Between a declaration and a full environmental impact study there are two years and an order of magnitude in cost. That decision is taken before anyone is hired, and it is almost never taken with advice.
The cost of environmentally assessing a project in Chile doubled in four years. Timelines followed: a full impact study that took 355 days in 2008 now takes more than a thousand.
Against that, permitting architecture — which instrument is used, how the project is defined, in what order sectoral permits are filed — matters more than the quality of the study that follows. And once filed, it cannot be changed without withdrawing and starting over.
In September 2025 Ley 21.770 came into force, introducing up to eight years of regulatory stability, alternative authorising techniques and positive administrative silence. Its regulations are being written now. The learning curve for the entire market reset to zero.
With written reasoning and the argument that sustains it if the environmental authority challenges the choice.
With dependencies and critical path: which can run in parallel and which block the rest.
Whether the project qualifies for regulatory stability, whether an alternative authorising technique applies, and where positive administrative silence can be invoked.
Written and ready to submit.
Identified by name and by agency, and what to do about them starting now.
With the technical criteria the sponsor should require.
Fixed, closed price with no hourly billing. Guaranteed turnaround from receipt of complete background material. The full value of the package is credited against the following mandate if you engage us within six months. Delivered as a signed document plus a 60-minute presentation session.
Permitting and environment teams at sponsors that have not yet entered the assessment system, and developers still defining project scope.
If we accompany you through the filing, the full value of the route is credited against the fee.
Nine in all. Clients usually start with the one that unblocks the next decision, not with the biggest one.
US$9,500 · 4–6 weeks. Corporate structure, concession audit under Ley 21.420, obligations calendar and a board opinion. Your Chilean operation standing in six weeks.
US$7,500 · 2 weeks. A score out of 25 on rule stability, permitting, social licence, fiscal clarity and institutional capacity. Second jurisdiction, US$4,500.
US$6,500 · 3 weeks. Between 25 and 35 credible candidates for regulatory roles, with real compensation bands. We look where global firms are contractually barred from looking.
Cultural gaps and different regulatory frameworks are tremendously intimidating when investing in an unknown jurisdiction. Sound professional support provides an edge.
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LinkedIn — Javier Jara
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