ADVISORY SERVICES
The way we work is structured and rigorous but our approach is flexible and creative. We understand that each opportunity is unique and demands a different approach. The combination of our tools and processes, the professional experience of our people, our creativity and strong drive for delivery, combined with our extensive network will bring maximum value to each client’s specific needs.
Our work often involves creating overall partnerships between strategic and financial investors, local entrepreneurs, technical specialists, governments, multilateral agencies and not-for-profit organisations. We have strong experience in interpreting between the sectors and can help structure complex multi-stakeholder projects to win the support and meet the objectives of all stakeholders.
We also have extensive experience in holding chair and director positions in the boards of companies as well as NGOs.
BusinessMinds uses structured processes, such as the Opportunity Realisation Process, which we have extensively tailored and applied many times to deliver substantial additional value to sustainable development projects for both for-profit and non-profit organisations.
Some examples of our advisory work are as follows:
- Feasibility study of an innovative model to develop agro-processing parks in order to unlock the growth potential of agro-processing businesses in Ethiopia;
- Together with governance experts from leading development finance institutions, we designed and implemented a fit-for-purpose governance structures for an agro-processing business in East Africa;
- Prepared the business plan and supported the securing of new equity finance for a forestry business that has now grown to be a leading forestry business in Southern / Eastern Africa;
- Developed the business strategy and plan and sourced equity finance for a new large scale biofuels company in East Africa
- Designed and executed the venture set-up of an African biofuels company;
- Collaborated with the United Nations Development Programme and the Ethiopian government to develop an innovative model for delivering irrigation services as a commercial business to local farmers;
- Supported the development and start-up of a new innovative business delivering credit ratings for carbon assets, aiming to strengthen the linkage between projects reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the carbon markets;
- Under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) we identified, developed and managed projects for a new CDM project developer, including carbon sequestration projects (reforestation), energy efficiency and landfill gas;
- Strategy & management support for an international NGO delivering sustainable transport solutions;
- Turn-around of a very large sustainable transport system project in Mexico aimed at reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and reducing urban congestion;
- Supported a number of innovative new initiatives that aimed to increase the resilience of large cities across the world against climate change and extreme adverse weather impacts. We developed a new approach to ensure the Resilience Value Assurance of new projects for these cities.