The Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa (BGFA) has launched the Call for Proposals (BGFA4) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with the aim of accelerating the provision of off-grid energy services in DRC by providing financing to energy service providers active in the country. Nefco, Sweden and the local energy authority ANSER are signing a joint Letter of Intent to support the programme implementation.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the second largest country in Africa and has widespread energy poverty, with very limited affordable off-grid energy solutions. This first Call for Proposals therefore aims to accelerate the market entry and scale-up of commercially sustainable businesses in the country with a focus on reaching underserved communities in rural, peri-urban and some urban areas.
Funding Information
This fourth BGFA Call for Proposals is expected to offer incentives to off-grid energy service providers to establish up to 110,000 energy connections and some 50 high-tier productive use connections that will benefit more than 500,000 people in DRC. The total financing available under this fourth Call for Proposals is EUR 15 million. The indicative individual contract ticket size per company is expected to be EUR 1-5 million.
Eligibility Criteria
Projects shall be implemented in DRC.
Applicants applying for BGFA4 funding shall be single for-profit ESPs selling energy and/or energy-related PUE services to end consumers.
Applicants shall be already legally incorporated and included in the register of for-profit companies in DRC or commit to being incorporated and/or registered as such, to NEFCO’s satisfaction, before signing a possible BGFA financing contract.
Applicants should be in compliance with all tax, regulatory and legal frameworks in DRC. If not already established in DRC, Applicants should be in such compliance in their home country.
Persons
Individual persons or groups of persons (who are not legally incorporated and registered as a company in DRC or if registered elsewhere are unwilling to register as a company in DRC) are not eligible for BGFA4 financing.
Partnerships
Single for-profit ESP Applicants are allowed to enter into various types of project implementation partnerships with non-profit entities, community-based organisations and other non-commercial entities.
Applicants are not allowed to include the following entities as project implementation partners: government entities, public agencies and donors.
All eligible partner entities should be either legally registered companies or organisations in DRC or another jurisdiction and be in compliance with all tax, regulatory and legal frameworks in DRC or their relevant jurisdiction.
