Consultant for Green Entrepreneurship Enabling Environment Assessment

Please note that the deadline is based on Korean Standard Time Zone (KST, UTC+9)

INTRODUCTION TO GGGI

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organization dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies. To learn more please visit about GGGI web page. 

The objective of this consultancy is to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the enabling environment for green entrepreneurship in Côte d’Ivoire, with the aim of identifying policy, institutional, financial, and behavioral conditions that can either hinder or accelerate the development and sustainability of green businesses—particularly those led by youth and women.

The assignment will establish a systematic and multi-level diagnostic framework to evaluate the current state of incentives, support structures, and regulatory frameworks in relation to the goals of the GENIE Greenpreneur Program.

The assessment will focus on three interdependent levels:

1. Micro-Level (Individual and Enterprise Level)

Identify behavioral and structural barriers that green entrepreneurs face, including access to finance, awareness of opportunities, risk perception, technical capacity, and entrepreneurial culture. Analyze what prevents individuals—especially youth and women—from entering or thriving in green sectors.

1. Meso-Level (Institutional and Ecosystem Level)

Map and assess the role of key ecosystem actors (e.g., incubators, accelerators, financial institutions, technical partners, local authorities) in supporting green entrepreneurship. Explore how institutional coordination, programmatic incentives, and service delivery mechanisms affect market entry and enterprise growth. 

2. Macro-Level (Policy and Regulatory Level)

Review the national policy and regulatory framework, including legal instruments, public incentives, and fiscal or trade policies that enable or constrain green entrepreneurship. Assess alignment with Côte d’Ivoire’s National Development Plan, climate targets (e.g., NDCs), and youth employment strategies.

3. Green Finance and Investment Mapping

Conduct a light-touch but targeted mapping of green finance instruments, providers, and barriers to access—especially for youth- and women-led enterprises. Identify existing financial mechanisms, gaps in financing flows, and leverage points for improving access to capital.

4. Strategic Recommendations

Provide actionable, evidence-based recommendations to:

• Strengthen the coherence of green entrepreneurship policies and incentives;
• Improve institutional coordination and implementation effectiveness;
• Increase access to finance and ecosystem services;
• Guide the evolution and sustainability of the Greenpreneur Program under the GENIE project.

The consultant will carry out the following activities:

Phase 1: Inception and Methodology

• Develop a detailed work plan and methodology, applying a mixed-methods approach to assess the enabling environment for green entrepreneurship at three interlinked levels:
• Micro: Barriers, incentives, and motivations at the individual and enterprise level
• Meso: Institutional support and coordination among ecosystem actors
• Macro: Policy, regulatory, and fiscal frameworks
• Define evaluation objectives, data collection tools, and analytical frameworks (PESTLE, SWOT, green finance, informality).
• Design a segmented sampling strategy for a structured entrepreneur perception survey (minimum 150 respondents), with attention to:
• Sector, gender, geographic region, business stage, and formal vs. informal status
• Ensure data collection tools (survey and FGD guides) include specific components on informality, such as:
• Motivations for operating informally
• Barriers to formalization
• Perceived value of registration or inclusion in official support programs
• Map stakeholders for interviews, including public institutions, financial actors, incubators/accelerators, and youth-led networks.
• Produce an Inception Report detailing:
• Methodology and tools
• Key themes (informality, finance, ecosystem gaps)
• Timeline, deliverables, and alignment with national priorities (NDP, NDCs, youth strategies)

Phase 2: Data Collection (Primary and Secondary)

Primary Data Collection

• Structured Survey:
• Administer to minimum 150 green entrepreneurs across Côte d’Ivoire, with questions focused on:
• Barriers and drivers of informality
• Awareness and use of public incentives
• Experience with financial institutions and ecosystem actors
• Key Informant Interviews (KIIs):
• Conduct 20–25 interviews with stakeholders including:
• Line ministries and regulatory agencies (e.g., taxation, SME development, youth)
• DFIs, banks, microfinance actors
• Incubators, accelerators, and entrepreneurship hubs
• Informality-focused organizations or experts
• Focus Group Discussions (FGDs):
• Organize at least 5 FGDs with entrepreneurs, prioritizing informal and underrepresented groups (youth, women, rural)

Secondary Data Collection

• Review national policies, laws, programs, and institutional strategies related to:
• Green entrepreneurship
• Informal economy
• Financial inclusion
• Youth employment and enterprise support
• Compile international benchmarks, donor evaluations, and institutional reports for contextual reference.

Phase 3: Analysis and Benchmarking

• PESTLE Analysis:
• Examine macro-level drivers across Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental dimensions that shape the enabling environment for green entrepreneurship and influence informal behavior.
• SWOT Analysis:
• Analyze strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats across:
• Micro (entrepreneur-level incentives and constraints)
• Meso (institutional service delivery, coordination, and ecosystem support)
• Macro (policy, legal, and fiscal framework)
• Quantitative Analysis:
• Analyze survey results using descriptive statistics to quantify key patterns, including:
• Informality rates
• Financial exclusion
• Institutional touchpoints (or absence thereof)
• Green Finance Mapping:
• Identify existing financial instruments, intermediaries, and support mechanisms.
• Evaluate alignment with green enterprise needs—particularly among informal and youth-led initiatives.
• Highlight access gaps and institutional bottlenecks.
• Benchmarking:
• Compare Côte d’Ivoire’s enabling environment and informal-sector dynamics against relevant African and global case studies.
• Extract lessons on inclusive regulatory reforms and financing models that integrate informal entrepreneurs into green growth frameworks.

Phase 4: Report Development

• Draft the Green Entrepreneurship Enabling Environment Assessment Report, including:
• Executive Summary
• PESTLE, SWOT, and quantitative survey findings
• Analysis of informal entrepreneurship dynamics
• Green finance ecosystem mapping
• Benchmarking and comparative insights
• Actionable recommendations structured by level:
• Micro (entrepreneur capacity, awareness, incentives)
• Meso (institutional coordination, program delivery)
• Macro (policy coherence, fiscal incentives, regulatory frameworks)
• Submit the draft report to GGGI for feedback.

Phase 5: Stakeholder Validation and Finalization

• Organize and facilitate a validation workshop with at least 25 stakeholders representing government, financial actors, ecosystem enablers, and youth/women-led enterprises.
• Present key findings and recommendations, with a focus on:
• Formalization pathways
• Policy and institutional levers
• Green finance and investment access
• Integrate feedback and submit:
• Final bilingual report (English and French)
• Executive summary with visuals
• Annexes (survey tools, raw data summaries, informality insights, stakeholder map)
• Support GGGI in any requested dissemination activities (e.g., presentations, technical roundtables).

Qualifications

Given the scope and multidimensional nature of the assignment, collaboration with a small team or research assistants is recommended to ensure full coverage of policy, institutional, financial, and field-level components.

• Academic and professional background, including:
  • Advanced degree (Master’s or higher) in a relevant field such as: Public Policy, Development Economics, Environmental Governance, Political Economy, Sustainable Development, or a related discipline (e.g., Entrepreneurship, Green Finance, Public Administration).
  • Minimum 5 years of demonstrated experience, including:
    • Conducting policy and regulatory diagnostics, preferably related to SME development, climate entrepreneurship, or green economy transitions
    • Designing and executing mixed-methods research, combining policy review, stakeholder interviews, perception surveys, and focus groups
    • Producing strategic, data-informed policy reports for development partners or governments, especially in African or emerging market contexts
  • Prior experience analyzing green entrepreneurship ecosystems, financial access, or informal sector integration is highly desirable
  • Strong understanding of institutional ecosystems relevant to youth employment, enterprise development, innovation, and climate transition
  • Previous experience working/collaborations with GGGI, UN agencies, World Bank, AfDB, or similar international organizations is highly desirable.
• Research and Analytical Skills including:
  • Design and deploy field research tools (surveys, interview protocols, FGD guides)
  • Analyze qualitative and quantitative data using appropriate methods
  • Synthesize complex findings into actionable insights and policy recommendations
  • Familiarity with ecosystem mapping, PESTLE analysis, SWOT frameworks, and stakeholder benchmarking
  • Ability to visualize findings (e.g., infographics, charts, stakeholder maps) for non-technical audiences
• Communication and Language Skills including:
  • Excellent writing and editing skills in both English and French, with experience producing deliverables for donor, government, and practitioner audiences
  • Strong presentation and facilitation skills, particularly for multi-stakeholder workshops or validation sessions
• Contextual Awareness
  • Proven ability to work in West African settings ; prior experience in Côte d’Ivoire is strongly preferred
  • Understanding of local institutional and policy dynamics affecting entrepreneurship, informality, financial inclusion, and climate action
  • Familiarity with national development priorities, the GENIE project, and Côte d’Ivoire’s climate or SME policy landscape is an asset

Functional

• Strong analytical, organizational, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a multicultural environment
• Proactive, detail-oriented, and able to manage competing priorities under pressure
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in both French and English
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
• Familiarity with data tools such as SPSS, Stata, Excel, or Kobo Toolbox
• Exposure to the green economy, entrepreneurship ecosystems, or youth inclusion programs is preferred
• Professional, punctual, and capable of meeting tight deadlines with high-quality outputs

Corporate

• Understand and actively support GGGI’s mission, vision and values.
• Commit to team goals and work effectively across the organization with individuals of different views, cultures, nationality, gender, and age.
• Exemplify the highest standard of honesty, integrity, and professionalism.
• Promote an organizational culture of trust, transparency, respect and partnership.
• Excel at problem solving, asks questions and seeks support when needed, shares easily information and knowledge with others both internally and externally.
• Manage emotions and stress positively, build rapport and resolve conflict easily.
• Strong ability to work independently and/or remotely, while maintaining productivity.
• Excellent English oral and written communication skills; including public speaking.

Administrative information

All candidates will be evaluated against the expertise required. Selected candidates will be interviewed by a panel of experts. Final decision and offer will be made maximum two weeks after the last interview.

Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered Application. Cover Letter, and CV must be sent in English. A consortium, or a firm may not be engaged for the individual consultant assignment.