diff --git a/spacy/cli/download.py b/spacy/cli/download.py
index 0c9a32b93..41d6bd886 100644
--- a/spacy/cli/download.py
+++ b/spacy/cli/download.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ def download_cli(
     # fmt: off
     ctx: typer.Context,
     model: str = Arg(..., help="Name of pipeline package to download"),
-    direct: bool = Opt(False, "--direct", "-d", "-D", help="Force direct download of name + version"),
+    direct: bool = Opt(False, "--direct", "-d", "-D", help="Force direct download PROJECT_of name + version"),
     sdist: bool = Opt(False, "--sdist", "-S", help="Download sdist (.tar.gz) archive instead of pre-built binary wheel"),
     # fmt: on
 ):
diff --git a/spacy/util.py b/spacy/util.py
index 1b7f96c45..73727ca62 100644
--- a/spacy/util.py
+++ b/spacy/util.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from typing import List, Mapping, NoReturn, Union, Dict, Any, Set, cast
 from typing import Optional, Iterable, Callable, Tuple, Type
-from typing import Iterator, Pattern, TYPE_CHECKING
+from typing import Iterator, Pattern, Generator, TYPE_CHECKING
 from types import ModuleType
 import os
 import importlib
@@ -22,11 +22,17 @@ import warnings
 from packaging.specifiers import SpecifierSet, InvalidSpecifier
 from packaging.version import Version, InvalidVersion
 from packaging.requirements import Requirement
+import subprocess
+from contextlib import contextmanager
 from collections import defaultdict
+import tempfile
+import shutil
+import shlex
 import inspect
 import pkgutil
 import logging
 import socket
+import stat
 
 try:
     import cupy.random
@@ -41,7 +47,7 @@ from thinc.api import fix_random_seed, compounding, decaying  # noqa: F401
 
 
 from .symbols import ORTH
-from .compat import cupy, CudaStream, importlib_metadata
+from .compat import cupy, CudaStream, is_windows, importlib_metadata
 from .errors import Errors, Warnings, OLD_MODEL_SHORTCUTS
 from . import about
 
@@ -942,6 +948,107 @@ def replace_model_node(model: Model, target: Model, replacement: Model) -> None:
                 node.set_ref(ref_name, replacement)
 
 
+def split_command(command: str) -> List[str]:
+    """Split a string command using shlex. Handles platform compatibility.
+    command (str) : The command to split
+    RETURNS (List[str]): The split command.
+    """
+    return shlex.split(command, posix=not is_windows)
+
+
+def run_command(
+    command: Union[str, List[str]],
+    *,
+    stdin: Optional[Any] = None,
+    capture: bool = False,
+) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess:
+    """Run a command on the command line as a subprocess. If the subprocess
+    returns a non-zero exit code, a system exit is performed.
+    command (str / List[str]): The command. If provided as a string, the
+        string will be split using shlex.split.
+    stdin (Optional[Any]): stdin to read from or None.
+    capture (bool): Whether to capture the output and errors. If False,
+        the stdout and stderr will not be redirected, and if there's an error,
+        sys.exit will be called with the return code. You should use capture=False
+        when you want to turn over execution to the command, and capture=True
+        when you want to run the command more like a function.
+    RETURNS (Optional[CompletedProcess]): The process object.
+    """
+    if isinstance(command, str):
+        cmd_list = split_command(command)
+        cmd_str = command
+    else:
+        cmd_list = command
+        cmd_str = " ".join(command)
+    try:
+        ret = subprocess.run(
+            cmd_list,
+            env=os.environ.copy(),
+            input=stdin,
+            encoding="utf8",
+            check=False,
+            stdout=subprocess.PIPE if capture else None,
+            stderr=subprocess.STDOUT if capture else None,
+        )
+    except FileNotFoundError:
+        # Indicates the *command* wasn't found, it's an error before the command
+        # is run.
+        raise FileNotFoundError(
+            Errors.E970.format(str_command=cmd_str, tool=cmd_list[0])
+        ) from None
+    if ret.returncode != 0 and capture:
+        message = f"Error running command:\n\n{cmd_str}\n\n"
+        message += f"Subprocess exited with status {ret.returncode}"
+        if ret.stdout is not None:
+            message += f"\n\nProcess log (stdout and stderr):\n\n"
+            message += ret.stdout
+        error = subprocess.SubprocessError(message)
+        error.ret = ret  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+        error.command = cmd_str  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+        raise error
+    elif ret.returncode != 0:
+        sys.exit(ret.returncode)
+    return ret
+
+
+@contextmanager
+def working_dir(path: Union[str, Path]) -> Iterator[Path]:
+    """Change current working directory and returns to previous on exit.
+    path (str / Path): The directory to navigate to.
+    YIELDS (Path): The absolute path to the current working directory. This
+        should be used if the block needs to perform actions within the working
+        directory, to prevent mismatches with relative paths.
+    """
+    prev_cwd = Path.cwd()
+    current = Path(path).resolve()
+    os.chdir(str(current))
+    try:
+        yield current
+    finally:
+        os.chdir(str(prev_cwd))
+
+
+@contextmanager
+def make_tempdir() -> Generator[Path, None, None]:
+    """Execute a block in a temporary directory and remove the directory and
+    its contents at the end of the with block.
+    YIELDS (Path): The path of the temp directory.
+    """
+    d = Path(tempfile.mkdtemp())
+    yield d
+
+    # On Windows, git clones use read-only files, which cause permission errors
+    # when being deleted. This forcibly fixes permissions.
+    def force_remove(rmfunc, path, ex):
+        os.chmod(path, stat.S_IWRITE)
+        rmfunc(path)
+
+    try:
+        shutil.rmtree(str(d), onerror=force_remove)
+    except PermissionError as e:
+        warnings.warn(Warnings.W091.format(dir=d, msg=e))
+
+
 def is_in_jupyter() -> bool:
     """Check if user is running spaCy from a Jupyter notebook by detecting the
     IPython kernel. Mainly used for the displaCy visualizer.