Funding Database
Renewable Energy and Climate Adaptation Technologies (REACT) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) Programme
2X Global was launched at the G7 Summit 2018 as a commitment by DFIs to collectively mobilise gender lens investments. At the G7 Summit 2021, DFIs and multilateral development banks committed to a new target of $15 billion earmarked for gender lens investments. The five investment criteria under the 2X Global are:
- Entrepreneurship: 51% women ownership or the business is founded by a woman
- Leadership: 30% women in senior leadership or 30% women on the board or investment committee
- Employment: 30-50% of the workforce is female (depending on sector) and one “quality” indicator beyond compliance
- Product(s) or service(s) that specifically or disproportionally benefit women
- Investments through financial intermediaries: 30% of the DFI loan proceeds or portfolio companies meet the 2X criteria
Agricultural uses of energy (e.g., grain milling, irrigation, water pumping, cold storage and refrigeration, agricultural processing, etc.)
A short-term loan used by companies to meet current obligations before securing permanent financing. Bridge loans provide immediate cash flow, usually to fund working capital.
Also referred to as embedded generation or behind-the-meter systems, captive power systems are usually isolated power systems with the primary goal of a residential, commercial or industrial facility’s own consumption. These systems can be off-grid or grid-tied. If grid-tied, surplus energy is fed into the grid, typically on a feed-in tariff basis. Rooftop solar systems for commercial and industrial facilities is the most common segment in this sector, and as a consequence the sector is commonly referred to as C&I solar.
Carbon finance includes a variety of financial instruments that are aimed at the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon finance instruments attach a momentary price to carbon emissions, packaged into carbon credits. These credits are then traded, typically sold by a sustainable project or company to an GHG-emitting entity who wishes to offset their emissions.
Cooking that utilises cleaner fuels and technologies, instead of polluting fuels or inefficient equipment. In this context, this term covers fuel and stove as well as fuel only (biomass, biogas, LPG, etc.) solutions.
Debt that offers favourable terms to borrowers. This can include longer tenors than those of commercial debt, interest rates lower than the prevailing commercial rate, less restrictive collateral requirements, or relief for a part of the principal. There are no exact thresholds that deem a loan concessional. Whether a loan is concessional is based on a subjective assessment. Loans should be assessed on a case-by-case basis as to whether they are regarded as concessional.
Construction equity is a capital investment provided by equity investors to fund the construction phase of a project. This is done by buying a share of the project company. It includes capital contributions to cover the costs of construction activities and related expenses.
A specific type of debt that is dependent on uncertain future developments. Contingent debt is not a definitive liability, as it is based on the outcome of a future event.
A debt that can be converted into equity or stock.
An entity that pools funds from numerous investors to fund specific projects in return for potential profit or reward.
Development finance institutions (DFIs) are specialised development organisations that invest in private sector projects in developing countries to promote job creation and sustainable economic growth. DFIs are typically majority owned by national governments.
Capital investment provided by equity investors to fund the early stages of a project’s development. This is done by buying a share of the project company. For independent power producers (IPPs) this can include funding for pre-PPA activities like obtaining relevant permits.
DRE technologies include all small-scale renewable energy technologies such as mini-grids, solar home systems (SHS), solar lanterns, solar productive use systems (e.g. solar water pumps) and captive power.
Electric mobility (e-mobility) refers to vehicles (cars, bikes, buses, trucks) that are fully or partially powered by electricity and typically have a rechargeable energy storage device. The e-mobility sector encompasses charging stations, market actors and a wide range of associated systems (electric vehicle aggregators, power grid/electricity operators, software products etc.). Given the broad scope of this newly-emerging sector, e-mobility can be defined differently by funds as long as there is a clear linkage to renewable energy as part of the funding offered.
Energy efficiency measures are broadly considered in relation to energy supply (resource extraction, power generation, fuel conversion, energy storage) and end-use sectors (buildings, industry, transport), but can also involve ‘demand-side’ actions, including switching to more efficient technologies and employing behavioural and operational changes that make smarter use of existing technologies.
Energy efficiency measures are broadly considered in relation to energy supply (resource extraction, power generation, fuel conversion, energy storage) and end-use sectors (buildings, industry, transport), but can also involve ‘demand-side’ actions, including switching to more efficient technologies and employing behavioural and operational changes that make smarter use of existing technologies.
Energy used for the purpose of performing income-generating activities. These can be agricultural, commercial or industrial activities.
Refers to the timeframe within which an investment will be held before being sold.
An institution, entity or individual that serves as a middleman between two or more parties in order to facilitate financial transactions.
As opposed to “pari passu” guarantee coverage, where the guarantor covers loan losses on an equal basis with a lender (e.g., where the loan principal is $1,000 and $100 is lost, assuming the pari passu cover is 50%, the guarantor pays out only $50), under a first-loss coverage arrangement, the guarantor provides a pay-out of 100% of the losses up to first-loss cover (e.g., where the loan principal is $1,000 and $100 is lost, assuming the first-loss coverage is 10%, the guarantor provides a pay-out of the full $100, since it is not greater than 10% of the total loan amount).
An entity providing and/or managing grants, debt, equity, mezzanine debt, guarantees and risk mitigation instruments or any other financial instrument.
According to the Gender Lens Investing Initiative, gender lens refers to a strategy or approach to investing that takes into consideration gender-based factors across the investment process to advance gender equality and better inform investment decisions.
Non-interest-bearing financial assistance that is disbursed without repayment expectations.
Hydrogen that is produced through the electrolysis of water, provided that the electric energy used as an input for this process is generated from renewable sources.
A form of financial assurance used to secure debt liabilities. Can be called upon (called a guarantee call) by the lender in the event of a loan default or payment arrears. The guarantee provider is called a guarantor.
The percentage of losses that a third-party guarantor will cover when a loan is called into default by the lender.
Combines multiple technologies and/or power sources to produce energy/electricity.
An investor who only considers investments meeting certain economic, environmental, and social criteria, while also generating financial returns.
A privately-owned entity that generates and sells electricity to utilities and/or end-users.
Refers to an enterprise with the majority of ownership by nationals of Sub-Saharan African country, Caribbean or the Pacific. Given the widely varying definitions of the term in this sector, a financier focusing on the origin of the management team (or another aspect or a combination of aspects) is also considered valid.
Financial assurance provided for one individual transaction.
A contract, referred to as a policy, that is issued by an insurance company to protect businesses from financial losses in exchange for a fee (premium).
A type of debt that is only paid out after other debts are settled when a company gets liquidated due to insolvency.
Funds paid out to an organisation based on some percentage contribution made to the total project cost by the grantee.
A form of debt instrument that is subordinated to senior debt, but senior to pure equity. Mezzanine debt is debt that can be converted into equity in case of borrower default. Due to the relatively high risk involved, lenders of mezzanine debt receive higher returns than senior lenders.
Small, localised electricity generators that can feed into a distribution system but are usually not connected to the main grid.
Grants that do not have to be paid back.
Countries that are eligible to receive official development assistance. Consists of all low- and middle-income countries based on gross national income (GNI) per capita, as published by the World Bank.
A system that is not connected to the main power utility generation and distribution system.
A system that is part of the main power utility generation and distribution system.
A one-time fee charged by a lender/guarantor for processing and approving a loan/guarantee application.
A form of guarantee coverage where the guarantor covers loan losses on an equal basis with a lender (i.e., the guarantor assumes only partial risk of non-payment, usually 50%).
Financial assurance provided to cover potential losses across a whole portfolio covering multiple projects.
A contract signed between a power generator and purchaser (usually a power utility company) stipulating their individual obligations in the sale and purchase of electricity generated.
Capital contributions by equity investors to fund the planning stage of projects. For IPPs, this is the ideation stage before the acquisition of relevant permits.
Pre-seed funding is the earliest stage of start-up funding, coming before seed funding. During this stage, investors provide start-ups with capital to develop their ideas into better defined prototypes.
A managed private investment fund that pools large financial resources, which are then invested in usually private non-publicly traded companies.
A form of debt financing usually organised via an SPV format, whereby the loan is non or limited recourse to the owners of the SPV and instead is fully secured by the project revenues and assets.
A regional financial institution established to provide financial assistance, usually debt, to businesses and institutions for development.
A grant that is disbursed only after expenses have been incurred by the awardee.
A form of grant financing in which funds are disbursed once recipients meet specified performance objectives.
Applications with no deadline. They are accepted at any time.
Initial funding for a business to turn a prototype into a product or service. It is used to further develop the product or service and conduct more extensive market research.
Debt that is paid first when a loan is in arrears, after a loan is called into default or when a company is dissolved.
Funding rounds for companies at different developmental stages. Series A is the funding raised after seed funding.
Series B funding is used to grow the company to meet rising levels of demand. Series C funding is raised once company is almost at maturity and looking to scale or enter new markets.
A specialised investment fund that pools resources to invest equity solely in the energy sector.
A fund set up to solely provide debt financing for the off-grid energy sector enterprises.
Household systems providing basic energy, including pico-solar products and solar home systems. Pico-solar products are productised systems that are typically only used for lighting purposes. These are also referred to as solar lanterns. Solar home systems are also productised but include a wider variety of loads. These systems typically include a solar panel, battery, lighting and mobile device charging functionality. Larger systems also include loads such as TVs, fans and direct current refrigerators.
A large corporate investor that invests for strategic gain, e.g., to access a promising technology.
Non-financial assistance in the form of advisory support, capacity and skills building, etc.
Used for bank loans and insurance contracts to indicate the length of time a loan is valid until it is due.
An affiliated third party that agrees to back a loan or debt in the event of a default on payments or obligations.
Average amount of funding made available for each individual recipient.
Current as of: 2024-10-23
Description
The REACT Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) programme provides grant funding to investees in Liberia, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. REACT SSA focuses on both on- and off-grid renewable energies, productive use of energy, energy efficiency and distribution models that support small and medium enterprises.
Instrument Type
Grant
Format of grants offered
Straight grants paid to recipient upfront
Matching grants requiring grantee contribution
Reimbursable grant
Matching grants requiring grantee contribution
Reimbursable grant
Ticket sizes per transaction (EUR)
0 - 100,000
Currencies used
US Dollars
Local currencies
Local currencies
Eligible market segments
Independent Power Producers
Mini-grids
Energy efficiency
Stand-alone solar systems
Clean cooking
Energy for productive use
Mini-grids
Energy efficiency
Stand-alone solar systems
Clean cooking
Energy for productive use
Special requirements pertaining to gender, diversity and local content
AECF is a member of 2X Global. Applicants that meet or exceed the 2X criteria are especially encouraged to apply:
- 51% women ownership or the business is founded by a woman
- 30% of senior leadership are women or 30% of the board or investment committee are women
- 30-50% of the applicant's workforce are women (depending on sector), with quality employment conditions in place
- Applicant's product(s) or service(s) specifically or disproportionately benefit women
Technical assistance
Technical assistance is provided for free
Eligible regions under GET.invest mandate
East Africa
Southern Africa
West Africa
Southern Africa
West Africa
Eligible countries under GET.invest mandate
Burkina Faso
Ethiopia
Kenya
Liberia
Mali
Mozambique
Somalia
Zimbabwe
Ethiopia
Kenya
Liberia
Mali
Mozambique
Somalia
Zimbabwe
Examples of past awardees
Instrument Capitalisers
The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)
Apply
Eligibility criteria
For more information on eligibility criteria, contact the fund manager at the details providedApplication process
For more information on the application process, contact the fund manager at the details providedDeadline for submission (if applicable)
Rolling applicationsContact
Go to fund websiteHeadquarters
Nairobi, KenyaPhone
+254111035000Other branches
Abidjan, Côte d’IvoireDar es Salaam, Tanzania
Middletown, USA
Fund manager
Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF)
About
The Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) is a non-profit development organisation that supports enterprises in the agribusiness and renewable energy sectors across Africa. AECF finances high risk businesses that struggle to access commercial funding in frontier markets, fragile contexts, and high-risk economies.