About the Market Development Facility
The Market Development Facility (MDF) is an Australian Government funded multi-country initiative that promotes sustainable economic development, through higher incomes for women and men, in our partner countries. We connect individuals, businesses, governments and NGOs with each other, and with markets at home and abroad. This enhances investment and coordination and allows partnerships to flourish, strengthening inclusive economic growth.
MDF is funded by the Australian Government. It is implemented by Palladium in partnership with Swisscontact. In Sri Lanka, MDF works in sustainable tourism, agricultural inputs and speciality coffee, with cross-cutting investments to promote inclusivity and climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Department of Export Agriculture
The Sri Lanka Government’s Department of Export Agriculture (DOEA) supports development of export agricultural crops, including coffee. It has engaged in research and development to increase production, productivity and quality of export agricultural crops. It increases sapling availability by supporting nurseries and expands cultivation by providing subsidies for coffee planting. It disseminates knowledge to farmers through its extension network. The DOEA also provides grants to coffee farmers for machinery and other support.
The Role
Since 2017, MDF has been collaborating with stakeholders to develop Sri Lanka’s specialty coffee market. They plan to create a ‘Specialty Coffee Roadmap’ with the DOEA to guide industry growth, influence policy, attract investment, and improve coordination. A national consultant, supported by an international expert, will lead this effort, ensuring the roadmap outlines steps to make Sri Lanka’s coffee a competitive export crop. The consultant will work closely with MDF and DOEA, and cannot subcontract without approval.
The consultant will be responsible for:
- • Market and Industry Analysis: Assess the current state of Sri Lanka’s specialty coffee industry, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.
- • Review Existing Roadmaps: Examine similar roadmap documents from other emerging specialty coffee-producing nations.
- • Global Collaboration: Work with an international consultant to understand global specialty coffee trends and opportunities for Sri Lanka.
- • Stakeholder Mapping and Consultation: Conduct detailed stakeholder mapping and in-depth interviews with key players in the Sri Lankan specialty coffee market.
- • Develop and Present Roadmap: Create a comprehensive specialty coffee industry roadmap, including strategies, opportunities, and alignment with national policies, and present it to stakeholders for feedback and alignment.
Requirements
We are seeking an individual who will bring:
- • Extensive senior management or advisory experience in Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector, with coffee sector experience preferred.
- • Proven track record in developing policy or strategy for commercial agriculture sectors.
- • Excellent analytical skills for conducting primary and secondary research.
- • Strong interpersonal skills for engaging with private and public sectors to gather data and build consensus.
- • Proficiency in written and spoken English, with the ability to communicate in local languages.
- • Willingness to travel throughout the country as needed.
Join us and be a part of a team that’s making a real difference in economic development across MDF’s diverse and dynamic portfolio!
How to Apply
Please submit your CVs indicating relevant experience, along with a brief proposal (maximum of 2 pages) explaining their approach to the assignment, and a financial proposal based on the deliverables described above.
MDF is open to applications from individual consultants and companies for this position.
Closing date: Midnight 23rd May, 2025- Colombo Time
This position is open to residents with authority to live and work in Sri Lanka.