Deadline: 29-Feb-24
RTI International is inviting applications to fund qualified organizations for supporting activities and programs consistent with the SAREP’s purpose of improving access to affordable, secure, reliable, and sustainable energy, and its four objectives.
The South Asia Regional Energy Partnership (SAREP) is the flagship regional energy program of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) mission to India (USAID/I). This five- year initiative (2021-26) will improve access to affordable, secure, reliable, and sustainable energy in six countries—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka— in line with these countries’ climate and clean energy priorities.
The program is a key activity under the U.S. Government’s Clean Edge Asia -Enhancing Development and Growth through Energy initiative and aligns with USAID’s climate change priorities to advance equitable and ambitious actions to confront the climate crisis. The program helps the United States Government’s Indo-Pacific Vision and facilitates collaboration among the six countries in South Asia to accelerate the transition to clean energy, mitigate climate change, and promote energy security.
SAREP seeks to encourage targeted action and drive systems change by engaging policymakers, regulators, utilities, private sector, investors, and think tanks among others, through four key technical objectives and three cross-cutting themes.
Objectives
- Objective 1: Enhanced regional energy markets and integration.
- SAREP will facilitate development of regional power markets, improve coordination and planning, strengthen national and regional institutions, drive consensus on power trade, and institutionalize a supporting framework and mechanisms. The expected outcome is increased cross-border electricity trade in the region by transitioning to tri- and multilateral power trade and a regionally integrated grid that will lead to an energy-secure South Asia.
- Objective 2: Increased deployment of advanced energy solutions and systems.
- SAREP will enhance and accelerate deployment of clean energy technologies for transition to net zero emissions by helping partner countries reach near-term climate goals and avoid locking in longer term emissions trajectories. These technologies include renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy storage, off-grid, behind-the-meter technologies and smart appliances, electric vehicles, green hydrogen, and solutions and tools to support renewable energy integration including market products among others.
- Objective 3: High-performing modern utilities.
- SAREP will enable modernization of transmission, system operation and distribution utilities in the region to improve their technical, financial, and operational performance, grid resilience, enhance customer service, and promote adaptability to new technical advancements. The expected outcome is modern, financially viable utilities that enable clean energy transition and efficient energy markets.
- Objective 4: Transparent, best-value procurement and private sector investment mobilized.
- SAREP will facilitate increased private sector investments and enhance domestic and international finance for clean energy deployment. SAREP will also enable improved procurement processes and governance, adoption of best-value procurement practices, promote PPP models, and improve bankability of clean energy projects.
Funding Information
- The ceiling amount for Grants is $500,000 except for US organizations, for which the ceiling amount is $250,000.
Duration
- Up to 24 months with potential renewal award based on performance review, but not to exceed February 16, 2026.
Eligible Countries
- Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Eligibility Criteria
- The SAREP Partnership Fund grants can be provided to private sector/for-profit entities; not-for-profit organizations; nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); civil society organizations; business service organizations; industry, trade, or other private sector associations; educational/training or academic institutions; and think tank/research entities which are eligible to receive foreign funded grants in accordance with applicable local regulations. Government and or quasi-government (parastatal entities) are not eligible to apply for and receive grants funded under this APS. All applicants will be bound by various USAID regulations as relevant and set forth in the US Code of Federal Regulations and Automated Directive System.
- ADS 310 states that Grants/cooperative agreements using USAID program funds may be made/entered into without regard to the nationality of the prime recipient as long as that organization is not otherwise restricted by statute, regulation, Agency policy, or administrative determination (i.e., suspension and debarment) from receiving assistance.
- SAREP grantees must be compliant with requirements set forth in the US Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 22, Part 228, Automated Directives System (ADS) Chapter 303, ADS 591, and 2 CFR 200 Subpart E for Cost Principles and Subpart F for Audit Requirements. To be eligible for funding grantees must:
- Have no real or apparent conflicts of interest that could jeopardize the impartiality of the selection process or arise and affect project implementation. Applicants will be required to proactively declare any such potential conflicts so that they are mitigated in advance of applicant consideration. Any such conflicts can be personal, business, or finance related
- Be legally authorized to receive foreign funded grants and conduct activities in the country for which application is made and accordingly demonstrate compliance with all applicable local legal and regulatory requirements such as but not limited to:
- In the case of India, comply with applicable provisions of the Foreign Contributions Regulations Act FCRA and have an active and valid FCRA registration valid at least for 6 months as of the date of application
- In the case of Nepal, comply with provisions of The Social Welfare Act, 2049 (1992), and/or Associations Registration Act, 2034 (1977) and/or The Income Tax Act, 2002 (2058), as may be applicable
- In the case of Bhutan, comply with regulations and norms of Civil Society Organization Authority (CSOA), Bhutan and the Bhutan Royal Monetary Authority, as may be applicable
- In the case of Sri Lanka, have the mandatory registrations and approvals from the relevant Government Ministry. In addition, comply with regulations specified by External Resources Department under the Ministry of Finance and provisions specified by Voluntary Social Service Organizations (Registration and Supervision) Act, No. 31 of 1980 as amended, as may be applicable
- In the case of Maldives, comply with regulations and provisions of Ministry of Youth, Sports & Community Empowerment and the Associations Act 1/2003, as may be applicable
- In the case of Bangladesh, comply with the provisions of Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulations Act, 2016, as may be applicable.
Ineligible
- The SAREP Partnership Fund cannot be utilized for the following activities:
- Support expansion of capacity or extend the operational life of carbon-intensive fossil fuel-based energy projects (e.g., oil, fossil (natural) gas, and coal). Support for natural gas for household energy access projects, in particular clean cooking projects, can be considered, if no cleaner options are feasible
- Purchases of restricted goods, such as agricultural commodities, motor vehicles, pharmaceuticals, contraceptive products, pesticides, used equipment, or fertilizers without the previous approval of the USAID Task Order Contracting Officer (TOCO)
- Purchase of prohibited goods under USAID regulations, including but not limited to police or law enforcement equipment, abortion equipment and services, weather modification equipment, luxury goods, and gambling equipment
- Purchases of any equipment or services from specific companies, or their subsidiaries and affiliates, including Huawei Technologies Company, ZTE Corporation, Hytera Communications Corporation, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, and Dahua Technology Company (“Covered Technology”)
For more information, visit RTI International.