Foreign economic-aid-related services

Tender description

The Africa Clean Energy (ACE) Business programme will catalyse a market-based approach for private sector delivery of high quality solar home system (SHS) products and services. This will lead to improved energy access for people and communities in sub-Saharan Africa currently without modern energy, with an emphasis on poor people and marginalised groups. The ACE Business programme focuses exclusively on developing a market for individual solar home systems (this includes multiple lighting solar kits). It does not include community-wide and larger mini-grids, for which other DFID programmes are providing assistance. It will also exclude single solar light sources, which have less potential than solar home systems to be transformational. Making solar home systems affordable for poorer people is an important focus for the programme. The programme will complement, not duplicate, DFID's existing programmes and related initiatives of other donors. The Technical Assistance (TA) and Knowledge Management Facility will support the implementation of policy, regulatory and other actions developed by the Energy Africa Compacts. These aim to improve the enabling environment for a market-based approach to private sector delivery of solar home system (SHS) products and services, by ensuring that the potential of off-grid solar energy to increase electricity access is recognised, and by helping governments to put in place appropriate policies and regulations, as well as other aspects of the broader enabling environment. The TA and Knowledge Management Facility will also: — Generate and disseminate knowledge on the success factors for, and benefits of, private sector delivery of off-grid solar energy across Africa. — Coordinate activities across ACE Business interventions, including with other relevant donor initiatives to promote collaboration.