Benchmark, feasibility analysis and design of a financial vehicle for the Amazon Socio-bioeconomy

About NESsT 

NESsT is an international non-profit organization with offices in Latin America and Europe and a global leadership team based in the U.S. NESsT's primary goal is to transform lives by investing in social enterprises that provide decent employment to communities facing isolation, discrimination, lack of employment, skills, and poor education while being environmentally sustainable. We believe that local social enterprises are uniquely qualified to transform these communities. They have the trust of the communities and have created businesses aligned with their best interests. More information about NESsT can be found at: www.nesst.org

About NESsT Amazonia

NESsT Amazonia is a program that supports the livelihoods of indigenous communities and the conservation of Amazonian forests, through two strategies: acceleration and impact investing. In the acceleration phase, the program accompanies bioeconomy ventures to increase business potential by offering: pre-seed capital, business mentoring, access to business networks and markets, technology design and market testing. In addition, the program works with indigenous enterprises in an integrated manner, linking them to sustainable value chains, providing small subsidies, business services, and impact management.

About the Project

AmazonBeEco (ABE) is financed by the IDB Lab and the GCF, Conexsus is the main executing entity and has NESsT as a partner in Peru, Amazon Conservation Team in Suriname, Los Aliados in Ecuador, IC Foundation in Colombia and National Coordinating Coalition in Guyana. This consultancy is part of Component 3 "Access to Finance" of the AmazonBeEco project, which aims to attract financial capital to the sociobioeconomy[1] and facilitate access to finance for community-based biobusinesses, either originating from existing public and private credit instruments or through the creation of new ones.

The objective of this strategy is to design and operate a blended concessional finance vehicle designed to receive diverse types of capital (e.g., blended finance, catalytic capital, social/green bonds, among others) and distribute it among member organizations operating in the Amazonian countries that are supporting socio-bioeconomy businesses[2]. This regional approach is considered more attractive and effective for accessing large-scale financing compared to individual country efforts. A critical aspect is to ensure that the newly created financial mechanism complements, rather than competes with, the existing fund structures and operations of partner institutions in each country. The legal and regulatory landscapes of Amazonian countries vary significantly, requiring a robust and adaptable legal structure that can be configured in stages and respects the specific conditions of each jurisdiction.

Objectives and scope of the consultancy:

NESsT requires hiring a consultant (individual or firm) to conduct a benchmark of similar financial vehicle and mechanisms, considering the legislation of the six Amazonian countries (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname), and design the structure of a Blended Concessional Finance Vehicle and mechanism for the Amazonian socio-bioeconomy.

This consultancy will provide the foundational research, analysis, and strategic design required to implement the financial vehicle and the supporting financial mechanism.

Primary Objective:

1. Develop an investment structure of a Pan-Amazon blended concessional finance vehicle and the supporting financial mechanism,  including a detailed Theory of Change Framework, Investment Value Chain Mapping and/or Impact Model Canvas, that is capable of attracting various sources of capital, suggests stages to roll out the launch, and aligned with the non-competition principle.

Secondary Objectives:

1. Conduct a benchmark of existing Blended Concessional Finance Vehicle and Mechanisms  to identify similar practices and lessons learned.
2. Analize the legal and regulatory framework across the six Amazonian countries of the project to determine viable structural options and compliance requirements.

Specific activities:

1. Benchmark
   1. Identify and develop a comparative analysis from existing regional financial vehicles and mechanisms. This benchmark must consider in the analysis the current fund structures existing at the national level.
   2. Examine their operational strategies (e.g., centralized vs. decentralized management, joint ventures), governance frameworks, capital mobilization approaches, sources of funding, risk profile, and mechanisms for distributing funds to member organizations or sub-funds.
   3. Identify best practices regarding fund establishment, management, monitoring, and impact assessment.
   4. Analyse how these funds address competition concerns with their partners' existing structures.
   5. Provide a synthesis of lessons learned and recommendations applicable to the Amazonian socio-bioeconomy context.
2. Development of the Blended Concessional Finance Vehicle and Mechanism Model Structure (Business Model Canvas)

Based on the comprehensive benchmarking and legal analysis, the consultant will develop a detailed model structure for the proposed vehicle and mechanism, articulated through a Business Model Canvas and supporting documentation. This will include:

1. Business Model Canvas: A comprehensive canvas illustrating the vehicle's key partners, activities, value propositions for various stakeholders (including member organizations), customer segments, customer relationships, channels for distribution, revenue streams, cost structure, and resources. The consultant can also decide to develop an Impact Model Canvas or other similar tool.
2. Strategy for Resources Access: Propose concrete strategies for the funding vehicle to attract and access large-scale financing from diverse sources (e.g., multilateral development banks, national governments, private impact investors, foundations). This should detail how the vehicle will articulate its value proposition for regional access, which is more attractive than individual country efforts, and how it will manage capital reception in stages.
3. Strategy and guidelines to ensure long-term sustainability of the vehicle, considering global financing mechanisms and trends related to the Amazon.Operational Model & Mechanism for Capital Allocation: Design a clear operational model (e.g., centralized investment committee with decentralized execution, joint management) that specifies how capital will be managed and awarded to member funds in each country. This should ensure efficiency, transparency, and alignment with the vehicle's objectives.
4. Governance Framework: Propose a robust governance structure, including:
   1. Mechanisms for monitoring the vehicle´s performance, impact, and compliance.
   2. Procedures for debt renegotiation (if applicable) and risk management.

• Composition, roles, and responsibilities of management committees, steering committees, and advisory boards, ensuring representation and fostering cross-learning among regional members.

1. Non-Competition and Partner Alignment: Detail how the fund's structure will be designed to leverage on the operational structures and to adapt and/or complement the regulations of each partner institution and align with the legal frameworks of each country, explicitly addressing and preventing competition with existing fund structures of national partners.
2. Cost Scenarios: Provide preliminary estimations of establishment costs and ongoing operational costs associated with the proposed fund structure and different implementation scenarios.

1. Feasibility Analysis
   1. Conduct a comprehensive analysis assessing the market feasibility, technical/operational viability, and potential success, which includes at least: capital structure, funding sources, impact measurement, governance & stakeholder roles and interests. This may include interviews with different stakeholders and funding organizations (multilateral organizations, development finance institutions, fund managers, program partners and networks, among others).
   2. Based on the financial vehicles and mechanisms identified in the previous output, select at least two that are most relevant to the primary objective and analyse under what conditions they could be implemented and be attractive to donors and private investors.
   3. Assess the legal requirements and opportunities for establishing the Blended Concessional Finance vehicle and supporting mechanism that can attract different types of capital (e.g., grants, equity, debt, blended finance) and be structured in various stages.
   4. Identify the legal and regulatory implications for cross-border capital flows, fund registration, tax considerations, and investment distribution mechanisms.
   5. Analyse potential legal obstacles and propose innovative solutions to ensure compliance and operational efficiency across diverse legal environments.
   6. Critically evaluate how resources can be legally awarded to each country/member institution, ensuring alignment with national regulations and the overarching principle of non-competition with existing fund structures of national partners.

The following methodological considerations must be considered:

1. Biweekly work sessions will be held with the NESsT team and other ABE partners, where progress will be reported on each of the specific tasks detailed in the previous points.
2. The consultant may make recommendations and suggestions for the development of these tasks as long as they are aligned with the general objective of the consultancy.
3. Surveys and/or interviews with ABE partners should be conducted to obtain as much information as possible from partners and primary sources about funding structures for the socio-bioeconomy of the Amazon region.
4. Conduct at least three workshops (online) with ABE partners in order to discuss, align and address critical issues related to the main activities of this consultancy, in order to ensure a true co-creation and collaborative design of the financial mechanism.
5. This consultancy has a multinational focus, with allies in each of the specified countries, so it must work in coordination with each one to:
   • Get feedback on the consultancy's approach and products.
   • Request support to access reports, research, and databases relevant to the Amazon Region's socio-bioeconomy financing and legislation ecosystem in each country.
   • Obtain feedback on the reports and products developed to ensure the accuracy and validity of the data obtained and ensure that the structure is practical and feasible.

NESsT will be the articulator in these coordination actions with each national ally of each country.

Deliverables

1. Inception work plan:

Detailing the proposed methodology, detailed work plan with timelines, and identification of key stakeholders for engagement.

Due date: Within 2 weeks of contract signature

Payment: 10% of the total budget

2. Benchmarking report:

A comprehensive report analyzing various collective fund structures, identifying best practices, and drawing relevant recommendations.

Due date: Within 8 weeks of contract signature

Payment: 20% of the total budget

3. Proposed Blended Concessional Finance Vehicle and Mechanism Structure Document:

A comprehensive document presenting the recommended fund structure, including:

• The complete Business Model Canvas.
• Detailed proposals for resource access strategy, operational model, and governance framework.
  
• Strategies for ensuring compliance, non-competition, and leveraging national partner support.
• Preliminary cost estimations for proposed scenarios.

Due date: Within 18 weeks of contract signature

Payment: 30% of the total budget

4. Feasibility Analysis Report:

A detailed report covering a comprehensive analysis assessing the market feasibility, technical/operational viability, and potential success, which includes at least: capital structure, funding sources, impact measurement, governance & stakeholder roles. It must also include the legal and regulatory analysis of the six Amazonian countries of the project, outlining requirements, opportunities, and challenges for fund establishment and operation.

Due date: Within 12 weeks of contract signature

Payment: 30% of the total budget

5. Final Presentation of Findings:

A final presentation summarizing all products.

Due date: Within 19 weeks of contract signature

Payment: 10% of the total budget

Experience and skills required:

• Firm/company, Natural or legal person, with experience related to the subjects of economics, administration, social sciences, sustainable development or other related areas. Specialization in sustainable/blended finance, bioeconomy, and/or public policies is desirable.
• Substantial knowledge of the financing dynamics of the socio-bioeconomy of the Amazon region and the key financing actors in the Amazon.
• Proven experience (7-10 years) in designing, structuring, and advising on the establishment of investment funds, collective funds, or similar financial mechanisms, particularly in developing economies and in regional contexts.
• Extensive expertise in legal and regulatory frameworks in relation to financial instruments, investment funds, and cross-border financial operations, preferably with experience in Latin America or similar multi-jurisdictional regions.
• Strong understanding of socio-bioeconomy, sustainable development, conservation finance, and impact investing principles.
• Demonstrated experience in conducting comprehensive benchmarking studies and developing robust business models (e.g., Business Model Canvas).
• Knowledge of the financing policies and regulations for the socio-bioeconomy of at least 2 of the 6 Amazonian countries prioritized by the project.
• Proficiency in Spanish and English, oral and written, for communication with various local allies (Portuguese is considered a plus).

Interested candidates must send their track record/resume, methodological and economic proposal through the Bamboo platform by February 23, 2026.

[1] While bioeconomy is a broad concept driven by innovation, socio-bioeconomy is understood as a specialized model adapted to the preservation of the unique ecological and cultural characteristics of the Amazon. It aims to achieve ecological balance, local livelihoods, and equitable distribution, combining

traditional knowledge with scientific research.

[2] Cooperatives or productive associations in the sustainable and healthy food industry, agroforestry, socio biodiversity, sustainable fishing, and community forest management, which contribute to the conservation of forests and their biomes, promoting territorial resilience and contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation. In addition, they generate income for forest and rural areas as the only alternative

to the predatory use of natural resources, while strengthening communities and preserving diversity.