As Keir Starmer slashes the foreign aid budget to boost defence spending, we look at the five most progressive foreign aid contracts currently active.
It comes after Starmer announced on Tuesday that the UK Government will increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027 – three years earlier than originally planned – as Donald Trump’s commitment to European security wavers.
His £13.4billion splurge will be funded through “painful” cuts to the foreign aid budget, which will be slashed from 0.5 per cent to 0.3 per cent.
The decision was lauded by Starmer’s opponents on the right, who have questioned why taxpayer money should be sent overseas when there are more pressing problems at home.
To them, Britain’s foreign aid commitments have become a byword for ‘woke waste’.
In 2024/25 alone, the UK is spending £110million on agricultural foreign aid projects and £445 million on environmental foreign aid projects.
Speaking to GB News, Reform UK’s Rupert Lowe took credit for Starmer’s policy shift, claiming it was “cut and pasted” from his party’s manifesto.
With foreign aid on the chopping board, here’s a look at the five most ‘progressive’ foreign contracts active today.
Somalia’s ‘Green Urban Growth’ initiative
British taxpayers are expected to fork out £25million to Somalia over the next five years as part of the Government’s “Green Urban Growth” initiative.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) awarded the contract to DT Global International Development UK LTD last month.
The programme aims to support Somalia cities to “become more inclusive and resilient to cope with rapid urbanisation and climate change”, according to the Government’s website, and will help “harness green growth opportunities that contribute to poverty reduction and build longer-term resilience for Somalia’s Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and the urban poor”.
In addition to the £25million, the contract has an extension option of 24 months and allows for an increase in value of up to an additional £25million which may include funding from other donors to support collaboration and partnerships on urban development.
British taxpayers will spend £9,550,000 supporting “Accountability and Inclusion” in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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‘Accountability and Inclusion’ in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The UK Taxpayer will spend £9,550,000 supporting “Accountability and Inclusion” in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The contract was awarded to Cowater International in December, 2024 and will run until March 2027.
Among its key objectives is to “enhance community governance mechanisms, including women and other marginalised groups”.
“Inclusion and politically sensitive programming” is one of the stated requirements.
Beneficiaries of the tax payer-funded scheme include marginalised groups including (but not limited to) people living with disabilities, ethnic minorities, indigenous people and young people.
Jordanian Armed Forces’ ‘Gender Mainstreaming Strategy’
More than half a million pounds (£575,000) was granted to the Ark Group to deliver advice to the Jordanian Armed Forces’ “Gender Mainstreaming Strategy”, under the previous Conservative government.
The contract was awarded in March 2024 and will run until March 2025.
This contract will “deliver technical advice to support the Jordanian Armed Forces’ (JAF) Directorate of Military Women’s Affairs in assessing implementation of the JAF’s Gender Mainstreaming Strategy”.
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‘Enhancing Gender and Human Development’ in Nepal
A contract worth up to £12million titled “Enhancing Gender and Human Development Outcomes through Systems Strengthening” in Nepal was awarded in February 2025.
The contract will run until the end of 26 January 2030.
Objectives include “enhancing Nepal’s trajectory towards an inclusive, stable and prosperous middle-income country by boosting its human capital”.
The Supplier will be required to “demonstrate a strong and clear approach to embedding gender and social inclusion (GESI) throughout all aspects of programme delivery”.
A contract worth up to £12million titled “Enhancing Gender and Human Development Outcomes through Systems Strengthening” in Nepal was awarded in February
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Overseas ‘forest governance’
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is looking to award a winning supplier £175million to deliver “Forest Governance, Markets and Climate (FGMC)” initiatives overseas.
These projects will help “FGMC partner countries develop forest policies and institutional arrangements that deliver accountable forest stewardship or improve forest footprints associated with international trade in alliance countries, contributing to overarching programme objectives”, the contract reads.
The contract’s initial length is up to 48 months with a value up to £75 million. The contract may be extended and/or its value increased up to an additional 60 months and a value up to an additional £100million