The Energy and Environment Partnership Trust Fund (EEP Africa) is a clean energy financing facility hosted and managed by the Nordic Development Fund (NDF) with funding from Austria, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, NDF, Norway, and Switzerland. It is guided by a vision for a climate-resilient, zero-carbon future, aiming to contribute to achieving the Paris Climate Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). EEP Africa provides risk-tolerant early-stage grant financing for locally driven innovative clean energy projects, technologies, and business models in Southern and Eastern Africa. The immediate objective is to enhance clean energy access, development, and investment, with a particular focus on benefitting vulnerable and underserved groups. EEP Africa’s current portfolio comprises 103 projects approved for financing from 2018 to 2024, covering 7 technologies across 17 countries and totalling EUR 40.6 million in committed and repayable grants. The programme has conducted 18 calls for proposals since 2010.
Funbding Amount
EEP Innovation:
- EUR 200,000 to EUR 1,000,000 per project
- Funding provided as grants or repayable grants
- Funding over EUR 500,000 is automatically repayable
- Feasibility study funding is automatically repayable
- The Investment Committee may determine additional repayment of funds
EEP Catalyst (Follow-on Financing):
- Up to EUR 2 million for selected projects that have previously received EEP funding
- Provided as loans, guarantees, or other risk-sharing instruments
Co-financing Requirements:
- Minimum 30-50% cash co-financing of total project budget (depending on project phase and company maturity)
Target
- Private companies, start-ups, and social enterprises from any country in the world
- Early-stage clean energy project developers
- Companies with projects in one or more EEP Africa target countries
- Women entrepreneurs and locally-led organisations (strongly encouraged)
- Organisations demonstrating strong local presence through being based in target countries, being locally led, or having strong local partnerships
Not Eligible:
- NGOs, charities, research institutions, and government agencies (but may participate as project partners)
- Government ministries, UN agencies, national/provincial/district departments
Closing Date
Applications through competitive calls-for-proposals held periodically (18 calls since 2010)
- Focus Areas
- Energy access
- Productive energy use
- Mini-grids
- Clean cooking
- Mobility
- Energy efficiency
Renewable Energy Sources:
- Solar
- Wind
- Biomass
- Geothermal
- Hydro
- Other renewable energy sources
Project Types:
- Development phase: Feasibility studies or pilot projects
- Expansion phase: Replication or scale-up projects
- All projects must demonstrate a clear path to profitability with a reasonable expectation of further investment and sustainable commercialisation
Eligibility Criteria
- Must be a registered legal entity for at least 6 months prior to the Expression of Interest opening date
- Can be registered in any country but must demonstrate local engagement
- Must have strong local presence in target country(ies): applicant should be based in the country, be locally led, or be an international company with strong local partnerships
Project Requirements:
- Projects must be early-stage and in an active development phase
- Must be located in one or more of the 17 target countries
- All projects must demonstrate clear additionality and rationale for EEP Africa funding
- Must show a clear path to profitability and sustainable commercialisation
- Projects evaluated on: Concept Innovation, Development Impact, and Business Model & Financial Sustainability
- Additional evaluation criteria applied in themed calls
Application Requirements:
- Must meet all eligibility criteria defined in the Call for Proposals Application Guidelines
- Applications must be submitted via the online platform (SmartME)
- Applications via email or social media will not be considered
Target Countries (17 countries): Botswana, Burundi, Comoros, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Application Process:
- Expression of Interest (EoI) submission
- Longlisted applicants invited for pitching sessions
- Shortlisted applicants proceed to the Full Proposal stage
