P4G's Call for Partnerships for achievement of Sustainable Development Goals

Deadline: 31-Jul-21

P4G is now accepting concept notes for high-impact partnerships implementing innovative business models to accelerate achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

P4G provides funding only to partnerships in the start-up and scale-up phases of development and growth:

Start-up: Promising, early-stage partnerships that need support to test the feasibility of innovative approaches. Start-up partnerships should be on a clear path towards developing a scalable solution.
Scale-up: Partnerships that are already engaged in promising, business-driven green growth innovations and need support to scale up and accelerate their impact, typically in more than one P4G partner country.

Funding Information

Partnership awards may be up to USD 1 million, typically in the USD 100,000 range for start-ups and more for scale-ups. Cost share is required as follows:
- For partnerships receiving USD 100,000 or less, cost share must be at least 25 percent of the partnership’s total budget.
- For partnerships receiving more than USD 100,000, cost share must be at least 50 percent of the partnership’s total budget.
The P4G funding period ranges from one to two years, usually one year for start-ups and two years for scale-ups, though this may vary depending on the needs of the partnership

Benefits

Working within themes offers several key benefits:

Allows focused impact and alignment with global initiatives and targets related to these themes.
Unlocks the synergies between P4G’s partnerships and network that are catalytic and deliver on specific market transformations, engaging specific stakeholders to deliver greater impact faster than they could individually.
Enables greater sharing of knowledge across related partnerships and the P4G network, and collaboration towards common goals in Communities of Learning.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet all six eligibility criteria to submit a concept note and be considered for evaluation:

SDG Impact: Partnership must target significant impact on one or more of P4G’s five SDGs:
- Zero Hunger;
- Clean Water and Sanitation;
- Affordable and Clean Energy;
- Sustainable Cities and Communities;
- Responsible Consumption and Production.
Start-up or Scale-up: Partnerships must be in either the start-up or the scale-up phase of development. P4G does not support partnerships in the idea generation phase (including concept, research and development, or pilot phase), or in the implementation phase between start-up and scaling.
Country Focus: Partnership activities must be implemented in and benefit one or more of the P4G partner countries that are eligible for P4G funding: Bangladesh, Colombia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, South Africa, and Vietnam.
Partners: The partnership must include at least one commercial partner (a business or group of businesses) and at least one non-commercial partner (non-governmental organizations, civil society, business member organizations, associations, trade unions, or others that operate on a non-profit basis).
Innovative: The partnership’s emerging business model must deviate significantly from what has been done before in the country of implementation, with the ability to be a “game changer” in the sector, disruptive to current unsustainable models.
Path to Commercial Viability: The business plan for the product or service at the core of the partnership must show potential for future returns on investment. Partnerships focused on technical assistance or intending to remain dependent on grants should not apply.

Evaluation Criteria

Partnerships that meet the eligibility criteria above will be evaluated and scored based on the following evaluation criteria:

Business Plan: A credible plan addressing an actual or potential market need, with significant potential to attract investment to replicate or scale and achieve financial sustainability
Market Understanding: Clearly demonstrated understanding of the enabling environment and market/system fundamentals underpinning the business model and the barriers to be overcome including policy, regulatory support or government approvals required
Magnitude of Potential Transformative Impact on SDGs and climate goals: short term (within the P4G funding period), medium term (within the scope of the initial targeted business model), and long term (assuming scaling or replication catalyzed by the partnership)
P4G Alignment: Partnership aligns with relevant national priorities, and P4G’s network and non-financial support are likely to significantly amplify or accelerate impact
Leadership Team and Experience: Ability to deliver results, including having the right leadership team, having the right partners engaged, strength of working relationships among partners, experience of partners, depth of connections in target countries, sufficient resources, support of relevant P4G National Platform.
Workplan and Goals: Proposal components including the workplan, goals and indicators, budget, timeline, and governance arrangements are strong and likely to deliver the impact (not scored until proposal stage)
Risk Assessment and Mitigation: A robust risk assessment and risk mitigation plan provides assurance that risks are manageable (not scored until proposal stage)
Previously Funded Partnerships: Partnerships that have previously been awarded P4G funds will be evaluated against the same criteria listed above, plus additional criteria including demonstrated progress toward existing goals and strong justification that additional P4G funding is needed.