Application for USADF-ALL On Nigeria Off-Grid Energy Challenge 2022 is ongoing!
USADF and All On are excited to request proposals for the USADF-All On Nigeria Off-Grid Energy Challenge.
Proposals of up to US$100,000 in 50/50 blended financing (grant/ debt or equity) per award will be considered, with a maximum of ten (10) awards anticipated.
To be considered for the Challenge, applicants must be 100% African-owned, majority Nigerian-owned and -managed private companies registered in Nigeria must be operating in Nigeria.
Projects are to be focused on increasing sustainable energy access, specifically off-grid solutions, and extending the delivery of electrification to unserved and underserved communities in Nigeria.
The type of clean energy technologies to be proposed may include but are not limited to, solar, hydro, wind, biomass, biogas, gas, and
hybrid systems. Productive use applications in the agriculture and agri-business sector are highly encouraged.
Nigeria Off-Grid Energy Challenge- Benefits
- They are 100% African-owned and passports or other government-issued IDs showing citizenship are
submitted;
o All shareholders, members of the board and senior management must be citizens of a subSaharan African country and a majority 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; - 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.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
USADF and All On will consider proposals from 100% African-owned and majority Nigerian-owned and Nigerianmanaged companies. Passports or other government-issued IDs of all owners and senior managers must be submitted with the applications.
If the applying company is owned wholly or in part by another company, passports or other government-issued IDs of its owners must also be provided.
The applying companies must be for-profit enterprises and must not be government-owned or operated in any way. Applicants may be
developers of their own technology and/or maybe acquiring and implementing technology developed elsewhere.
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.
- 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 other sources that meet the total financing requirements. Leveraged funds from other private sectors and donor sources are encouraged.
Demonstrate clearly whether and how many new connections will be added, as well as the potential for future replication. A “new connection” is defined as a new mini-grid connection or home system installed.
Applications for projects/ businesses leveraging wind, hydro, biomass, and gas as the energy source are
greatly encouraged.
- Productive use applications in the agriculture and agri-business sector are highly encouraged
- Women-owned or -managed business is a plus.
Nigeria Off-Grid Energy Challenge- Application process
All applicants are required to use the linked business proposal template. The completed proposal template along with the required documentation should be submitted by email on or before March 18, 2022, to the following;
email address: OffGridChallengeNigeria2022@usadf.gov
Proposals will only be accepted at the above email address.
General inquiries can be directed to OffGridChallengeNigeria2022@usadf.gov and will not be accepted at other email addresses.
Application Deadline
Applications will be accepted from February 21, 2022, to March 18, 2022.
Proposals received after the closing date will not be accepted. Applications are on a first-come, first-served basis, so it is advised that applications are submitted well ahead of the window close.
Applications will be reviewed and evaluated by a panel of judges with expertise in the field. Shortlisted applications will be contacted in April to begin the Phase II application process.
Those that scale through the Phase II process will be contacted in April and May for due diligence purposes and for clarification of project concept and details. Applications that are not shortlisted will not be contacted.
Winners are expected to be announced by December 2022.
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