The Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa’s new investee POPO is accelerating access to electricity in off-grid refugee areas and peri-urban communities in northern Uganda with its solar-powered battery rental services. In addition to the results-based financing to be provided by BGFA, the project will be co-funded by the Uganda Development Bank (UDB).
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An agreement has been signed with Altech, a Congolese-founded and managed company established in 2013, to support the expansion and scale-up of clean off-grid solar lighting solutions, e-motorcycle rentals and charging stations.
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The Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa (BGFA) publishes its first Impact Report, highlighting the key achievements of the Facility in 2022 in accelerating off-grid energy services by providing results-based financing for energy service providers in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2022, the Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa (BGFA) contracted 13 companies in 4 Sub-Saharan countries with EUR 25 million with the potential to provide clean energy access for 4.8 million people in rural areas of Burkina Faso, Liberia, Uganda and Zambia.
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Our new brochure provides an overview of the BGFA programme, country specific targets and funders. The overall programme aim is to establish up to 1.44 million energy connections and benefit more than 6.5 million people by 2028.
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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 MoreFunding rounds are now closed in the following countries:
How a mini-grid is changing the lives of Cecelia, Godfrey and the rest of their community in Ngwerere, on the edge of Lusaka.
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How off-grid solutions have made a positive impact on Steven’s family life on the outskirts of Lusaka.
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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 StoryBGFA 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.
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For more information on our past funding rounds click below.
Funding rounds
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
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
The Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa was established on Sweden’s initiative in 2019, through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). Sweden is contributing SEK 835 million (EUR 80 million) to the BGFA programme, with contributions coming from the local embassies in target countries.
Visit the Sida website
Power Africa is a U.S. government-led partnership that brings together the collective resources of over 170 public and private sector partners to double access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa. Power Africa’s goal is to add more than 30,000 megawatts (MW) of new electricity generation capacity and connect 60 million new homes and businesses to power by 2030. In 2020, Power Africa joined BGFA with the aim to provide an in-kind contribution worth approx. EUR 4 million (USD 4.5 million) over three years in order to help operationalise the initiative and develop a pipeline of commercially viable projects within the framework of BGFA.
Visit the Power Africa website
Denmark joined the BGFA in 2020 to support the expansion to Uganda. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark has contributed with DKK 117.5 million (EUR 15.8 million), for a period for 5 years.
Visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website
Germany joined the BGFA in 2021 and is contributing EUR 7.5 million, through the KfW Development Bank. Germany is jointly with Sweden funding the Zambian country programme, aiming at supporting private companies to establish and scale innovative and sustainable business models with focus on mini-grids.
Visit the KfW website
Norad joined BGFA in 2022 and is contributing EUR 19 million (NOK 200 million) for supporting the acceleration of affordable energy access in underserved communities with the focus on supporting the BGFA-selected energy service providers in Burkina Faso, Liberia, Uganda and Zambia.
Visit the Norad website
The Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (Nefco) set up the Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa on behalf of Sweden and has since then developed it into a multi-donor programme. As Facility Manager, Nefco is responsible for its overall delivery. Owned by the five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) Nefco is an international financial institution (IFI) with 30 years of experience in financing exclusively green projects. Besides making investments through its own capital, Nefco manages a considerable number of trust funds and its trust fund processes fulfil EU requirements. Nefco is also accredited by the Green Climate Fund. Nefco is currently working with a number of potential additional donors.
Visit the Nefco website
NIRAS is a development and engineering consultancy company headquartered in Denmark with offices in over 25 countries across Europe, Africa, South Asia and Latin America and extensive experience in programme management and implementation of internationally financed technical assistance facilities and funds for various public sector clients.
Visit the NIRAS website
The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) is an international non-profit organisation that works to kick-start markets for clean energy and energy efficiency solutions in low- and middle-income countries. REEEP co-designed and is implementing the Beyond the Grid Fund for Zambia and is one of the Project Implementation Partners for the Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa.
Visit the REEEP website
The Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa’s new investee POPO is accelerating access to electricity in remote areas in northern Uganda with its solar-powered battery rental services. The Beyond the ...
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The Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa (BGFA) has signed its first agreement with an energy service company in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to accelerate access to ...
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The Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa (BGFA) will today re-open the Call for Proposals in Mozambique to incentivise clean-energy-based mini-grid solutions in the country. Funding can be used for ...
Read More The Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa’s new investee POPO is accelerating access to electricity in remote areas in northern Uganda with its solar-powered battery rental services. The Beyond the ...
Read More The Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa (BGFA) has signed its first agreement with an energy service company in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to accelerate access to ...
Read More The Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa (BGFA) will today re-open the Call for Proposals in Mozambique to incentivise clean-energy-based mini-grid solutions in the country. Funding can be used for ...
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