Cohort-Level Marketing Support and Technical Market Readiness for the Honeybush

The consulting firm will deliver tailored marketing, branding and communication support through the following interrelated workstreams, ensuring that all activities strengthen cohort-level visibility, credibility, market readiness and messaging on conservation, sustainable use and ABS:

 a)      Cohort Preparation

·       The UNDP/GEF‑6 Honeybush Small Grant Project Management Unit (PMU) has initiated the process to identify the cohort of organisations that will benefit from this assignment. The service provider is expected to onboard the cohort and ensure readiness to implement the assignment. This will include the completion of Free Prior Informed Consent between the service provider and participant to implement the assignment collaboratively (template and support will be provided by the PMU).

 b)      Market Readiness, Messaging and Gap Analysis

Working with the selected cohort, the service provider will assess each organisation’s market readiness, communication needs and ability to convey clear messages on conservation, sustainable use and ABS.

·       Identify marketing, branding and communication needs, constraints and opportunities for each cohort member, and prioritise support areas such as product and supply readiness, succinct buyer-facing information, documentation, substantiation, conservation messaging, sustainable use messaging, ABS compliance and alignment with buyer expectations and sector positioning.

 c)      Development of Priority Marketing, Branding and Communication Interventions

For each cohort member, the service provider will identify and develop up to three priority interventions, and these may include, but are not limited to:

·       A succinct foundational marketing, branding and communication plan that identifies target audiences, competitor considerations, priority messages and clear Key Performance Indicators.

·       Refined value propositions, brand messaging and visual identity guidance that clearly reflect sector-wide positioning and the organisation’s contribution to conservation, sustainable use and equitable benefit sharing.

·       Tailored buyer-facing information packs and communication materials (cater for hard and soft copy products).

Each intervention must be practical, feasible and market-relevant, while reinforcing sector-wide coherence, credibility, improved market access and clear messaging on biodiversity stewardship, responsible use of genetic resources, conservation, sustainable use and Access and Benefit Sharing.

Develop a consolidated communication piece, based on the cohort materials produced under this assignment, for publication on the UNDP and DFFE websites.

The project plan must allow for the review of all deliverables of the assignment.

All logistical arrangements and costs to work with the cohort (workshop and ono-on-one) must be factored into the project budget.