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By
THE INVESTOPEDIA TEAM
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AMY DRURY
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PATRICE WILLIAMS
Business Essentials
TABLE OF CONTENTS
However, a feasibility study isn't only used for projects looking to measure
and forecast financial gains. In other words, feasible can mean something
different, depending on the industry and the project's goal. For example, a
feasibility study could help determine whether a hospital can generate
enough donations and investment dollars to expand and build a new cancer
center.
Although feasibility studies can help project managers determine the risk and
return of pursuing a plan of action, several steps and best practices should be
considered before moving forward.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Feasibility Study
When doing a feasibility study, it’s always good to have a contingency plan
that you also test to make sure it’s a viable alternative in case the first plan
fails.
Although each project can have unique goals and needs, below are some
best practices for conducting a feasibility study:
Suggested Components
Once the initial due diligence has been completed, listed below are several of
the components that are typically found in a feasibility study:
It's important that a project being considered should be able to generate a
return that justifies the risk involved in taking on the project.
School officials at a local university were concerned that the science building
—built in the 1970s—was outdated. Considering the technological and
scientific advances of the last 20 years, school officials wanted to explore the
cost and benefits of upgrading and expanding the building. As a result, a
feasibility study was conducted.
The feasibility study explored the technological needs of the new science
facility, the benefits to the students, and the long-term viability of the college.
A modernized science facility would expand the school's scientific research
capabilities, improve its curriculum, and attract new students.
The financial projections showed the cost and scope of the project and how
the school planned to raise the needed funds, which included issuing
a bond to investors and tapping into the school's endowment. The projections
also showed how the expanded facility would allow more students to be
enrolled in the science programs, increasing revenue from tuition and fees.
The feasibility study demonstrated that the project was viable, paving the way
to enacting the modernization and expansion plans of the science building.
Without conducting a feasibility study, the school administrators would never
have known whether its expansion plans were viable.
The financial component of the feasibility study outlined the strategy for
securing the project's funding, which explored obtaining funds from federal,
state, and private investments. The project's cost was estimated to be
between $24 billion to $42 billion. The revenue generated from the high-
speed rail system was estimated to be between $160 million and $250
million.
The report bifurcated the money sources between funding and financing.
Funding referred to grants, appropriations from the local or state government,
and revenue. Financing referred to bonds issued by the government, loans
from financial institutions, and equity investments, which are essentially loans
against future revenue that needs to be paid back with interest.
The sources for the capital needed were to vary as the project moved
forward. In the early stages, most of the funding would come from the
government, and as the project developed, funding would come from private
contributions and financing measures. Private contributors included Microsoft
Inc., donating more than $570,000 to the project. 2
The benefits outlined in the feasibility report show that the region would
experience enhanced interconnectivity, allowing for better management of the
population and spur economic growth by $355 billion throughout the region.
The new transportation system would provide people with access to better
jobs, affordable housing, and increase collaboration throughout the
community. The high-speed rail system would also relieve congested areas
from automobile traffic.1
The timeline for the study began in 2016 when an agreement was reached
with British Columbia to work together on a new technology corridor that
included high-speed rail transportation. The feasibility report was submitted to
the Washington State land Legislature in December 2020. As of 2021, the
project has yet to begin construction. 1
As an example, let's say that a major hospital in the city is looking to expand
its campus by adding a building. The project managers and hospital
administrators carry out a feasibility study to determine the project's cost,
including labor and materials for the building's construction.
The study included an analysis of the potential need, the expected number of
patients, projected revenues, and operating costs, such as staff, doctors, and
nurses. The project managers explored how to finance the project through a
combination of financing from local financial institutions and donations from
wealthy investors.
The potential risk to the project was considered along with public opinion and
interest by the community. The return on investment was calculated and was
determined that the forecasted revenue exceeded the expected costs,
leading the hospital administrators to approve the project.