Consultant, Climate and Nature Impact Assessment

Background: CLIC and the Connector

CPI is the Secretariat for the ClimateShot Investor Coalition (CLIC), a global coalition driving investment in sustainable agriculture and food systems. CLIC works to accelerate and scale finance for low-carbon, climate-resilient, and nature-positive agriculture and food systems globally. CLIC is funded by the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) is the Secretariat of CLIC.

The CLIC Agrifood Investment Connector (the Connector) is one of CLIC’s workstreams which develops a high-quality pipeline of climate- and nature-positive agrifood SMEs in developing countries. The Connector identifies suitable SMEs and works with them to assess their climate and nature risks and impacts in preparation for investor pitching and due diligence. In parallel, the Connector identifies pools of interested investors and builds a solid understanding of their requirements to facilitate meaningful connections with SMEs. See more about our program here.

The Type Of Agribusinesses The Connector Supports Are Wide Ranging And Have So Far Included Companies Engaged In One Or More Of The Following Activities:

• Sustainable Soil Management

Water Efficiency

Energy Efficiency

Renewable Energy

Sustainable Livestock

Alternative Protein

Sustainable Aquatic Foods

Agroforestry

Land/Coast Restoration

Farm Waste Management

Sustainable Value Chain

Financial Access

Information Access

Market Access

Purpose of this assignment

The Connector seeks consultancy support to deliver climate and nature impact assessments for up to five (5) African agrifood SMEs and up to three (3) Latin American agrifood SMEs participating in upcoming Connector cohorts.

The Consultant Will:

• Lead the climate and nature impact assessments for the assigned SMEs using established Connector guidelines and templates. Deliverables will include: a climate and nature impact assessment workbook; a climate and nature impact report, climate and nature impact calculation workings, and a pitch deck slide focused on climate and nature impacts.
• Provide concise, investor-facing impact materials for each SME.
• Provide light advisory and feedback to the CPI team on methodology improvements and process efficiency.
  
  

The assessment is not a third-party assurance or a full life-cycle assessment. It is a structured, evidence-based assessment that aims to strengthen SME impact claims and is intended for investor or funder engagement, while clearly communicating assumptions and limitations of the findings. Learn more about our approach to impact assessment here.

Scope of work

The climate and nature impact assessment will follow a structured process based on existing Connector guidelines, templates, and technical notes, together with reputable external tools and literature. The consultant will work closely with the CLIC Connector team and the SMEs through virtual meetings and shared virtual workspaces (e.g., Google Drive, SharePoint, Notion).

Each SME assessment will follow one of two delivery models, depending on data availability and complexity:

• Standard model (6 days per SME): For most SMEs, where core climate and nature impacts can be captured through qualitative and simple quantitative analysis
• Extended model (up to 14 days per SME in total): For a limited number of SMEs, where deeper quantitative analysis is justified and feasible, e.g., detailed GHG modelling or biodiversity metrics
  
  

The choice of model for each SME, and any allocation of days beyond the standard six days, will be agreed in advance at appropriate stages of the implementation cycle between CPI and the consultant and must remain within the overall contract ceiling and internal regional budget parameters.

Tasks common to all SME assessments (standard six-day model)

Task 1: Inception and planning

Participate in an inception meeting with the CLIC Connector team.

Refine workplan, SME allocation, timelines and communication channels.

Familiarise with Connector guidelines, templates and previous cohort examples.

Task 2: SME climate and nature context and practice review

For Each SME Allocated To The Consultant:

Review SME application forms, pitch decks, and existing materials.

Conduct an initial business and context review, focusing on climate and nature risks and opportunities in the SME’s operating geography.

Identify the SME’s climate- and nature-relevant activities and practices across its value chain.

Task 3: Impact pathway and qualitative assessment

For Each SME Allocated To The Consultant:

Develop or refine a clear impact pathway that links activities to outputs, outcomes, and impacts for climate mitigation, climate adaptation and nature.

Identify and describe material risks, trade-offs and gaps, including dependencies on ecosystem services.

Propose a small set of practical indicators that the SME can monitor going forward.

Populate the Connector’s Climate and Nature Impact Assessment Workbook templates in the shared workspace.

Task 4: Draft climate and nature impact report

Prepare a concise written impact report for each SME, following the Connector template. The document should normally include the climate and nature context for the SME’s operating regions, impact pathways relevant to the SME, qualitative and quantitative evidence of impact, with references to data sources and tools used, and key risks, caveats, and recommendations for improving impact management and measurement.

Deliverables including calculations, reports, and analyses are expected to be reviewed by the Consultant’s senior staff for quality assurance before submitting them to Connector Impact Team for further review and revision requests.

Optional extended quantitative analysis (up to eight additional days per SME)

For a Subset Of SMEs With Richer Data And Where More Advanced Analysis Is Justified, The Consultant May Be Asked To Perform Additional Quantitative Work, For Example:

• GHG accounting for specific activities or value chains, using open access tools or IPCC-based methods.
• Simple scenario analysis of climate resilience outcomes.
• High-level biodiversity or land use impact metrics, using standard tools and spatial data.
  
  

Any Extended Work Will:

• Be agreed upon between the CLIC Connector Impact Team and the consultant on a case-by-case basis.
• Be clearly justified in terms of SME needs, data availability, and added value.
• Be designed to fit within the overall budget limit and the number of days available.
  
  

Deliverables and indicative timeline

Exact Dates Will Be Confirmed With The Selected Consultant, But Delivery Is Expected To Align With The Africa And Latin America Connector Cohort Timelines Below:

African agrifood SMEs (5): June – October 2026

Latin American agrifood SMEs (3): November 2026 – March 2027

Deliverables Per Agri-SME:

• A clearly structured impact pathway and populated Climate and Nature Impact Assessment Workbook.

A final Climate and Nature Impact Report, incorporating feedback from CPI and the SME.

An investor-facing impact slide for the SME pitch deck and input to the deal book.

Collaboration, reporting and quality assurance

• The consultant will report to the CLIC Connector Impact Leads.
• Regular bi-weekly check-in calls will be scheduled with the CLIC team, along with ad hoc coordination as needed.
• All deliverables will be subject to internal CPI quality review and SME validation. The consultant is expected to perform internal quality checks before submission.
• The consultant should use CPI-provided templates and shared platforms and propose light improvements where this supports efficiency and clarity.
  
  

Consultant profile and proposal requirements

The consultant may be a firm or an individual. Proposals should demonstrate:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English. Ability to work in French, Spanish, and or Portuguese is good-to-have for SME engagement in Africa and Latin America.
• Strong knowledge of climate mitigation, adaptation, and nature-positive practices in agrifood systems in sub–Saharan Africa and Latin America.

Experience working directly with agribusinesses or agrifood SMEs, with an understanding of their operating realities and constraints.

Proven ability to design and articulate impact pathways and to translate technical analysis into concise, investor-friendly language.

Demonstrated experience in quantitative and qualitative impact assessment methods and tools relevant to agriculture, climate, and nature. Experience with GHG accounting tools, land use models, or similar would be an advantage.

Capacity to work to tight timelines across multiple parallel SME engagements while maintaining quality.

Budget and contract

• The maximum available budget for this assignment is GBP 60,000, inclusive of all fees, taxes and reimbursable costs.
• This amount represents a contract ceiling, not a guaranteed amount. Within this ceiling, the consultant should propose a competitive daily rate structure that reflects the mix of profiles of experts required.
• CLIC expects the majority of the budget to support work with the five African SMEs, with an indicative upper watermark of approximately GBP 37,500 for the Africa cohort, and the remainder for the three Latin America SMEs. The final allocation will be finalized at agreed junctures of the delivery timeline.

The number of days per SME will vary. The standard expectation is around six days per SME, with the possibility of additional days for a limited number of SMEs that require extended analysis, subject to prior written approval and available budget.

The consultant will be contracted on a milestone payment basis, with payment linked to submission and approval of agreed deliverables.

Submission process

Proposals Should Include:

• CVs of all proposed experts. (Note: Any substitution of team members compared to the proposed plan would need to be approved in advance by CPI.)
• Technical proposal (3-4 pages maximum): This should include the consultancy team’s skills/experience and how these meet the above requirements; a proposed methodology for the work, including any suggestions for adjustments to these TORs where appropriate; and a proposed work-plan and timeframe for delivery of the outputs.
• Budget proposal: A milestone-based budget proposal. Please include a list of the names of all experts proposed on the consultancy, their years of experience, proposed roles, and individual cost rates per day to support with program auditing.
  
  

Contact

The deadline for submission is 09:00 GMT on Friday 3rd April 2026.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Any clarifying questions or comments related to the terms of reference can be shared directly with clic@cpiglobal.org by 10:00 GMT on Monday 23rd March.

Responses will be provided by 10:00 GMT on Monday 30th March and will be made available to all applicants.