Critical Minerals Investment Fund Design and Set-Up

UNDP
Critical Minerals Investment Fund Design and Set-Up Request for proposal

Reference: UNDP-ZAF-00236
Beneficiary countries or territories: South Africa
Registration level: Basic
Published on: 03-Sep-2026
Deadline on: 15-Sep-2026 10:00 (GMT -4.00)
Description
[SCOPE OF TENDER......]


The contracted firm will deliver the following:

Inception and Fund Options Appraisal

•    Review the LEAD Africa Project Document and relevant UNDP, African Union, AMDC, REC, AfCFTA and national frameworks.

•    Compare viable models, including catalytic funds, blended-finance vehicles, funds of funds, project-preparation facilities, co-investment platforms and phased hybrid approaches.

•    Recommend a preferred option and define its investment thesis, eligibility criteria, development additionality and target beneficiaries.

Fund Architecture and Operating Model

•    Define indicative target size, phasing, capital stack, investor classes, financial instruments and risk-sharing mechanisms.

•    Propose governance bodies, investment-committee arrangements, fiduciary and fund-management options, and conflict-of-interest controls.

•    Set out an indicative fees and cost model, risk-management framework and impact-management approach.

•    Integrate responsible-mining, ESG, gender, community and UNDP social and environmental safeguard requirements.

Capitalisation and Investor Engagement

•    Identify prospective African and international DFIs, sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, insurers, asset managers, development partners, climate-finance providers, commercial investors and strategic industry partners.

•    Develop an anchor-investor value proposition, resource-mobilisation strategy and sequenced investor-engagement plan.

•    Prepare a concise fund or advisory-facility pitch deck for stakeholder and investor engagement.

Pipeline and Project Preparation

•    Develop screening criteria, readiness diagnostics and project-preparation pathways for potential investments.

•    Identify technical-assistance and transaction-support needs and prepare an initial illustrative pipeline or opportunity archetypes across priority value chains, SEZs and industrial hubs.

•    Summarise indicative financing needs, readiness gaps, development impact and recommended next-stage preparation for each opportunity.

Legal, Institutional and Establishment Roadmap

•    Map legal, regulatory, fiduciary, tax, licensing and institutional issues requiring specialist follow-on advice in potential host jurisdictions.

•    Consult relevant governments, AUC/AMDC, RECs, DFIs, investors, operators, project developers, industry associations and development partners to validate demand and governance preferences.

•    Prepare a sequenced 12-24 month establishment roadmap covering approvals, institutional agreements, legal and fiduciary work, resource mobilisation, staffing, pipeline development, safeguards, communications and early pilots.



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[UNDP OFFICE SOUTH AFRICA
PROCUREMENT UNIT]

Email address: procurement.enquiries.za@undp.org
Surname: Procurement Unit