Market Assessment and Value Chain Analysis at Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF)

Scope of Work

The consultant will:

1. Review and summarize existing research on access to finance by women-led/owned enterprises in Kenya’s Blue Economy – specifically in the coastal and Lake Victoria region counties.
2. Validate the findings of consultation and analysis process that was carried during proposal development. The validation will include consultation with government, private sector players, female entrepreneurs, women’s business associations, donors currently supporting women in the Kenya’s blue economy sector
3. Conduct overall market opportunity mapping and documentation of existing as well as potential value chains/sub-sectors of the blue economy where women have measurable potential for profitability, growth and decent employment. The assessment must take Global Affairs Canada’s GBA+[1] approach.
4. Assess the status of access to finance by women and women-owned/led enterprises in Kenya’s blue economy sector and identify value chains and cross-sectoral relationships between value chains where women have the highest potential of participation, and where a market-based approach is possible and needed.
5. Identify the gaps and opportunities for investments including risk appetites and desire for financial intermediaries to develop products and services applicable to women.
6. From 3 above, identify high-potential value chains/sub-sectors and produce value chain maps of key sectors identified for possible intervention. Based on assessment findings, document possible

interventions and approaches to expand sustainable access to economic and income generating opportunities for women and women entrepreneurs including:

• Areas for self-employment within the respective value chain(s), expansion of women participation in the value chain, opportunities for gender inclusive innovative approaches to ensure value chain competitiveness. Evaluate constraints and bottlenecks within the value chain and propose possible solutions.
• An overview of existing financial and business support services as well as regulatory constraints and opportunities for the economic development of the value chains/sub-sectors identified and regulatory constraints specific to women and women-owned/led enterprises.
• Work with the AECF gender expert to integrate the findings into the Gender Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) report. The combined report will include an intersectional lens examining barriers that women owners, workers, suppliers, and traders face in the identified value chains and sub-sectors.
• With the AECF team, conduct a stakeholder meeting/workshop to present a snapshot of initial findings of the value chain analysis and discuss specific recommendations for the IIW-BEK

Deliverables

1. Inception report (no more than 10 pages) outlining approach, including tools to be deployed and stakeholder engagement processes, and a work plan.
2. A comprehensive report covering:
3. A market assessment and value chain analysis that includes key findings on the scope of work focus areas, duly integrating economic, social, and environmental complementary analysis.
4. A combined market and gender-based analysis (GBA+) complete with a detailed barriers analysis, gender analysis, and stakeholder analysis.
5. Possible program design options that best represent the IIW-BEK program objectives.
6. Stakeholder workshop report and a detailed list of stakeholders consulted.

Duration of Service

The assignment will be conducted over the course of two months. Given the scope of the assignment, it is expected that this assignment will be conducted by an individual consultant, or a pair of experts provided skills on gender equality and market-systems approaches are present.

Reporting

• The consultant will be accountable to AECF, Programme Lead - Agribusiness

Qualifications.

The selected consultant(s) should meet or include the following qualifications:

• A value chains specialist with 8-10 years’ extensive experience in value chains analysis and gender-sensitive research design, or gender and development, with a preference for substantial experience in private sector development.
• At least 5 years of practical experience in conducting market assessments, stakeholder, and data analysis; stakeholder consultations, human centered design, and programme design in the development sector.
• Good knowledge and understanding of Kenya’s Blue economy and attendant sub-sectors e.g. fisheries, tourism, maritime transport, aquaculture, renewable energy etc.
• Good knowledge and understanding of SME finance and solutions to increase access to finance for women-owned/led businesses.