Funds for Companies

Grants and Resources for Sustainability

You are here: Home / Grant / Now Open: InSPIRE Challenge Fund (Bangladesh)

Now Open: InSPIRE Challenge Fund (Bangladesh)

Deadline: 15 July 2025

InSPIRE invites eligible RMG factories and Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) to apply individually and/or, in consortium with subcontracting factories, financial institutions, international brands etc to submit concept notes proposing innovative, impactful, and scalable ideas for implementation of energy efficiency or renewable energy projects at their facilities.

Aims

  • Initiative to Stimulate Private Investment for Resource Efficiency (InSPIRE) is a challenge fund project that aims to support sustainable energy adoption in Bangladesh’s RMG sector by enhancing technical and financial capacity.

Funding Information

  • Small Grants: BDT 1,200,000 to 6,000,000 (approximately).
  • Medium Grants: BDT 6,000,001 to 15,600,000 (approximately).
  • Contribution by the applicant: a minimum of 60% of the project cost should be contributed by the applicant.

Eligible Projects

  • Eligible projects must:
    • Offer new or innovative sustainable energy solutions in Bangladesh’s RMG sector.
    • Address systemic barriers (technical, financial, or operational).
    • Be technically sound, financially viable, and replicable.
    • Integrate Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) considerations.
    • The project structure, funding mechanism, and contribution modality will vary based on the timeline. The minimum timeline for implementation being 6 months and the maximum timeline being 24 months.

Location

  • Project implementation is permissible throughout Bangladesh, with strategic emphasis on the RMG sector. Project implementation is permissible throughout Bangladesh, with strategic emphasis on the RMG sector.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Applicants must:
    • Be legally registered and compliant with labor laws and minimum wage standards in Bangladesh.
    • Not be listed in any exclusion categories.
    • Not receive any other donor funding for the same project.
  • Eligible Applicants:
    • Exporting RMG factories, in and outside EPZ.
    • Subcontractor and suppliers to exporting factories (textile, knitting, spinning).
    • National or international ESCOs working with RMG factories.
    • Consortiums involving RMG factories, their subcontractors, ESCOs, international brands, financial institutions, and any energy solution providers.

For more information, visit Swisscontact.