Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT

CONSULTANCY - IMPACTSF - Market Analysis

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Consultancy \u2013 ImpactSF 2.0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b>
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<\/span><\/span><\/span>Market Analysis<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b>
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The Organization<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span>
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The Alliance of\nBioversity International and CIAT delivers research\-based solutions that\nharness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to\nimprove people\u2019s lives. Alliance solutions address the global crises of\nmalnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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The Alliance works with local, national and multinational partners\nacross Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and Africa, and with the public\nand private sectors. The Alliance is part of CGIAR, a global research\npartnership for a food\-secure future, dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing\nfood and nutrition security, and improving natural resources and ecosystem\nservices.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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Background on ImpactSF<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b>
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A USD 2.5\ntrillion annual funding gap exists in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals\nby 2030, with a USD 300\u2013350 billion annual shortfall specific to food and land\nuse system transformation. The CGIAR Hub for Sustainable Finance (ImpactSF) has\nbeen a key technical partner for sustainable finance actors, integrating\nscience\-based solutions in all areas of the investment lifecycle. This includes\ninvestment design, pipeline development, investment screening, due diligence,\nimplementation, post\-investment monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV).\nBuilding off CGIAR evidence, ImpactSF offers an array of data\-driven solutions\nempowering financial institutions and investors to de\-risk investments by\nquantifying climate and environmental risks and impacts<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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As of April\n2026, ImpactSF has provided technical guidance to eight investment vehicles\ntargeting over USD 1 billion in combined capital deployment, has co\-designed\nclimate\-smart loan products with 15+ financial institutions across Africa,\nAsia, and Latin America, and has deployed its flagship digital tools,the\nImpactSF Analyzer and Reporting Platform \u2014 across Rwanda, Ethiopia, Pakistan,\nCambodia, and the Philippines. In 2025, ImpactSF was formally embedded within\nCGIAR Science Program 9 (Scaling for Impact), securing its long\-term role in\nCGIAR's research architecture.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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About the consultancy<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b>
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The shift in the global funding landscape reinforces the urgency of\ndeveloping a robust, diversified, and self\-reinforcing business model for what\nwe term ImpactSF 2.0. This next phase must be grounded in a rigorous market analysis,\npositioning options, viable funding models, partnership\nmapping and engagement.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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To this end, ImpactSF is seeking a qualified consultant to conduct a\nmarket study that will provide the strategic foundation for ImpactSF 2.0. In\naddition, the consultant will develop the launch roadmap of high potential\nImpactSF products, through testing the user interface, modeling market demand,\nadvising on positioning strategy and business model. Finally, the consultant\nwill be providing ad hoc advisory in relation to ImpactSF\u2019s next stage of\ninstitutional development.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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Objectives<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b>
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The consultancy has the following specific\nobjectives:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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·<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Market Landscape and Trends: <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b>Provide a rigorous, evidence\-based analysis\nof the sustainable agricultural finance market landscape, including trends,\nregulatory drivers, and demand dynamics relevant to ImpactSF\u2019s core functions.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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·<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Partner Profiles, Positioning, and Product Benchmarking: <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b>Define <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>and prioritise\nImpactSF\u2019s partner profiles based on needs assessed and fit with ImpactSF\u2019s\ncapabilities, explicitly assessing the viability of engaging new segments. Map\nthe landscape to identify existing service offerings and positioning gaps, and\nevaluate ImpactSF\u2019s current and potential product/service portfolio against\ncomparable market actors, with benchmarking by service line and recommended\nstrategies for ImpactSF 2.0.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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·<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Business Model Scenarios:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Develop and assess 2\u20133 viable business\nmodel scenarios for ImpactSF 2.0, recommending a preferred model with a phased\nimplementation roadmap for 2026\u20132028. Scenarios must span the full ambition\nrange: from broadened advisory services to commercial clients, to\ntechnology\-enabled platform models, and structured financial product\nfacilitation designed to mobilize commercial capital at scale.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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·<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Financial Model Inputs and Actionable Outputs:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b> Produce <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>a structured set of quantified assumptions\nand evidence\-based inputs that can directly inform a sustainable financial\nmodel for ImpactSF 2.0 \u2014 including, at minimum: market size estimates by\nsegment, price points by service line, cost\-to\-deliver benchmarks, realistic\nclient acquisition assumptions, revenue ramp timelines..<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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·<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Launch Roadmap of ImpactSF Platform:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Test and validate the user interface and\nunderlying logic, develop market positioning, target user segments, onboarding\nstrategy, partnership opportunities, pricing considerations, and a phased\nimplementation plan to support the adoption of the platform for impact\nmeasurement, reporting, and portfolio analytics across Agri\-SMEs, financial\ninstitutions, and development partners.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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·<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Ad hoc advisory:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Provide\nstrategic advisory support on ImpactSF\u2019s next stage of institutional\ndevelopment, including business model refinement, growth opportunities,\npartnership strategy, service portfolio development, and organizational\npositioning.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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Scope of Work<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b>
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The\nconsultancy covers five interconnected analytical pillars:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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Pillar 1 Market Landscape and\nTrends<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b>
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·<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Map the current and\nemerging landscape of sustainable agricultural finance, climate finance, and\nblended finance<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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·<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Identify key trends\ndriving demand for science\-based advisory and tools, including among\ncorporates, pension funds, commercial banks, and MFIs increasingly subject to\nESG disclosure, deforestation, and nature\-related regulatory requirements and\nrequiring update in their risk management and reporting practices.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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·<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Assess the evolving\nrole of data, AI, and digital platforms in sustainable finance decision\-making.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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Pillar 2 Profiling and\nNeeds Analysis<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b>
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·<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Define and profile\nImpactSF's current partners:\nimpact fund and asset managers; commercial banks and microfinance institutions\n(MFIs); pension funds and institutional investors; philanthropic actors;\nagri\-SME accelerators; CGIAR\u2019s research programmes; and government/policy\nactors. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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·<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Identify emerging\nand under\-engaged partner segments (e.g corporations with sustainability\nmandates (agri\-food, consumer goods, textiles, extractives) and development\nfinance institutions (DFIs)) that have not been a primary focus to date but\nshow potential alignment with ImpactSF\u2019s capabilities and mission.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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·<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Assess the specific\nneeds, pain points, capital allocation, and decision\-making criteria of each profile.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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Pillar 3Landscape Analysis\nand Positioning<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b>
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·<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Map key actors\nproviding similar or overlapping services to ImpactSF's target partner profiles\n(e.g., ESG rating firms, impact measurement advisory firms, agricultural\nfinance consultancies, data providers, academic institutions, DFI technical\nassistance facilities).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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·<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Examine ImpactSF\u2019s\npotential role in structuring and certifying sustainable financial instruments,\nincluding green bonds, blue bonds, and sustainability\-linked bonds, as a\npathway to attracting commercial capital at scale and engaging institutional\ninvestors<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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·<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Assess the\npotential for technology\-enabled service delivery, including AI\-assisted\nanalytics, automated MRV platforms, and SaaS\-based tools.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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·<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Analyze ImpactSF's\ncompetitive advantages and identify gaps or risks in its current positioning.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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Pillar 4 \u2014 Benchmarking<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b>
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·<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Review\nand assess ImpactSF\u2019s current offering and delivery modalities against evolving\nmarket needs and comparable approaches within the sustainable finance\necosystem.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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·<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Assess\ncurrent pricing structures and cost\-to\-deliver across ImpactSF\u2019s core functions\n(e.g. impact due diligence, climate risk analysis, MRV/reporting, advisory\nsupport, digital tools). This should include indicative cost per engagement and\nan understanding of resource intensity across delivery modalities.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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·<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Benchmark\nmarket pricing by service category, including typical fee structures (e.g.\ndaily rates, project\-based fees, retainers, subscriptions) across comparable actors. <\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span>Position ImpactSF against these\nbenchmarks and identify areas of alignment or divergence.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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·<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Conduct\na willingness\-to\-pay assessment across key partner segments (e.g. fund\nmanagers, financial institutions, corporates), distinguishing between\nactivities that are typically grant\-supported and those where cost\-recovery or\nco\-financing is feasible.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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Pillar 5 \u2014 Sustainable Business Model Options<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b>
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·<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Develop\nbusiness model scenarios for ImpactSF 2.0, spanning advisory\-led engagement\nmodels (with expanded partner segments), platform\-enabled delivery, and\npotential roles in supporting capital market instruments (e.g. analytics,\nscoring, or structuring support).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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·<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Estimate\nTotal Addressable Market (TAM) and Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM) for\neach scenario and target segment and ealistic share of this demand that\nImpactSF could engage with, given its mandate and capacity<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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·<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Define\nmarket penetration assumptions (conservative, base, optimistic) over a 3\u20135 year\nhorizon and translate these into indicative revenue ranges per scenario,\ndistinguishing between grant funding, co\-funded engagements, and cost\-recovery\nmechanisms.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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