Grants to support Innovative Projects Integrating Passive Cooling Strategies and Solutions

The Challenge

• Residential buildings represent the largest share of energy consumption in the ASEAN building sector. With rising temperatures, rapid urbanization, and increasing incomes, the demand for cooling is growing rapidly, posing risks to a currently carbon-intensive energy system and causing more global warming. Moreover, access to cooling remains a critical challenge, particularly in underserved and low-income communities that are most vulnerable to heat-related threats.
• Passive cooling for residential buildings utilizes design and material-oriented strategies to improve thermal comfort and reduce reliance on air conditioning. Despite these benefits, the widespread adoption of passive cooling strategies faces multiple hurdles in Southeast Asia. While mandating passive cooling measures through building codes and green building certifications could foster adoption, progress has been sluggish due to weak enforcement of codes, as well as high costs and complexities associated with certifications.
• While building codes and green building certifications are important, in the context of the aforementioned challenges, this RFP aims to seek opportunities that do not rely solely on the regulatory or certification frameworks but identify approaches that will accelerate the adoption of passive cooling. They seek to stimulate innovative, actionable projects or initiatives that fill critical gaps on the ground, offering models that promote passive cooling and sustainable building practices in Southeast Asia’s residential building sector, focusing on ultra-low, low and lower- to middle-income groups.

Funding Opportunity

• The Clean Cooling Collaborative (CCC) has dedicated a total of USD$1.5 million for grantmaking through this RFP. They invite proposals for projects and initiatives of varying funding needs. The goal is to select multiple successful applicants from this process with no more than USD$750,000 allocated to a single project or program.
• Funding Duration: 12-24 months (for activities to be undertaken in 2025 and 2026, finishing no later than Dec 31 2026). Tranche payments will be made based on the completion of agreed upon program/project milestones.

Eligibility Criteria

• Type of Entities Eligible: This RFP is open to all nonprofits, international organizations, academic institutions, consultancies, and private sector enterprises that align with the mission of promoting sustainable and heat-resilient buildings.
• Governments and public agencies are eligible to apply but must specify a preferred technical assistance provider (or multiple providers) that is best suited for their proposed activities. This technical assistance provider will serve as the recipient of funds.
• Organizations already receiving CCC funding are eligible to apply.
• Geographical Focus: Countries in Southeast Asia (Brunei, Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam).
• Building Typology and Categories: Residential buildings: ultra-low-income/informal settlements; low-income, social/public housing; lower- to middle-income housing. Eligible types include single-family homes, multi-family units, and large multi-family complexes. Both existing and new buildings are eligible.
• Types of Passive Cooling Strategies: Agnostic – any proven passive cooling strategies that are commercially viable and scalable in the geography where the project is proposed.

For more information, visit ClimateWorks Foundation.