DfID's top private sector partners for 2015
As the Department for International Development gears up for the next chapter in providing development assistance, Devex ranks the 15 private sector organizations which received the most funding in 2015.
In early December, the U.K. Department for International Development published its Bilateral Development Review, the first of its kind since 2011. The document highlighted several key policies including an increased focus on using the payment by results method. In practical terms, this means that DfID’s partners will only receive their share of funding after achieving specific program milestones. Between April 2015 and March 2016, a total of 748 million pounds ($947 million), or 74 percent of all new centrally-produced contracts was paid out through this method. While this measure is seen as a means to improve the efficiency and overall performance of implementing partners by incentivizing the achievement of program objectives, many small and medium-sized organizations have voiced their concerns, stating that they lack the capacity to finance their initiatives upfront without DfID’s support. In the same report, DfID also stated that it will depart from providing general budget support in favor of more targeted financing. As the U.K. aid agency gears up for the next chapter in providing development assistance, it is not unlikely that there will be more shifts in the way it delivers aid. Below, Devex ranks DfID’s biggest private sector partners in 2015 based on their own published data. Many of the organizations on this year’s list also made last year’s rankings, with the exception of Palladium and MSI. This year, PricewaterhouseCoopers takes the top spot, receiving 92 million pounds, followed by Adam Smith International with 80 million pounds. DAI and its affiliate organizations moves up to the third spot, while Palladium, the conglomerate of GRM International, Futures Group, Palladium Group, Development and Training Services, HK Logistics and the CARANA Corporation enters the list with the fourth highest amount of funding. Crown Agents, meanwhile, closes out the top five with 64 million pounds. This amount includes a 35 million pound joint venture with Triple Line Consulting. Due to security concerns, DfID has excluded all transactions with Afghanistan, which received 125 million pounds in project funding for fiscal 2015-2016. Financial intermediaries, such as banks and trusts, are also excluded from our ranking. 1. PricewaterhouseCoopers Founded: 1998 Headquarters: London, United Kingdom Chairman: Robert E. Moritz DfID Funding: 92 million pounds 2. Adam Smith International Founded: 1992 Headquarters: London, United Kingdom Executive Chairman: William Morrison DfID funding: 80 million pounds 3. DAI Founded: 1970 Headquarters: Bethesda, Maryland, United States, and London, United Kingdom President and CEO: James Boomgard DfID funding: 73 million pounds 4. Palladium Managing Director and CEO: Kim Bredhauer DfID funding: 71 million pounds 5. Crown Agents Founded: 1833 Headquarters: London, United Kingdom CEO: David Richardson DfID funding: 64 million pounds 6. Mott MacDonald Group Founded: 1989 Headquarters: London, United Kingdom Chairman: Keith Howells DfID funding: 37 million pounds 7. Oxford Policy Management Founded: 1996 Headquarters: Oxford, United Kingdom Managing director: Simon Hunt DfID funding: 35 million pounds 8. KPMG Founded: 1987 Headquarters: Amstelveen, the Netherlands Chairman: John Veihmeyer DfID funding: 31 million pounds 9. IMC Worldwide Headquarters: Redhill, United Kingdom Managing Director: Gavin English DfID funding: 27 million pounds 10. International Procurement Agency Founded: 1981 Headquarters: Bussum, the Netherlands DfID funding: 25 million pounds 11. MSI Founded: 1981 Headquarters: Arlington, Virginia, United States President: Keith Brown DfID funding: 23 million pounds 12. Abt Associates Founded: 1965 Headquarters: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States President and CEO: Kathleen Flanagan DfID funding: 16 million pounds 13. Maxwell Stamp Founded: 1959 Headquarters: London, United Kingdom DfID funding: 15 million pounds 14. Air Partner Headquarters: London, United Kingdom DfID funding: 13 million pounds 15. IPE Global Private Limited Founded: 1998 Chairman: Sunil Mitra Headquarters: New Delhi, India DfID funding: 9 million pounds Ma. Karen Brutas contributed reporting. Check out more practical business and development advice online, and subscribe to Money Matters to receive the latest contract award and shortlist announcements, and procurement and fundraising news.
In early December, the U.K. Department for International Development published its Bilateral Development Review, the first of its kind since 2011. The document highlighted several key policies including an increased focus on using the payment by results method. In practical terms, this means that DfID’s partners will only receive their share of funding after achieving specific program milestones. Between April 2015 and March 2016, a total of 748 million pounds ($947 million), or 74 percent of all new centrally-produced contracts was paid out through this method.
While this measure is seen as a means to improve the efficiency and overall performance of implementing partners by incentivizing the achievement of program objectives, many small and medium-sized organizations have voiced their concerns, stating that they lack the capacity to finance their initiatives upfront without DfID’s support.
In the same report, DfID also stated that it will depart from providing general budget support in favor of more targeted financing. As the U.K. aid agency gears up for the next chapter in providing development assistance, it is not unlikely that there will be more shifts in the way it delivers aid.
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Ezekiel is a Senior Development Analyst and Team Leader at Devex. His primary role is monitoring and reporting on project opportunities and trends of leading multilateral and bilateral donor agencies. A graduate of Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in Political Science, Ezekiel has extensive global development research experience having also worked at the World Youth Alliance, Asia and the Pacific (WYAAP).
