Business Development and Grant Writing Consultant

Introduction

Busara Center for Behavioral Economics (Busara) welcomes submissions for Expressions of Interest to consultants who have experience in Business Development and Grant Writing, for purposes of pre-qualification for the provision of their consulting services.

About Busara

Busara is a leading behavioral science organization in the Global South, where we apply behavioral science to help alleviate poverty through advisory work and original academic research. Busara applies rigorous research methods and evaluation tools to enable partners to improve program design, assess existing interventions, and optimize internal processes. We work with governments, NGOs, private companies and academics to understand human behavior, and design solutions to overcome behavioral barriers to products, programs, and policies as they scale. 

Busara operates from its permanent offices in Kenya, Nigeria, India, Uganda, and Tanzania, and has worked on projects with partners internationally. We have launched a new strategy to expand our work globally, signed new projects across Africa, South Asia and South America all in pursuit of our twin missions of advancing behavioral science and alleviating poverty as we strive to bridge the gap between research and application. We have worked on projects related to agriculture, financial inclusion, savings, inequality, entrepreneurship, civic engagement, and other questions central to development economics.

Objective of the Consultancy

The consultancy will be under the Food System Resilience and Climate Risk Management (FaRM) portfolio, a team dedicated to empowering low-income and underserved communities through cutting-edge solutions rooted in behavioral insights. This portfolio's work focuses on creating sustainable and impactful solutions for stakeholders in the agricultural sector, food systems, and environmental sustainability.

The Consultant will support the FaRM team in expanding its portfolio, building strategic partnerships, and securing funding opportunities. The consultant will work closely with the Associate Director of the FaRM team and other stakeholders to strengthen Busara’s engagement.

• Identify and pursue business development opportunities with potential clients, donors, and partners in the agriculture and rural markets space.
• Develop and refine pitches, proposals, and presentations tailored to various stakeholders.
• Facilitate strategic partnerships with key organizations and funders in the agricultural sector.
• Develop compelling grant proposals, concept notes, and funding applications.
• Collaborate with the FARM team to align business development activities with organizational goals.
• Ensure timely submission of all proposals and funding documents.

• Proven experience in grant writing, business development, or fundraising, preferably in agriculture or related sectors.
• Strong understanding of behavioral economics and its application in agriculture and rural markets.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Exceptional writing and communication skills with a proven track record of successful grant applications.
• Ability to conduct thorough donor research and align proposals with funder priorities.
• Self-motivated with the ability to work independently and meet tight deadlines.

Consulting Details 

Duties of Busara

1. The Busara team will provide overall clarification on expectations and technical support as required.

2. Busara will provide contextual information required, including already generated long list of ideas. 

Duties of the Consultant

The consultant will: 

1. Operate  from own office  other  than  in  exceptional  situations  and  provide  own manpower, work   facilities,   equipment,   stationery,   supplies, and   all   operational requirements to carry out the assignment and provide the services required; 

2. Deliver high-quality service within the agreed timelines.

3. Liaise with the Technical Director on a regular basis to report progress, and report any  issues  and/or  concerns  that  may  affect the performance of the consultancy in the course of the assignment 

Terms

Consultants will be pre-qualified to provide services in the areas identified and thereafter be engaged on a need basis. Individual consultants with academic or research backgrounds are encouraged to apply. As this is a consulting position, it comes without a guarantee of full-time employment position within Busara. 

Submission and Deadline

Interested consultants are invited to submit the following:

1. Detailed curriculum vitae, highlighting relevant experience.

2. Academic and professional certificates

3. Samples or descriptions of past work done

Please submit your interest via this portal. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the post is filled.