Our Response
The EUR 100 million targeted concessionary debt fund seeks to enable off-grid energy companies in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia to both maintain their customers' existing energy services and retain the staff required to deliver future services to these customers.
By providing emergency capital to off-grid energy companies, the COVID-19 Energy Access Relief Fund aims to protect the progress already made towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7. By stabilizing economies in emerging markets and providing security for up to 370,000 jobs, the Fund will also ensure that the sector can continue to grow after the crisis.
Our Response
The Covid-19 Relief Response is coordinated by the Energy Access Action Network, a coalition of leading companies, investors, industry associations, and sector support providers from across the off-grid sector. The Network is developing important early interventions to support the industry through the economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. We are coordinating closely with donors and foundations, whose resources are needed to make the relief instruments possible. The coordinated response is a work in progress. While it catalyzes the most immediate initiatives to support the industry, additional support will be needed in the months to come.
Our response looks to bridge the liquidity crisis facing a high-impact but vulnerable young industry and reinforce the market foundation to build resilience through:
Technical Assistance
Many of the sector’s leading support organizations and advisors are working to address the real-time needs of businesses across the value chain to recover and thrive post-crisis. We are currently collaborating to provide technical support to companies so that they may better navigate these times. To date, 26 different technical assistance providers have made new resources available to support companies. There is however still a significant demand for organizational support in responding to the expressed needs of more than 300 companies interested in some form of technical assistance.
Technical assistance can include:
- Liquidity planning
- Business operations continuity
- Investor relations support
- Legal support for capital raising and loan restructuring/rescheduling
- Credit risk management
- Business modeling
- Supply chain management
- Marketing
- Communications
- Human resources
Below is a list of currently available technical assistance providers, noting that many more will be available in the coming weeks:
- GET.invest offers support to address acute and critical finance-related problems for energy companies via a dedicated Covid-19 window in its Finance Catalyst facility. A team of experienced advisors is on stand-by to assist companies with reviewing strategy including business continuity, business and financial (re)structuring as well as financial modelling, introductions to funds, and transaction advisory. The support is accessible to new applicants on a fast track with applications being reviewed and support to start within a maximum of one week. The Covid-19 window operates in parallel to the regular, long-term support through the GET.invest Finance Catalyst that remains available for bringing clean energy businesses and investment opportunities to fruition.
- PFAN has a special COVID-19 application window open for Virtual Clinics, focusing on business continuity, fundraising support, and negotiations around existing obligations. This is in addition to its regular application window, both of which are available to growing clean energy firms that are seeking investment and financial advisory
- The Clean Cooking Alliance can provide Technical Assistance to companies operating in the clean cooking sector
- The US Trade and Development Authority (USTDA) can provide grant capital and TA for infrastructure development. Criteria and applications can be found here.
- Power Africa has multiple programs that are supporting energy access companies during the crisis:
- The Southern African Energy Program is providing a broad range of technical assistance to companies including sales strategy training, supply chain support, geospatial assistance, financial modeling and structuring, and policy/regulatory support, this also includes an active RBF grant program in Malawi supporting selected companies.
- Power Africa’s Off-grid Project does not accept applications for TA, but their in-country, regional, cross-cutting and third party advisors do support companies with capital raising, legal TA, CEO coaching for equity raising, and temporary CFO secondment, treasury management and liquidity support. They also manage a grant facility with funding windows of up to $500,000 per award. See what’s currently available here, or contact Gordon Shaw for details.
- SNV provides grants and TA opportunities for decentralized renewable energy companies, e.g. through BRILHO (DFID), KOSAP (WB), IAP (Sweden), DFCD (Netherlands) and EnDev (multiple donors).
- African Management Institute (AMI) is an educational organization focused on increasing the skills and opportunities of African managers. They have a number of educational and career development resources available for entrepreneurs and their managerial teams during the crisis:
- Business Survival Bootcamp: Focused on rapid financial planning, cost management and strategies for adapting your business and products, practical action for entrepreneurs to ensure their businesses survival. Available for single registrants in English and French.
- Survive to Thrive: fully virtual programme designed to help African businesses navigate the unexpected challenges brought about by Coronavirus (COVID-19). Available in English, French coming soon. Contact Naomi Kirungu for more details, or directly fill in this application form.
- Empowering Managers: tailored 6-month virtual programme for managers in the off-grid energy space, with scholarships available from the UK Department for International Development. Available in English (beginning in July) or French (in September). Interested participants can contact Joan Kamau for anglophone programmes and Camille Linquier for francophone programmes.
Companies should also check with their existing investors and grantors to see what technical support they can facilitate. Additional resources are being tracked by industry associations:
- GOGLA resource center
- COVID response initiatives (compiled by GET.Invest and PFAN)
- AMDA Opportunities Database
- Global Distributors Collective Covid-19 Resources
- Lighting Global Covid-19 Resources
Apply for funding
If you are an energy access venture interested and eligible to receive funding, please apply by clicking on the button below and completing the application form.
Contribute to the fund
If you are interested in contributing to the fund, please click on the button below and complete the contribution form.
Sector-Wide Policy Interventions
Across the industry, organizations are working with governments and national renewable energy associations to ensure that the off-grid sector is considered in policy responses to the pandemic. The industry has collectively called on governments in key markets to designate off-grid solar as an essential service ensuring that businesses can continue to provide services to customers under lockdown measures. To date, the governments of Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Senegal, Nigeria, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, and Burkina Faso have pushed these measures through. The sector continues to engage with governments to increase awareness of potential negative consequences of policy measures for the industry and customers.
GOGLA has created a policy tracker to better monitor the progress of these requests and measures. Similarly the SEforAll and Lighting Global teams continue to communicate these urgencies to national governments and the World Bank is tracking the national policy measures that countries are implementing in support of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Measures include debt finance, employment support, reducing tax and business costs, and supporting the overall business climate. We continue to explore all avenues available to ensure that off-grid services continue to get to the places where energy is so desperately needed.
Consumer Protection and Relief
Consumer protection is now more important than ever. Low-income consumers are vulnerable to economic shocks and will likely be disproportionately affected in both health and finance by the Covid-19 pandemic. A product lock-out for a PAYGo consumer at this time would be a double blow – the loss of radio, TV or mobile phone to stay informed, or the loss of light whilst ill could be devastating. Companies should acknowledge these risks and adjust operations to protect consumers and build resilience – both in the short and long term.
While the Covid-19 crisis has already hit PAYGo customers’ repayment rates, the impact is not yet severe. However, there is a serious risk that PAYGo customers may soon need to dedicate limited resources to more urgent expenses, and will struggle to keep making PAYGo payments without support. Self-reported data shows that household incomes are already falling and expenses are increasing in key PAYGo markets, and this is expected to accelerate if lockdown measures extend.
Despite the considerable financial pressure they are under, PAYGo operators are already taking steps to make this crisis easier for customers. These actions include:
- Offering limited grace periods for reliable customers who are struggling to pay;
- Offering discounts or bonus energy days;
- Rescheduling payment plans to lower the payment amount and extend the term;
- Offering smaller/cheaper products to existing customers who can no longer afford larger products;
- Reducing the minimum payment amount;
- Reducing the amount payable to unlock the product for customers who have been disconnected;
- Imposing a moratorium on repossessions; and
- Buying back SHS that are not in use, or even swapping them for lanterns.
In an effort to further understand the impact on customers' lives, 60 Decibels –in collaboration with GOGLA, DOEN Foundation, CDC, and CGAP– are surveying consumer's experiences, to measure how they are adjusting to this crisis, and providing companies with actionable data that they can use to protect and support customers. Similarly, GOGLA has continued to provide consumer protection guidance during the Covid-19 pandemic based on the consumer protection code, while SEforALL and the Rockefeller Foundation are exploring approaches to meet expected consumer relief and pay-back support through existing RBF programs and potential demand side subsidy funding.
Financial Assistance for Energy Access Companies
Fundraising efforts are underway to raise a targeted emergency relief funding to enable energy access companies in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia to both maintain their customers’ existing energy services and retain staff required to deliver future services to these customers. A concessionary debt fund aims to offer immediate short-term financial support. A range of additional financial support mechanisms will still be required to protect the essential services that the sector delivers to low-income communities over the next weeks, months and years.
The target for the relief fund is to raise USD 100 million, however the first close is now foreseen at USD 50 million. By providing emergency capital to off-grid energy companies, the relief fund aims to protect a significant share of the progress already made toward achieving SDG7. By providing security for many of the industry’s up to 370,000 jobs, the relief fund will also increase the likelihood that the sector can continue to function and start growing again after the crisis.
Additional micro-loan and grant support mechanisms will still be required to help smaller companies for which the relief fund is not the right solution. We recognize that there is also a need to help smaller and locally-owned companies, as they play a crucial role in expanding energy access to underserved regions and countries. Industry associations continue to work with other sector stakeholders to raise a fully-grant funded facility for very small companies to access grants. At this point, it remains unclear in what form or on what timeline this can be realized. Read why additional grant funding is urgently needed in this open letter from the energy access industry. Lettre en français.
Update on Current Status (July 20, 2020)
Earlier this month, the selected fund manager withdrew from its role as fund manager for the Energy Access Relief Fund. While the fund partners regret the decision, they remain firmly committed to the initiative. The search for a replacement has already started and all investors have reconfirmed their intention to contribute to the fund. As soon as a new fund manager is selected, it will become clearer when businesses will be able to apply. Access to finance remains essential for companies as the energy access sector begins its journey on the path to recovery.
Eligibility
To be eligible, companies need to fulfill the following criteria and provide the required evidence:
Criteria
- Addressing SDG7 (affordable and clean energy) is a defined goal of the company
- Implementing solar home systems, clean cooking (across the value chain), solar-powered productive use or mini-grid business model in Africa or South Asia, with 50% of the revenue coming from such business
- Business viability prior to Covid-19, to be demonstrated by metrics including cash runway, leverage ratios, historical revenue generation and ability to raise external financing
- Demonstrated need for emergency funding
- Covid-19 adaptation plan articulating measures already implemented to address the crisis
- Registered company
- Transparent ownership structure
Criteria details and further information will be provided as soon as possible. Please sign up below to be notified of any updates.
out of 100M
Commitments to Date
out of 5%
First-Loss
out of 25%
Guarantee
out of 70%
Senior Debt
Steering Group
%20long.png)
.png){kind=logo}
Frequently Asked Questions and More Information
We have compiled a list of answers to the questions we have started to receive from potential borrowers and lenders. Categories include eligibility requirements, term details, usage, and impact details. Please note these are living documents and are regularly updated.
For Borrowers
For Lenders
Apply for funding
If you are an energy access venture interested and eligible to receive funding, please apply by clicking on the button below and completing the application form.
1. Immediate Technical Assistance
Many of the sector’s leading support organizations and advisors are working to address the real-time needs of businesses across the value chain to recover and thrive post-crisis. We are currently collaborating to provide technical support to companies so that they may better navigate these times. To date, 26 different technical assistance providers have made new resources available to support companies. There is however still a significant demand for organizational support in responding to the expressed needs of more than 300 companies interested in some form of technical assistance.
We are looking for advisors who can provide:
- Liquidity planning
- Business operations continuity
- Investor relations support
- Credit risk management
Below is a list of currently available technical assistance providers, noting that many more will be available in the coming weeks:
- Power Africa is providing a broad range of technical assistance to companies including sales strategy training, supply chain support, geospatial assistance, financial modeling and structuring and policy/regulatory. We also currently have an active RBF grant program in Malawi supporting selected companies
- GET.Invest has opened a special Finance Catalyst window for Covid-19-related assistance
- PFAN has an application window open for growing clean energy firms that are seeking investment and financial advisory
- The Clean Cooking Alliance has a range of funding and TA opportunities available for companies in the clean cooking sector
- The US Trade and Development Authority (USTDA) can provide grant capital and TA for infrastructure development. Criteria and applications can be found here.
Companies should also check with their existing investors and grantors to see what technical support they can facilitate. Additional resources are being tracked by industry associations:
- GOGLA resource center
- AMDA Opportunities Database
- Global Distributors Collective Covid-19 Resources
- Lighting Global Covid-19 Resources
Apply for funding
If you are an energy access venture interested and eligible to receive funding, please apply by clicking on the button below and completing the application form.
Contribute to the fund
If you are interested in contributing to the fund, please click on the button below and complete the contribution form.
Contribute to the fund
If you are interested in contributing to the fund, please click on the button below and complete the contribution form.
Apply for funding
If you are an energy access venture interested and eligible to receive funding, please apply by clicking on the button below and completing the application form.
2. Sector-Wide Policy Interventions
Across the industry, organizations are working with governments and national renewable energy associations to ensure that the off-grid sector is considered in policy responses to the pandemic.
The industry has called on governments in key markets to designate off-grid solar as an essential service. To date, the leadership in Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Senegal, Nigeria, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, and Burkina Faso have pushed these measures through. The Kenyan Government, for example, has recognized off-grid solar distributors and call centers as essential service providers, meaning they have remained open for business to “ensure that energy services for all Kenyans regardless of their electricity provider should continue with minimal disruptions.” This is crucial to keeping our industry alive while also responding to the needs of citizens. GOGLA has also created a policy tracker to better monitor the progress of these requests and measures.
Similarly the SE4All and Lighting Global teams continue to communicate these urgencies to national governments. The World Bank is also tracking the national policy measures that countries are implementing in support of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Measures include debt finance, employment support, reducing tax and business costs, and supporting the overall business climate. We continue to explore all avenues available to ensure that off-grid services continue to get to the places where energy is so desperately needed.
Contribute to the fund
If you are interested in contributing to the fund, please click on the button below and complete the contribution form.
Apply for funding
If you are an energy access venture interested and eligible to receive funding, please apply by clicking on the button below and completing the application form.
3. Consumer Protection and Relief
Consumer protection is now more important than ever. Low-income consumers are vulnerable to economic shocks and will likely be disproportionately affected in both health and finance by the Covid-19 pandemic. A product lock-out for a PAYGo consumer at this time would be a double blow – the loss of radio, TV or mobile phone to stay informed, or the loss of light whilst ill could be devastating. Companies should acknowledge these risks and adjust operations to protect consumers and build resilience – both in the short and long term.
While the Covid-19 crisis has already hit PAYGo customers’ repayment rates, the impact is not yet severe. However, there is a serious risk that PAYGo customers may soon need to dedicate limited resources to more urgent expenses, and will struggle to keep making PAYGo payments without support. Self-reported data shows that household incomes are already falling and expenses are increasing in key PAYGo markets, and this is expected to accelerate if lockdown measures extend.
Despite the considerable financial pressure they are under, PAYGo operators are already taking steps to make this crisis easier for customers. These actions include:
- Offering limited grace periods for reliable customers who are struggling to pay;
- Offering discounts or bonus energy days;
- Rescheduling payment plans to lower the payment amount and extend the term;
- Offering smaller/cheaper products to existing customers who can no longer afford larger products;
- Reducing the minimum payment amount;
- Reducing the amount payable to unlock the product for customers who have been disconnected;
- Imposing a moratorium on repossessions; and
- Buying back SHS that are not in use, or even swapping them for lanterns.
In an effort to further understand the impact on customers' lives, 60 Decibels --in collaboration with GOGLA, DOEN Foundation, CDC, and CGAP-- are surveying consumer's experiences, to measure how they are adjusting to this crisis, and providing companies with actionable data that they can use to protect and support customers. Similarly, GOGLA has continued to provide consumer protection guidance during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Contribute to the fund
If you are interested in contributing to the fund, please click on the button below and complete the contribution form.
Apply for funding
If you are an energy access venture interested and eligible to receive funding, please apply by clicking on the button below and completing the application form.
4. Relief Funding
Fundraising efforts are underway to raise a targeted emergency relief fund to enable energy access companies in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia to both maintain their customers’ existing energy services and retain staff required to deliver future services to these customers. This concessionary debt fund aims to offer short-term financial support. A range of additional financial support mechanisms will still be required to protect the essential services that the sector delivers to low-income communities over the next weeks, months and years.
The target for this concessionary debt fund is to raise EUR 100 million, however the first close is now foreseen at EUR 50 million. By providing emergency capital to off-grid energy companies, the fund aims to protect a significant share of the progress already made toward achieving SDG7. By providing security for many of the industry’s up to 370,000 jobs, this fund will also ensure that the sector can continue to function and start growing again after the crisis.
Additional micro-loan and grant support mechanisms will still be required to help smaller companies for which the debt fund is not the right solution. We recognize that there is also a need to help smaller and locally-owned companies, as they play a crucial role in expanding energy access to underserved regions and countries. Industry associations continue to work with other sector stakeholderss to raise a fully-grant funded facility for very small companies to access grants. At this point, it remains unclear in what form or on what timeline this can be realized. We will regularly update this website for the latest update.
Contribute to the fund
If you are interested in contributing to the fund, please click on the button below and complete the contribution form.