Consultant -SDC Kenya(Internal & External Call)

Job Description

THE ORGANIZATION

The Alliance of Bioversity International ( www.bioversityinternational.org) and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) ( www.ciat.cgiar.org) delivers research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives. Alliance solutions address the global crises of malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.

With novel partnerships, the Alliance generates evidence and mainstreams innovations to transform food systems and landscapes so that they sustain the planet, drive prosperity, and nourish people in a climate crisis.

The Alliance is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future.

About the project:

The SoLAR Phase 2 programme seeks to support the scalable adoption of solar-powered irrigation systems, known as SPIS, by strengthening the investment case, financing pathways and enabling conditions for market expansion. Under Output 2.2, the programme will develop a decision-oriented Investment Strategy Report that outlines practical pathways for catalyzing scalable financing for SPIS in Kenya and Ethiopia, with consideration of a potential Solar Irrigation Investment Fund or comparable financing mechanism.

About the consultancy:

The objective of the Kenya consultancy is to provide country-level technical, market and stakeholder support for the development of the Kenya SPIS Investment Strategy. The consultant will assess Kenya’s SPIS market, financing ecosystem, policy environment, value-chain opportunities, institutional actors and investment readiness conditions, and contribute directly to the consolidated Kenya–Ethiopia investment strategy report

The Kenya consultant will support the development of the Kenya country component of the investment strategy. The assignment will focus on translating existing sector knowledge, stakeholder insights, market evidence and financing models into a structured investment perspective. The work is not intended to be a general sector study only; it should identify bankable or near-bankable investment pathways, priority value chains, business models, financing gaps, risk-sharing needs, and practical next steps for mobilizing public and private capital.

The key contact people for the Consultant, and the frequency and mode of interaction with the person supervising the consultancy assignment

Frequency and mode of interaction of interaction: Weekly and virtually.

ACTIVITIES

A. Inception and Analytical Framing

1. The consultant will support the refinement of the Kenya workplan, analytical framework and stakeholder engagement approach. This will include confirming priority geographies, value chains, stakeholder categories, and information requirements for the investment strategy.

B. Kenya SPIS Market Landscape Review

1. The consultant will conduct a targeted review of the Kenya SPIS ecosystem, including:

2. Current SPIS adoption trends and market maturity.

3. Priority irrigation geographies and production systems.

4. Relevant policy, regulatory and institutional frameworks.

5. Existing SPIS suppliers, distributors, technology providers and after-sales service actors.

6. Current financing models, including PAYGo, asset finance, leasing, bank lending, cooperative finance, SACCO-based finance, donor-supported facilities and blended finance mechanisms.

7. Key barriers to scale, including affordability, collateral requirements, repayment risks, water access, technology performance, maintenance, farmer aggregation and demand-side readiness.

C. Stakeholder Mapping and Consultations

1. The consultant will identify and engage relevant Kenyan stakeholders, including:

2. Financial institutions, SACCOs, leasing companies and asset financiers.

3. SPIS suppliers, distributors and technology providers.

4. Farmer organizations, cooperatives and aggregators.

5. Government agencies and regulators relevant to irrigation, agriculture, water and renewable energy.

6. Development partners, DFIs, climate finance actors and guarantee providers.

7. Private-sector value-chain actors, including buyers, processors and offtakers where relevant.

8. The consultant will conduct structured interviews or consultations and synthesize findings into investment-relevant insights.

D. Investment Opportunity Identification

1. The consultant will identify and assess potential SPIS investment pathways in Kenya. This should include:

2. Priority value chains with commercial irrigation potential.

3. Farmer segments and enterprise types suitable for SPIS financing.

4. Business models with potential for scale, such as asset finance, leasing, PAYGo, aggregator-led lending, outgrower-linked finance, cooperative-based lending or blended finance models.

5. Potential investment entry points across the value chain, including production, aggregation, post-harvest handling and climate-smart agriculture bundles.

6. Indicative assessment of commercial viability, farmer affordability, repayment potential and climate resilience relevance.

E. Financing and Risk-Structuring Assessment

1. The consultant will assess financing constraints and investment structuring options for Kenya, including:

2. Current financing gaps for SPIS adoption.

3. Indicative loan, leasing or asset finance structures.

4. Potential concessional capital roles, including first-loss capital, guarantees, premium support, interest-rate buy-downs or technical assistance facilities.

5. Climate and credit risk considerations, including drought, water variability, yield volatility, repayment seasonality and asset performance risk.

6. Potential institutional roles for banks, suppliers, aggregators, insurers, government and donor partners.

F. Contribution to Regional Investment Strategy

1. The consultant will contribute Kenya-specific content to the consolidated Investment Strategy Report. This will include market context, investment opportunity framing, financing pathway analysis, risk-sharing considerations, and a transition roadmap for moving from analysis to investment mobilization

DELIVERABLES

- Deliverable 1: Inception Note

- Description: Kenya-specific workplan, stakeholder map, interview guide and proposed analytical focus

- Deliverable 2: Kenya Market Landscape Brief

- Description: Summary of SPIS market context, policy environment, key actors, financing landscape and constraints

- Deliverable 3: Stakeholder Consultation Summary

- Description: Structured synthesis of interviews and consultations, including key investment-relevant findings

- Deliverable 4: Kenya Investment

- Description: Shortlist of priority value chains, business models, financing pathways and investable entry points

- Deliverable 5: Kenya Financing and Risk Structuring Input

- Description: Indicative financing models, risk-sharing needs, investor considerations and transition requirements

- Deliverable 6: Final Kenya Country Input

- Description: Final Kenya chapter/input for the consolidated Ethiopia–Kenya Investment Strategy Report

- Deliverable 7: Travel

The calendar of activities

Deliverable 1: Month 1 of contract start date

Deliverable 2: Months 2–4

Deliverable 3: Months 3–5

Deliverable 4: Months 5–7

Deliverable 5: Months 7–9

Deliverable 6: Months 9–10

Deliverable 7: By month 10

Planned timeline for the consultancy: 12 months. Exact start date to be confirmed following selection of the candidate after publishing the advert and review of applications.

Level of effort: 100 working days

Duty Station

Kenya.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Advanced degree in agricultural economics, finance, development economics, climate finance, renewable energy, agribusiness, water management or a related field.

• At least 7 years of relevant professional experience in agricultural finance, renewable energy, irrigation, climate-smart agriculture, development finance or private-sector investment.

• Strong understanding of Kenya’s agricultural finance, irrigation, renewable energy and smallholder financing ecosystem.

• Demonstrated experience conducting stakeholder consultations and producing analytical reports.

• Familiarity with asset finance, leasing, PAYGo models, blended finance, guarantees or concessional capital structures.

• Ability to assess investment opportunities from both development impact and commercial viability perspectives.

• Strong writing, synthesis and communication skills.

• Existing networks among Kenyan financial institutions, agribusiness actors, SPIS providers, government agencies or development partners will be an advantage.

Evaluation Criteria:

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Benefits

The total estimated budget for the consultancy

Total consultancy value: USD 16,000

Payment schedule (as per the project budget, but subject to confirmation once the consultant is selected after review of applications to consultancy advert):

Deliverable 1: USD 750

Deliverable 2: USD 2,250

Deliverable 3: USD 2,250

Deliverable 4: USD 3,750

Deliverable 5: USD 3,750

Deliverable 6: USD 2,250

Deliverable 7: USD 1,000

Terms of employment

The Alliance Bioversity-CIAT offers a multicultural, collegial research environment with competitive salaries and excellent benefits. We are an equal opportunity employer and strive for gender, diversity, and inclusion in our staff, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status, or any other characteristic.

Applications

Applicants are invited to visit  https://www.bioversityinternational.org/jobs/ to get full details of the position and to submit their applications. Applications MUST include reference number Ref: (RFC 12113840) - Consultant – SDC Kenya as the position applied for. Application and CV should be saved as one document using the candidate’s last name and first name for ease of sorting.

Note: The Alliance does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing or training). The Alliance also does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.