Giraffe Consulting International


Giraffe Consulting helps companies and countries succeed in international markets by improving the competitiveness of SMEs and their capability to export. We design, develop and deliver SME competitiveness programmes, export development support and export training worldwide working with donor agencies, development agencies and trade support organisations.

Giraffe Consulting's International Clients


Our prestigious international development clients include CBI Centre for Imports from Developing Countries (Government of the Netherlands),  the European Union, European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD), UK Department for International Development (DFID), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).


The company works worldwide and has delivered projects successfully in Albania, Croatia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, North Macedonia, Ukraine, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Colombia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Rwanda and Uganda, enhancing the competitiveness and export capabilities of SMEs, helping them export to Europe and the United States, the UK and other regional and international markets.

Giraffe Consulting's clients including OECD, UK Department for International Development, GIZ and CBI

In Scotland and the UK, Giraffe Consulting's clients include the Scottish Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International. We also deliver training for the UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT)         Visit our UK website.

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Capacity Building


Giraffe Consulting designs and manages capacity building and training programmes for international government agencies, Trade Support Organisations (TSOs), Business Support Organisations (BSOs) and stakeholders.


Last year, our Managing Director, Julian Lawson Hill, collaborated on the EU MED SMEs Programme, training BSOs in the MED region (Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine) on good practices in  international e-commerce. This included advising the BSOs on the practical support they can offer to help SMEs develop effective international e-commerce strategies, and how SMEs can leverage prominent online marketplaces such as Amazon, Noon, and Tradeling to expand their online export sales.


In 2022 we delivered a capacity building programme for GIZ upskilling BSOs and service providers to develop international e-commerce in Jordan and a capacity building programme for BSOs in North Macedonia developing their knowledge of exporting and helping SMEs access international markets, also on behalf of GIZ.

We delivered three training / capacity building programmes in Uganda, on behalf of CBI:

  • Helping Ugandan BSOs develop an international value proposition for the IT and IT enabled services (ITES) sector and roadmap for internationalisation to market Uganda to Europe;
  • Delivering training to BSOs on the international marketing of services; and
  • Training and coaching BSOs on how to organise international B2B matchmaking sessions for Ugandan IT and ITES companies in Europe, in partnership with IT associations in the EU.
Julian Lawson Hill, Managing Director of Giraffe Consulting

SME Supplier Development Programmes and SME Linkages Programmes


Giraffe Consulting designs, develops and delivers SME supplier development programmes and SME linkages programmes. We have managed SME linkages programmes, building connections between SMEs and large corporates, in Scotland (fintech sector), Moldova (food & beverages and electronics / automotive) and Georgia (hotels and hospitality). Our latest project is in the UAE, enhancing the competitiveness, growth and sustainability of local SMEs, while also benefiting larger corporations through the creation of a more robust, innovative, and reliable supply chain.


Last year, in Scotland, we developed a plan to strengthen the Orkney renewable energy supply chain. This involved advising Orkney Renewable Energy Forum (OREF), HIE and OIC on the formation of a new trade group to take maximum advantage of the business and economic benefits from future opportunities in Orkney’s renewable sector including the offshore wind industry.

Export Policy and Strategy Development


Giraffe Consulting provides expert strategic advice on export policies and programmes. Our work includes conducting strategic studies and analysis for export promotion and feasibility studies for inward investment in countries like Ukraine, Rwanda, Georgia, and Moldova. Notable examples incude:

  • A study into export promotion at a regional and local level in Ukraine, on behalf of GIZ, which made recommendations on SME export support services and activities at a regional and local level in Ukraine;
  • Recommendations on export support for Vietnamese SMEs for the EU ARISE+ Export Support Programme in Vietnam;
  • A study into the feasibility of manufacturing / assembly of bicycles in Rwanda for GIZ, including the potential for inward investment;
  • Export value chain analyses (VCAs) for the development of business cases that may lead to new projects in value chains, recent examples being projects for CBI examining the potential for increased exports from the garment sector in Georgia and Moldova to the EU; and
  • A Technology Sector Export Plan for the Scottish Government, co-produced with stakeholders in the technology sector. This plan aims to substantially increase Scotland’s exports of technology, capitalising on Scotland's technology export strengths and areas of competitive advantage.


ETF Award to Giraffe Consulting for Export Training, Training in internationalising SMEs

Award Winning Export Training and Coaching Programmes


Two of Giraffe Consulting's export training courses have been recognised as best practice in training in the internationalisation of SMEs by the European Training Foundation (ETF): our Preparing to Export Programme in Scotland and Export Academy Programme in Lithuania.


Giraffe Consulting has helped more than 500 SMEs in Scotland to export through the Preparing to Export Programme over the course of the last 10 years.


So far, in total, we have delivered five Export Academy programmes for Enterprise Lithuania, helping over 100 Lithuanian companies to grow their exports to Germany, the Netherlands and the UK.


Online Export Training Programmes


Giraffe Consulting has considerable experience designing, developing and delivering successful online training for SMEs.


Last year we delivered online export training to SMEs as part of the EU4Business Online Export Academy for SMEs, training SMEs from the Eastern Partnership (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine) on opportunities to grow their business internationally and increase exports to the EU.


During Covid we delivered training to help exporters conduct effective virtual international sales meetings. We also delivered export training to Ukrainian food companies to prepare them for virtual sales meetings with buyers in the US, with the support of USAID's Competitive Economy Program.

In 2021, Giraffe Consulting won the Gold Award for 'Best Use of Blended Learning' at the Learning Technologies Awards for our work for Scottish Development International developing a blended learning export training programme including 12 online modules, virtual group workshops and one-to-one coaching sessions.

Learning Technologies Awards 2021

Export Development Programmes


Giraffe Consulting has delivered SME export programmes in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Many of these programmes have incorporated training in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability and coaching, to encourage participating SMEs to implement CSR and sustainability in their business strategies and export plans, to help them achieve sustainable competitive advantage and better export performance.

Contact and Legal Information

Telephone +44 7931 565888 or +39 347 755 4422