Consultancy - Cost-Recovery & Subscription Model Market Assessment for Analysis Services

Mercy Corp; Remote; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Part time

Job summary

A global humanitarian organization is seeking a Consultant to devise sustainable funding strategies for its Crisis Analysis Team. The successful candidate will focus on crafting methodologies for cost-recovery and subscription models, conducting in-depth market analysis, and leading pilot designs. A background in strategy, costing, and market analysis in the non-profit sector is essential, alongside strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills. This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to impactful humanitarian initiatives while ensuring financial sustainability.

Benefits

Flexible hours

Collaborative team environment

Opportunity to impact humanitarian initiatives

Qualifications

• Minimum 7–10 years experience in strategy, costing, and market analysis, ideally for INGO or non-profit fee-for-service.
• Experience designing cost-recovery or subscription-based funding models.
• Ability to translate operational costs into transparent pricing models.

Responsibilities

• Produce a go-to-market strategy for sustainable funding models.
• Lead feasibility assessments including market analysis.
• Design costing methodology for product and service delivery.

Skills

Strategy design

Market analysis

Cost-recovery models

Communication skills

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

Background

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, and in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action—helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.

Purpose / Project Description

The Mercy Corps Crisis Analysis Team combines traditional research methods with powerful data science tools to help organizations navigate complex, high-risk environments impacted by climate change and conflict. Through trend monitoring, risk forecasting and deep-dive thematic analysis, we help ensure that donor investments create measurable, sustainable impact through coordinated and context-sensitive interventions—even in the most challenging operational environments.

Crisis Analysis has largely relied on institutional donor grant funding—a revenue source that has declined across the sector during 2025. Mercy Corps is mapping and assessing alternative revenue stream options for Crisis Analysis work to ensure sustainability of this function while ensuring these alternative funding streams are mission aligned.

Consultant Objectives

Produce a go-to-market strategy for sustainable, mission‑aligned funding models for Mercy Corps’ Crisis Analysis function, enabling the organization to recover costs and diversify funding streams while maintaining alignment with humanitarian principles and objectives.

Models in scope

• Cost‑Recovery / Fee‑for‑Service (per‑product)
• Subscription / Membership (recurring revenue for standard outputs and business‑aligned services)

Consultant Activities and Deliverables

1. Diagnostic & Landscape Review: Lead feasibility assessment, including market analysis, peer and prospect mapping across sectors, alignment with current capacities and mission; legal/financial implications; design KIIs/surveys; 5 days.
2. Draft go‑to‑market strategy: Using diagnostic findings, target stakeholder and segmented priority prospect list, entry message demonstrating proof of value, priority platforms, forums, networks and avenues to build visibility; recommended messaging for different audiences.
3. Audience and Market Analysis: Map existing and potential peers and partners at global and country level; conduct KIIs/surveys; gather basic product usage data, preliminary segmentation by user type.
4. Product & Costing Design: Design costing methodology for both models, pricing logic and template design; 5 days.
5. Costing methodology, product menu and proposal/invoice/service level agreement templates.
6. Provide cost inputs (country and global personnel rates, support costs) and product cost templates.
7. Pilot Design: Define pilot parameters, deliver model, governance, metrics and evaluation framework, design SOPs for pilot(s); 3 days.
8. Pilot Plan, metrics framework and SOPs for use in pilots.
9. Communication Strategy: Design messaging framework (global/country level), outreach approach, guidance on language for approaching prospects, internal engagement strategy; 3 days.
10. Communication Strategy Document.
11. Pilot Execution: Execute pilot outreach based on pilot plan, metrics framework, SOPs; maintain central tracking system for revenue and requests (global/country level).
12. Pilot Review and Recommendations: Review pilot data and partner feedback; adjust costing/pricing, subscription tiers, communications approach; 2 days.
13. Consolidated Recommendations Report: Final go‑to‑market strategy, risks and mitigation, assessment of internal capacity with requirements and roadmap to scale; slide deck, executive summary for leadership.

Timeframe / Schedule

10‑12 weeks from start to final recommendations (assuming part‑time engagement at various stages). Total billable consultant days: 18 days.

Provisional Schedule

• Diagnostic & Landscape Review (week 1‑2)
• Product & Costing Design (week 3‑4)
• Pilot Design (week 4‑5)
• Communication and Visibility (week 5‑6)
• Pilot Execution (week 6‑10)
• Pilot Review and Recommendations (week 11‑12)

Reporting and Collaboration

The Consultant will report to the Director – Global Crisis Analysis and work closely with the Manager – Global Crisis Analysis and pilot country‑level Crisis Analysis teams.

Required Experience & Skills

• Minimum 7–10 years experience in strategy, costing and market analysis, ideally for INGO or non‑profit fee‑for‑service or advisory arms.
• Experience designing cost‑recovery, fee‑for‑service, or subscription‑based funding models for non‑profits.
• Ability to translate operational costs into transparent, mission‑aligned pricing models.
• Familiarity with budgeting, costing templates, and financial sustainability approaches.
• Experience in stakeholder mapping, partner consultations, and needs assessments to inform product/service design.
• Experience designing pilots or small‑scale rollouts of new service models in multi‑country settings.
• Experience in communicating new product/services and funding models to both internal and external audiences.
• Strategic thinking and problem‑solving in complex organisational contexts.
• Analytical skills for costing, financial modelling, and pricing.
• Stakeholder engagement and facilitation skills.
• Understanding of Crisis Analysis, context monitoring or research in humanitarian contexts (preferred).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; experience producing clear, concise reports and visual summaries.
• Ability to work collaboratively with a variety of teams in a multi‑country organisational structure.
• Familiarity with humanitarian principles, standards and ethics in research and analysis.
• Experience with subscription/membership models in the non‑profit or knowledge sector (preferred).
• Experience in producing or using crisis/conflict analysis products (preferred).

Team Engagement and Effectiveness

Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times.