Clean and affordable off-grid energy
Over 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa live today without access to electricity. For most of these people, connection to the grid is not likely to happen for decades, or longer. The Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa (BGFA) aims to reduce this gap by stimulating and accelerating the emergency of new business models to incentivise the private sector to offer affordable and clean energy access at scale to people living in rural and peri-urban areas. The programme builds on the positive experiences of the Beyond the Grid Fund for Zambia (BGFZ), which Sweden commenced in 2016.
Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa forms part of the ‘Power Africa’ initiative launched by former President Barack Obama and contributes to the Sustainable Development Goal 7 as well as the Paris Agreement on Climate.
Contribrutor
Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa is financed by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). NEFCO is managing the facility and the programme is implemented in cooperation with the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP).
Sweden will contribute an initial SEK 500 million (approx. EUR 48 million) to the first planned expansion into Burkina Faso, Liberia, Mozambique and a second phase in Zambia. NEFCO is working with other like-minded donors with the aim to convert the Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa into a multi-donor programme over time.
Possible consultancy opportunities and available funding
The first stage will be a market scoping study in the four concerned countries, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Mozambique and Zambia. This work will be led by REEEP and it is expected to start and be concluded during 2019. Early 2020, NEFCO plans to launch a Call for Proposals offering financial incentives to selected private energy companies for the development of high quality energy services and products under sustainable and inclusive market conditions including solar home systems and microgrids. The planned period of implementation is in total six years. The programme aims to benefit 5 to 15 million rural and peri-urban people in the participating countries.
Application process
According to plan the programme will be kicked-off during late spring 2019 starting with various information and outreach activities in the four concerned countries: Burkina Faso, Liberia, Mozambique and Zambia.
