Deadline: 30 April 2017
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Global Development Lab and Power Africa are seeking concept papers for “Global Development Alliance (GDA) Annual Program Statement (APS)” focused on increasing private investment in off-grid energy in Africa as part of the Scaling Off-Grid Energy Grand Challenge for Development.
The Scaling Off-Grid Energy Grand Challenge for Development (SOGE) seeks to accelerate growth in the off-grid energy market to provide 20 million households in sub-Saharan Africa with access to modern, clean, and affordable electricity. However, access to capital and cost of capital remains a key market barrier, severely limiting enterprise growth and the household solar sector’s capacity to scale and mature as an industry.
Objectives
- Use public funding to leverage private financing in the household solar market through investor engagement and partnerships.
- Support innovative technology solutions and business models across the household solar value chain that provide, or support the provision of, affordable energy access to low-income households and small businesses across sub-Saharan Africa.
Funding Information
USAID may allocate up to $4,000,000 under the Addendum to fund a portfolio of partnerships, with funding for individual partnerships estimated in the range of $500,000 to $1,500,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants should offer demonstrated experience developing and scaling innovative solutions across the household solar value chain to more efficiently deliver modern energy services to low-income households and businesses across sub-Saharan Africa.
- Potential applicants could include, but are not limited to, solar home system manufacturers, distributors, service providers, technical integration providers, or financial intermediaries serving the household solar market.
- USAID is interested in applicants that address constrained access to capital, the high cost of capital in local currency, and the high cost of doing business in the household solar market. This includes solutions that decrease costs and increase the efficiency with which solar companies can access both equity and debt financing, preferably in local currency. For example, this could include a novel technology or business model that increases access to finance through investment structures or financing products. This could also include a model that greatly enables household solar service providers to serve larger customer bases and/or multiple companies at lower cost.
- USAID is open to receiving Concept Papers from new and innovative household solar manufacturers, distributors, and service providers, USAID will not consider solutions involving pico-solar products smaller than basic home solar systems (lanterns, etc.) under this Addendum.
- Geographic Focus: This Addendum focuses on sub-Saharan Africa. Concept Papers and full applications must be for companies operating in one or more sub-Saharan countries. Currently, USAID has active SOGE investments in Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, Ghana, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire and Kenya but Concept Papers submitted under this Addendum is open to markets across sub-Saharan Africa.
How to Apply
Interested applicants must send their concept papers at the address given on the website.
Eligible Countries: Angola, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, the Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan or Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, Ghana, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire and Kenya
For more information, please visit USAID Call for Partnerships.