FAQs
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Ascendance Strategies different from other DRC advisors?
Three things other firms cannot replicate.
First, exclusive SPA specialization. We work only on the US-DRC Strategic Partnership and its direct implications — not generic Africa advisory, not emerging markets consulting, not extractive sector consulting broadly. This means every relationship and every analytical framework we’ve built serves one purpose: making your DRC engagement under the SPA succeed.
Second, depth over breadth. We produce analysis that is verified, not estimated. Every claim carries a confidence rating. Every forward-looking finding is anchored in current, sourced data. When we don’t know something with sufficient certainty, we say so explicitly.
Third, timing. The SPA should be ratified by DRC Parliament in March 2026. The JSC is operational. The SAR list is live. The 12-month reform clock is running. The window for first-mover positioning is measured in months, not years. We have been tracking SPA implementation from day one.
Are you affiliated with the DRC government, US government, or any political party?
No. We maintain strict independence from all governments, political parties, commercial interests, and advocacy organizations. We advise clients on navigating DRC’s political landscape — we do not serve it.
We have working relationships with DRC government officials, ministry staff, and state enterprise leadership. These relationships are sources of context, not mandates. Our advice serves client interests exclusively.
Where are you based and how does that affect your DRC coverage?
Paris is the primary base, with regular travel to Kinshasa for client engagements, source relationship maintenance, and government stakeholder meetings.
Paris is deliberate. The DRC’s most significant commercial decisions — mining finance, infrastructure investment, petroleum contracts, diplomatic positioning — are made in Paris, Brussels, Washington, and London as much as in Kinshasa. Being Europe-based gives us access to the full decision chain, not just the DRC end of it.
Do you serve non-US clients?
Yes. The SPA framework applies to “aligned persons” — defined as non-US persons who are not nationals or entities of a covered nation (China, Russia, and a small number of others per 10 U.S.C. § 4872). European, Canadian, Australian, Japanese, and most other international investors qualify as aligned persons and receive access to the SAR investment process, QSP fiscal incentives, and Lobito Corridor preferential treatment.
We serve clients from any jurisdiction with legitimate DRC exposure.
Can you help us find investment opportunities or originate deals?
No. We provide analysis and advisory — not deal origination, project development, or investment facilitation. We help you assess opportunities you have identified, understand the political and regulatory dynamics around them, navigate stakeholder complexity, and manage risk. The assessment work is analytical. The decisions remain yours.
How are you paid? Do you take success fees or equity?
Professional advisory fees only — either project fees or monthly retainers. We do not take equity stakes, success fees, profit participation, or any form of performance-linked compensation. This structure ensures our analysis serves your interests and nothing else.
How do engagements typically begin?
With a phone call, not a proposal. We run a 30-minute diagnostic conversation to understand your specific situation, your timeline, and whether our work is actually the right fit for what you need. If it is, we scope a proposal from that conversation. If it isn’t, we tell you that directly.
We do not send generic capability decks to cold inquiries. Every proposal is scoped against a specific client need.
Do you work with Congolese companies?
Yes — and this is one of the most misunderstood opportunities in the entire SPA framework.
Congolese nationals and Congolese-registered companies are not excluded from the SPA. A Congolese entity that is not majority-owned by nationals of a covered nation qualifies as an aligned person and can participate in the SAR and QSP frameworks alongside US and other aligned investors.
We offer a specific Aligned Person Eligibility Assessment for Congolese operators who want to understand their positioning, what ownership structuring may be needed, and which SAR assets or Designated Projects are most relevant to their business.
We also provide SPA analysis for Kinshasa-based law firms whose clients are asking SPA questions they are not yet equipped to answer in-house.
What is a QSP and how is it different from the SAR?
A Qualifying Strategic Project is any DRC project not majority-owned by the DRC or its SOEs that meets the eligibility criteria in Annex 1 of the SPA. The key thresholds: at least 51% US person ownership, or at least 40% US/aligned person ownership with effective governance control.
The critical detail most investors miss: non-aligned persons — which includes Chinese entities — are capped at 40% equity in QSPs today. That cap drops to 30% in Year 5, 20% in Year 10, and 10% in Year 20. If your existing DRC project has Chinese co-investors, you need to understand where you stand against that ratchet now.
SAR is about finding and securing new assets. QSP is about structuring your existing or target investment to qualify for SPA protections and fiscal incentives. They are complementary, not interchangeable.
What is the SAR and why does it matter to us?
The Strategic Asset Reserve is the SPA’s core investment mechanism. The DRC designated an initial list of critical mineral assets, gold assets, and unlicensed exploration areas — and under Article IV of the SPA, US persons have the right of first offer on these assets before aligned or non-aligned persons can compete.
The process runs on strict timelines: three months to submit a proposal, a renewable three-month negotiation window, a maximum nine-month window for US persons before aligned persons gain access. These clocks are running now. If your organization has any interest in DRC mineral assets, understanding your SAR positioning is urgent.
Do you take on work that is not directly related to the SPA?
Yes, depending on capacity. Our primary focus is the US-DRC Strategic Partnership, but DRC advisory needs don’t always map neatly onto a single framework. If you have a legitimate DRC engagement — a political risk question, an operator background check, a conflict zone assessment — that sits outside the strict SPA perimeter, we consider it based on how many projects we are running at that moment.
We are a capped-capacity firm by design. If we are at or near our three to four concurrent project limit, we will tell you directly and either refer you or suggest a timeline when we can engage properly. We do not overcommit.
Do you sign NDAs?
Yes, for all client engagements. Confidentiality is standard. We also maintain strict information barriers between clients operating in overlapping sectors or geographies.
Do you work with law firms and consulting firms as a subcontractor?
Yes. We have established collaboration models for consulting and advisory firms that need DRC/SPA expertise for client engagements: subcontractor (we deliver under your brand), acknowledged partner (co-delivery with dual credit), or referral (you introduce the client, we serve them directly with appropriate credit to your firm). Flexible on structure. Inflexible on quality.