CEI Africa is a foundation established in 2021 by the German development finance institution KfW on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), with additional funding from the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC). The foundation has raised €83 million in total capital and operates as a one-stop shop for financing off-grid energy companies in Sub-Saharan Africa. CEI Africa is managed by a consortium of three organisations: Triple Jump B.V. serves as Foundation Manager, Persistent Energy Capital leads the Crowdlending window, and GreenMax Capital Group leads the RBF and Smart Outcomes Fund windows. The foundation was specifically designed to improve access to clean energy for rural and peri-urban households and enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa by addressing real and perceived risks in the energy access space. CEI Africa offers a variety of financing instruments, including results-based financing grants, outcomes-based grants, concessional debt, junior/senior debt, equity, quasi-equity, forgivable loans, and technical assistance, all combined to create comprehensive support packages for energy access companies. The foundation aims to directly contribute to multiple Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG7, which aims to ensure affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy by 2030. As of mid-2025, CEI Africa has financed 38,000 new solar mini-grid connections being installed by seven developers across Benin, DRC, Kenya, and Mali, bringing electricity access to over 180,000 rural residents.
Funding Amount
Results-based financing grants ranging from approximately $300,000 to $4,200,000 per project, depending on the number of connections and project scale. Total RBF component allocation is €21 million (approximately $22.2 million). Grant amounts are connection-based CAPEX subsidies, with funding disbursed upon completion of verified new electricity connections. Technical assistance is provided in addition to grants at no cost to recipients.
Target
Privately owned green mini-grid (GMG) developers and companies operating in Sub-Saharan Africa. Both local and international developers are eligible. Target beneficiaries include rural and peri-urban households, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and communal amenities such as health centres and schools in communities not connected to national electricity grids. Particular focus on women as end beneficiaries. No individual applicants accepted; must be registered corporate entities.
Cloasing Date
Applications operate through periodic calls
Focus Areas
Solar, Clean Energy, mini-grid, renewable energy
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must be privately owned green mini-grid developers or companies with operational capability to develop, construct, and operate solar mini-grids in target countries (Kenya, DRC, Sierra Leone, Benin, Madagascar, Mali, with potential expansion to additional countries). Must demonstrate technical capacity to install and maintain renewable energy systems with battery storage. Projects must target communities not connected to national electricity grids in ODA recipient countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Applications evaluated on: technical feasibility of project design and implementation plan; financial viability and sustainability beyond grant period; social impact and number of beneficiaries reached; management team strength and track record; cost-effectiveness compared to other applicants; environmental and social safeguards compliance with CEI Africa’s E&S Policy; gender considerations with particular focus on women beneficiaries. Two-stage application process: initial registration and prequalification, followed by site-specific detailed applications for approved developers. Grant disbursement is conditional on the fulfilment of conditions precedent, including the execution of the Grant Agreement and the completion of verified new electricity connections. Must comply with CEI Africa’s ESG standards and impact measurement requirements. Applicants should demonstrate the ability to co-finance projects with other investors where applicable.
