Consultancy IMPACTSF Market Analysis

Consultancy ImpactSF 2.0

Market Analysis

The Organization

The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT delivers research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve peoples lives. Alliance solutions address the global crises of malnutrition climate change biodiversity loss and environmental degradation.

The Alliance works with local national and multinational partners across Latin America and the Caribbean Asia and Africa and with the public and private sectors. The Alliance is part of CGIAR a global research partnership for a food-secure future dedicated to reducing poverty enhancing food and nutrition security and improving natural resources and ecosystem services.

Background on ImpactSF

A USD 2.5 trillion annual funding gap exists in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 with a USD 300350 billion annual shortfall specific to food and land use system transformation. The CGIAR Hub for Sustainable Finance (ImpactSF) has been a key technical partner for sustainable finance actors integrating science-based solutions in all areas of the investment lifecycle. This includes investment design pipeline development investment screening due diligence implementation post-investment monitoring reporting and verification (MRV). Building off CGIAR evidence ImpactSF offers an array of data-driven solutions empowering financial institutions and investors to de-risk investments by quantifying climate and environmental risks and impacts

As of April 2026 ImpactSF has provided technical guidance to eight investment vehicles targeting over USD 1 billion in combined capital deployment has co-designed climate-smart loan products with 15 financial institutions across Africa Asia and Latin America and has deployed its flagship digital toolsthe ImpactSF Analyzer and Reporting Platform across Rwanda Ethiopia Pakistan Cambodia and the 2025 ImpactSF was formally embedded within CGIAR Science Program 9 (Scaling for Impact) securing its long-term role in CGIARs research architecture.

About the consultancy

The shift in the global funding landscape reinforces the urgency of developing a robust diversified and self-reinforcing business model for what we term ImpactSF 2.0. This next phase must be grounded in a rigorous market analysis positioning options viable funding models partnership mapping and engagement.

To this end ImpactSF is seeking a qualified consultant to conduct a market study that will provide the strategic foundation for ImpactSF 2.0. In addition the consultant will develop the launch roadmap of high potential ImpactSF products through testing the user interface modeling market demand advising on positioning strategy and business model. Finally the consultant will be providing ad hoc advisory in relation to ImpactSFs next stage of institutional development.

Objectives

The consultancy has the following specific objectives:

Market Landscape and Trends: Provide a rigorous evidence-based analysis of the sustainable agricultural finance market landscape including trends regulatory drivers and demand dynamics relevant to ImpactSFs core functions.

Partner Profiles Positioning and Product Benchmarking: Define and prioritise ImpactSFs partner profiles based on needs assessed and fit with ImpactSFs capabilities explicitly assessing the viability of engaging new segments. Map the landscape to identify existing service offerings and positioning gaps and evaluate ImpactSFs current and potential product/service portfolio against comparable market actors with benchmarking by service line and recommended strategies for ImpactSF 2.0.

Business Model Scenarios: Develop and assess 23 viable business model scenarios for ImpactSF 2.0 recommending a preferred model with a phased implementation roadmap for . Scenarios must span the full ambition range: from broadened advisory services to commercial clients to technology-enabled platform models and structured financial product facilitation designed to mobilize commercial capital at scale.

Financial Model Inputs and Actionable Outputs: Produce a structured set of quantified assumptions and evidence-based inputs that can directly inform a sustainable financial model for ImpactSF 2.0 including at minimum: market size estimates by segment price points by service line cost-to-deliver benchmarks realistic client acquisition assumptions revenue ramp timelines..

Launch Roadmap of ImpactSF Platform: Test and validate the user interface and underlying logic develop market positioning target user segments onboarding strategy partnership opportunities pricing considerations and a phased implementation plan to support the adoption of the platform for impact measurement reporting and portfolio analytics across Agri-SMEs financial institutions and development partners.

Ad hoc advisory: Provide strategic advisory support on ImpactSFs next stage of institutional development including business model refinement growth opportunities partnership strategy service portfolio development and organizational positioning.

Scope of Work

The consultancy covers five interconnected analytical pillars:

Pillar 1 Market Landscape and Trends

Map the current and emerging landscape of sustainable agricultural finance climate finance and blended finance

Identify key trends driving demand for science-based advisory and tools including among corporates pension funds commercial banks and MFIs increasingly subject to ESG disclosure deforestation and nature-related regulatory requirements and requiring update in their risk management and reporting practices.

Assess the evolving role of data AI and digital platforms in sustainable finance decision-making.

Pillar 2 Profiling and Needs Analysis

Define and profile ImpactSFs current partners: impact fund and asset managers; commercial banks and microfinance institutions (MFIs); pension funds and institutional investors; philanthropic actors; agri-SME accelerators; CGIARs research programmes; and government/policy actors.

Identify emerging and under-engaged partner segments (e.g corporations with sustainability mandates (agri-food consumer goods textiles extractives) and development finance institutions (DFIs)) that have not been a primary focus to date but show potential alignment with ImpactSFs capabilities and mission.

Assess the specific needs pain points capital allocation and decision-making criteria of each profile.

Pillar 3Landscape Analysis and Positioning

Map key actors providing similar or overlapping services to ImpactSFs target partner profiles (e.g. ESG rating firms impact measurement advisory firms agricultural finance consultancies data providers academic institutions DFI technical assistance facilities).

Examine ImpactSFs potential role in structuring and certifying sustainable financial instruments including green bonds blue bonds and sustainability-linked bonds as a pathway to attracting commercial capital at scale and engaging institutional investors

Assess the potential for technology-enabled service delivery including AI-assisted analytics automated MRV platforms and SaaS-based tools.

Analyze ImpactSFs competitive advantages and identify gaps or risks in its current positioning.

Pillar 4 Benchmarking

Review and assess ImpactSFs current offering and delivery modalities against evolving market needs and comparable approaches within the sustainable finance ecosystem.

Assess current pricing structures and cost-to-deliver across ImpactSFs core functions (e.g. impact due diligence climate risk analysis MRV/reporting advisory support digital tools). This should include indicative cost per engagement and an understanding of resource intensity across delivery modalities.

Benchmark market pricing by service category including typical fee structures (e.g. daily rates project-based fees retainers subscriptions) across comparable actors. Position ImpactSF against these benchmarks and identify areas of alignment or divergence.

Conduct a willingness-to-pay assessment across key partner segments (e.g. fund managers financial institutions corporates) distinguishing between activities that are typically grant-supported and those where cost-recovery or co-financing is feasible.

Pillar 5 Sustainable Business Model Options

Develop business model scenarios for ImpactSF 2.0 spanning advisory-led engagement models (with expanded partner segments) platform-enabled delivery and potential roles in supporting capital market instruments (e.g. analytics scoring or structuring support).

Estimate Total Addressable Market (TAM) and Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM) for each scenario and target segment and ealistic share of this demand that ImpactSF could engage with given its mandate and capacity

Define market penetration assumptions (conservative base optimistic) over a 35 year horizon and translate these into indicative revenue ranges per scenario distinguishing between grant funding co-funded engagements and cost-recovery mechanisms.

Assess unit economics by core function and delivery model (e.g. project-based advisory recurring engagements platform use) including indicative revenue per engagement delivery cost and level of cost recovery.

Analyze revenue diversification and dependency risks including current concentration by funding source and partner type. Propose a target funding mix for ImpactSF 2.0 that strengthens resilience.

Evaluate each scenario against financial sustainability mission alignment scalability and institutional risk.

Recommend a preferred business model pathway and a two-year implementation roadmap including key milestones and enabling conditions.

Pillar 6 Launch Roadmap for Promising ImpactSF tools

Review and test the user interface user journey data flows and underlying calculation logic of the ImpactSF Reporting Platformnew ImpactSF tools/solutions; identify usability issues validate outputs against intended methodologies and provide recommendations for improvements prior to launch.

Conduct a market assessment to identify priority customer segments user needs competing solutions and value propositions; develop a market positioning strategy and recommendations for costing packaging and differentiation of the platform.

Develop a phased launch and scaling roadmap including user onboarding processes partnership and distribution opportunities pilot deployment recommendations adoption targets resource requirements and key milestones to support uptake among financial institutions investors and development partners.

Deliverables