2019 USADF-All On Nigeria Off-Grid Energy Challenge
Deadline: March 15, 2019.
USADF and All On invite you to submit proposals for innovative off-grid solutions to “power up” underserved areas of Nigeria. Applicants should be developing, scaling up or extending energy technologies to off-grid areas of Nigeria.
The Nigeria Off-Grid Energy Challenge is a joint initiative of the United States African Development Foundation (USADF) and All On and is designed to achieve the following results:
- To increase electrical generation to unserved and underserved communities through sustainable business model solutions;
- To expand electricity access – delivered through off-grid solutions such as home systems or micro-grids;
- To increase access to electricity for productive and/or household use – while this may include power to meet household consumer needs, emphasis is also given to the delivery of power to productive or commercial activities including agricultural production and processing, commercial enterprises, and others.
The Off-Grid Energy Challenge is a key element of the Beyond the Grid sub-initiative of Power Africa, a U.S. Government-led partnership launched in 2013 to double access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030 by increasing installed power capacity by 30,000 MW and creating60 million new connections. Of these targeted 60 million new connections, as many as 25-30 million are expected to be added through off-grid solutions.
ELIGIBILITY
1. USADF and All On will consider proposals from 100% African-owned and majority Nigerian-owned and Nigerian-managed companies.
2. Passports or other government-issued IDs of owners and senior managers must be submitted with the applications.
3. The companies applying must be for-profit enterprises and must not be government-owned or operated in any way.
4. Applicants may be developers of their own technology and/or may be acquiring and implementing technology developed elsewhere.
5. Applicants need to be legally registered in Nigeria and demonstrate the capacity to track and manage the project resources and operate in good standing with the local governments in which they operate.
Winning proposals must:
- Further develop, scale up or extend use of proven technologies for off–grid energy in Nigeria.
- Benefit marginalized, or low income rural or urban populations currently underserved by utility companies, ideally with a focus on benefits to women and girls and operating in the Niger Delta.
- Demonstrate financial sustainability or the potential for financial sustainability. The proposed investment period must include approximately three months of generation of electricity (or generation of energy) and revenue/cash flow from sales.
- Demonstrate a proven track record of experience or have project sponsors or partners with a proven track record of related experience.
- Propose a budget of no more than US$100,000. Proposals with budgets greater than US$100,000 must bring leveraged resources from one or more sources that meet the total financing requirements. Leveraged funds from other private sector and donor sources are encouraged.
- Demonstrate clearly whether and how many new connections will be added[1], as well as potential for future replication.
- Applications for projects/ businesses leveraging wind, hydro, biomass, and gas as the energy source are greatly encouraged.
Applications will only be considered if:
- They are 100% African-owned and passports showing citizenship are submitted;
- All shareholders, members of the board and senior management must be citizens of a sub-Saharan African country and must reside in Nigeria;
- They are majority Nigerian-owned and -managed (senior managers);
- They express clearly how they will benefit marginalized, grassroots people in Nigeria, including also ideally showing demonstrable positive impacts for female beneficiaries and people living in the Niger Delta;
- They express clearly how they will achieve profitability;
- They are fully and legally registered in Nigeria and the registration is submitted;
- They document adequate expertise in the field they are proposing or document how they will acquire the necessary expertise;
- They plainly document how they will we use the USADF/All On investment funds to carry out their concept.
PRIZE
Winning applicants will receive:
- An investment in the form of a convertible loan at an affordable interest rate and/or an equity investment
- Seed capital in the form of grant funds
- Access to intensive local technical assistance and governance support
APPLICATION
To apply, applicants should complete the the application form below and send required attachments, to OffGridChallengeNigeria@usadf.gov between February 1 and March 15, 2019. For details on eligibility and full application instructions, please refer to the Request for Proposals document below.
Download Off-Grid Challenge RFP
OFF GRID CHALLENGE APPLICATION FORM
OFFICIAL LINK
