Consultancy; Business Development Initiative

• Map the market environment, customer segments, competitor landscape, demand drivers, seasonality, pricing benchmarks, and relevant regulations.
• Estimate market size and near-term growth for identified product or service options using primary and secondary data.
• Identify target customer profiles and distribution channels.
• Product and business opportunity identification
• Screen and shortlist 3–5 commercially viable product/service options aligned with ARCS mandate.
• For each option produce value-chain and downstream linkage analysis, and assess benefits to local communities and ARCS social mission.

Primary market survey

• Design sampling and questionnaire; conduct field surveys, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions with customers, suppliers, local authorities, landlords, and potential tenants/partners.
• Collate, clean and analyze primary data to validate demand and pricing assumptions.

Financial and economic analysis

• Develop detailed cost estimates (capital and operating), revenue models, and at least five-year cash flow projections for the preferred option(s).
• Prepare sensitivity and risk analysis with mitigation measures.
• Consultancy for the development of Afghan Red Crescent Business Plan
• Identify likely funding sources and financing structures (grants, loans, public-private partnership, lease models) and outline lender/investor requirements.
• Recommend institutional arrangements for ownership, governance, management, and operations.
• Propose a staffing and procurement plan, operational processes, maintenance plan, and tenant/partner selection criteria (if applicable).

Market entry and marketing plan

• Define go-to-market strategies, branding, pricing, sales and distribution channels, and promotion tactics tailored to target segments.
• Conduct stakeholder mapping and consultations; document community feedback and social safeguards considerations.
• Assess potential social and environmental impacts and propose mitigation measures and compliance steps.

Deliverable packaging and capacity transfer

• Produce a concise, business plan, an executive summary for decision-makers, and a set of spreadsheets/models that ARCS can update.
• Provide a short capacity-building session for ARCS staff on how to use the financial model and implement the plan.

Outputs and Timeline

The assignment will be delivered over a maximum period of four (4) months from contract commencement. Key deliverables and target submission points:

1.Inception Report (within 10 working days)

• Workplan, methodology, survey instruments, stakeholder engagement plan, and mobilization schedule.

2.Interim Market Survey Report (within 6 weeks)

• Survey findings, market sizing, competitor analysis, shortlist of business options, preliminary financial estimates.

3.Draft Business Plan and Financial Model (within 10 weeks)

• Consultancy for the development of Afghan Red Crescent Business Plan
• Full business plan including executive summary; five-year financial projections; risk register; institutional and operational design.

4.Stakeholder Consultation Workshop and Consultation Report (within 11 weeks)

• One-day workshop to present draft findings and collect stakeholder inputs; summary of feedback and proposed amendments.

5.Final Business Plan, Financial Model, and Implementation Roadmap (within 12 weeks)

• Final documents incorporating stakeholder feedback; investor-ready executive summary (4 pages) and presentation deck (max 20 slides).

6.Capacity Transfer and Close-out Note (final week)

• One training session for ARCS staff on the financial model and implementation steps; final short report summarizing lessons, next steps, and recommendations.
• All deliverables must be submitted in English, both as editable electronic files and one signed hard copy if required by ARCS.

Team Leader / Market & Business Strategy Lead (Team Leader)

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, Development Studies, or related field; minimum 8 years’ experience leading market assessments and business plan development for commercial or social enterprises.

Responsibilities
:

overall coordination, quality assurance, primary client liaison, final report sign-off.

Market Research Specialist

• Degree in…