USAID: South Asia Regional Energy Partnership Fund

Deadline: 31-Jan-25

The United States Agency for International Development has launched its South Asia Regional Energy Partnership Fund to 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.

Objectives and Themes

• 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:
  • 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.
  • 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 longerterm emissions trajectories.
  • 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.
  • 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’s activities and outcomes also support and contribute to the Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP) and the Climate Action and Finance Mobilization Dialogue (CAFMD) under the recently established U.S.-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership. Through this collaboration, India and the U.S. aim to demonstrate swift climate action that is inclusive, resilient, and based on national and regional priorities. Countries in the region will also benefit from this collaboration through sharing of the learnings, best practices, lessons, and templates from previous experience which can be customized and replicated in other South Asian countries:
  • Private sector engagement. SAREP will enable and enhance private sector participation, leverage and mobilize resources, strengthen the enabling environment, increase awareness and understanding of solutions to enhance private sector finances, and promote replication of successful approaches.
  • Gender diversity and inclusion. SAREP will increase awareness and enable inclusion considerations in the energy sector, particularly mainstreaming gender in the energy sector. It will also engage and promote women leaders and entrepreneurs across the region.
  • Pollution mitigation. SAREP will advance clean energy deployment to reduce air pollution associated with the energy sector.

Funding Information

• In accordance with ADS 302, the total value of any individual grant to a U.S. organization, if any, must not exceed the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT), which is $250,000.
• Type of Grant Awards :
  • The following type of grants may be awarded by SAREP:
    • Fixed amount awards (FAAs): Up to $500,000 for non-U.S. organizations and not to exceed $250,000 for U.S. organizations
    • Simplified Cost-reimbursement Grant (SIG):Up to $250,000 for non U.S. organizations and not to exceed $250,000 for U.S. organizations
    • Standard cost-reimbursement grants (STGs): Not to exceed $250,000 for U.S. organizations
    • In-Kind Grants: Not to exceed $250,000 for U.S. organizations

Eligible Activities

• To achieve the results outlined under the four technical objectives, the SAREP Partnership Fund will support the types of activities illustrated below:
  • Pilot demonstrations
  • Incubation support
  • Feasibility studies, detailed project reports, and market assessments
  • Knowledge management and dissemination
  • Policy advocacy and consensus building
  • Knowledge sharing, exchange, and institutional capacity development
  • Developing business models and innovative solutions, and structuring of innovative financial transactions to enable clean energy transition
  • Design and deploy new decision-making tools

Ineligible Activities

• The SAREP Partnership Fund cannot be utilized for the following activities:
  • Support expansion of capacity or extend the operational life of carbon-intensive fossil fuelbased 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”).
  • Purchases of goods or services restricted or prohibited under the prevailing USAID source/nationality and other regulations; or from countries or suppliers as may be identified by USAID’s consolidated list of debarred, suspended, or ineligible subcontractors.
  • Construction, infrastructure, renovation, and rehabilitation projects. Definition of “Construction” for purposes of this manual means construction, alteration, or repair (including dredging and excavation) of buildings, structures, or other real property and includes, without limitation, improvements, renovation, alteration, and refurbishment. The term includes, without limitation, roads, power plants, buildings, bridges, water treatment facilities, and vertical structures.
  • Other costs unallowable under USAID rules and/or federal regulation 2 CFR 200 such as fees/profits by the recipient (including sub-awardees).

Eligibility Criteria

• The SAREP Partnership Fund grants can be provided to private sector/for-profit entities; notfor-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.
• Grantees should be registered in any of the countries not expressly prohibited in ADS 310 and should be legally authorized to operate in the country/ies where performance of grant activities are proposed.
• 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.

Ineligibility Criteria

• The following types of applicants will not be eligible for receiving grants from SAREP:
  • Any Public International Organization, unless approved by the USAID/India Mission Director
  • Government or quasi-Government (parastatal entities)
  • Any proposed 2 CFR 200.1 contractor that is registered in a country listed under USAID’s list of Prohibited Source Countries (as per ADS Reference 310mac)
  • Entities that have a previous record of misusing U.S. Government funds
  • Political parties or partisan political organizations
  • Organizations or groups that promote any illegal activities
  • Applicants engaged in or proposing activities that may have a negative environmental impact, unless such negative environmental impacts are an incidental byproduct of activities that otherwise advance the purposes of the Partnership Fund and can be effectively mitigated
  • Applicants that have child protection, human trafficking, or exploitation violations and are in violation of international human rights standards
  • Applicants that are affiliated with RTI or any of its officers, directors, or employees
  • Any entity and/or its key personnel that has an active exclusion in the U.S. Government’s System of Award Management
  • Any entity and/or its key personnel that appear on the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) and Blocked Persons list.
  • Any entity with members directly or indirectly involved in money laundering, acts of terrorism, gambling, or drugs
  • Any entity that is undergoing bankruptcy or restructuring under a legal or regulatory process
  • Any entity which based upon the due diligence to be conducted by RTI, appears to be ineligible for receiving the Grant under this APS or carry out the proposed activities out of the amount of the Grant to be given under this APS

Application Requirements

• Applicants must submit documents to support their eligibility to receive foreign grants:
  • Have internal controls and processes to safeguard assets and protect against fraud and waste.
  • Have written and well-articulated ethics/conflict of interest policies.
  • Have sound financial systems and accountability with up-to-date accounts consistent with local laws and regulations.
  • Be willing to abide by all applicable USAID regulations and complete, sign, and abide by all required certifications, including the Branding and Marking requirements.
  • Be willing to report on achievements and outputs in line with RTI’s approved monitoring and evaluation plan.

For more information, visit USAID.