Preparing a food and agriculture investment program for institutional capital

The situation

A large food and agriculture investment program in West Africa was moving into its second phase, with projects sponsored by several sub-national governments. Each project had its own commodity base, sites, and level of preparation. Institutional investors needed to see the program as one coherent proposition while still assessing each project on its own terms.

Our role

Our senior team led investment readiness and capital mobilization across the sponsors, the financing institution, and prospective investors.

The work

We organized project preparation support for the sponsors and helped each present its value chain, sites, enabling infrastructure, and private sector interest. We shaped the program narrative across both phases and coordinated the investor materials and project spotlights.

We identified and engaged regional and international investors, prepared heads of government and their representatives for investor engagement, and set up the data rooms.

Preparation anticipated the questions investors would ask on timelines, returns, land, regulatory arrangements, public-private structures, anchor tenants, and evidence from the first phase. Bringing those questions forward sharpened the proposition and showed where preparation had to continue after the investor sessions.

What changed

The investor sessions brought together more than 98 participants, including heads of government, development finance institutions, banks, private investors, project developers, processors, and equipment providers. The program secured $2.2 billion in announced commitments, with further expressions of interest and a clear follow-up agenda for the sponsors.

Related service

This assignment sits within investment origination and preparation: developing a pipeline of opportunities that investors can appraise and mobilizing capital around a proposition that holds together across sponsors and projects.