In the past months, several development aid-funded tenders in Egypt and the Middle East have been re-launched. What do they have in common? They are all looking for competitive private sector companies which can deliver the service they need more professionally
Is it that difficult to find good private service providers in the Middle East? Or are private businesses in the region simply unaware of the opportunities they could find in the development aid industry? Or is it maybe too difficult for service providers to understand the complex requirements of Development Aid Providers?
In a free-of-charge DARPE workshop discussing business relationships and the cooperation between the private sector and the development aid industry on February 28, 2016, an overall consensus concluded that there is a great need for sharing business opportunities as well as for raising awareness about existing opportunities for the private sector to grow by tapping into development aid money.
The development aid industry loves the private sector! From consultants to engineers, from manufacturers to ICT companies, the successful implementation of development projects relies on a variety of private companies. The trend for donors is to “go local”, that means to involve the private sector of a developing country in order to make the delivery of development projects both more country specific and cost efficient. Involving local private companies will also build their capacity to grow and compete nationally and internationally, and will in turn create new jobs and add to the economy of the developing country, which is in itself a goal for many donors.
In summary, here’s plenty of opportunity for private companies in development! The majority of the tenders and grants we at DARPE aggregate and track for you are for the private sector. So why don’t more private sector service providers compete for donor money? Instead, it seems the opportunities are left for a few large private companies who already know how to play the development aid business game.
What do you think? Join the discussion and check our recent tenders and grants to learn more about business opportunities!