Call for Consultants
World Council of Credit Unions, Inc. (WOCCU)
Diaspora Market Research in London, United Kingdom / Perth, Australia and Seattle, Washington, USA
Date of Publication: August 12th, 2025
Published By: World Council of Credit Unions, Inc.
Deadline to Submit Questions: August 19st 2025, 5 pm EST
Submit Questions to: consult@woccu.org
Deadline to Submit Proposals: August 25th, 2025; no later than 5:00 pm EST, with additional submissions reviewed on a rolling basis for pending necessities
Submit Proposals to: consult@woccu.org
Subject: Diaspora Market Research - London, United Kingdom / Perth, Australia and Seattle, Washington, USA
Background
The World Council of Credit Unions ("WOCCU") is the global apex association and development organization for the world's credit unions and financial cooperatives. WOCCU's financial inclusion programs reach rural and remote areas through its unparalleled global footprint - a network of over 74,000 institutions owned by 411 million members in 104 countries. The World Council engages in advocacy, development and education to champion and grow credit unions and cooperative finance worldwide, under the belief that all people should have access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable financial services.
WOCCU is planning a new activity to provide capacity building to five Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs) in Kenya to develop innovative climate deposit products designed to mobilize diaspora savings for climate-resilient investments in Kenya while providing attractive returns to diaspora investors. This product aims to bridge the gap between diaspora communities' desire to contribute to their home country's development and the need for climate finance in Kenya's agricultural and renewable energy sectors among others.
The three markets of London, United Kingdom; Perth, Australia; Seattle, Washington, USA are a priority diaspora markets, given their significant Kenyan population and active remittance flows, representing strong potential markets for climate-focused investment products. Understanding the preferences, investment capacity, and engagement patterns of these Kenyan diaspora communities is critical for successful product design and market entry strategy.
Location
London, United Kingdom / Perth, Australia and Seattle, Washington, USA
Objective:
The Diaspora Market Research Consultant will conduct comprehensive market research within the Kenyan diaspora communities in the selected markets, with a focus on members of participating SACCOs, to inform product development, positioning, and go-to-market strategy for a potential climate deposit product.
Multiple consultancies are expected. Each consultancy is a minimum of 15 days of level of effort in each of the three markets. Applicants may apply for one, two or three of the three locations.
Responsibilities
- Market Mapping - Conduct secondary research to map key Kenyan diaspora segments by demographics, remittance behaviors, and financial service usage. Analyze the regulatory environment to identify restrictions or incentives that could influence product design.
- Stakeholder Engagement - Engage SACCOs to analyze member data for trends and identify diaspora members for survey participation. Conduct key informant interviews with diaspora organizations and community leaders for qualitative insights.
- Market Validation and Demand Analysis - Design and implement surveys and/or focus groups to assess the financial behaviors and preferences of Kenyan diaspora members. Explore attitudes toward savings and investment products with social or climate impact. Identify preferences related to investment size and frequency, risk tolerance, return expectations (financial and climate-related), climate priorities (e.g., agriculture, renewable energy), and preferred communication channels. Quantify market potential based on disposable income, savings patterns, and interest in a SACCO climate deposit product.
- Competitive Analysis - Analyze comparable financial products and services available to the Kenyan diaspora in their local markets.
- Product Recommendations - Provide actionable recommendations on product features, pricing and returns, distribution channels (including digital), go-to-market strategy including marketing messages, and customer acquisition strategies.
- Final Report and Recommendations - Deliver a concise report with validated demand estimates, diaspora segment profiles, design principles, and proposed marketing and distribution strategies.
Deliverables
During the contractual period, WOCCU will request scopes of work that outline deliverables and level of effort (LOE).
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Week 1 |
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Week 4 |
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Week 4 |
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Week 6 |
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Weekly |
Period of Performance
The consultant agreement(s) will be eligible for up to 2 months. WOCCU will seek to award contracts by September 6, 2025.
Qualifications
A marketing firm or an individual marketing specialist with the following:
- Demonstrated success in market research related to demand for and design of financial services
- Strong preference for market research consultants or firms with experience in the target markets of London, United Kingdom / Perth, Australia and/or Seattle, Washington, USA
- Proven experience designing financial products or services, with the ability to translate research findings into actionable business and product recommendations
- Skilled in both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies (e.g., surveys, interviews, focus groups, data analysis) including proficiency with relevant research and analysis tools (e.g., survey software, data visualization, statistical platforms, interactive qualitative research methodologies, etc.)
- Knowledge of climate finance risk assessment and impact measurement standards (e.g. Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures and IRIS+)
- Experience working with the Kenyan diaspora in the targeted diaspora markets is preferred, including an understanding of diaspora investment behaviors, remittance flows, community dynamics, and respective country’s financial regulations affecting diaspora-targeted products
- Demonstrated ability to work independently while coordinating with a distributed or global team
- Experience in working with member-owned financial institutions (credit unions, deposit taking SACCOs, etc.) is preferred
- Fluency in English is required; Swahili or other relevant language skills are an asset
- Applicants must provide references for at least two similar assignments of market research and financial product design with a preference for deposit products, including client contacts and summaries of outcomes
Selection Criteria
Selection will be made on a best-value basis. The number of points assigned to each criterion represents its weight in the evaluation process. While service rates are required as part of the submission, they are not evaluated against the selection criteria requirements.
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No. |
Requirements |
Weight |
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1 |
At least 7 years of demonstrated experience conducting market research related to demand for and design of financial services. Preferred experience in the target market and/or with diaspora communities. |
40 |
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2 |
Proven ability to design climate financial products informed by research findings, with knowledge of climate finance risk and impact measurement standards (e.g., TCFD, IRIS+) |
35 |
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3 |
Bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant field and fluency in English required; experience with member-owned financial institutions preferred |
25 |
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Total |
100 |
Submission Requirements
Qualified candidates must submit the following information per the instructions below. Only complete applications will be considered:
- Understanding of the scope of work (maximum of three pages).
- A CV and cover letter that detail candidates relevant work experience and qualifications.
- If the applicant is a business entity, please submit a presentation of company qualifications and the CVs of the proposed consultants.
- Candidate’s cover letter must be maximum of three pages, and include:
- Address the responsibilities and qualifications within this posting Relevant experience
- Proposed daily and hourly rate in USD
- The markets (London, Perth and/Seattle) for which they are applying.
- Three professional references: name, phone(s), and email
Should your application be selected for consideration, WOCCU will contact the references provided within the submission. Applications missing references, will have the opportunity to provide references on a case-by-case basis.
Submission Instructions
Application materials should be submitted via email with the subject line “WOCCU_Diaspora Market Research_2025” to consult@woccu.org. Bidders must include all relevant materials within their proposals. Failure to do so may result in the disqualification of your proposal.
Deadline to Submit Questions: August 19th, 2025, 5 pm EST
Deadline to Submit Application: August 25th, 2025; 5:00 pm EST
Disclaimer
This bid solicitation in no way obligates the World Council of Credit Unions to award a contract, nor does it commit the World Council of Credit Unions to pay any costs incurred in the preparation and submission of the application. World Council of Credit Unions reserves the right to vary any part of this bid solicitation at the time of award if it becomes necessary. World Council of Credit Unions may cancel this solicitation or may reject any and all responses received. The issuance of this solicitation does not constitute award commitment by the World Council of Credit Unions.