The United States African Development Foundation (USADF) and All On is calling on eligible applicants to submit proposals for innovative off-grid solutions to “power up” underserved areas of Nigeria in it’s Nigeria Off-Grid Energy Challenge.
Nigeria Off-Grid Energy Challenge is a joint initiative of USADF and All On and it’s designed to increase electrical generation to unserved and underserved communities through sustainable business model solutions, expand electricity access – delivered through off-grid solutions such as home systems or micro-grids, increase access to electricity for productive and/or household use – while this may include power to meet household consumer needs.
In addition, an 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 was launched in 2013 to bring affordable and renewable energy to rural communities across the African continent. Since its inception, over $7 million has been invested in 75 energy entrepreneurs in 9 countries to provide off-grid energy solutions to rural communities.
Benefits
The Off-Grid Energy Challenge awards grants of up to $100,000 each to African enterprises providing off-grid solutions that deploy renewable resources and power local economic activities. Challenge winners will have near-term solutions to power the needs of productive and commercial activities, including agriculture production and processing, off-farm businesses, and commercial enterprises.
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
Eligibility
Interested applicants must fall under the following categories;
- Be a developing enterprise,
- A scaling-up enterprise
- Enterprise extending energy technologies to off-grid areas of Nigeria.
Application
Interested applicants should complete the application form and send required attachments, to [email protected] on or before Friday, March 15, 2019.
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