Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) for Biotech, Food-Tech & Sustainable Processes
🧾 Techno-Economic Analysis Readiness Checklist
Is your process ready for a Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA)?
Many startups delay TEA, thinking they need perfect data, when in fact, the goal is to use TEA to define what data matters most.
This readiness checklist helps you understand what information to gather before starting a TEA and how to get the most value from it.
🧠 Why This Checklist Matters
A TEA is more powerful and efficient when your team is prepared.
By reviewing these items, you’ll identify where your process stands and what’s missing to move from lab curiosity to commercial opportunity.
Founders who complete this checklist typically save 2–4 weeks during the initial assessment phase.
✅ Key Areas Covered in the TEA Readiness Checklist
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A. Process Maturity — Lab/benchtop validation, ability to make prototypes, defined upstream/downstream steps, near-term pilot plans, evaluating alternative pathways, and readiness to engage partners.
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B. Risk, Regulation & Strategy — Make-or-break variables (yield, feedstock price), regulatory path (GRAS/Novel Food/REACH), need for CAPEX/OPEX clarity, and early supply-chain options.
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C. Economic Visibility — Shortlist of key suppliers, multi-scale planning (12–24 months), commercial cost/ kg targets, competitor benchmarking/USP, and scenario modelling (in-house vs outsourced, local vs offshore).
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D. Business & Funding Readiness — Upcoming funding round, investor requests for costs/scale-up, pricing/margins support, aligning milestones with market goals, pilot/commercial decision horizon, fundraising tied to viable economics, internal unit-cost debates, and willingness to act on TEA results.
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E. Market & Product Context — Defined product, target market (even if approvals pending), value proposition tied to cost/yield/scale, and competitor comparison needing internal validation.
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F. Team Alignment — Shared R&D/Business view of feasibility, priority on cost-driver-led R&D, and clarity needs for scale model/site/CAPEX timing.
You don’t need all answers, this checklist helps structure what you already know and highlight what to validate next.
