Coldiron in Zimbabwe: strengthening the bankability and strategic use of a business plan

As part of the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, COLEAD supported Coldiron, a horticultural company based in Zimbabwe, through post-training support aimed at strengthening the quality, credibility and operational relevance of its business plan. This support followed the company’s participation in the training course “Create a business plan for your agribusiness.”

The main objective of this support was to assist Coldiron in reviewing and finalising its business plan, ensuring that it accurately reflects the company’s current operations and meets the expectations of financial institutions. More specifically, the support helped to further clarify concepts covered during the training, provide tailored feedback on the existing document, support its practical implementation, and identify next steps for its use in financing applications and strategic business development.

The support was delivered through a combination of in-person and remote exchanges. It began with a scoping phase at Coldiron’s production sites in Marondera and Harare, followed by an in-depth review of the draft business plan. A feedback session then allowed for the alignment of financial projections, clarification of financing needs, and the definition of a shared roadmap.

Field-level exchanges also helped identify opportunities for operational improvements, including the digitalisation of monitoring systems, the formalisation of quality control procedures, and the strengthening of financial and commercial data collection.

Following this support, Coldiron now has a significantly improved business plan that is more structured, clearer and better oriented towards access to finance. The management team expressed strong commitment to using the business plan as a strategic tool to support growth and market access. The completion of several key components — including detailed budgets, multi-year cash flow projections and complementary market data — will be the next step to ensure the plan’s full bankability and to support the company’s development ambitions, particularly in regional and international markets.

This activity is supported by the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, implemented by COLEAD within the Framework of Development Cooperation between the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union. This publication receives financial support from the European Union and the OACPS. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of COLEAD and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union or the OACPS.