Cresco has leveraged off the experience of its directors to develop an extensive local and international network to support it in its project finance activities.

Cresco has recently been included as the African leg of the International Advisory and Finance ("IAF") group of project finance companies. IAF is a group of 9 project finance consulting firms around the world each having access to the others resource base, experience and contacts. IAF has not until now had an African presence and this relationship completes their global footprint as well as brining a wealth of global experience to the Cresco team.

Through the track record – of in particular its CEO – Cresco boasts excellent relationships in financial institutions that support project finance both locally and internationally. These include Development Finance Institutions such as:

In addition, Cresco has existing relationships with many of the world’s leading export credit agencies including

Cresco’s core service is the development of bankable projects for project promoters and the marketing of these projects to investors.

Achieving this core objective encompasses several services across the entire value chain of developing and implementing a project.

The project development continuum from concept through funding to construction and finally operations is a complex process with the project promoter and project participants requiring specialist support at many stages throughout.

Cresco has the skills to support the development of the project with its specialist capability throughout that process.

The team analyses the project to outline the opportunity, determine its strengths and understand what additional capacity will be needed for the project to succeed. At the same time, the team will test and advise on the interest from prospective investors, lenders and insurers and understand their criteria and requirements, providing an early indication of possible success or failure.

Cresco scrutinizes the project based on a 17 point risk analysis and can point out the risks and advise on possible risk mitigants.

The team will identify possible obstacles at an early stage and develop the optimum strategy and structure for a particular project to prevent potential problems that could arise during negotiations and project execution.

Cresco can objectively indicate the strengths and weaknesses of a project and assist clients in structuring bankable projects for which the market would have appetite.

The Cresco team will present prospective lenders and investors with clear, transparent and relevant information, prepared in accordance with international standards, which is key to the success of the project. This information will enable investors and lenders to evaluate transactions effectively and in the shortest possible time.

The project will be marketed to the most appropriate sources of finding and create competition in order to obtain the best possible terms and conditions for clients.

Cresco has excellent contacts built up over many years in both the local and international funding area.

Cresco can manage and coordinate due diligence visits of potential investors interested in providing finance for the applicable project, and will supply all the information required to overcome their respective concerns and objections.

Cresco will provide negotiation support to clients to achieve the best possible terms and conditions. Included in this is assisting with the negotiation of the legal agreements and most importantly to ensure complete financial closure of the project by supporting the task of putting in place the conditions precedent for the project to physically access the funds.

Once a project reaches financial close, many clients require some specialised support services to ensure that the systems and procedures are in place for the smooth drawdown of the funds. Cresco is able to provide this support, including:

Cresco is able to undertake the complete process from start to finish or clients can select specific areas in which they require our support. This enables Cresco to provide services to a number of entities, including the project promoter, the exporter or the contractor, as the situation requires and depending on where our expertise is needed.

There are a number of value adding services, which augment the core project finance activities.

During the course of project development, Cresco will advise its clients on the most appropriate insurance instruments available in the market to mitigate insurable project risks. Accordingly it is Cresco’s objective to broker specialized insurance products in the local and international insurance markets, where necessary in conjunction with appropriate intermediaries.

An important aspect of a project is the off-take agreement which provides a degree of comfort to the funders. Cresco is able to provide trade facilitation support to its clients by structuring these off-take agreements on their projects.

Cresco is able to provide business planning and implementation support for business planning and raising finance in the establishment of new businesses and expansion of existing businesses.

To assist property developers in structuring their projects, Cresco can apply project finance skills and experience to the development. This in turn will enable Cresco to raise the necessary capital for the developer.