Call for Expressions of Interest to Provide Technical Support to a Carbon Finance Accelerator for Clean Cooking Enterprises in West Africa
1. Summary
The United Nations Foundation’s (UNF) Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA) is accepting Expressions of Interest (EOI) from firms or individuals capable of delivering technical support to a new venture accelerator program that will assist small and growing clean cooking companies to access carbon finance. The accelerator program is being designed to build the operational and strategic capacity of enterprises in the clean cooking sector to develop high quality carbon projects and increase the likelihood of these enterprises securing financing through the carbon markets.
CCA intends to select one or more technical partner(s) for the accelerator program who will work alongside CCA and its program implementation partner to deliver the program. The consultant will provide technical assistance directly to enterprises in the accelerator program as well as provide programmatic support to CCA and its program implementation partner. The first cohort of the accelerator will be West Africa focused with a programmatic hub in Ghana.
The selected technical partner will be required to provide professional services including, but not limited to, the following areas:
Capacity building technical assistance to cohort enterprises in the form of brief, enterprise specific, consulting assignments including:
- Developing strategies for the enterprises to access global carbon markets and buyers, and national-level programs where applicable (for example, connecting smaller companies with intermediaries, medium-sized with brokers, larger companies with direct buyers, and exploring aggregation facilities where applicable)
- Assessing and diagnosing enterprise-level gaps that could impede the development of bankable carbon projects
- Conducting enterprise level feasibility and cost-benefit analyses for carbon projects
- Providing direct technical expertise and advice to assist companies with the technical processes of structuring and registering carbon programs
- Supporting the development and coaching of founders and enterprise teams in the context of understanding carbon markets and aligning company strategy to carbon finance opportunities
Programmatic support to the CCA Venture Accelerator, including:
- Collaborating with CCA and its program implementation partner to design an effective and comprehensive carbon finance focused hybrid (in-person and online) accelerator program for clean cooking enterprises in West Africa
- Co-developing enterprise recruitment criteria aligned to the goals of the accelerator program
- Co-developing program success metrics linked to enterprises progress in developing carbon strategy and accessing carbon markets
- Designing and delivering structured, carbon finance related, learning content for in-person and online program delivery
Any firm or individual(s) with the experience and technical capability to provide support in either the capacity building or programmatic support areas (or both) identified above may register their interest with CCA as described below.
2. Background of Organization
CCA works with a global network of partners to build an inclusive industry that makes clean cooking accessible to the three billion people who live each day without it. Established in 2010, CCA is driving consumer demand, mobilizing investment to build a pipeline of scalable businesses, and fostering an enabling environment that allows the sector to thrive. Clean cooking transforms lives by improving health, protecting the climate and the environment, empowering women, and helping families save time and money.
3. CCA Venture Accelerator Concept
The Problem: Clean cooking enterprises are not yet getting their share of carbon capital.
As global carbon markets have accelerated through the growth in voluntary carbon markets (VCM) and the emergence of Article 6.2 bilateral agreements, the opportunity to deliver climate finance to the clean cooking sector through the carbon markets remains underutilized. Less than 5% of carbon credits generated in the VCM to date are from clean cooking. Less than ten project developers dominate the flow of clean cooking credits. This is especially true in Africa, a critical and large geographic area for the clean cooking sector. Fifteen project developers accounted for 73% of the carbon credits issued in Africa from 2010-2022 (Africa Carbon Market Initiative Report 2022). Over 60% of project developers have been engaged in single project and over 70 percent have been active in only one country.
Addressing the Problem through the CCA Venture Accelerator
To tackle enterprise level challenges related to accessing carbon finance and to complement national and ecosystem level efforts, CCA will launch a venture accelerator to support small and growing clean cooking companies to increase the likelihood of securing access to carbon finance. The program will build the operational and strategic capacity of these companies to develop high quality projects that are better integrated in the country-level planning for clean cooking and carbon finance and, where applicable, the international carbon markets.
The Accelerator intends to:
- Identify and select high-potential clean cooking enterprises with promising technology and the ambition to structure carbon projects.
- Provide technical assistance and capacity building support to selected enterprises in several areas:
- Diagnosing venture-level gaps that impede them from developing bankable carbon projects
- Developing strategies for the enterprises to access global carbon markets and buyers, and national-level programs where applicable (for example, connecting smaller companies with intermediaries, medium-sized with brokers, larger companies with direct buyers, and exploring aggregation facilities where applicable)
- Providing access to technical expertise to assist companies with the process of structuring and registering carbon programs
- Addressing other venture level gaps in targeted ways
- Provide structured coaching and expert support to the selected enterprises to ensure their projects are successfully implemented and generate revenue streams.
Venture Accelerator Purpose and Intended Outcomes
The primary goal of the accelerator program is to drive carbon finance into clean cooking companies in support of country-level climate and carbon finance goals by diagnosing strategic and operational gaps in companies, making connections to the carbon finance value chain, and building enterprises’ capacity to reliably deliver on carbon contracts. The Accelerator intends to widen the opportunities for small and medium sized clean cooking companies to attract carbon financing commitments and reduce risks for pre-financiers and carbon buyers related to the timeliness and reliability of enterprise execution in terms of the flow and quality of carbon credits.
A working set of success and outcome metrics will be developed as part of the detailed design of the program.
Regional Focus and Cohort Structure – Cohort 1, West Africa
The first cohort of the Venture Accelerator will be focused on West Africa with a programmatic hub in Ghana and priority given to enterprises in Ghana and Nigeria. The regional priority reflects the potential for carbon projects in West Africa and the increasing number of clean cooking ventures operating in West Africa and is in line with CCA’s programmatic priorities. We envision a cohort of no more than ten enterprises carefully selected to align with the program objective and delivery structure.
4. Qualification Requirements
Respondents should outline their technical expertise, experience, tools and methods in the area(s) of proposed support you would like to be considered for (listed under ‘Capacity building technical assistance to selected enterprises and ‘Programmatic support to the CCA Venture Accelerator’ (see above in the section 1 of this document).
Please submit an expression of interest which succinctly outlines the following:
- Aspects of this EOI call for which you would like to be considered to support (see above in the section 1 of this document).
- Your qualifications and experience in relation to carbon markets and carbon finance in general
- Your understanding, knowledge, and experience related to carbon finance in the clean cooking sector specifically (i.e., clean cooking fuels/technologies, relevant carbon methodologies, understanding of salient sector specific issues etc.)
- A few examples of companies you have supported and their operating context
- Anything you would like to share in terms of your usual or preferred approach, process, methods and/or tools
- Profiles/CVs of the key people who would be involved in providing support to the program (please include this in the appendix)
Responses to this EOI should not exceed three pages with an additional provision for attaching biographies/CVs of the proposed delivery team in an appendix.
5. Consultant Selection Timeline
This EOI will be open until July 31, 2023. CCA will review submissions on a rolling basis and respond to all submissions of interest. Shortlisted respondents will be invited to make brief, formal proposals against a finalised scope of work and communication in that regard will be made directly to shortlisted respondents. The firm(s) or individual(s) with the successful proposal(s) will begin the contracting process soon after the decision is communicated to them.
6. Intent and Disclaimer
This EOI is made with the intent to identify consultant(s) to deliver results as described in this EOI. UNF/CCA will rely on the consultant’s representations to be truthful and as described. CCA assumes it can be confident in the consultant’s ability to deliver the product(s) and/or service(s) proposed in response to this EOI.
7. Guidance for Respondents
Format for Expressions of Interest
Responses must include the applicant’s signature as well as the full legal name of the applicant, as well as legal formation and ownership structure (e.g., incorporation certification, tax status and ID, etc.). Responses are to be submitted in PDF form.
Contracting and Compliance
CCA will negotiate contract terms upon selection as outlined in Clause 5. A copy of the contract terms and conditions will be provided upon selection. All contracts are subject to review by the United Nations Foundation’s Business Services and Budget Reporting team. The project will start upon the complete execution of the contract. The contract will outline terms and conditions, scope, budget, and applicable flow down terms. Selected recipient(s) must comply with CCA, United Nations Foundation, and funder compliance requirements. The selected recipient(s) must also undergo detailed legal, financial, and commercial due diligence.
Release
The consultant understands that CCA has chosen to solicit an EOI for consulting services, and that the consultant’s response does not guarantee that CCA will enter a new contract with the consultant or continue any current contract(s) with the consultant.
The consultant agrees that CCA may, at its sole discretion:
- Amend or cancel the EOI, in whole or in part, at any time
- Extend the deadline for submitting responses
- Determine whether a response does or does not substantially comply with the requirements of the EOI
- Waive any minor irregularity, informality or nonconformance with the provisions or procedures of the EOI
- Negotiate with all consultants UNF deems acceptable
- Issue multiple awards
- Photocopy the responses for evaluation/review
This EOI is not an offer to contract. CCA assumes no responsibility for consultant’s cost to respond to this EOI. All responses become the property of CCA.
The consultant, by submitting a response to this EOI, waives all right to protest or seek any legal remedies whatsoever regarding any aspect of this EOI.
The consultant represents that it has responded to the EOI with complete honesty and accuracy. If facts provided in the consultant’s response change, the consultant agrees to supplement its response in writing with any deletions, additions, or changes within ten (10) days of the changes. The consultant will do this, as necessary, throughout the selection process.
The consultant understands it may receive proprietary and confidential information from CCA during the EOI process (“Confidential Information”). The consultant and CCA agree to not use Confidential Information for any purpose other than the consultant’s participation in the EOI process, and to not reveal Confidential Information directly or indirectly to any other person, entity, or organization without the prior written consent of the other party. The consultant and CCA further agree to exercise all reasonable precautions to maintain the proprietary and confidential nature of Confidential Information where it can best demonstrate its value and capacity to delivery ecosystem-wide, meaningful value.
Grounds for Exclusion
Material misrepresentations, including omissions, may disqualify the consultant from a contract award.
Submissions will be rejected in CCA’s sole discretion if it finds that the consultant has engaged in any illegal or corrupt practices in connection with the award.
The consultant will be excluded from participation for the reasons below. By submitting a proposal in response to the EOI, the consultant confirms that none of the below circumstances apply:
- The consultant is bankrupt or being wound up, is having their affairs administered by the courts, has entered an arrangement with creditors, has suspended business activities, is subject of proceedings concerning those matters, or is in any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure provided for in national legislation or regulations.
- The consultant or persons having powers of representation, decision-making or control over them have been convicted of an offence concerning their professional conduct by a final judgment.
- The consultant has been found guilty of grave professional misconduct; proven by any means which CCA can justify.
- The consultant has not fulfilled obligations relating to the payment of social security contributions or taxes in accordance with the legal provisions of the country in which they are established, or within the United States of America, or those of the country where the contract is to be performed.
- The consultant or persons having powers of representation, decision-making or control over them have been convicted for fraud, corruption, involvement in a criminal organization or money laundering by a final judgment.
- The consultant makes use of child labor or forced labor and/or practice discrimination, and/or do not respect the right to freedom of association and the right to organize and engage in collective bargaining pursuant to the core conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Principal Point of Contact
Simba Mudimbu is the primary point of contact for this assignment. Please reach out to smudimbu@cleancooking.org email address with any clarification questions.
Submission details
Please address your submission to: ventures@cleancooking.org
Subject Line: EOI Submission – Venture Accelerator Technical Support
Deadline: July 31, 2023 – 17.00 UTC
