Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa

Bringing clean, affordable, off-grid energy access to millions

Current Call for Proposals

Funding round for Uganda now open

BGFA has launched a Call for Proposals inviting interested off-grid energy service providers to compete for a number of Funding Lots for Uganda.

This third Call for Proposals offers incentives to off-grid energy service providers to establish up to 600,000 energy connections that will benefit more than 3 million people in rural areas of Uganda.

The online process was launched on 29 April 2021. Interested ESPs are now invited to register via the online application tool here.

Significant interest in BGFA1

The first Call for Proposals (BGFA1) targeted at Burkina Faso, Liberia and Zambia was launched in September 2020.

It received a strong response among energy service providers, and in December 2020, 46 applicants were invited to take part in the Final Application stage. Currently, BGFA1 applications are undergoing final external evaluation. It is expected that selected projects will be contracted in late summer 2021.

CFP OUTCOME

BGFA2 entering its second stage

The second Call for Proposals (BGFA2) for activities in Mozambique was launched in February 2021.

Pre-screened Pre-Qualification applications are currently undergoing external evaluation to determine if they qualify to take part in the Final Application stage. Applicants successfully passing the Pre-Qualification evaluation are expected to be invited to take part in the Final Application stage by the end of May 2021 and submit their applications at the latest by the end of August 2021.

CFP LAUNCH INFORMATION

What is the Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa?

Kick-starting markets for clean, off-grid energy in Africa

Building on the experience from an award-winning innovative approach tested in Zambia

BGFA was set-up in 2019 on the initiative of the Swedish Government, building on the successful, award-winning initial pilot phase in Zambia, the Beyond the Grid Fund for Zambia (BGFZ). BGFA is an ambitious multi-donor funding facility that aims to kick-start markets for clean, off-grid energy in Sub-Saharan African countries. It works through a combination of an innovative results-based financing mechanisms for energy companies, close cooperation with governments and real-time data collection and analysis.

Find Out More

Funding rounds are ongoing in the following countries:

Burkina Faso

Liberia

Zambia

Mozambique

Burkina Faso

Liberia

Zambia

Mozambique

Our impact

Zambia

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Cecelia & Godfrey Miti:

A mini-grid for Ngwerere

How a mini-grid is changing the lives of Cecelia, Godfrey and the rest of their community in Ngwerere, on the edge of Lusaka.

Read Story

Zambia

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Steven Miyoba:

Flexible payments for solar lighting

How off-grid solutions have made a positive impact on Steven’s family life on the outskirts of Lusaka.

Read Story

Zambia

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Lister Sithole & Kennedy Matabula:

Agent of impact

How the Beyond the Grid Fund for Zambia has brought new opportunities and optimism to Lister and Kennedy in a rural community in Chongwe, east of the Zambian capital of ...

Read Story

BGFA has not yet generated any own impacts, but the decision to expand the concept into Burkina Faso, Mozambique, Liberia, Uganda and a new funding round in Zambia builds on the experiences of the pilot programme Beyond the Grid Fund for Zambia (BGFZ) and early positive experiences in terms of rural and peri-urban customers’ interest in buying affordable off-grid energy service connections, mobilised private capital and strong social and gender outcomes.

See all

We would like to engage with…

Are you in the renewable energy business and are looking for funding opportunities?

If you are interested in exploring new markets or scaling up your off-grid renewable energy business in Uganda, you are invited to apply for funding.

We encourage you to register as soon as possible through our SmartMe system. For more information on our current and past funding rounds click below.

Funding rounds

Are you shaping energy policies in your country?

We are keen to work together with policy makers in and beyond BGFA in Burkina Faso, Liberia, Zambia, Mozambique and Uganda.

Please get in touch and help us shape the programme based on your valuable insights and knowledge of the markets. If BGFA is not yet looking at your country but you think the programme would be a good fit, please also get in touch.

BGFA countries

Who’s involved?

BGFA was established as a separate funding facility by the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (Nefco) in 2019 on Sweden’s initiative and has swiftly developed into a multi-donor programme. The BGFA programme is administered by Nefco and implemented in partnership with the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP). Power Africa, an initiative administered by USAID, is providing a considerable in-kind technical assistance contribution, and Denmark and Germany have joined to fund activities in, respectively, Uganda and Zambia.

Find out more about who’s involved with BGFA

Team