Who wins public consulting contracts in Germany? 2026
Buyers in Germany awarded 1,912 public consulting contracts in the 24 months to 30 October 2026, 12.3% of all awards in Europe in the radar, to 951 firms. Who wins, what a contract is worth, how many bid, which buyers buy, how much goes through frameworks, what is open now and what Hessen and Frankfurt am Main look like: from TED and the federal notice service, every figure with its base.
What counts as consulting here: public contracts for advice and change work (strategy, management, finance, legal, research and evaluation, organisation, programme and project support), from €15,000; not audits, certification, IT operations, software, works, staffing or training.
By Pablo Ramos-Sánchez, Frankfurt am Main · data of 30 October 2026 · 24 months of awards · CC BY-NC 4.0 · Markdown · CSV
Part of the European report Who wins public consulting in Europe — 2026: same data, same definitions.
Question 1Which consultancies win the most?
By number of awards, PwC (55), KPMG (46), Deloitte (41) and EY (35) lead, followed by GFA Consulting Group GmbH (29), BearingPoint (28) and Prognos AG (16). Together the Big Four are on 145 awards: 7.6% of all 1,912 awards and 10.7% of the 1,361 with a named winner (Europe: 9.6% of all awards). By value the ranking looks completely different: VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH leads with €268.5 M from 15 awards, and Projektträgerschaften (programme management for ministries) account for 62.1% of the value awarded. The Big Four take only 2.6% of the value, partly because 117 of their 177 German awards (counted per firm) are framework agreements, whose ceiling does not count as contract value here.
Top 20 firms by awards
| # | Firm | Awards | Share | Share, named | Value won | Share of value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PwC | 55 | 2.9% | 4% | €8.1 M | 0.6% |
| 2 | KPMG | 46 | 2.4% | 3.4% | €7.1 M | 0.5% |
| 3 | Deloitte | 41 | 2.1% | 3% | €6.4 M | 0.5% |
| 4 | EY | 35 | 1.8% | 2.6% | €12.8 M | 1% |
| 5 | GFA Consulting Group GmbH | 29 | 1.5% | 2.1% | €15.5 M | 1.2% |
| 6 | BearingPoint | 28 | 1.5% | 2.1% | €0 | 0% |
| 7 | Prognos AG | 16 | 0.8% | 1.2% | €14.2 M | 1.1% |
| 8 | VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH | 15 | 0.8% | 1.1% | €268.5 M | 20.1% |
| 9 | d-fine GmbH | 14 | 0.7% | 1% | €2.8 M | 0.2% |
| 10 | Forvis Mazars | 14 | 0.7% | 1% | €255,000 | <0.1% |
| 11 | Accenture | 13 | 0.7% | 1% | €731,000 | 0.1% |
| 12 | Ramboll | 12 | 0.6% | 0.9% | €4.2 M | 0.3% |
| 13 | forsa Gesellschaft für Sozialforschung und statistische Analysen mbH | 11 | 0.6% | 0.8% | €18,900 | <0.1% |
| 14 | ECO Consult GmbH & Co KG | 9 | 0.5% | 0.7% | €9.0 M | 0.7% |
| 15 | IMAP GmbH | 9 | 0.5% | 0.7% | €1.1 M | 0.1% |
| 16 | Dorsch Impact GmbH | 8 | 0.4% | 0.6% | €2.3 M | 0.2% |
| 17 | BCG | 8 | 0.4% | 0.6% | €1.2 M | 0.1% |
| 18 | FAKT, Beratung für Management, Bildung und Technologien GmbH | 8 | 0.4% | 0.6% | €0 | 0% |
| 19 | Ipsos | 8 | 0.4% | 0.6% | €0 | 0% |
| 20 | Roland Berger | 8 | 0.4% | 0.6% | €0 | 0% |
Top 10 firms by value won
| # | Firm | Value won | Share of value | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH | €268.5 M | 20.1% | 15 |
| 2 | GFA Consulting Group GmbH | €15.5 M | 1.2% | 29 |
| 3 | ECO Consult GmbH & Co KG | €9.0 M | 0.7% | 9 |
| 4 | PwC | €8.1 M | 0.6% | 55 |
| 5 | KPMG | €7.1 M | 0.5% | 46 |
| 6 | Deloitte | €6.4 M | 0.5% | 41 |
| 7 | Dorsch Impact GmbH | €2.3 M | 0.2% | 8 |
| 8 | Stadt + Handel Beckmann und Föhrer Stadtplaner GmbH | €2.1 M | 0.2% | 4 |
| 9 | Kienbaum | €829,300 | 0.1% | 7 |
| 10 | Teamwille GmbH | €360,000 | <0.1% | 2 |
Firm page: PwCAll firm pagesMarket page: GermanyStrategy & advisoryTransformation & changeTop 20 table
Question 2What is a typical contract worth?
More than the European average, with a caveat. Half of the 648 awards with a value are below €372,700, and the middle half lies between €219,100 and €826,700; across Europe the median is €99,900. The main reason is the source: values in these data come only from TED, so mostly from contracts above the EU thresholds; the 415 awards from the federal notice service come without a value. A few large contracts carry the money: the 37 awards of €5 M or more are 5.7% of the awards with a value but 71% of the €1.36 bn.
Question 3How many firms bid?
Usually few. The median award had 3 bids (1,365 awards give the count, 71%), 22.9% had a single bid (Europe: 22.6%) and 34.1% five or more. Federal buyers got a single bid in 23.5% of cases, the Länder in 28.4%, municipalities in 19.2%; most often at universities and research institutes (52.8%). Awards won by the Big Four had a single bid in only 8% of cases.
Question 4Can small and mid-sized consultancies win?
Yes, they win most of it. Where the notice gives the winner's size (1,357 awards), an SME won 64.4% (Europe: 68.7%): 62.9% of awards to a single firm, 75.2% where several firms are named (consortia or lots). SMEs send 57.2% of the bids where that is reported. Of the 951 firms that won, 758 won once, and 76.9% of awards with a named winner went to firms outside the top 20. The median SME contract is €340,500, against €475,400 for a large firm.
Question 5Which buyers buy the most consulting?
The federal government. Federal ministries, offices and agencies placed 492 awards (25.7%) and 77.8% of the value; the Länder 137 (7.2%; 4.6% of value), municipalities 188 (9.8%; 2.1%). Public companies such as GIZ, KfW and Autobahn GmbH account for 356 awards (18.6%). The busiest single buyers are GIZ (181), Bundesanstalt für Straßen- und Verkehrswesen (72) and BMFTR (formerly BMBF) (48); by value BMFTR (formerly BMBF) leads with €608.9 M from 48 awards.
Top buyers by number of awards
| Buyer | Type | Land | Awards | Value awarded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH | Public companies | Hessen | 181 | €57.6 M |
| Bundesanstalt für Straßen- und Verkehrswesen | Federal government | Nordrhein-Westfalen | 72 | €22.3 M |
| Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt | Federal government | Nordrhein-Westfalen | 48 | €608.9 M |
| Eisenbahn-Bundesamt | Federal government | Nordrhein-Westfalen | 43 | €22.1 M |
| Beschaffungsamt des BMI | Federal government | Nordrhein-Westfalen | 39 | €5.3 M |
| Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie | Federal government | Berlin | 32 | €325.6 M |
| Bundesinsitut für Bau-, Stadt- und Raumforschung (BBSR) im Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung (BBR) | Federal government | Nordrhein-Westfalen | 32 | €11.2 M |
| Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft - Einkauf B12 | Universities & research | Bayern | 26 | €0 |
| Bundesministerium für Verkehr | Federal government | Berlin | 24 | €10.6 M |
| KfW Bankengruppe | Public companies | Hessen | 24 | €6.2 M |
| Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR) | Agencies & other bodies | Nordrhein-Westfalen | 22 | €4.4 M |
| European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) | Agencies & other bodies | Nordrhein-Westfalen | 22 | €1.9 M |
| Bundesinstitut für Bau-, Stadt- und Raumforschung (BBSR) | Federal government | Nordrhein-Westfalen | 18 | €3.6 M |
| Deutsche Bundesbank, Zentralbereich Beschaffungen | Not classified | Hessen | 18 | €0 |
| Bundesministerium für Bildung, Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend | Federal government | Berlin | 17 | €1.5 M |
Top buyers by value awarded
| Buyer | Type | Value awarded | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt | Federal government | €608.9 M | 48 |
| Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie | Federal government | €325.6 M | 32 |
| Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH | Public companies | €57.6 M | 181 |
| Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Industrie, Klimaschutz und Energie des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen | Länder (states) | €27.4 M | 10 |
| Bundesanstalt für Straßen- und Verkehrswesen | Federal government | €22.3 M | 72 |
| Eisenbahn-Bundesamt | Federal government | €22.1 M | 43 |
| Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg GmbH | Public companies | €16.5 M | 3 |
| Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss (G-BA) Berlin | Not classified | €16.2 M | 9 |
| Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Wirtschaft, Landesentwicklung und Energie | Länder (states) | €11.9 M | 2 |
| Bundesinsitut für Bau-, Stadt- und Raumforschung (BBSR) im Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung (BBR) | Federal government | €11.2 M | 32 |
Question 6How much goes through framework agreements?
A large one, above all for the Big Four. 24.4% of awards are framework agreements, 30.5% of TED awards (the federal notice service flags them in these data for only 10 awards). Their stated ceilings add up to €2.86 bn, 2.1 times all other awards; but a ceiling is a maximum, not a fee, and is kept out of the market size here. The Big Four are on 20.4% of the frameworks with a named winner, against 6.4% of other awards: 117 of their 177 German awards are frameworks. The most frameworks are placed by Beschaffungsamt des BMI (31), GIZ (22), ECMWF (18) and KfW (18).
Question 7What is open now?
On 30 October 2026, 66 consulting calls from buyers in Germany were open; 31 close within two weeks and 20 are framework agreements. 16 publish an estimate, €18.1 M together. Most come from federal buyers (25) and public companies (12); 8 from buyers in Hessen, 2 of them in Frankfurt am Main. The radar shows, for each call, who won similar work recently.
The next deadlines
Question 8Who buys and wins in Hessen and Frankfurt am Main?
Hessen ranks 2 among the Länder by consulting awards, after Nordrhein-Westfalen: 258 awards (13.5% of Germany's) from 50 buyers. Most of that is GIZ, based in Eschborn: 155 awards, 60.1%; without it, 103 remain. Frankfurt am Main has 53 awards, led by KfW (24) and Deutsche Bundesbank (8). There 58.5% of awards are frameworks, and the Big Four are on 28.6% of awards with a named winner, 2.7 times the German average (10.7%). In Frankfurt BearingPoint wins most often (11), ahead of PwC (8), KPMG (7) and EY (6); across Hessen, GFA Consulting Group GmbH (27, all of them for GIZ).
Hessen and Frankfurt am Main compared
| Awards | Median | Bids | Single bid | SMEs | Frameworks | Big Four* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 1,912 | €372,700 | 3 | 22.9% | 64.4% | 24.4% | 10.7% |
| Hessen | 258 | €552,900 | 4 | 9.7% | 63.2% | 23.6% | 10.3% |
| Hessen without GIZ | 103 | €403,400 | 3 | 15.3% | 58.1% | 37.9% | 21.2% |
| Frankfurt am Main | 53 | €731,000 | 4 | 10.4% | 57.1% | 58.5% | 28.6% |
Hessen: buyers
| Buyer | Awards |
|---|---|
| GIZ | 155 |
| KfW | 24 |
| Hessischer Rechnungshof | 11 |
| Deutsche Bundesbank | 8 |
| Land Hessen (Hessisches Competence Center) | 4 |
| DB InfraGO | 3 |
| Vitos gemeinnützige GmbH | 2 |
| Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus e.V | 2 |
Hessen: firms
| Firm | Awards |
|---|---|
| GFA Consulting Group GmbH (27 GIZ) | 27 |
| BearingPoint | 11 |
| KPMG (1 GIZ) | 10 |
| PwC (1 GIZ) | 10 |
| ECO Consult GmbH & Co KG (9 GIZ) | 9 |
| Deloitte (3 GIZ) | 8 |
| Dorsch Impact GmbH (8 GIZ) | 8 |
| FAKT, Beratung für Management, Bildung und Technologien GmbH (8 GIZ) | 8 |
Frankfurt am Main: buyers
| Buyer | Awards |
|---|---|
| KfW | 24 |
| Deutsche Bundesbank | 8 |
| DB InfraGO | 3 |
| Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus e.V | 2 |
| Wirtschaftsförderung Frankfurt | 2 |
| Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank | 2 |
| Universitätsklinikum Frankfurt | 1 |
| Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung | 1 |
Open calls in Hessen
Is the market growing?
It is too early to say. By award date, the complete half-years show 402 awards in 2025-H1 and 442 in 2026-H1 (TED 323 and 357, the federal notice service 79 and 85). The latest months are always incomplete: awards appear weeks to months after the decision, and the last three months (2026-08: 83, 2026-09: 80, 2026-10: 82) are revised up at every weekly build. Please read the trend with the next report, when the same months are complete.
Tables
Buyers by type
| Type | Awards | Share | Value awarded | Share of value | Median | Single bid | SMEs | Frameworks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal government | 492 | 25.7% | €1.06 bn | 77.8% | €305,600 | 23.5% | 63.4% | 18.9% |
| Länder (states) | 137 | 7.2% | €62.3 M | 4.6% | €422,200 | 28.4% | 56.8% | 32.8% |
| Municipalities | 188 | 9.8% | €27.9 M | 2.1% | €296,600 | 19.2% | 77.1% | 13.3% |
| Public companies | 356 | 18.6% | €106.3 M | 7.8% | €555,600 | 10.5% | 64.9% | 30.3% |
| Universities & research | 212 | 11.1% | €9.5 M | 0.7% | €313,500 | 52.8% | 55% | 17% |
| Health & health insurers | 97 | 5.1% | €11.8 M | 0.9% | €419,400 | 20.6% | 69.6% | 34% |
| Agencies & other bodies | 73 | 3.8% | €16.0 M | 1.2% | €788,400 | 25.4% | 50% | 39.7% |
| Not classified | 357 | 18.7% | €67.5 M | 5% | €383,700 | 22.5% | 69.5% | 27.2% |
Kinds of work
| Kind of work | Awards | Median | Big Four* | SMEs | Bids | Frameworks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research & evaluation · Strategy & advisory | 767 | €302,500 | 2.5% | 71.3% | 3 | 14.5% |
| Strategy & management · Strategy & advisory | 268 | €525,000 | 10.9% | 70.8% | 4 | 18.7% |
| Finance & economics · Strategy & advisory | 188 | €378,200 | 41.9% | 36.2% | 4 | 41% |
| PMO & project assistance · Transformation & change | 161 | €323,000 | 12.6% | 67% | 4 | 30.4% |
| IT advisory · Transformation & change | 140 | €350,000 | 19.1% | 47% | 4 | 52.9% |
| Change & organisation · Transformation & change | 119 | €413,200 | 15.4% | 63.3% | 4 | 34.5% |
| Programme delivery · Transformation & change | 93 | €512,400 | 0% | 80.5% | 4 | 20.4% |
| EU funds support · Transformation & change | 78 | €10.9 M | 4.4% | 41.2% | 2 | 28.2% |
| Urban & spatial planning · Strategy & advisory | 31 | €177,600 | 0% | – | 3 | 9.7% |
| Legal advice · Strategy & advisory | 24 | €282,100 | 23.1% | – | 6 | 29.2% |
What the data cover
"German data" here means TED plus the national register. TED, the EU's official journal of tenders, carries the procedures under EU procurement law, so mostly contracts above the EU thresholds; 1,497 of the 1,912 awards come from it. The national register is the federal notice service (oeffentlichevergabe.de, Datenservice Öffentlicher Einkauf, open data): it gives the national procedures below the thresholds (public and restricted tenders, negotiated awards) published there; EU procedures are read from TED. That is 415 awards (21.7%).
In this build the awards from the federal notice service come without winner, value or bid count (0 with a winner, 0 with a value). Rankings, values, SME shares and bid counts therefore rest on the 1,497 TED awards (136 of them without a winner we can rank); market size and buyers count every award. Not covered: awards published only on state or municipal portals that do not reach the federal notice service, direct awards without publication, call-offs under frameworks, and contracts below €15,000. Small contracts of the Länder and municipalities are therefore under-counted.
Scope: buyers based in Germany, including international bodies such as ECMWF or EASA. The buyer type is read from the name (18.7% not classified); renamed authorities (BMBF to BMFTR, BMWK to BMWE, Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen to Straßen- und Verkehrswesen) appear separately, as they published. Firm names are unified across registers and countries; universities, research institutes and public bodies (including Projektträger such as Jülich and DLR) won 143 awards and count in the market, not in the ranking. Window: award date 2024-10-31 to 2026-10-30; consulting work only (strategy and advisory; transformation and change).
By award date: the day the first award notice was published (PLACSP: the day the register updated the entry; DECP: the notification date).
Download the data
The firm figures for Germany (top 10 per kind of work) are in the public extract of the European report, rows with country = DEU, under CC BY-NC 4.0: reuse them with attribution, not for commercial purposes. Commercial reuse and the full dataset are licensed on request.
Arquestra Consulting Market Radar (arquestra.dev), "Who wins public consulting contracts in Germany? 2026", Pablo Ramos-Sánchez, data of 2026-10-30. CC BY-NC 4.0.
Agents can read the Germany market card at /api/radar/cards/DEU-all.md.
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