Seven Impact-Driven Organizations to Receive Funding to Alleviate Energy Poverty for Millions
The Energy Access Institutions Facility announces seven organizations to receive support to accelerate access to life-changing, off-grid energy for millions of people.
In late 2023, with support from the Swedish International Development and Cooperation Agency (Sida) who committed approximately $4.5 million USD in funding, CLASP was selected to take over as host and manager of the Energy Access Institutions Facility (the Facility). This joint donor initiative is set up to support industry organizations known as market institutions (MIs) that serve an essential function in facilitating a more efficient pathway to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7: affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
Expanding access to clean energy has ripple effects across people’s livelihoods, helping to improve crop yields and irrigation, reduce food loss and waste, increase incomes, address gender inequities, and avoid significant amounts of planet-warming carbon emissions.
Seven Organizations Chosen for Impact & Potential
Following several months of due diligence, the Facility has just announced the first cohort of Facility grantees. Nominated and selected with input from Facility funders, the seven organizations – four global institutions and three country-specific market accelerators – will be supported based on their impactful track record and their potential to achieve SDG 7. Operating at various geographic levels and filling discrete but complementary roles, these organizations and their members are ideally placed to help alleviate energy poverty for millions of low-income people in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
Meet the Seven Grantees
| Market Institution | Expertise | Geographical Reach | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Africa Minigrid Developers Association (AMDA) | AMDA aims to end energy poverty across the African continent by accelerating minigrid companies’ pathway to scale and sustainability by supporting the achievement of SDG 7 by 2030. | AMDA represents over 44 companies that are operating minigrids across 22 countries in Africa. | As of 2022, AMDA members were operating more than 400 projects with more than 78,000 installed connections that impacted more than 750,000 people, healthcare facilities, schools, and businesses. |
| Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA) | CCA builds thriving, diverse, and competitive markets to accelerate equitable access to modern and affordable clean cooking solutions. | CCA has 30 staff in 10 countries, with projects in over 40 countries. | Over 8 million people gained access to clean cooking solutions between 2019 and 2022 thanks to CCA projects. |
| GOGLA | GOGLA helps the off-grid industry build buoyant and sustainable markets that deliver high-quality products and services to customers with no, or insufficient, access to electricity. | GOGLA’s 200 members include companies and financiers and 18 National Renewable Energy Associations in Africa, as well as a network of government representatives from 21 African governments and three regional bodies. | GOGLA affiliate companies reached 461 million people through life-changing energy access products between 2012 and 2022. |
| VeraSol | VeraSol strives to make safe, affordable, and durable products the default option in the market through a variety of quality assurance services. | More than 40 countries worldwide use VeraSol certification of solar energy kits. | As of 2022, more than 60 million VeraSol-certified products have been sold, benefitting over 180 million people worldwide. |
| Market Accelerator | Expertise | Geographical Reach | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethiopia Energy Market Accelerator (EMA) | EMA accelerates clean, affordable, and renewable energy for Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa by overcoming market barriers and unleashing the power of private sector initiative, innovation, and capital. | EMA works with 35 local and 20 international partners. | EMA projects helped improve the lives of 1.7 million people through access to clean energy. |
| Nigeria Off-grid Market Accelerator Program (NOMAP) | NOMAP catalyzes energy access through reliable market intelligence, piloting new business models for mini-grid/SHS companies, and policy and regulatory support to subnational and Federal governments in Nigeria. | Through six market interventions, NOMAP has supported more than 30 off-grid companies and six subnational governments in Nigeria. | NOMAP’s interventions have delivered 40,000 new connections in Nigeria and leveraged more than USD 15 million. |
| Uganda Off-grid Energy Market Accelerator (UOMA) | UOMA coordinates industry actors and provides technical input, expertise, and private and public sector support to deliver universal access to affordable and clean energy for Ugandans. | UOMA has led more than 25 innovative pilot blueprints and raised USD 40M+ in funding for last-mile, off-grid companies across Uganda. | UOMA facilitated 250,000+ new connections from pilots for Uganda’s hardest to reach, impacting over a million Ugandans. |
Facility Support to MIs, Donors, and the Sector
By channeling flexible, pooled donor funding, the Facility aims to help MIs facilitate an enabling environment that can give rise to initiatives and technologies that improve people’s livelihoods and better protect the planet. The Facility’s long-term vision is to deploy $50 million USD to a portfolio of impactful MIs that are accelerating the pathway to achieving affordable, sustainable, and life-changing energy for all.
Farm Warehouse solar-powered mill in Nigeria
About the Facility
The Energy Access Institutions Facility is a joint donor initiative, managed by CLASP, that provides funding, institutional health support and peer collaboration opportunities to organizations known as market institutions to overcome barriers and accelerate universal access to affordable, clean, and modern energy (Sustainable Development Goal 7). The Facility is currently supported by Sida, with initial contributions from Shell Foundation and The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
About CLASP
CLASP is the leading global authority on efficient appliances’ role in fighting climate change and improving people’s lives. With 25 years of expertise and offices on four continents, CLASP collaborates with policymakers, industry leaders, and other experts to deliver clear pathways to a more sustainable world for people and the planet.
