Consultant (Bilingual En-fr) - Battery Mineral Supply Chains in Africa

**Background**

(Location is flexible, see guidelines below)

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an award-winning independent think tank that delivers the knowledge to act. Our mission is to promote human development and environmental sustainability. Our big-picture view allows us to address the root causes of some of the greatest challenges facing our planet today—ecological destruction, social exclusion, unfair laws and economic rules, and a changing climate. With offices in Winnipeg, Geneva, Ottawa, Toronto, and New York, our work affects lives in nearly 100 countries.

IISD serves as the Secretariat for the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF). The IGF works with governments to advance their sustainable development goals with effective laws, policies, and regulations for the mining sector. It supports governments to take action to develop inclusive and gender-equitable practices, optimize financial benefits, support livelihoods, and safeguard the environment. Its work covers the full mining life cycle, from exploration to mine closure, and projects of all sizes, from artisanal mining to large-scale operations. The IGF serves as a unique global venue for dialogue between its 86-member country governments and mining companies, industry associations, and civil society.

**1. Background**

The IGF is supporting an initiative to analyze and strengthen the emerging regional battery supply chain between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zambia. This initiative builds on regional commitments to establish a regional hub for midstream and downstream processing, centred around special economic zones (SEZs) and trade corridors.

While national efforts in Zambia and the DRC are underway, there is a need to assess the enabling environment, regional cooperation frameworks, and investment strategies to ensure the sustainability and inclusivity of the battery value chain. The IGF aims to provide policy guidance and capacity support to help both countries leverage their mineral resources for economic transformation and secure their place in global energy transition supply chains.

We are currently looking for a bilingual (English-French) consultant to undertake a study to inform this initiative.

**2. Objectives of the Assignment**

**The objective of this consultancy is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the battery supply chain initiative between DRC and Zambia, with a focus on the business and investment environment in SEZs, enabling policy and regulatory frameworks, infrastructure networks, and regional cooperation mechanisms. This consultancy aims to
- Review evidence and stakeholder experience on what works in developing the target industrial ecosystem;
- Identify gaps, bottlenecks, and opportunities to improve the business climate and improve coordinated actions;
- Recommend pathways to improve the current business and investment environmental to enable value addition, attract responsible investment, and promote inclusive supply chains.

3. **Scope of Work**

Under the supervision of the IGF Secretariat, the consultant will undertake the following tasks:
**Research and drafting of a report on the plans to develop an industrial ecosystem in the SEZs associated with the regional hub for battery supply chains in the DRC and Zambia**

I. Conduct stakeholder consultations:
- Identify relevant stakeholders to interview for the purposes of data collection for this study;
- Conduct virtual and/or in-person consultations with key stakeholders in Zambia and the DRC, including Ministries of Mining, Finance, Trade, SEZ authorities, private sector actors, regional organizations, and the Congolese Battery Council.

II. Using stakeholder interviews and other sources of information as appropriate, draft a report that covers the following points:
A. Contextual Analysis- Map the current state of the battery mineral value chain between Zambia and the DRC, from extraction to midstream and downstream processing.
- Assess the legal, policy, and institutional frameworks governing SEZs in both countries, particularly those focused on battery value chains.
- Analyze trade, industrial, and investment frameworks at the national and regional level (e.g., AfCFTA, SADC, COMESA) relevant to battery supply chain integration.
- Identify physical and institutional infrastructure (e.g., transport corridors, energy access, logistics, skills, innovation ecosystems) critical to operationalizing SEZs.
- Analyze impacts of partnerships (such as the Lobito corridor, memoranda of understanding with global partners, role of China) on the likely success of the regional SEZs, and prospects for involvement of other countries in the region in the battery supply chain.

B. Business and investment climate- Assess the effectiveness of the business environment within SEZs (e.g., fiscal incentives, permitting processes, investment regimes, regulatory efficiency, etc.) f