The politics and policies around U.K. aid topped the headlines in 2020 with the merger of the Department for International Development with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the loss of the 0.7% aid spending target — but amid the turmoil, business and contracting processes continued.
The U.K. spent £1.25 billion on commercial aid contracts in fiscal year 2019/20. Commercial contracts are open tenders to which any organization, including NGOs and local organizations, can apply — though you might have better chances of winning if you are part of a consortium with one of the department’s biggest contractors.
While further data may yet be published on last year’s contracts, Devex dug through the available data from both DFID and the new Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office to identify the biggest procurement contracts awarded in 2020.