Strengthening international development tenders with clear strategy, high‑quality technical writing, and donor‑ready communication.
Why I Could Be the Right Fit for You
- 26 years in international development with deep sector insight, pattern recognition, and an instinct for what wins.
- 9 years as a trusted freelance specialist, consistently delivering under pressure for consultancies bidding for donor funded projects and programmes.
- 17 years at Cardno, (a UK based consultancy), grounded in business development and the bidding for large, complex programmes and EU frameworks.
- Rapid assimilation of complex TORs, enabling fast, accurate alignment with donor expectations.
- Minimal onboarding required — able to join mid‑stream and deliver immediately.
- Seamless integration with any team, from BD units to technical experts, partners, and consortiums.
- Surge capacity exactly where needed — positioning, capture, methodology, writing, or review.
- Calm, emotionally intelligent working style that reduces stress and strengthens team performance.
- A reputation for clarity, reliability, and consistently high‑quality delivery.
Helen Paulet
Helen Paulet Consulting
Flexible, senior BD and bid support — exactly where and when you need it
With 26 years of working in international development — spanning large donor frameworks, complex, multi-country and high‑stakes bids, I can step into any team and start delivering straight away. No onboarding. No hand‑holding. Just clarity, structure, and high‑quality outputs when they matter most.
Geographies
Global experience* across diverse and complex contexts. Breadth of geographic experience that supports rapid orientation and credible, context‑aware bid writing.
- Sub‑Saharan Africa
- North Africa & Middle East
- Western Balkans
- Eastern Europe & Caucasus
- South Asia
- Southeast Asia
- Pacific
- Latin America & Caribbean
- Fragile and post‑conflict environments
This range means I can quickly understand context, risk, and feasibility — even when joining a bid mid‑stream.
*Comprises research required to prepare bids, in-country site and marketing visits, project backstopping visits and TA support.
Sectors
Sectoral breadth aligns closely with EU/INTPA and other donor priorities and gives me the ability to cut through complexity, synthesise diverse inputs, and produce donor‑aligned writing across any thematic area.
- Governance & public administration
- Justice, rule of law & security
- Economic development & private sector growth
- Trade, competitiveness & market systems
- Education, skills & youth employment
- Climate resilience & environment
- Public financial management
- Infrastructure & urban development
- Health systems strengthening
- Social protection & inclusion
- Migration & displacement
- Digital transformation & e‑governance
- Strategic communications
- Gender equality & social inclusion (GESI)
- Human rights & democratic governance
This breadth means I can quickly understand ToR language, identify what donors are really asking for, and shape content that feels credible, relevant, and strategically positioned.
Transferable Skills
The capabilities that turn complex briefs into clear, competitive proposals. These are the skills donors consistently reward — and the ones that allow me to deliver high‑quality work in any geography or sector.
- Multi-donor experience and their shifting priorities: EU/INTPA, FCDO, GIZ, WB, ADB etc
- Rapid assimilation of complex TORs
- Synthesis of scattered inputs into coherent narratives
- Logical alignment with donor scoring frameworks
- Clear, structured writing under pressure including outlines for others to follow.
- Seamless integration with BD teams and technical experts
- Working with teams/alone to demonstrate strategic alignment, operational realism, VfM, and a clear, compelling narrative.
- Impact‑focused communication and storytelling
- Integrating donor cross‑cutting themes (gender, human rights, climate, inclusion etc)
- Strengthening logic, feasibility, and risk management.
- Quality Assurance
These capabilities ensure clarity, coherence, and competitiveness — regardless of sector/geography.
Contact Me
I'm based in the United Kingdom, but work with clients all over the world. Please contact me via email with details of your enquiry. I will respond rapidly.