West Africa Clean Cooking Fund: Advancing Clean Cooking Adoption

The West Africa Clean Cooking Fund is a regional funding initiative that supports NGOs and impact-driven organizations implementing projects that expand access to clean cooking solutions, particularly liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), across West Africa. The fund promotes infrastructure development, consumer education, behavior change, women’s empowerment, and innovative financing models to reduce reliance on traditional biomass fuels and improve public health and environmental sustainability.

What is the West Africa Clean Cooking Fund?

The West Africa Clean Cooking Fund is a regional programme established to accelerate the transition from traditional biomass cooking to cleaner, safer, and more sustainable cooking solutions throughout West Africa.

The initiative supports projects that improve access to LPG-based cooking technologies, strengthen supply infrastructure, encourage behavioral change, and make clean cooking more affordable for households and communities.

By supporting practical community-based interventions, the fund seeks to improve health outcomes, reduce environmental degradation, and promote inclusive economic development across the region.

Program Overview

• Programme Name: West Africa Clean Cooking Fund
• Programme Type: Regional clean energy and community development fund
• Geographic Coverage: West Africa
• Eligible Applicants: Registered NGOs and local impact organizations
• Primary Technology: Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)
• Primary Objective: Expand access to clean cooking solutions and reduce dependence on traditional biomass fuels

Programme Objectives

The fund aims to:

• Increase access to clean and safe cooking technologies.
• Reduce reliance on firewood, charcoal, and other traditional biomass fuels.
• Improve public health through cleaner household energy.
• Reduce deforestation and environmental degradation.
• Lower greenhouse gas emissions.
• Expand LPG infrastructure and distribution.
• Improve consumer awareness of clean cooking.
• Strengthen women’s leadership and economic participation.
• Promote sustainable household energy systems across West Africa.

The programme supports long-term solutions that improve both environmental and social outcomes.

Why Clean Cooking Matters

Across West Africa, more than 267 million people continue to rely on traditional biomass fuels such as firewood and charcoal for daily cooking.

This dependence contributes to:

• Indoor air pollution.
• Respiratory diseases.
• Premature deaths.
• Deforestation.
• Climate change.
• Time and income burdens, particularly for women and girls.

Expanding access to clean cooking technologies helps improve health, protect natural resources, and create more resilient communities.

Focus Areas

The fund supports projects related to:

• Clean cooking
• Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)
• Household energy
• Clean energy access
• Climate change mitigation
• Greenhouse gas emission reduction
• Deforestation prevention
• Consumer education
• Behaviour change communication
• Women’s empowerment
• Community development
• Energy affordability
• Sustainable development
• Community health

Projects should contribute directly to increasing the adoption of clean cooking solutions.

Eligible Activities

The programme supports a variety of interventions, including:

LPG Infrastructure Development

Projects may include:

• LPG supply systems.
• Distribution networks.
• Cylinder deployment.
• LPG stove distribution.
• Related cooking equipment.

Community Behaviour Change Campaigns

Projects may educate communities on:

• Safe LPG use.
• Cooking demonstrations.
• Traditional food preparation using LPG.
• Household energy transition.

Consumer Education

Awareness campaigns may focus on:

• Health benefits.
• Environmental benefits.
• Economic savings.
• Safety practices.

Consumer Financing Models

Projects may establish financing mechanisms such as:

• Microfinance schemes.
• Flexible payment systems.
• Affordable purchasing models.
• Community financing initiatives.

These approaches help improve affordability for low-income households.

Women’s Empowerment

Women are central to the programme’s design.

Projects are encouraged to support:

• Women’s leadership.
• Skills training.
• Entrepreneurship.
• Economic participation.
• Community advocacy.
• Household energy decision-making.

Strengthening women’s participation contributes to more sustainable adoption of clean cooking practices.

Funding Support

The initiative provides both:

• Financial support.
• In-kind contributions from industry partners.

Support helps organizations:

• Deploy LPG equipment.
• Build infrastructure.
• Deliver community outreach.
• Expand project implementation.
• Improve access to clean cooking technologies.

The initiative is supported by multiple partners, including a US$1 million commitment from The Worthington Companies Foundation.

Who Can Apply?

Eligible applicants include:

• Registered NGOs.
• Local non-profit organizations.
• Impact-driven organizations.
• Community organizations with relevant experience.

Applicants should demonstrate:

• Strong financial management capacity.
• Experience in clean energy projects or community outreach.
• Ability to implement projects at community level.
• Capacity to manage grant funding responsibly.

Geographic Eligibility

Projects must be implemented in one or more of the following countries:

• Benin
• Burkina Faso
• Cabo Verde
• Côte d’Ivoire
• The Gambia
• Ghana
• Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Liberia
• Nigeria
• Senegal
• Sierra Leone
• Togo

Beneficiaries may include households, communities, and organizations promoting clean cooking adoption.

Collaboration with Governments

Government agencies are not direct funding recipients.

However, partnerships with:

• National governments
• Local authorities
• Public institutions

are encouraged to strengthen project coordination, outreach, and long-term impact.

Monitoring and Reporting Requirements

Implementing organizations are expected to:

• Submit quarterly progress reports.
• Monitor project performance.
• Maintain financial accountability.
• Comply with LPG safety standards.
• Follow applicable regulatory requirements.
• Adhere to approved project budgets.

Periodic audits may be conducted to ensure responsible use of grant funds.

What Makes a Strong Proposal?

Competitive applications generally demonstrate:

• Clear community need.
• Practical implementation strategy.
• Strong clean cooking expertise.
• Experience working with local communities.
• Sustainable project design.
• Women’s empowerment strategy.
• Realistic budget.
• Measurable outcomes.
• Strong partnerships.

Projects that combine infrastructure, education, financing, and community engagement are particularly competitive.

How to Apply

Follow these steps when preparing your application.

Step 1: Confirm Organisational Eligibility

Ensure your organization is a registered NGO or local impact organization with relevant implementation experience.

Step 2: Identify Community Needs

Assess the local barriers to clean cooking adoption, including infrastructure, affordability, and awareness.

Step 3: Develop Your Project Proposal

Describe:

• Project objectives.
• Target communities.
• LPG deployment strategy.
• Behaviour change activities.
• Women’s empowerment activities.
• Monitoring plan.
• Expected outcomes.

Step 4: Prepare a Project Budget

Develop a realistic budget covering eligible implementation activities while demonstrating efficient use of resources.

Step 5: Submit Your Application

Complete the official application according to the programme guidelines and provide all required supporting documentation.

Step 6: Implement and Report

Successful organizations will implement their projects, submit quarterly reports, comply with safety standards, and participate in monitoring and evaluation activities.

Why This Fund Matters

Clean cooking is closely linked to public health, environmental protection, and sustainable development.

The West Africa Clean Cooking Fund helps:

• Improve household health.
• Reduce indoor air pollution.
• Protect forests.
• Lower greenhouse gas emissions.
• Increase access to affordable clean energy.
• Strengthen women’s economic participation.
• Support climate resilience.
• Improve quality of life across West African communities.

The programme contributes to achieving long-term regional energy and development goals.

Common Application Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid the following mistakes:

• Proposing projects without clear community engagement.
• Failing to explain long-term sustainability.
• Presenting unrealistic budgets.
• Ignoring LPG safety requirements.
• Providing weak monitoring plans.
• Overlooking women’s participation.
• Submitting incomplete applications.

Strong proposals clearly demonstrate community impact, implementation capacity, and measurable outcomes.

Tips for Preparing a Strong Application

To improve your chances of success:

• Demonstrate experience in community-based implementation.
• Clearly explain how LPG adoption will increase.
• Include a comprehensive behaviour change strategy.
• Highlight partnerships with local stakeholders.
• Present realistic financial plans.
• Describe how women will participate and benefit.
• Include measurable indicators for monitoring project success.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who can apply for the West Africa Clean Cooking Fund?

Registered NGOs, local organizations, and impact-driven organizations with experience in clean energy or community outreach are eligible to implement projects.

Which countries are eligible?

Projects may be implemented in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

What types of projects are supported?

The fund supports LPG infrastructure development, clean cooking technology deployment, consumer education, behaviour change campaigns, financing models, and women’s empowerment initiatives.

Can government agencies receive funding?

No. Governments are not direct funding recipients, but collaboration with public institutions is encouraged to strengthen project implementation.

What reporting obligations do funded organizations have?

Implementing organizations must submit quarterly progress reports, comply with safety and regulatory standards, manage project budgets responsibly, and cooperate with monitoring and auditing activities.

Why does the programme emphasize women’s empowerment?

Women are often the primary household energy users and decision-makers. Supporting women’s leadership, training, and economic participation helps accelerate the adoption of clean cooking technologies and improves long-term community outcomes.

What makes a competitive proposal?

Strong applications demonstrate implementation experience, community engagement, sustainable project design, realistic budgets, effective monitoring plans, and clear strategies for expanding access to clean cooking solutions.

Conclusion

The West Africa Clean Cooking Fund provides a significant opportunity for NGOs and impact-driven organizations to expand access to safe, affordable, and sustainable cooking solutions across West Africa. By supporting LPG infrastructure, community education, innovative financing models, and women’s leadership, the initiative addresses critical health, environmental, and climate challenges while promoting long-term energy transition and sustainable development throughout the region.