Services | Wellspring Development

Our services

We help clients shape programmes, design funds and deliver impactful, measurable and scalable solutions.

Sector research

In-depth research and analysis of markets and agri-value chains to identify investment opportunities and strategic entry points.

Investment & TA advisory

Designing and structuring funds, building pipelines and supporting clients (and investees) to deliver on financial and impact objectives.

Monitoring, evaluation, & learning (MEL)

Developing MEL frameworks, conducting baseline, mid-term, and endline evaluations and extracting actionable learnings to inform future strategy and decision-making.

Programme strategy & design

Partnering with clients to create strong development or investment strategies and programmes to deliver impact at scale.

Sector transformation

Catalysing systemic change in core markets, engaging stakeholders across key market functions to support inclusive economic development.

Development of £10millionAgricultural Catalytic Fund for AgDevCo

Led the development of a new agriculture catalytic fund in Malawi, conducting pipeline scoping to identify £10 million in investments, performing due diligence, fund modeling, and M&E methodology design, while also mapping sector constraints to profitability. Following this work, AgDevCo successfully raised the Malawi Agriculture Catalytic Fund (MACF), which became the blueprint for subsequent funds across Sub-Saharan Africa and is now AgDevCo's best-performing country portfolio.

Private finance for Forests and Sustainable Land-use programming for FCDO and DESNZ

Supported DESNZ and FCDO’s International Forests Unit by assessing public-private financing landscapes to enhance investment in forest protection and sustainable land use across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The findings will guide future programming to better mobilise private finance for forest restoration and sustainable land-use projects.

Research paper on fertiliser alternatives to support regenerative agriculture for the Commercial Agriculture for Smallholders and Agribusiness (CASA) programme

Researched fertiliser alternatives for sustainable agriculture in Africa across different value chains and market segments. The assessment recommends prioritising local green ammonia production near agricultural areas and improving regulations to ensure quality and consistency of alternative fertiliser products.

Evaluation of the 2019-2023 agribusiness portfolio for European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

Evaluated the effectiveness of EBRD's agribusiness strategy and €2.7 billion portfolio through on-site and desk-based reviews across Northern Africa, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, assessing development impact and investment sustainability. The assessment informed EBRD's board on the relevance of its 2019-2023 strategy and provided recommendations for maximising effectiveness.

Strategic opportunity analysis & framework design in the Democratic Republic of Congo for USAID

Partnered with USAID DRC to evaluate and rank agricultural value chains with the greatest potential for sustainable, inclusive growth. The team produced a market systems report on soy, rice, and poultry -identifying key interventions and five potential partnerships for each.

Technical assistance to support investment into Sierra Leone for Invest Salone

Provided pre-investment technical assistance to businesses supported by Invest Salone, a £17m FCDO-funded programme in Sierra Leone, delivering investment readiness support to improve financial and operational management. Also coordinated Invest Salone's partnership with the Africa Resilience Investment Accelerator (ARIA), identifying and screening potential pipeline for DFIs and other investors while also supporting multiple DFI missions that led to new pipeline identification and increased investment commitment in Sierra Leone.

Consultancy to help shape FSD Africa’s emergency response in Sudan for Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) Africa

Researched digital innovations in Sudan's agri-food and payment systems, conducted desk research, literature reviews, and consultations with 34 stakeholders to identify intervention opportunities using fintech solutions. The research produced a final report with recommendations for rapid deployment and implementation of digital financial solutions, with the next phase focusing on supporting FSD Africa's intervention design process.

Lessons from 30 years of African commercial forestry investments for Gatsby Africa and Criterion Africa Partners (CAP)

Comprehensive 30-year review of commercial forestry investments in Africa to identify factors behind underperformance in greenfield projects and barriers to successful industrial and smallholder forestry investments. The research generated recommendations to strengthen the forestry investment landscape across the continent.

Evaluation of the Livestock Vaccine Innovation Fund (LVIF) for the International Development Research Centre (IDRC)

Conducted an evaluation of the CA$57m LVIF program, which aimed to increase livestock vaccine use among smallholder farmers in low and middle-income countries with a focus on women farmers. The mixed-methods study identified factors contributing to positive program delivery and challenges hindering success, with findings used by LVIF and partners like the Gates Foundation to inform future livestock vaccine programming and broader development efforts.

Pre-feasibility assessment for soya processing in Tanzania to unlock local soy production for Gatsby Africa and Mount Meru Group

Conducted a pre-feasibility assessment for Gatsby Africa and Mount Meru Group on a soya processing and solvent extraction facility in Mbeya, Tanzania. Delivered a commercial pre-feasibility report with supply-side analysis, demand analysis, market sizing, social impact assessment and a financial projection model.