Individual Consultant - Investment Readiness Assessment for Cement Bamboo Finance

Consultancy Level: 5

Consultancy Type: Deliverable

Contract Value: 26,400 USD

Application Deadline:19 November 2026

Contract Duration: Until January 29, 2027 with possibility of extension.

Duty Station: Suva, Fiji, with stakeholder consultations in Fiji and remote/home-based work as agreed with GGGI

Project Background

The Fiji Bamboo for Adaptation and Mitigation Project promotes sustainable, inclusive bamboo production and use as an affordable, climate-resilient construction material, while creating economic opportunities for women and marginalised groups. Implemented by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) with government and non-government partners, the project is funded by New Zealand MFAT and Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs under Phase 2 of the Pacific LECRD Programme.

Fiji faces high housing costs, climate risks, reliance on imported carbon-intensive materials and limited access to affordable, resilient housing. Cement Bamboo Frame Technology (CBFT), developed internationally by Base Bahay Foundation and partners, offers potential to address these challenges while creating opportunities in local bamboo production, processing, construction skills, rural livelihoods and MSME development.

GGGI has commissioned studies on CBFT applicability, bamboo resources, production, treatment and value-chain development. However, further economic, financial, market and stakeholder analysis is needed to establish its investment potential. In particular, a first demonstration or anchor housing phase could generate demand, build market confidence and catalyse a viable bamboo construction value chain.

As CBFT housing has not yet been implemented in Fiji, the assignment will draw on international experience and Fiji-specific evidence, supplemented by targeted consultations, updated cost data, market testing and economic and financial modelling. It will provide a practical basis for determining whether CBFT merits investment, at what scale, under what conditions, and with what government, donor and private-sector support, including the financing, procurement and enabling actions needed for implementation.

Objective of the Assignment

The assignment will assess the investment readiness of Cement Bamboo Frame Technology (CBFT) for affordable, climate-resilient, low-carbon housing in Fiji, identifying the government, donor and private-sector support needed for an initial demonstration phase and viable bamboo construction value chain. Building on existing studies and targeted additional evidence, the assessment will guide GGGI and its partners on investment potential, indicative scale, enabling conditions and support requirements, using proportionate analysis, stakeholder consultation and transparent assumptions. Where evidence is limited, the consultant will provide indicative estimates, confidence levels and recommendations for further assessment.

1. Assess whether there is a credible preliminary public economic, donor and inclusion rationale for supporting CBFT affordable housing and bamboo value-chain development in Fiji.
2. Identify the main evidence gaps, investment-readiness gaps and decision-critical assumptions that need to be addressed before significant public, donor or private-sector support can be mobilised.
3. Undertake comparative housing cost, lifecycle cost and affordability analysis for CBFT and relevant conventional housing systems in Fiji, using available data and targeted updated cost information.
4. Assess the indicative viability gap and likely public, donor, concessional or private-sector support required under different housing delivery scenarios.
5.  Assess developer/project proponent funding opportunity and end-user funding to facilitate home ownership.
6.  Assess possibility of retail banks and insurance providers’ potential coverage of CBFT structures. 
7.  Assess the minimum viable scale of initial CBFT housing demand required to support key bamboo value-chain functions, including supply, treatment, processing, quality assurance and construction capacity.
8. Identify key value-chain bottlenecks and estimate indicative CAPEX, OPEX and unit cost ranges for critical value-chain components, where data is available or can be reasonably validated.
9. Prepare an indicative public economic, fiscal, climate and distributional assessment, quantifying benefits where feasible and identifying where further evidence would be required.
10.  Identify practical financing, procurement, risk-sharing and market-creation options that could support a first demonstration or anchor housing phase.
11. Prepare a final investment readiness assessment with clear recommendations on whether and how GGGI and its partners should proceed, including whether to support a first demonstration or anchor housing phase, narrow the focus to specific enabling investments, prioritise further evidence generation, or defer further action until key conditions are met.

The consultant shall undertake the following interrelated workstreams. The workstreams should be implemented iteratively, with early findings used to refine subsequent analysis and stakeholder consultations.

Workstream 1: Evidence review, inception and analytical framework

• Review existing GGGI-supported studies and other relevant information on CBFT applicability, bamboo production and treatment, bamboo value-chain development, bamboo resource assessment, housing finance, construction costs, regulatory pathways, climate resilience and lower-carbon housing.
• Prepare an inception report setting out the proposed methodology, workplan, consultation plan, data requirements, analytical framework and key assumptions to be tested.
• Prepare an evidence-to-investment matrix that summarises what is already known, what evidence needs to be validated or updated, and what additional evidence is required for investment, financing and implementation decisions.
• Clearly distinguish between evidence drawn from existing studies, new evidence collected through the assignment, and assumptions used for modelling purposes.

Workstream 2: Public economic, fiscal, climate and distributional case

• Prepare an early assessment of whether CBFT affordable housing and bamboo value-chain development appear worth pursuing from a public-policy, donor and national-development perspective.
• Assess potential benefits and costs related to affordable housing delivery, climate resilience, reduced disaster losses, lower embodied carbon, import substitution, local employment, rural livelihoods, MSME development, skills development, inclusion and fiscal costs.
• Identify market failures and coordination barriers justifying intervention, including weak anchor demand, inadequate processing infrastructure, limited construction capacity, regulatory and certification gaps, low bank and insurer confidence, and early-mover risks.
• Recommend on whether  GGGI and its partners should proceed, including whether to continue with the proposed analysis, narrow or revise the focus, prioritise additional evidence generation, reframe the intervention around specific enabling investments, or defer further action until key conditions are met.
• Asses the public economic, fiscal, climate and distributional case for supporting CBFT affordable housing and the associated bamboo construction value chain in Fiji.
• Quantify benefits and costs where data is already available or can be reasonably validated through the assignment. Where robust quantification is not possible, provide indicative estimates, qualitative assessment, data-quality ratings and recommendations on what further evidence would be required.
• Consider, as relevant, potential benefits related to affordable housing delivery, household affordability, avoided or reduced construction costs, reduced imports of conventional materials, local employment, rural livelihoods, MSME development, skills development, lower embodied carbon, climate resilience, accessibility, and gender equality and social inclusion outcomes.
• Distinguish between financial viability, for  households, suppliers, builders, developers and financiers from  public economic value and justification for public or donor support.
• Where data are sufficiently robust, the consultant may calculate quantitative metrics such as Net Present Value, Economic Internal Rate of Return, Benefit-Cost Ratio, payback period or other relevant indicators. Where such metrics would be unreliable or misleading, the consultant should explain the limitations and provide alternative indicative or qualitative analysis.

Workstream 3: Anchor demand, comparative housing cost, affordability, developer and end-user financing, and viability-gap analysis

• Assess the indicative scale of CBFT housing demand required to create a credible market signal for the bamboo construction value chain, including potential delivery through government, housing agencies, donors, NGOs, community housing providers or private developers.
• Assess the indicative cost and affordability of CBFT housing in Fiji, drawing on available BOQs, cost estimates and technical inputs, and updating these through targeted consultations with quantity surveyors, builders, housing providers, technical partners and other relevant stakeholders.
• Compare CBFT with relevant conventional affordable housing alternatives, including reinforced concrete block housing, timber housing and other relevant housing types commonly used in Fiji.
• Assess capital construction costs, material costs, labour costs, transportation costs, maintenance costs, replacement and repair costs, and lifecycle costs over a minimum 30-year period, to the extent feasible with available data.
• Distinguish between normal construction costs, CBFT-specific delivery costs and early market-development costs, including training, quality assurance, certification, technical supervision, approvals and demonstration costs.
• Undertake scenario analysis for different scales of delivery, such as an initial demonstration or anchor phase, an early market development phase and a longer-term scale-up phase.
• Analyse household affordability for relevant target groups, including low-income households, informal-sector workers, women-headed households, rural households and peri-urban communities.
• Assess mortgage, rent-to-own, grant, concessional finance, green mortgage or blended finance options and estimate any viability gap that would need to be addressed through public, donor, concessional or other support.
• Assess developer and housing-provider financing options, including construction loans, working capital, equity, concessional finance, grants, guarantees and blended finance, identifying key constraints, eligibility, collateral, risks and funding gaps.
• Assess household financing options, including mortgages, green loans, concessional housing finance and rent-to-own, examining loan terms, deposits, collateral and affordability, particularly for low-income households, informal workers and women-headed households.
• Model indicative household repayment requirements and affordability under selected financing scenarios and assess the extent to which subsidies, concessional finance, guarantees or other forms of support may be required to make CBFT housing accessible to intended beneficiary groups.
• Identify the conditions that would need to be met for financial institutions to provide finance at meaningful scale to CBFT developers/project proponents and end users.

Workstream 4: Bamboo value-chain bottlenecks, investment needs and minimum viable scale

• Assess the critical value-chain functions needed to support CBFT housing in Fiji, including bamboo supply, aggregation, harvesting, treatment, drying, storage, quality control, grading, certification, traceability, processing, prefabrication, transport, logistics, construction workforce development, maintenance, inspection and repair services.
• Identify the main value-chain bottlenecks and investment-readiness constraints, including those relating to bamboo supply volumes, treatment capacity, quality assurance, construction skills, finance, logistics, standards and institutional coordination.
• Estimate indicative CAPEX and OPEX requirements, and unit cost ranges, for critical value-chain components where data is available or can be reasonably validated. Where robust estimates are not possible, the consultant should identify the data gap and recommend how it could be addressed.
• Develop phased financial and economic scenarios for key value-chain components under an initial demonstration or anchor phase, an early market development phase and a longer-term scale-up phase. The scenarios should estimate indicative investment requirements, production and treatment capacity, bamboo supply volumes, treated structural bamboo cost ranges, employment potential and unit production costs where data allows.
• Estimate the minimum viable scale required for key value-chain elements, including the indicative number of CBFT houses per year required to justify investment in treatment facilities, storage, trained contractors, quality assurance systems and other critical functions.
• Identify which components of the value chain could become commercially viable, which may require temporary public or donor support, and which may need longer-term public-good support.

Workstream 5: Financing, procurement and market-creation options

• Assess the roles of government, donors, housing agencies, NGOs, developers, financial institutions, insurers, MSMEs and communities in supporting CBFT housing and bamboo value-chain development.
• Consult banks, including Fiji Development Bank, on developer and end-user financing appetite, identifying technical, regulatory, valuation, collateral and market requirements for CBFT financeability.
• Consult insurers on coverage availability and risks relating to cyclone, fire, durability, maintenance and construction quality.
• Identify the evidence, certification, testing, regulatory approvals, engineering assurance, construction quality-control systems or other conditions that banks and insurers would require before providing finance or insurance for CBFT structures and assess whether these conditions are currently met or what actions would be required to meet them.
• Identify barriers to CBFT bankability and insurability, recommending measures such as guarantees, risk-sharing, demonstrations, performance evidence, certification and standardised designs.
• Compare intervention options, including demonstration housing, public procurement, anchor demand, public land, grants, concessional finance, MSME lending, green mortgages, guarantees, first-loss facilities, results-based and climate finance.
• Recommend financing and procurement arrangements for an initial phase, specifying cost responsibilities, grant versus debt/private financing needs and risk allocation.
• Identify pathways to reduce, retarget or phase out public and donor support as the market matures and costs decline.

Cross-cutting distributional and GESI considerations

Distributional and GESI considerations should be mainstreamed throughout the assignment, including affordability, economic and value-chain analysis, financing options, risk assessment and implementation planning, rather than addressed through a standalone study. The consultant should assess who benefits or may be excluded from CBFT housing and bamboo value-chain development, considering affordability, access to housing finance, opportunities for women, youth, smallholders, customary landowners and MSMEs, land tenure, benefit-sharing, housing accessibility, health and safety, and risks of elite capture. The final assessment should include a concise summary of expected beneficiaries, exclusion risks, inclusive opportunities, mitigation measures and indicators to track affordability, participation and equitable benefit-sharing.

Methodology

The consultant shall use a mixed-method approach combining review of existing studies with targeted collection of additional evidence. The consultant is expected to consult relevant government ministries (Housing; Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport; Forestry; and Finance), housing providers, Base Bahay Foundation and technical partners, construction professionals, bamboo growers and value-chain actors, financial institutions, development partners and potential funders, NGOs, community housing organizations, women's and youth groups, community leaders, civil society organizations, and relevant training institutions and professional bodies.

Consultations will support collection of updated cost and market data; validation of key assumptions; scenario modelling; and preparation of financial and economic models. The consultant shall prepare editable financial and economic models with clear assumptions, scenario analysis and sensitivity testing. At minimum, the models should cover housing cost scenarios, affordability and viability gaps, value-chain investment requirements, minimum viable scale, phased market-development scenarios, indicative public economic costs and benefits, and financing options.

The assignment will have four consolidated deliverables over a contract period of up to three months with potential for extension.

Reporting arrangements

• The consultant will report to the GGGI Project Manager and work closely with the GGGI Fiji office and Government counterparts, participating in at least bi-weekly progress meetings. Following Deliverable 2, GGGI will review preliminary findings and agree on the focus of the remaining work, including any adjustments to the scope or priorities. GGGI will supervise delivery and approve all outputs in consultation with relevant stakeholders. All deliverables must be in English, editable and Microsoft Office-compatible, with supporting data, consultation records and Excel models provided where relevant. The consultant will also support GGGI's Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning requirements, including appropriate disaggregated data. Revised final outputs must be submitted within 14 calendar days of receiving consolidated comments. 

The assignment requires an individual consultant with strong experience in economic and financial analysis, investment readiness assessment, development finance and practical decision-support for public, donor and private-sector stakeholders. The consultant should be able to translate technical, market and stakeholder evidence into clear recommendations on whether and how CBFT affordable housing and the associated bamboo value chain could be supported in Fiji.

Minimum Requirements

• Master’s degree or higher in economics, finance, development economics, infrastructure economics, agricultural economics, public policy, urban development, housing, climate finance or another relevant field, or an equivalent combination of relevant education and professional experience;
• at least 8 years of relevant professional experience in economic analysis, financial analysis, investment planning, feasibility assessment, development finance, infrastructure, housing, value-chain development or related fields;
• demonstrated experience preparing analytical reports, feasibility assessments, business cases, investment readiness assessments, investment appraisals or decision-support products for public, donor or private-sector stakeholders;
• demonstrated ability to undertake stakeholder consultations and translate findings into practical recommendations; and
• excellent written and spoken English.

Preferred experience and skills

The following experience and skills will be considered an advantage:

• Financial modelling, including scenario and sensitivity analysis.
• Economic and cost-benefit analysis, public investment rationale, affordability and financing options.
• Assessment of CAPEX, OPEX, lifecycle costs, viability gaps, minimum viability gaps, carbon assessments, and environmental assessments.
• Development of financing, procurement, risk-sharing and market-creation mechanisms.
• Integration of GESI and distributional considerations into investment analysis.
• Strong analytical, communication and presentation skills.
• Experience in Fiji, the Pacific or SIDS.
• Knowledge of affordable housing finance, bamboo, forestry, bio-based materials, green construction or climate-resilient housing.
• Experience working with governments, development partners, financial institutions, investors and communities.
• Knowledge of climate finance, blended finance, green bonds and results-based financing.

The consultant should be able to work independently while engaging constructively with technical specialists, government counterparts, private-sector actors, development partners and community stakeholders.

Administrative Information

Interested consultants shall submit following documentation:

• Availability during the project period
• No conflict of interest arises while taking this assignment
• Application, Cover Letter, and CV must be sent in English.