Increased Access to Electricity and Renewable Energy Production (IAEREP) programme

The IAEREP programme: This programme aims at increasing access to clean, reliable and affordable energy through promotion of use of renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) technologies. The programme is being implemented through three parallel lines of action which are:

1. Support to public institutions to develop and/or revise the legal and regulatory framework for deployment of renewable energies and energy efficiency in Zambia;
2. Building capacity of both public and private organisations involved in the deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency; and
3. Providing early stage seed finance in the form of grant funding, through this call for proposal, for stimulating the emergence of sustainable business models for energy services to promote the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency at national level and incentivise private sector participation in the rural electrification programme.

Indicative allocation of funds by lot:

• Lot 1: Demonstration project(s) in partnership with the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) EUR 3 000 000
• Lot 2: Renewable-energy powered mini-grid demonstration projects with the private sector EUR 18 000 000
• Lot 3: Energy efficiency demonstration projects EUR 4 000 000

Size of grants

Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts:

 Lot 1: Demonstration project(s) in partnership with the Rural Electrification Authority (REA)

• Minimum Amount: EUR 500 000
• Maximum Amount: EUR 2 000 000

Lot 2: Renewable-energy powered mini-grid demonstration projects with the private sector

• Minimum Amount: EUR 500 000
• Maximum Amount: EUR 6 000 000

 Lot 3: Energy efficiency demonstration projects

• Minimum Amount EUR 250 000
• Maximum Amount EUR 2 000 000

Any grant requested from the EU under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum percentages of total eligible costs of the action:

• Minimum percentage: 25 % of the total eligible costs of the action.
• Maximum percentage: 50 % of the total eligible costs of the action

Concept note content 

Applications must be submitted in accordance with the concept note instructions in the grant application form annexed to these guidelines (Annex A).

Applicants must apply in English.

Please note that:

1. In the concept note, lead applicants must only provide an estimate of the requested EU contribution as well as an indicative percentage of that contribution in relation to the eligible costs of the action. A detailed budget is to be submitted only by the lead applicants invited to submit a full application in the second phase.
2. The elements outlined in the concept note may not be modified in the full application. The EU contribution may not vary from the initial estimate by more than 20 %. Lead applicants are free to adapt the percentage of co-financing required within the minimum and maximum amount and percentages of co-financing.
3. Only the concept note form will be evaluated. It is therefore of utmost importance that this document contains ALL relevant information concerning the action. No additional annexes should be sent. Any error or major discrepancy related to the concept note instructions may lead to the rejection of the concept note. Clarifications will only be requested when information provided is not sufficient to conduct an objective assessment. Hand-written concept notes will not be accepted.

Deadline for submission of concept note: 24 June 2019 at 16:00 hours Zambian time

Questions may be sent by e-mail no later than 21 days before the deadline for the submission of concept notes to the address(es) below, indicating clearly the reference of the call for proposals:

E-mail address: tenders.infra@nao.gov.zm , in copy to: info@rea.org.zm  and delegation-zambia-call-for-propals@eeas.europa.eu

The contracting authority has no obligation to provide clarifications to questions received after this date.

Replies will be given no later than 11 days before the deadline for submission of concept notes.

Full applications

Lead applicants invited to submit a full application following pre-selection of their concept note must do so using Part B of the grant application form annexed to these guidelines (Annex A). Lead applicants should then keep strictly to the format of the grant application form and fill in the paragraphs and pages in order.

The elements outlined in the concept note cannot be modified by the lead applicant in the full application.