EEP Africa Launches Grants for Early-Stage Clean Energy Ventures

The program focuses on enhancing clean energy access, development, and investment with particular attention to benefiting vulnerable and underserved groups. Its objectives include contributing to a climate-resilient, zero-carbon future, supporting the achievement of the Paris Climate Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals, and providing risk-tolerant early-stage grant financing for innovative technologies, business, and delivery models. The key priorities of the program are enhancing energy access, promoting gender equality, reducing poverty, creating decent work and economic growth, and taking climate action.

EEP Africa funds projects across all stages of development, including feasibility studies, pilot initiatives, replication, and scale-up projects. All projects are expected to demonstrate a clear need for financing, additionality, and a pathway to profitability with reasonable prospects for further investment and sustainable commercialization. The facility is technology agnostic, supporting solutions based on renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, hydro, or other renewable energy sources, as well as energy efficiency initiatives. For CfP2026, projects from Kenya, Botswana, Mauritius, Namibia, and South Africa must focus specifically on e-waste management generated from the clean energy sector. Eligible technology areas include residential electricity access, productive uses of energy, mini grids, power generation, clean cooking, mobility solutions, and energy efficiency and storage.

Applicants can be private companies, start-ups, or social enterprises from any country with projects in one or more EEP Africa target countries. Applicants must have a strong local presence, be legally registered for at least six months prior to the Expression of Interest opening date, and demonstrate the ability to implement the project locally. While NGOs, charities, research institutions, and government entities are not directly eligible for funding, they may participate as project partners. Grants and repayable grants are available from EUR 200,000 to 500,000, with a minimum required co-financing of 30–50% depending on project phase and company maturity. Additional repayability may be determined by the Investment Committee.

EEP Africa measures its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals through indicators such as energy savings and additional income generated, the share of women in leadership and employment, the number of people with enhanced energy access, clean energy generated and installed, decent jobs created, and GHG emissions reduced or avoided. By supporting these projects, EEP Africa seeks to promote inclusive, innovative, and sustainable clean energy solutions that address local needs while contributing to global climate action.

For more information, visit EEP Africa.