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Fiscal 2020

GIZ’s business volume in 2020 was approximately EUR 3.3 billion, equivalent to a year-on-year increase of around 9 per cent (2019: EUR 3.1 billion). Even during the pandemic, GIZ received commissions worth EUR 4.2 billion – 14 per cent more than in 2019 (EUR 3.7 billion).

Business volume 2020

GIZ’s business volume is made up of income from the public-benefit business area and the total operating performance of the GIZ International Services business area, which is taxable. The majority of our work in the public-benefit business area, which accounted for about EUR 3.2 billion of our business volume in 2020 (2019: EUR 2.9 billion), is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and other German public sector clients. The International Services business area generated a total operating performance of EUR 108 million in 2020 (2019: EUR 118 million). Through this business area, international institutions such as the European Union, the United Nations, governments worldwide, businesses and private foundations can commission GIZ directly. 

Reliable and forward-looking even during a pandemic

Fiscal 2020 was dominated by the coronavirus pandemic. So far, in conjunction with its commissioning parties and partners on the ground, GIZ has been able to earmark EUR 253 million for emergency COVID-19 support measures which are already being implemented. This means that the company is making a contribution to BMZ’s Emergency COVID-19 Support Programme. 

Setting development policy priorities 

GIZ now acquires over 50 per cent of all its commissions through ideas competitions in which it competes with other public and public-benefit institutions. BMZ’s special initiatives, with which the ministry sets development priorities, play a particular role here. Total income from the four special initiatives has more than doubled since 2015 and now totals approximately EUR 500 million (2019: EUR 383 million). 

Achieving more together 

We can only solve global challenges by working together. Cofinancing involves additional third-party funding being integrated into existing projects undertaken on behalf of BMZ or other German public sector clients; alternatively, another component or measure is sometimes added to the projects. Cofinanciers may be UN organisations, enterprises, private foundations or the European Union. As in previous years, the EU was again the largest source of cofinancing in the public-benefit business area in 2020; in the International Services business area it continues to be the main commissioning party. GIZ uses its decades of experience, its technical expertise and its wide-ranging implementation skills to contribute to EU activities around the world – and it does so very successfully. GIZ’s business volume with the EU has risen steadily in recent years and has almost tripled since 2015 – from EUR 160 million to EUR 428 million.

Contracts awarded to third parties

The level of work done with third parties increased once more in 2020. The worldwide volume of contracts awarded amounted to approximately EUR 1,838 million, which is roughly 9 per cent up on the previous year (2019: EUR 1,690 million). At around EUR 1,453 million, 79 per cent of the contract volume was awarded by GIZ Head Office. Roughly EUR 385 million or 21 per cent was awarded from within the field structure. 

 

Detailed information on GIZ’s financial position and income and a look ahead to 2021 can be found in the Annual Statement of Accounts 2020

Trend in public-benefit business area

As at: 31 December 2020 (2019)
Total income from public-benefit business (in EUR million)1

Income20202019
Total3,2192,944
BMZ2,7462,553
of which cofinancing provided by third parties for BMZ projects2481384
of which special initiatives2500383
German public sector clients445360
oh which cofinancing provided by third parties for german public sectors client projects32651
other business sectors in the public-benefit business area42831

German public sector clients

As at: 31 December 2020 (2019)
Income from German public sector clients (in EUR million)1

 20192020
Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety154270
Federal Foreign Office9897
Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy3132
Cofinancing provided by third parties for projects commissioned by German public sector clients35126
Other federal ministries and other German public sector clients (e.g. state ministries)910
Federal Ministry of Defence13
Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture43
EU twinning agreements552
Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community62
Federal Ministry of Finance11
Total360445

GIZ International Services (InS) 

As at: 31 December 2020 (2019)
in EUR million1

CategorieValue 2020 in € millionValue 2019 in € million
Total108118
European Union4460
German public sector clients83026
Private sector1513
Bilateral donors7107
National governments657
Financial institutions and funds24
UN organisations00.2
Other22

GIZ’s business volume generated by cooperation with the EU
in EUR million1

YearValue
2015160 million euros
2016232 million euros
2017289 million euros
2018358 million euros
2019374 million euros
2020428 million euros

1 All values shown without decimal places. There may therefore be rounding differences.
2 This figure shows only BMZ special initiatives and cofinancing for BMZ commissions, which is included in the total income generated in commissions implemented on behalf of BMZ.
3 This figure shows cofinancing arrangements for projects commissioned by other German public sector clients (with the exception of BMZ).
4 This figure shows income from micro measures in the public-benefit sector, and grants.
5 Indirect income from European Commission-funded bilateral administrative partnerships between the German Government and accession candidates or European Neighbourhood Policy states. GIZ is commissioned by the responsible German federal ministry to prepare and support such measures.
6 Includes financing bodies that use funds from the budget of a country in which we operate.
7 Includes all funding from a national budget unless the funds can be attributed to a country in which we operate (in which case they are included under ‘national governments’). Examples of traditional bilateral donors are the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) or France’s development agency (Agence Française de Développement, AFD).
8 Covers all German public sector clients including federal ministries but in the case of InS also, for instance, the German Aerospace Center (DLR).

Information on the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be found on this page:

Graphic: GIZ: SDG 8 Decent work and economic growth
Graphic: GIZ: SDG 12 Responsible consumption and production

Information on the following sustainability standards can be found on this page:
GRI standard 102-6, 102-7