ROGEAP – Entrepreneurship support scheme: Call for expressions of interest for the pre-selection of entrepreneurs and SMEs in the public services sector
The official launch of the Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project (ROGEAP) took place in Praia on 12 and 13 October 2023, at the opening of the 2023 ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Forum (ESEF).
ROGEAP aims to increase access to sustainable electricity services in the fifteen member countries of the Organisation for the Development of the Sahel (ECOWAS) and in Cameroon, Chad, Mauritania and the Central African Republic. ROGEAP’s objectives are: (i) to create a regional market for off-grid solar (OGS) products, (ii) to support stakeholders across the value chain, and (iii) to promote the management of environmental, social and gender risks associated with OGS products.
A Project Fund Manager (PFM) has been recruited to support the ECOWAS in the implementation of Component 1, providing technical assistance to the Entrepreneurship Support Facility (ESF) and the Financial Support Facility (FSF). The PFM will provide financial, business and risk management support – covering environmental, social, health and safety risks – to self-sustaining solar energy companies to ensure access to target markets, as well as activities related to the development of a pipeline of projects eligible for the credit line.
A call for expressions of interest will be launched on 14 November 2023 via www.rogeappfm.orgpara in the pilot countries of Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Mauritania and Nigeria, with the aim of shortlisting entrepreneurs and SMEs in the export-oriented services sector, with a view to supporting start-ups and early-stage companies in launching and expanding their activities. The deadline for expressions of interest from the above-mentioned countries is 28 November 2023.
Overall, support for companies in the solar energy sector during the start-up or post-launch phase amounts to US$5 million in the form of matching grants for eligible countries[1].
This contact is the first step in the activities of the Project Fund Manager (PFM). In the next online webinar, we will provide you with further details on the funds available, as well as local contacts and the eligibility criteria for the various funds.
We would like to thank you in advance for sharing this information with your contacts and partners, for your willingness to help, and for keeping in touch with us regarding future activities.
[1] Eligible countries: CTF (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone) and DGIS (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger)