Mott MacDonald has decided to close its international development arm, which was one of the United Kingdom’s biggest aid contractors, halting all new bids and winding down current projects, according to multiple current and former staff.
The move, understood to have been communicated verbally to staff in August, was first mentioned publicly in a blog post by former Cambridge Education managing director, Andy Brock, who worked at the unit for 33 years until April 2023. He wrote that “reputable sources indicate that Mott MacDonald, my old company, of which Cambridge Education is a subsidiary, will withdraw from development work.”
He added that it was “heartbreaking” that the company’s international development arm, which was the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s fourth-biggest development contractor last year — receiving more than £52 million from FCDO to deliver three contracts in 2024/25 — was now being wound down.