Beforefeasibility

Beforefeasibility, often referred to as a pre-feasibility study, is an early stage assessment used in project development to determine whether a deeper investigation is warranted. It sits between initial concept screening and a full feasibility study, aiming to identify strategic viability, major risks, and potential value without the detail and cost of later analyses.

The purpose of the beforefeasibility process is to quickly test the core concept, outline the scope, and provide a go/no-go decision point. It evaluates high-level technical requirements, potential markets or demand, regulatory and environmental constraints, and rough financial viability. The output is intended to justify further work, refine project concepts, and establish a framework for more detailed investigations.

Typical activities include desk research, stakeholder interviews, high-level site or technology assessments, rough cost and schedule estimates, and scenario analysis. Teams may develop a preliminary business case, a scoping document, and a risk register. Financial indicators at this stage are approximate, such as rough order of magnitude cost ranges and broad returns, sufficient to compare several concepts or alternatives.

Compared with a full feasibility study, the beforefeasibility study uses less data, lower accuracy, and shorter timelines. It is descriptive rather than prescriptive and emphasizes early warning signs and decision points. It is commonly used in infrastructure, energy, mining, manufacturing, and large capital projects, as well as in early-stage product or software initiatives, to decide whether to invest in more detailed analysis.