By Abdulrahman Abdullahi
The Digital Energy Facility (DEF) programme led by the French Development Agency (AFD) and funded by the European Union (EU) is preparing to launch calls for innovative projects to accelerate the energy transition in Africa.
The competition, which will be launched on 6 April 2021, concerns start-ups operating in the energy and digital sectors, as well as public service operators.
The African continent is resolutely committed to its energy transition. The choice of clean energy and the implementation of decentralised solutions have a major impact on the electrification process of the African continent.
The Digital Energy Facility (DEF) programme has been launched to support this dynamic in Africa. Within this framework, the DEF programme, led by the French Development Agency (AFD) with funding from the European Union (EU), is preparing to launch two calls for innovative projects by April 6th, 2021.
This initiative called the “Digital Energy Challenge” concerns start-ups in sub-Saharan Africa in the seed phase and operating in the digital and energy ecosystem. The aim is to support the scaling up of their innovations, or the digital transformation of their business,to enable better energy access and services for the grid and the general public. The DEF program will target start-up projects providing grid services, innovative and clean energy solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as innovative digital solutions for electricity access companies.
The initiative is also open to public electricity operators. The DEF program “targets innovative partnerships between public electricity operators and organizations and private sector actors to help local operators test and disseminate digital innovations with the help of technology and service providers. The aim is to improve access to electricity on the grid and for end consumers,” explains AFD. For electricity utility operators, the DEF program will target projects that contribute to universal access to electricity, quality of service management of the grid, as well as the integration of renewable energy into the grid.
Within the framework of the Digital Energy Challenge, the European Union is providing AFD with a budget of 1.5 million euros. The funds will be used to support the selected projects through grants for the purchase of equipment and software, the financing of training and even recruitment for start-ups, or to cover the purchase of products and services from partner technology providers for public service operators.
The programme also offers technical assistance in the form of project management support, the provision of strategic and technical expertise or specific support in accounting and reporting.