Request for Applications (RFA)

Empower Southern Africa Program

Request for Applications (RFA)  
 

RFA #01/2024 – Grant to support    activities leading to increased access to electricity through scale up of Solar Home Systems (SHS) and Productive Use of Energy (PUE) systems.

Issuance Date: Monday, August 26, 2024  

Closing Date: Friday, September 27, 2024  

Target Activity Start Date: Monday, November 4, 2024  

Overview of Funding Opportunity

The USAID Empower Southern Africa (ESA) is a 5-year regional program funded by Power Africa. ESA’s geographic footprint is the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) territory, specifically covering Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Sao Tome and Principe, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The primary purpose of ESA is to increase the availability of access to, and use of affordable, reliable, sustainable and clean energy in Southern Africa, to reach measurable development outcomes. Measurable development outcomes include economic growth, reducing poverty, improving livelihoods, and increasing inclusive access to electricity-enabled services in such areas as health, education, sanitation and food security.

ESA is seeking grant applications for implementation of activities leading to increased access to electricity through scale up of Solar Home Systems (SHS) and Productive Use of Energy (PUE) systems. The grants will be awarded and implemented in accordance with USAID and US Government regulations governing grants under contracts and Empower Southern Africa Program’s internal grant management policies.

Application process 

Access the “RFA01/2024” and the application package in the Empower Southern Africa RFA #01/2024  ESA RFA 01/2024 Package - Google Drive, or request the RFA package by sending an email to Siphamandla Phika, ESA Grants Manager, at  ESA-Grants@empowersouthernafrica.org .   

Other important links for this RFA are listed below:

1. EOI Pre-Application Briefing Form -  ESA RFA 01/2024: Pre-Application Expression of Interest (EOI) (airtable.com)
2. Solicitation Questions Submission Form –    ESA | Solicitation Question Submission Form (airtable.com)
3. Application Submission Form -  Empower Southern Africa Program (ESA) RFA 01/2024 (airtable.com)

Please note that the above links will become inactive after the date and time stated in the “RFA 01/2024”.

To ensure    uniform disclosure to all potential applicants, applicants should submit clarification questions via the online form:  ESA | Solicitation Question Submission Form (airtable.com)  by September 4, 2024, 23:59 (CAT). ESA will provide instructions on the application process and answers to any questions on the elements of this RFA during the pre-application briefing. The pre-application briefing will be held virtually on September 6, 2024, at 11h00 (CAT).

Schedule of Events

Issuance of this RFA does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the ESA or USAID, nor does it commit ESA to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of an application. Further, ESA reserves the right to reject any or all applications received. Similarly, an invitation to attend the pre-application briefing, or to clarify your application is not a commitment to fund that application, nor reimburse any costs incurred during the preparation of the application.

Contact Information:    ESA-Grants@empowersouthernafrica.org , attention: Siphamandla Phika, ESA Grants Manager.