Consultancy Opportunity - Establishment of a roster of bid writing consultants
Request for Expressions of Interest (EOI): Establishment of a roster of bid writing consultants
1. Background
Transform Trade is seeking to establish a roster of experienced bid writing consultants to provide flexible, high-quality proposal development support for a range of business development opportunities.
The organisation regularly develops proposals for institutional donors, foundations, multilateral agencies, and other funding partners. To supplement internal capacity during peak periods and for specialist opportunities, we are inviting Expressions of Interest from suitably qualified consultants to join our approved consultant roster.
The roster will enable the organisation to rapidly engage consultants with the appropriate expertise as funding opportunities arise.
2. Purpose
The purpose of this Request for Expressions of Interest is to identify and pre-qualify experienced consultants with expertise in proposal development, capture support, technical writing, editing, and related business development services.
Successful applicants will be included on an approved roster from which consultants may be engaged for individual assignments over the validity period of the roster. Inclusion on the roster does not constitute a guarantee of work or create any contractual obligation on the part of the organisation.
3. Scope of Services
Assignments may vary in size, complexity, duration, and level of effort. Consultants may be engaged individually or as part of a wider proposal development team.
Services may include, but are not limited to:
· Leading proposal development processes from opportunity assessment to submission, including gathering administrative documentation.
· Developing proposal strategies and win themes.
· Preparing proposal outlines and writing plans.
· Writing and editing technical proposal content.
· Coordinating technical contributors and partners.
· Facilitating proposal planning workshops and review sessions.
· Developing theories of change, logical frameworks, results frameworks, and implementation approaches.
· Preparing executive summaries and value propositions.
· Ensuring compliance with donor requirements and solicitation documents.
· Supporting partner identification and consortium development.
· Working closely with finance teams on proposal narratives linked to budgets.
· Conducting quality assurance and final editing prior to submission.
· Providing coaching and mentoring to internal proposal teams where required.
4. Areas of Expertise
Consultants should demonstrate expertise in one or more of the following:
- Institutional donor experience, such as
o UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)
o European Union
o United Nations agencies
o World Bank and other Multilateral Development Banks
o Bilateral development agencies
o Large foundations and philanthropic funders
o Corporate and private sector partnerships
- Technical sectors relevant to international development, such as
o Trade
o Agriculture and food systems
o Garment sector
o Workers’ rights
o Economic development
o Private sector development
o Climate and resilience
o Market systems
o Gender equality and social inclusion
5. Consultant Profile
Interested consultants should demonstrate:
- Proven experience developing successful donor-funded proposals.
- Proven experience supporting large and complex bids.
- Excellent technical writing, editing, and communication skills.
- Experience coordinating multidisciplinary proposal teams.
- Strong understanding of institutional donor requirements and procurement processes.
- Ability to work to demanding deadlines.
- Excellent organisational and project management skills.
- Ability to work remotely and collaborate across multiple time zones.
- Technical expertise in the above areas in East Africa (particularly Tanzania and Kenya), and South Asia (particularly Bangladesh and India)
6. Engagement Arrangements
Consultants included on the roster may be engaged on an as-needed basis throughout the validity period of the roster.
Assignments will be awarded through direct call-offs rather than through a secondary competitive process. When an assignment arises, the organisation will identify the consultant whose expertise, availability, previous performance, and overall value best match the specific requirements of the opportunity.
Factors that may be considered include relevant technical expertise, donor specific experience, sector knowledge, geographic expertise, availability within proposal timelines, previous performance, proposed daily rates and overall value for money.
The organisation reserves the right to approach one or more consultants on the roster directly for any assignment.
7. Roster Duration
The roster is expected to remain valid for an initial period of two years from the date of establishment. The organisation reserves the right to refresh, expand, suspend, or close the roster at any time.
8. Submission Requirements
Interested consultants should submit:
- A current CV
- A completed consultant profile (please see end of this webpage for the consultant profile)
- Two examples of successful recent proposal writing or editing work (where confidentiality permits).
- Confirmation of availability for short-notice assignments.
9. Evaluation
Expressions of Interest will be evaluated against the following indicative criteria:
Criterion Weighting
Relevant proposal development experience 35%
Donor and sector expertise 25%
Quality of previous work and references 20%
Organisational capacity and availability 10%
Commercial value and fee structure 10%
Only applicants meeting the minimum quality threshold will be admitted to the roster.
10. Confidentiality
All information submitted will be treated confidentially and used solely for the purpose of establishing and managing the consultant roster.
11. Submission Instructions
Expressions of Interest should be submitted electronically to:
Email: recruitment@transform-trade.org
Subject: EOI – Bid Writing Consultant Roster
Closing date: 31/8/26
12. Disclaimer
The organisation reserves the right to accept or reject any Expression of Interest, cancel or amend this process, request additional information from applicants, or establish the roster without appointing all applicants who express interest.
Submission of an Expression of Interest does not create any contractual relationship between the applicant and the organisation, nor does inclusion on the roster guarantee future assignments.