The Sida PFAN Initiative on Clean Energy Financing (SPICEF) seeks to nurture entrepreneurs, start-up and existing companies, project teams and consortia with environmentally beneficial business proposals with the aim of linking them with investment and finance and making them happen. SPICEF is now accepting applications from project developers in the East and Southern African regions before May 8th 2016.
The Sida PFAN Initiative on Clean Energy Financing (SPICEF) provides crucial early stage pro bono project development and support in raising financing to clean energy entrepreneurs, start-up and growth stage companies, project teams and consortia with viable and environmentally beneficial business proposals, by linking them with investment and finance and nurturing their development and implementation.
Eligibility
SPICEF is open to projects from the following countries: Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Zambia, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe.
Focus of Projects / Acceptable Proposals:
- Grid Connected IPPs (any clean energy technology);
- Rural Electrification and Energy Access Projects (any clean energy technology) especially Mini-Grid distributed renewable energy utilities;
- Off-grid distributed energy service companies and others;
- Others (eg Energy Efficiency & Energy Conservation)
Proposals eligible for the Competition, may include, but are not limited to:
- Greenfield Projects;
- New Business Ventures & Start-Ups. Pilot Projects will only be eligible to the extent that they include a credible plan for growth and / or replication;
- Brownfield projects - scale-up, growth, expansion, replication or conversion of existing businesses or projects;
- Downstream Projects: deployment of an existing clean technology;
- Upstream technology development: development and commercialization of a new clean technology;
- Merger, acquisition or joint venture which will add value to an existing / current clean energy/technology business.
Investment Amount
Business opportunities that require total (initial) private capital in excess of US$1 million (or currency equivalent) will be considered. In the case of energy access and rural electrification projects the investment sought may be less providing the proposal demonstrates strong development impacts and social entrepreneurship.
Proposals seeking primarily grant funding are not eligible and will not be considered, though the investment proposal may include elements of grant, donor and / or subsidized funding to enhance the overall investment proposition.
Submission of Application
All submissions are to be made in electronic format. Consideration should be given to the size of individual files to ensure ease of transmission. To increase information security and authenticity, files should, where possible, be submitted in PDF format and financial models as an annex to the Project Proposal document in Excel format. The Application Consists of:
- The Project Proposal (as a PDF file, financial models provided as an Excel sheet)
- The completed Project Data Sheet (as an Excel sheet)
Timeline
Stage 1: Project Proposal Submission
The submission of the Application to Participate together with the Project Proposal and Excel Project Data Sheet must be made by midnight (Central Africa Time) on Sunday 8th May 2016.
Stage 2: Coaching and Business Plan Preparation
In this stage of business plan guidance, the assigned CTI PFAN Coaches will assist the project teams in preparing an investor ready business plan. This support, up to four working days (32 hours) in total, will be provided at no cost to the teams. Additionally a Project Development & Financing Workshop will be held in November 2016 for all selected participants to provide expert input and advice in a group environment.
