ECHO Proposal Writing Consultant
- Organisation: Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation
- Location: Netherlands
- Contract: Consultancy
- Deadline: 30 November 2026
Title: ECHO Proposal Writing Consultant
Type of contract: Consultancy
Duration: 3-6 months in 2027, aligned with the ECHO HIP calendar; total 30-40 working days
Location: Home-based/remote, with possible travel to The Hague
Reporting to: Executive Director
Background
The Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation (MF), established in 2016, is an international, survivor-centred, rights-based organisation working to change the response to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). Through three interconnected strategies – Care, Voice, and Justice & Accountability – MF provides holistic care to survivors in the Central African Republic (CAR), Ukraine and Burundi, is developing its work in Ethiopia and Syria, and supports 19 national survivor networks across 10 contexts.
MF’s recent certification as a DG ECHO humanitarian partner opens access to funding for its work in emergency and protracted crisis settings, typically at a much larger scale than most of its current grants. In 2027, MF plans to submit its first proposals for ECHO humanitarian funding, either directly or as part of a consortium with experienced humanitarian partners. Priority contexts are those where MF already has presence, knowledge and partners and where ECHO priorities match survivors’ needs, such as CAR, Ukraine, Ethiopia and the Sudan regional response.
Humanitarian funding brings new demands: rapid start-up, shorter project cycles, strict compliance and reporting requirements, and work in insecure, fast-changing environments. To make the most of its first applications, MF wishes to engage an experienced humanitarian proposal writer with in-depth knowledge of ECHO formats, requirements and assessment criteria, while MF staff build the expertise to write future ECHO proposals in-house.
Purpose and objectives
The overall purpose of this consultancy is to help MF submit competitive and compliant first ECHO proposals in 2027 and, in doing so, build lasting in-house capacity to develop future ECHO proposals independently.
Specific objectives – the consultant will:
• Map relevant ECHO Humanitarian Implementation Plans (HIPs) and Technical Annexes for MF’s priority contexts and advise on where and how MF should apply (directly or in consortium).
• Lead the writing of 1–2 ECHO proposals in close collaboration with MF staff in The Hague and country offices.
• Ensure MF’s survivor-centred holistic care model – including clinical management of rape (CMR), mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) and case management – is translated into a strong, fundable humanitarian intervention logic.
• Coach MF staff on ECHO formats, requirements and assessment criteria, and leave behind practical tools for future proposals.
Scope of work
A. ECHO opportunity mapping and planning
• Review the HIPs and Technical Annexes relevant to CAR, Ukraine, Ethiopia and the Sudan regional crisis (including CAR, Chad and Uganda), and other MF contexts as agreed.
• Assess the fit between ECHO priorities (protection, GBV, health, MHPSS) and MF’s expertise, presence and partnerships.
• Recommend which opportunities to pursue, whether as lead applicant or consortium partner, and propose a calendar aligned with ECHO’s funding cycle.
• Where a consortium is recommended, advise on suitable ECHO-certified partners and on MF’s positioning as a specialist CRSV partner.
B. Proposal development
• Lead the drafting of the ECHO Single Form (or MF’s sections of a consortium proposal), including needs analysis, intervention logic, logframe with ECHO Key Results Indicators, risk analysis, localisation and partnership approach, and exit strategy.
• Work with MF’s Care team to integrate CMR, MHPSS and case management, building on MF toolkits developed for CAR, Burundi and Ethiopia.
• Ensure alignment with ECHO thematic policies and markers (e.g. GBV, protection mainstreaming, Gender-Age Marker), humanitarian principles and Do No Harm.
• Support MF Finance in preparing a budget and budget narrative consistent with ECHO eligibility rules.
• Review complete drafts against ECHO assessment criteria and support responses to ECHO requests for clarification after submission.
C. Coaching and capacity building
• Involve designated MF staff in each step of proposal development, so they learn by doing.
• Facilitate 2 practical training sessions for staff in The Hague and country offices on ECHO requirements, proposal writing, the Single Form, and reporting and visibility basics.
• Provide targeted feedback and coaching sessions to staff drafting sections.
• Flag gaps in MF policies or systems (e.g. safeguarding/PSEA, security, anti-fraud, partner due diligence, procurement) that could weaken a proposal, as input to MF’s humanitarian readiness plan.
Out of scope: project implementation, ECHO reporting on awarded grants, and the full revision of MF policies. These may be covered in a separate assignment.
Deliverables and indicative timing
• Inception note: approach, workplan, staff involvement and review process (Week 2)
• ECHO opportunity mapping: HIP analysis per context, go/no-go recommendations, lead vs consortium options and proposal calendar (Week 4)
• Submission-ready ECHO proposal 1 (Single Form or MF consortium sections, logframe, budget narrative input) (Per HIP deadline)
• Submission-ready ECHO proposal 2, if applicable (Per HIP deadline)
• Training sessions for staff in The Hague and country offices, with materials (Spread across the assignment)
• ECHO proposal toolkit: annotated Single Form guide, submission checklist, and a library of reusable text on MF’s survivor-centred CRSV approach (End of assignment)
• Short end-of-assignment note: lessons learned, remaining capacity gaps and recommendations for MF’s humanitarian readiness plan (End of assignment)
All deliverables will be in English, with French-language support for CAR or Chad where needed.
Timeline
The assignment is expected to run for between 3-6 months in 2027, with an indicative 30–40 working days, concentrated around HIP deadlines. Exact dates will be agreed at inception, once the relevant HIP Technical Annexes and deadlines are known.
• Inception and mapping : Inception meeting, desk review of MF documents and HIPs, mapping and recommendations (5-7 days)
• Proposal 1 : Drafting, internal reviews, budget support, finalisation (10-12 days)
• Proposal 2 (if applicable) : Drafting, internal reviews, budget support, finalisation (8-10 days)
• Capacity building : Training sessions, coaching, toolkit development (5-7 days)
• Follow-up and closure : Support with ECHO clarification requests; end-of-assignment note (2-4 days)
Management and reporting
The consultant will report to the Executive Director, who will be the primary point of contact and coordinate internal reviews. A small internal working group – including Fundraising, the Care and Voice teams, Finance and the relevant country programme lead(s) – will contribute content, review drafts and take part in coaching. MF will designate 1–2 staff members as counterparts who will co-write with the consultant and lead future ECHO proposals.
MF will provide access to relevant internal documents (Strategic Plan, country strategies, care toolkits, policies, budgets and past proposals), make introductions to potential consortium partners and ECHO field contacts as needed, and give timely feedback on drafts. Final approval of any proposal rests with MF Management.
Consultant profile
MF is looking for a consultant or small team with:
• At least 7 years of experience in humanitarian programme design and proposal writing, including a proven track record of successful ECHO proposals as lead writer.
• In-depth knowledge of ECHO’s funding cycle, HIPs, the Single Form, eligibility and budget rules, Key Results Indicators, and thematic policies and markers.
• Experience with protection, GBV and/or health/MHPSS programming in conflict settings; knowledge of CRSV and survivor-centred approaches is a strong asset.
• Experience with consortium proposals and localisation approaches.
• Familiarity with one or more of MF’s priority contexts (CAR, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Sudan regional response).
• Proven ability to coach and train staff with little humanitarian funding experience.
• Excellent written English; working French is a strong asset for proposals in CAR or Chad.
• Availability during the expected HIP proposal windows in 2027.
Location, logistics, budget and contractual terms
The assignment is largely home-based. A few visits to MF’s office in The Hague, for example for a training session, may be agreed. Any travel costs will be agreed in advance and reimbursed separately from the fee.
The consultant is invited to propose a daily fee and an estimated total cost based on the indicative level of effort. Payment will be linked to deliverables and agreed in the consultancy contract. Because ECHO deadlines may shift, the contract will allow days to be reallocated between phases within the agreed total.
Confidentiality, safeguarding and ethics
All information shared by MF, and all products developed under this assignment, are confidential and remain the property of MF. The consultant may not disclose or use them for any other purpose without MF’s prior written consent.
The consultant will sign and comply with MF’s Code of Conduct, safeguarding and PSEA policy, and data protection policy. No identifiable survivor data will be shared or used in proposals; survivor information will only be used in anonymised and aggregated form, in line with survivor-centred and Do No Harm principles.