Description

Financial Inclusion Technical Lead (Start-up on Scaling Climate-Smart Agribusiness Finance in DRC)  

Background:

Mercy Corps is a leading global organisation powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.

Purpose / Project Description:

Mercy Corps is currently starting up the FCDO-Funded ‘Scaling Climate-Smart Agribusiness Finance’ (SCAFIN) programme in DRC. Implemented as Component 3 of FCDO’s Green Growth Programme (GGP) in partnership with Cross Boundary, SCAFIN will increase access to finance for established climate-smart agribusinesses in Kongo Central, Kwilu, Mai-Ndombe, and Kwango provinces, prioritising value chains with strong growth potential, integration of green energy technologies, and impact on smallholder farmers. By providing technical assistance and transaction advisory support to local financial institutions (banks and MFIs), impact funds, DFIs, and other investors, SCAFIN will leverage catalytic grants and guarantees to mobilise additional financing, including debt and equity financing. The provision of financing will be complemented by the development of a pipeline of investment-ready businesses, as SCAFIN identifies financially viable, climate-smart businesses, and provides technical assistance to enable them to attract and utilise financing, for example by strengthening business models, clarifying financing needs, & structuring viable investment opportunities.

Working closely with GGP’s Components 1 (improving the enabling environment for agribusinesses) and 2 (providing TA and grants to grow climate-smart agribusinesses), SCAFIN builds on Mercy Corps’ 18 years of experience with Congolese agricultural value chains, markets, and financial institutions, and Cross Boundary’s first-class transaction advisory, technical assistance, and blended finance structuring for SMEs, cooperatives, and FIs across DRC’s major agricultural corridors.  This diverse experience will enable SCAFIN to facilitate investments into larger anchor businesses and smaller, emerging, or downstream agribusinesses by engaging with a range of financial institutions, impact funds, DFIs, and other investors.

As part of the proposal process, Mercy Corps commissioned a rapid, desk-based market study of agribusiness financing in the four provinces. This study included:

• A description of the main agricultural value chains and a prioritisation of these value chains based on growth and investment potential, integration of green energy technologies, and impact on smallholder farmers
• An analysis of the demand for financing from agribusinesses, including a description and analysis of agribusiness characteristics and financing needs, unmet/additional needs and opportunities for financing, and the potential value of financing needs
• An overview of the current provision of financing to agribusinesses, including a description and analysis of financial service providers (FSPs), impact funds, DFIs, and key financial products, services, and partnerships, and recommendations on new product and service development to meet the demand for financing.

Mercy Corps has recruited a Start-up Team Lead (STL) to lead the program start-up activities during the initial four-month inception period, while permanent staff are recruited, and is seeking a consultant to provide technical support and guidance to the STL, and to validate and further develop the market study to inform program implementation.

Consultant Activities:

To achieve this, the consultant will undertake the following activities:

1. Validate and further develop the market study

The consultant will validate and further develop the market study to:

• Analyse the demand for financing from agribusinesses in key value chains in the target provinces, including business characteristics, financing needs and opportunities, and how the provision of financing will contribute towards programme objectives
• Analyse the provision of financing to agribusinesses in DRC, with a focus on the four provinces, including a description of the key providers and other stakeholders - banks, MFIs, impact funds, DFIs, other donor-funded or multilateral actors –, the key financial products, services, mechanisms and partnerships being deployed to extend financing to agribusinesses; and key constraints.
• Make recommendations on priority value chains, agribusinesses, and the key financing needs and opportunities to be met, financial institutions and other investors who can meet these needs and opportunities, and interventions required to ensure this is achieved

It is expected that the study will be mainly informed by primary research by the consultant, for example,e interviews and focus group discussions with key actors and stakeholders on both the demand side and the supply side to enable a comprehensive understanding and mapping of the financial ecosystem around agribusiness financing. The consultant will also work closely with CrossBoundary to draw on their presence and experience in the sector and provinces.

1. Provide technical support and input to programme start-up

To support program start-up, and using findings and recommendations from the market study where appropriate, the consultant will provide technical assistance to the STL to support:

• Partnership creation with financial institutions (FI), including identifying potential partners, key targets, and activities to be undertaken, and a preliminary budget for implementation.
• Identification of the financing needs of FIs to enable them to meet the partnership targets, including, for example, the need for debt financing and loan guarantees, a description of the terms and features of such financing, and how this could be provided, including identifying potential providers and leading initial discussions around partnerships and provision
• Identification of the technical assistance needs of potential partner FIs to enable them to meet partnership targets, and how these should be met
• Discussions with other key stakeholders, including investors, Government actors (e.g., the Central Bank and relevant line ministries), and other donor-funded or multilateral actors, to share program objectives and activities, ensure collaboration and coordination, and, where appropriate, partnership
• Meetings and discussions with FCDO and Component 1 and 2 partners to agree final outcomes and priorities for Component 3 to ensure full alignment and complementarity
• The formalisation and start of the partnership with CrossBoundary, including advising on roles and responsibilities to ensure collaboration and coordination as agreed
• The hiring and onboarding of key programme staff (e.g., Team Lead and Deputy Team Lead), including a full handover to ensure continuity of activities
• The creation of a detailed implementation plan and budget utilisation plan for the first year of the programme

Consultant Deliverables:

●        Market study on agribusiness financing (max 25 pages)

●        A handover report including a description of and recommendations on partnerships, planning, and budget

Timeframe / Schedule and Level of Effort: 

●        To be completed by 31 March 2026

●        Total expected level of effort: 30 days

●        Expectation is that the work would be completed on site in DRC and remotely (approximately a 75:25 split respectively)

The Consultant will report to:

●        SCAFIN Start-up Team Lead

The Consultant will work closely with:

●        Deputy Regional Director, Programs - East and Southern Africa, Allison Huggins

●        Snr Advisor - Digital and Financial Inclusion (Technical Support, Evidence and Program Quality Unit), Nick Meakin

Required Experience & Skills:

●        10+ years’ experience working in / with agricultural finance and agricultural value chains in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a strong preference for familiarity and experience in DRC

●    Experience of working in/with financial institutions (e.g., banks, MFIs) and other investors (e.g, impact funds, family offices, DFIs, institutional investors) to provide inclusive finance to underserved markets and customers, including agribusinesses

●        Experience in designing / implementing / analysing blended finance mechanisms that have increased financing to agribusinesses within sub-Saharan Africa

●        Experience in conducting market studies to analyse and evaluate the demand for and supply of financing to underserved groups, including agribusinesses, in sub-Saharan Africa

●        Strong experience in providing consultancy services in this area, and in conducting independent research and analysis

●        Experience of managing and/or supporting programmes in the field for organisations like Mercy Corps with excellent knowledge of organisation structure, resources, and processes, and demonstrated understanding of programme management, policies, and minimum standards

●        Familiarity with major institutional donors within this space

●        Exceptionally strong analytical, verbal, and written communication skills

●        Fluency in English and French is required

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organisation with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives. 

We recognize that diversity and inclusion are a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening, and evolving to become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, colour, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status, or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our stakeholders and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of our field projects. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs, and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.