The United Nations Foundation's Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA) is accepting proposals for a Programme Implementation Partner to assist in delivering a risk acceleration programme that will commence in the 3rd quarter of 2023.

The program implementation partner will work closely with the CCA team with the scope of work to include, but not be limited to, the following key deliverable areas for cohort 1: co-design of the final program structure and content; recruitment and business due diligence; liaison with technical assistance (TA) specialists and content delivery; day-to-day management of the program, including online and in-person components; monitoring and evaluation of program objectives and reporting of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs); providing ongoing support to companies post-cohort, in line with a structured mentoring framework.

CCA Venture Accelerator Concept – Cohort 1: Carbon Finance in West Africa

• The problem: clean kitchen companies are still not getting their fair share of carbon capital.
  • Less than 5% of the carbon credits generated in the VCM to date come from clean cooking. Fewer than ten project developers dominate the clean cooking credit stream. This is especially true in Africa, a critical and large geographic area for the clean cooking sector.
• Addressing the problem through the CCA Venture Accelerator
  • To address business-level challenges related to accessing carbon finance and to complement national and ecosystem-level efforts, the CCA will launch a risk accelerator to support access to carbon finance for small and growing clean cooking businesses. The program will build the operational and strategic capacity of these businesses to develop high-quality projects that are better integrated into country-level clean cooking and carbon finance planning and, where applicable, international carbon markets.
  • The Accelerator aims to:
    • Identify and select high-potential clean kitchen companies with technology promising and ambitious to structure carbon projects.
    • To provide technical assistance and capacity building support to selected companies in various areas:
      • To diagnose gaps at the enterprise level that prevent them from developing fundable carbon projects.
      • Developing strategies for companies to access global carbon markets and buyers, and national-level programs where applicable (e.g., connecting smaller companies with intermediaries, medium-sized companies with brokers, larger companies with direct buyers, and exploring aggregation facilities where applicable).
      • To provide access to technical knowledge to assist companies in the process of structuring and registering carbon programs.
      • Address other gaps in risk management in a targeted manner.
    • To provide structured coaching and specialized support to selected companies to ensure their projects are successfully implemented and generate revenue streams.
• Purpose and intended results of the risk accelerator.
  • The main objective of the accelerator program is to boost carbon finance for clean kitchen businesses in support of country-level climate and carbon finance goals, by diagnosing strategic and operational gaps in companies, making connections with the carbon finance value chain, and building the capacity of companies to reliably fulfill carbon contracts. The Accelerator aims to expand opportunities for small and medium-sized clean kitchen businesses to attract carbon finance commitments and reduce risks for pre-financers and carbon buyers related to the timeliness and reliability of business execution in terms of carbon credit flow and quality.

Call for Proposals: Implementation Partner for the Accelerator Program

• CCA seeks to partner with a suitably qualified and experienced firm with an established track record and verifiable expertise in accelerating ventures and providing business support programs in West Africa.
• Scope of Work and Deliverables
  • The awardee's scope of work will be to develop and execute the program's work as follows:
    • Program Start Date (8 weeks):
      • Lead workshop(s) of program structuring (co-design with the CCA team)
      • Support the launch of the accelerator program and marketing activities.
      • Leading the recruitment of companies and the exercise of due diligence.
      • Support the development of the program's monitoring, evaluation and learning plan (MEL).
      • To support the management of key stakeholders in the region, including alignment with ongoing CCA initiatives in West Africa.
    • Program Delivery (16 weeks):
      • Lead the planning, management, and delivery of the Accelerator's boot camp (initiation of the in-person program, training workshops, networking, market immersion activities, etc.)
      • Lead the management of the company's carbon diagnostic projects – in coordination with the technical partner.
      • Perform overall assessment business diagnostics for cohort companies
      • Perform project management for online learning curricula.
      • Support in identifying, recruiting, and contracting third-party technical assistance (TA) providers.
      • Lead the management of enterprise IT projects – in coordination with technical partners and/or third-party IT suppliers and companies.
      • To lead the monitoring and evaluation of companies in relation to individual technical assistance plans.
      • Management of support for third-party TA provider contracts.
      • Leading the daily communication and relationship management with companies.
    • Supporting the identification and recruitment of business mentors.
    • Business Support & Assessment (12 weeks):
      • To lead the planning and establishment of structured mentoring relationships with companies.
      • Post-program support for relationship management, evaluation, and monitoring of projects.
      • Coordinate and execute data collection for MEL program reports.

Information on financing

• A detailed budget not exceeding $100,000 (one hundred thousand) US dollars must be submitted along with the respondents' proposal.

Requirements

Respondents must demonstrate the following capabilities:

• An excellent track record in designing and managing business acceleration programs for small and growing businesses in West Africa, ideally in the energy access sector.
• Experience in managing and delivering technical assistance programs for small and growing businesses, ideally in the energy access sector.
• Understanding of energy access and/or the clean cooking sector in West Africa, including knowledge of market trends, consumer preferences and regulatory frameworks, and national-level policy priorities.
• Existing relationships with stakeholders, including companies, investors, corporations and foundations engaged or interested in the energy access/clean cooking sector in West Africa
• Experience in monitoring and evaluating programmes.
• Ability and skills to manage the programme's finances to a high standard, including budgeting, financial reporting and management of subsidies.
• Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and a proven track record of working with founders of under-represented companies.
• Experience or knowledge of carbon finance markets, or delivery of climate action programmes would be advantageous.

For more information, visit Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA).