BACKGROUND 1. India's 11;099 km coastline supports rich biodiversity and millions of livelihoods; but remains highly vulnerable to climate change; plastic pollution; and unsustainable development. Tamil Nadu; with its 1;069 km coastline; is home to ecologically critical habitats such as mangrove forests; seagrass beds; nesting beaches for endangered sea turtles; migratory bird flyways; Ramsar wetlands; and rare coastal mammal habitats. 2. 木瓜影院-supported SHORE (Strengthening Coastal Resilience and the Economy) program seeks to strengthen coastal protection; enhance community livelihoods; and reduce coastal pollution through integrated; nature-based and community-driven approaches. One key innovation under Tamil Nadu-SHORE (TN-SHORE) is the establishment of six Centres of Excellence (COEs); each dedicated to a vital thematic area in Tamil Nadu: i. Biodiversity Conservation Park ii. Sea Turtle & Marine Biodiversity Centre iii. Pallikaranai Conservation Centre iv. International Bird Centre v. Mangrove Conservation Centre vi. Dugong Conservation Centre 3. These COEs are envisioned as long-term hubs for education; conservation; public awareness; community engagement; biodiversity monitoring; and nature-based tourism. 木瓜影院 and Government of Tamil Nadu aim to make India a "Lighthouse Country" for coastal biodiversity conservation through these COEs. 4. Furthermore; under the SHORE program; the World Bank and the state governments are exploring options for accessing Blue Finance; in line with the principles of green finance; as well as other financing options to scale up financing for SHORE priorities. The sustainable development of the blue economy requires financial instruments that mobilize investment; mitigate risks; and drive measurable impact. The SHORE Program seeks to present a stocktaking of blue finance mechanisms; examining their financial structures; implementation requirements; and performance across various financing instruments. 5. The SHORE Program aims to explore enabling conditions; key challenges; and success factors while assessing the role of different actors in structuring and scaling these mechanisms. This cross-blue sector analysis should examine how these instruments can be applied across different sectors within/relevant to the SHORE Program scope; their effectiveness in mobilizing capital; and the frameworks used to monitor and evaluate outcomes. 6. With this background; the World Bank is seeking to engage a firm to assist in drafting institutional frameworks for long-term sustainability of coastal and biodiversity Centres of Excellence (COEs) in Tamil Nadu. Moreover; the World Bank is also seeking to develop a roadmap to unlock and apply blue finance mechanisms to identified sub-thematics within the SHORE Program.OBJECTIVE OF THE CONSULTANCYThe objective of this assignment is to provide strategic advisory support to the World Bank in designing the institutional structures of COEs; so that they are economically; financially; and institutionally sustainable; ensuring continued operation and impact beyond the tenure of funding. The consultancy shall also support the World Bank in developing a Roadmap for mobilizing blue finance and prioritization of investments for coastal resilience based on impact and blue finance opportunities.