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Pre-Feasibility Studies

Is this idea worth a full feasibility study?

A pre-feasibility study is a short, desktop screen of a project idea. It checks demand, rough costs and returns, and the main risks, then recommends whether to stop, change the idea or go on to a full study. It keeps spending on detailed work for ideas that pass the screen.

Discuss your ideaSee the deliverables

When a pre-feasibility study fits

It suits early ideas, and choosing among several options before investing in one.

Several ideas, one budget

Screen options quickly and focus on the strongest.

Early investor interest

Give a first view of the opportunity to partners or investors.

Before a full study

Set the scope of a full study around the real questions.

Quick sanity check

Test a proposal received from a partner or promoter.

Where a pre-feasibility study fits

It is the first gate in the investment path, before the stages that cost the most.

Scroll sideways to see the whole figure.

IdeaPre-feasibilityFull feasibilityEngineeringInvestmentGatego, change or stopSpend on each stage rises; the early screen keeps weak ideas out of the costly stagesThis study
Illustrative. Bar heights show the rising spend from stage to stage. Shapes only, not client or market data.

Questions a pre-feasibility study answers

Market

  • Is there demand, and roughly how much?
  • Who are the main competitors?

Economics

  • What is the order of magnitude of cost and return?
  • What would the project need to be viable?

Next step

  • Which risks could stop the project?
  • What should a full study investigate?

What public data can show, and what needs research

A pre-feasibility study relies mainly on desk research, so it states clearly which conclusions are firm and which need testing.

Where desk research is usually enough and where primary research is needed
TopicPublic data showsStill uncertainHow it is tested
DemandMarket size and growthReachable demand for this projectFlagged for the full study
CostsBenchmark rangesCosts for this site and sizeHigh-level benchmarks with wide ranges
ReturnsIndicative marginsProject returnsSimple payback and margin screen

Illustrative example

This example is illustrative. It shows how a study could be designed and does not describe a client project.

Screening three product ideas

Illustrative example
Business question
A diversified group has three manufacturing ideas and budget for one full study.
Evidence gap
The ideas come with optimistic promoter figures and no common basis for comparison.
Research method
Desk research on demand, competitors and cost benchmarks, with a simple margin and payback screen for each idea.
Output
A side-by-side comparison, a recommendation on which idea to study in full and the questions that study should answer.

What this study does not include

Clear limits keep the findings honest and the scope easy to price.

  • Itemized CAPEX estimates
  • Financing structure or lender-ready models
  • Primary research beyond a few expert checks

Where a decision needs engineering or legal sign-off, the study says so and lists the questions for that review.

What you receive

Outputs are agreed at scoping; this is a typical set.

  • Market summary

    Demand, growth and competitors at a high level.

    Use it to confirm there is a market.

  • Cost and return screen

    Indicative costs, margin and payback.

    Use it to see if the idea can work.

  • Key risks

    The issues most likely to stop the project.

    Use it to decide what to test next.

  • Recommendation

    Stop, change the idea or proceed to a full study, with its scope.

    Use it to decide the next step.

How a feasibility study works

  1. 1

    ScopingThe decision, product, capacity, locations and level of study are agreed, along with what is in and out of scope.

  2. 2

    Primary and secondary researchAnalysts combine company filings, trade and tariff data, capacity announcements and price series with interviews of producers, buyers, suppliers and industry experts.

  3. 3

    ValidationKey figures are cross-checked against at least two independent sources, and every assumption is logged with its source and date.

  4. 4

    ModelingDemand, cost and financial models are built in Excel with base, upside and downside cases, so each assumption can be changed and traced.

  5. 5

    Analyst review and decision memoA senior analyst reviews the findings, and the study closes with a memo on whether the case holds, the riskiest assumptions and the next steps.

Frequently asked questions

Request a feasibility study proposal

Describe the product, location and capacity you are considering, and the decision the study must support. A short brief is enough to start.

What happens next

An analyst reviews the brief and replies within one business day with scoping questions. A proposal follows with the study scope, deliverables and timeline.

Looking for published market data instead? Browse market research reports

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