 projects all over the world. Its clients include the World Bank, the European Commission, the Inter-American Development Bank, the United Nations Development Program, Britain’s Department for International Development and the GTZ. The company’s turnover for 2006 was nearly €7 million.

Epos Health Consultants is based in Bad Homburg and was founded in 1985 as an independent worldwide provider of consulting services in the health sector.During the last 20 years, Epos has implemented over 200 projects in more than 70 countries in the areas of health sector reform and health financing, primary health care, sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS health facilities and services. Epos client range from health care institutions and government department, insurance funds, regional and local authorities, to primary, secondary and tertiary health care providers, and all major institutions of international development cooperation like the World Bank and the European Commission. In 2005, Epos managed a total procurement volume of more than €261 million in the implementation of donor funded projects.

Diwi Consult International was established in 1971 and is based in Essen. Diwi is a group of consulting engineers, specializing in the planning, design, and construction of roads, bridges, buildings, airports, and harbors and was established. Additional areas of expertise are water supply, sanitation projects, rural and urban development. Diwi is registered with most major national and international donor agencies and government authorities such as the World Bank, African Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, the GTZ and others. The company employs 200 staff worldwide and its turnover is estimated to be €9 million.

AFC Consultants International was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Bonn. The company specializes in management consulting for agribusiness and food industries, and within regional and community development cooperations. Other fields of expertise are decentralization, management consulting, the development of small and medium-size enterprises, natural resources management, governance and decentralization.

These services are enlisted by major German institutions, including the GTZ, as well as by international institutions, like the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the African Development Bank. AFC also works closely with various national and international universities and scientific institutes. In 2007, GOPA Worldwide Consultants acquired 70 percent of the shares of AFC Consultants International.

Germax was established in 1974 and is based in Aachen with branch offices in the Czech Republic and Russia. The development consultancy works with private companies, public organizations, development banks, as well as bilateral and multilateral organizations in Germany and abroad. Its range of services includes humanitarian and development assistance, management consulting, marketing and business development, and information and communication technologies. Germax has worked on assignments for the European Union, U.S. and Australia and in more than 40 different developing countries, as well as for private-sector clients.

IP Institut für Projektplanung, or Institute for Project Planning, was founded in 1979 and is based in Stuttgart. It offers services for firms and public institutions in the areas of management consultancy, technology transfer, environmental protection, and rural and public sector development. The Institute for Project Planning works with private companies, German government institutions as well as donor agencies and non-governmental institutions in Germany and abroad, such as the World Bank, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund. IP Consult employs about 50 professional staff and its turnover in 2005 amounted to €6 million. The organization's capital and reserves amounted to €3 million.

AHT Group operates as a management and engineering consultancy in more than 25 countries. Its fields of expertise include water, waste, environment and agriculture, including training, management, project development, and implementation. AHT’s clients are national and local government institutions, private-sector companies and major international development organizations like the GTZ, the European Commission, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. AHT Group has a permanent staff of 50 employees and their turnover in 2006 was €10 million.

Icon Institute GmbH & Co. KG was established in 1975 and is headquartered in Cologne with branch offices in France and Chile. Icon Institute is a private consulting firm that comprises six specialized institutes that focus on education and training, the private sector, the public sector and infrastructure social development. The core competence of each institute is in organization and the development of human resources related to specific sectors of the economy and of society.

The institute works on information systems, technical assistance to regional development and social services, human resources, development and education, as well as technical assistance to private and public sectors. Its clients are the International Development Bank, the European Commission, and other bilateral donors. The group has more than 60 employees with annual turnover in 2006 more than €21 milion.

Integration Consulting Group is an international consulting company established in 1976 and based in Frankfurt. It provides technical assistance and training, and carries out a wide range of consulting assignments in emerging markets and developing countries. The group’s main fields of operation are export and investment promotion, vocational and technical training, small and micro enterprise promotion, institutional strengthening, monitoring and evaluation.

The group has three departments: Integration, Environment and Energy covers environmental and energy related issues. International Management Consultancy is focusing on economic development. Integration Ikesol is specialized on technical assistance in international developmental affairs.

Integration serves international and bilateral donor organizations as well as governments and private companies. It employs more than 30 specialized professionals and its annual turnover in 2006 was about €11 milion.

The Berlin-based Abu Consult was founded in 1991 and has specialized in aiding democratic and economic reform in transitional societies, especially in central and eastern European countries, newly independent states, southeast Asia and north Africa. This includes the development of social infrastructure and the reforms of political and social institutions. Abu Consult has worked for the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and bilateral clients, including the German and the Swiss governments. It has 20 permanent employees and company turnover in 2006 was €4 million.

Como Consulting's scope of work includes training and consultancy for management, international cooperation, social management, university reforms and the modernization of public services in Germany and abroad. Como’s clients include international organizations such as UNDP, the GTZ and the World Bank as well as the German government and private enterprises in Germany and abroad. The firm has 20 full-time employees and 80 associates with turnover in 2006 at nearly €4 million.

Eco Consulting Group was established in 1992 with headquarters in Oberaula and three branch offices in Germany. It has worked in more than 70 countries and contributed to more than 250 projects in natural resource management and social development worldwide.

Eco's areas of expertise include good governance, natural resources management, rural development and food security, domestic energy, basic education, sustainable tourism and disaster risk management. Its clients include the World Wide Fund for Nature, GTZ, International Labor Organization and World Bank.

Eco has four departments: Eco Consult helps to design and implement national development and poverty reduction strategies, and assists in multilateral policy development. Eco Education offers advice to governments and organizations all over the world on the formulation, implementation and evaluation of educational policy options and identified programs and projects. Eco Nature publishes guidebooks on the conservation of protected areas worldwide. Eco Travel organizes study trip with specialists to promote lesser known areas of the world. All four departments seek to support the sustainable management of natural resources.

Iak Agrar Consulting, based in Leipzig, was established in 2001 after a merger by the Ace Agrar Consulting GmbH Einbeck and Integrarkooperation GmbH. The company is focusing on three areas fo work: consultancy in agribusiness (including the construction and preparation of biogas plants, milk production and cattle breeding), the handling of special accession programs for agriculture and rural development for German states and eastern European countries, and technical and financial cooperation concerning rural development, the seed sector, and natural and forestry preservation.

Iak operates in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Clients include the European Union, Asian Develeopment Bank, GTZ, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and industry.

Saniplan is a globally operating independent consultancy company founded in 1982 and based in Frankfurt am Main. It focuses on four sectors: health care and hygienic matters, drinking water supply, environmental sanitation and social investment funds. Saniplan has worked on 100 projects in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin Ameria for the European Comission, GTZ and others.

Sequa, based in Bonn, was created in 1991 by the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry, or DIHK, and the German Confederation of Small Businesses and Skilled Crafts, or ZDH, in order to support the German economy and its development endeavors. It is the nonprofit service organization of the German Chambers and Employers’ Associations and promotes small and medium-size enterprises, German activities abroad, and offers vocational training of specialists and leaders from all over Europe. Sequa also supports private-sector initiatives in developing countries in order to build public-private partnerships. Its projects are funded by the German government, European Commission, World Bank, GTZ and private foundations.

Adelphi Consult is an international consultancy specializing in developing and implementing sustainability strategies for companies, public-sector institutions and international organizations. Through their projects it promotes eco-efficiency, innovation and corporate social responsibility. Most clients are German companies and the European Union directorates.

Team Consult, based in Hamburg, focuses on the implementation of complex development programs and strategies. It also offers to steer and evaluate projects, and support efforts to reduce poverty and improve social security systems. Team Consult supports the local Agenda 21 processes and offers training in the fields of project management, monitoring and evaluation, organizational development and change management, team building, conflict management, facilitation and visualization. It has handled projects for the U.N. Development Program, U.N. Drug Control Program, U.N. Capital Development Fund, as well as the GTZ and various German donor organizations.

Ageg Consultants was founded in 1986 and is based in Kirchheim unter Teckis. It is a cooperative of specialists in various sectors relevant to development, including economic development, conflict resolution, poverty reduction, health, environment, and sustainable tourism. Ageg clients include the United Nations World Food Program, European Commission, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, German Bank for Reconstruction and Development and GTZ.

Particip was established in 1989 and is based in Freiburg with offices in Belgium and Senegal. Particip offers professional services with a focus on monitoring and evaluating, capacity and organizational development, technical assistance, policy advice, as well as the development of guidelines for management and policy.

It focuses on five areas: project cycle management, environment, decentralization, rural development, human resources development and training and facilitation. Among its clients are international organizations such as the Council of Europe and the World Bank. Its turnover has more than doubled over the past five years, rising to an estimated €5 million in 2007.

ABG, short for Agrarwirtschaftliche Beratung Göttingen, handles advisory, coaching and training programs for business development, financing, regional and rural development, planning and implementation. It focuses on complex economic, social, and environmental problems in transitional economies. Mainly active in central and eastern Europe, ABG works closely with the European Union, GTZ and Asian Development Bank.

The German energy engineering association Decon was founded in 1972 and is based in Bad Homburg. Decon is active in the fields of energy, environment protection, water supply, telecommunications, construction and vocational training. It offers a broad range of services, such as planning, implementation, and operation. Decon works for all kind of international clients, including the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, European Bank of Reconstruction and Development, GTZ and U.N. Development Program.

HEAT stands for Habitat, Energy, Application, and Technology and reflects the company’s fields of expertise. It was founded in 1992 and is based in Glashuetten. HEAT assists in the implementation of programs aimed at the sustainable development of developing and threshold countries. Through its participation in consulting and technical cooperation projects in different sectors, HEAT supports local communities in finding new ways to improve their living conditions. HEAT clients include the GTZ, USAID, European Union, World Bank and several U.N. agencies, including the Industrial Development Organization, the High Commissioner for Refugees, and the Environmental Program.