API / Investment Project Formulation

Value engineering to transform opportunities into robust and profitable investment decisions

At DELPRO Ingeniería, we understand Investment Project Formulation (API) as a critical strategic discipline within the investment lifecycle, where the real viability of an initiative is defined — with technical and economic rigor — before committing capital.

Our service is designed to support our clients from the conception of an idea through to the development of a solid, structured, and defensible business case, aligned with international standards and world-class investment frameworks such as the Capital Investment System (CIS).

DELPRO Approach: Rigor, Structure, and Value Creation

We apply an approach based on best practices in the mining industry, where each project is developed under key principles:

  • Stage-Gate evaluation
  • Decision-making based on technical and economic evidence
  • Structured risk management
  • Business value maximization (NPV, IRR, CAPEX/OPEX)

As established by leading investment systems, a project must progressively advance from Concept → Pre-Feasibility → Feasibility, increasing its level of definition, accuracy, and reliability at each stage

 

Comprehensive Scope of Services

1. Opportunity Identification and Definition

  • Identification of business needs
  • Identification of investment opportunities
  • Alignment with corporate strategy and operational objectives
  • Initial definition of problem, scope, and objectives
Outcome

A clearly structured opportunity aligned with business objectives

2. Development of Pre-Investment Studies (Stage-Gate)

We develop studies in accordance with international standards and CIS-type practices:

 

Concept Stage

  • Identification of alternatives
  • Preliminary technical and economic evaluation
  • Initial risk identification

 

Pre-Feasibility Stage

  • Selection of the best project alternative
  • Development of conceptual engineering
  • Comparative economic evaluation
  • Risk and scenario analysis

 

Feasibility Stage

  • Basic project engineering
  • High-accuracy CAPEX and OPEX cost estimation
  • Full economic evaluation (NPV, IRR, payback)
  • Development of the project execution plan
Outcome

A technically defined and economically viable project, ready for investment decision

1. World-Class Technical and Economic Evaluation

  • Development of robust business cases
  • Profitability and value creation assessment
  • Sensitivity and scenario analysis
  • Benchmarking against similar projects

Feasibility studies must unequivocally demonstrate the technical and economic viability of the project, delivering a clear recommendation: execute, defer, or discard

2. Integrated Risk Management

  • Identification of technical, economic, and operational risks
  • Qualitative and quantitative evaluation
  • Development of mitigation plans
  • Integration of risk into economic evaluation
Outcome

Investment decisions with controlled and transparent risks

3. Project Execution Plan (PEP) Development

  • Definition of scope, schedule, cost, and resources
  • Planning of future execution
  • Definition of construction and operational strategies
  • Baseline for project control and management
Outcome

A clear roadmap for project execution

4. Reporting and Decision-Making Support

  • Preparation of executive and technical reports
  • Development of presentations for investment committees
  • Support in approval processes (Steering Committee / Board of Directors)
  • Full information traceability
Outcome

Informed, structured, and defensible decisions

5. Integration with the Investment Lifecycle and Continuous Improvement

  • Alignment with portfolio management systems
  • Preparation for execution phases
  • Incorporation of lessons learned and post-evaluations

The formulation process does not end at approval, but integrates into the full project lifecycle, including post-evaluation to capture improvements and organizational learning

 

DELPRO Value Proposition

  • Expertise in investment project formulation for capital-intensive industries
  • Application of standards such as Codelco / CIS / PMBOK®
  • Integration of engineering, economics, and strategy
  • Focus on maximizing business value and reducing uncertainty

Results for Our Clients

  • Projects with a high probability of success
  • Robust and well-supported investment decisions
  • Significant reduction of risks and uncertainty
  • Optimization of CAPEX, OPEX, and financial return
  • Strong technical baseline for execution without deviations

DELPRO: Where ideas become successful investments

“We don’t just formulate projects; we structure investment decisions that maximize value and ensure results.”

API / Investment Project Formulation