About CLASP

CLASP is the leading global authority on efficient appliances’ role in fighting climate change and improving people’s lives. We are an international non-profit and together with the UK’s Energy Saving Trust, we jointly co-ordinate Efficiency for Access. Efficiency for Access is a global coalition working to promote high-performing appliances to boost incomes, reduce carbon emissions, improve quality of life and support sustainable development.

The Low Energy Inclusive Appliances (LEIA) programme is Efficiency for Access’ flagship initiative. LEIA is funded by UK aid, via the Transforming Energy Access (TEA) platform and the IKEA Foundation. Transforming Energy Access (TEA) is a research and innovation platform supporting the technologies, business models and skills needed to enable an inclusive clean energy transition.

• Due: 31 May 2025
• Questions: info@efficiencyforaccess.org
• Target Country: Kenya
• Grant Size: USD $10,000 to $25,000

Introduction

CLASP invites proposals from M/SMEs, farmer producer organizations, CBOs, self-help, and women’s groups for Productive Use of Renewable Energy demonstrator projects in agricultural value chains in Kenya. These demonstrators should run between 6 to 12 months, and can pilot innovative business models, enhance capacity and/or contribute to evidence that will showcase how efficient, renewable energy powered technologies deployed in agricultural value chains can drive business growth, expand services, reduce drudgery and contribute to improved livelihoods.

These projects are part of the Productive Use of Renewable Energy (PURE) Demonstrator Project, a strategic initiative of the Low Energy Inclusive Appliance Program (LEIA), designed to accelerate the adoption of PURE technologies among small-and micro-enterprises (SMEs), farmer producer organizations, cooperatives, self-help and women’s groups. 

Specific Objectives

Grants are intended to support initiatives that:

1. Pilot innovative business models that incorporate PURE technologies. Test and validate innovative business models for deploying PURE technologies that are suitable for the scale and capacities of SMEs and community-based organizations. These models may include, but are not limited to lease to own models, cooling, irrigation and milling as a service, pay-as-you-farm, and up-front ownership among others.
2. Enhance capacity and foster strategic linkages. Strengthen the abilities of the target entities – including cooperatives, farmer producer organizations, self-help groups, and women’s groups – to integrate PURE technologies into their service offerings. This includes, but not limited to:
   • Building organizational capacity to manage and maintain PURE technologies.​
   • Facilitating partnerships between technology providers and these groups.​
   • Establishing critical linkages with local asset financiers and financial institutions to improve access to financing options tailored for SMEs, farmer, and community-based organizations.​
   • Encouraging collaborations with other stakeholders to create a supportive ecosystem for the adoption and sustainability of PURE technologies.
3. Contribute to evidence on:
   • The viability and effectiveness of various business models for PURE solutions across agricultural value chains.
   • The social-economic benefits of adopting PURE technologies including improvements in income, productivity, and quality of life.
   • The benefits of capacity-building and matchmaking support in facilitating the integration of PURE technologies in agricultural value chains.

Applicants are encouraged to design projects that not only contribute to their organizational growth, but also generate public goods – such as lessons learned, data, and use cases – that serve as demonstrator projects for successful and scalable approaches to deploying PURE technologies.

Technology Scope

Technologies included in this PURE Demonstrator Project include:

1. Solar water pumps currently listed on the VeraSol website or have been tested according to IEC 62252:2011 standard for solar PV pumping systems.
2. Agricultural cooling solutions including solar powered walk in cold rooms, refrigerators and freezers, milk chillers and mobile refrigerated trucks among others. Eligible refrigerators, freezers and walk in cold rooms must be listed on the VeraSol website.
3. Agricultural processing equipment such as solar powered mills, threshers, de-huskers, oil pressers etc.
4. Solar powered egg incubators currently listed on the VeraSol website.
5. Solar dryers and dehydration units.

New products that have not been tested under the VeraSol framework will have to undergo testing under the Rapid Product Assessment protocol before deployment in any of the listed geographies.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet the following criteria to be considered for the PURE Demonstrator grants:​

1. Type of organization. Eligible applicants include:​
   • Registered Small and Micro Enterprises (SMEs)​
   • Cooperatives​ and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs)
   • Self-help and Women’s groups​
   • Organizations that provide support services to the above groups​
2. Operational focus. Applicants must be actively engaged in income-generating or livelihood activities within agricultural value chains, such as horticulture, dairy, grains, or poultry, or demonstrate a clear intent to expand into such activities.
3. Geographic location. Projects must be implemented within Kenya by entities that are legally registered in Kenya. To qualify, applicants must meet the following criteria:
   • Ownership: The applying entity must be majority Kenyan-owned, defined as having more than 50% of its shares held by Kenyan nationals or Kenyan-owned organizations.
   • Leadership: The executive leadership team (e.g., CEO, Managing Director) must have a majority (over 50%) representation of Kenyan nationals.Foreign-owned or foreign-led subsidiaries are not eligible to apply as lead applicants. However, they may participate as technical or financial partners only under the leadership of an eligible Kenyan entity.
4. Project completion timeline.
   •  All proposed activities must be completed by June 2026.​
5. In-kind contribution. While monetary co-financing is not mandatory, applicants are required to demonstrate an in-kind contribution. This may include:​
   • Provision of labor or volunteer time​
   • Use of existing equipment or facilities​
   • Other non-monetary resources that support project implementation​
6. Inclusivity commitment. Applicants must show a commitment to inclusivity by:​
   • Promoting gender balance within project activities​
   • Considering the needs of persons with disabilities​.
   • Projects that explicitly address gender and disability inclusion will receive additional consideration during the evaluation process​.
7. Commitment to learning and engagement. Applicants must be prepared to:​
   • Document and share lessons learned, data, and use-cases​.
   • Participate in knowledge-sharing activities such as workshops, webinars, and focus groups, to share project insights and outcomes​.
   • Host visits from CLASP team members and partners for monitoring, learning, and documentation purposes​.

How to apply

Interested applicants should submit two separate documents:

1. Project Proposal (maximum 6 pages, pdf format) which should include:
   • Project summary: Briefly describe your organization, the proposed activities, and how they align with the grant’s objectives.​
   • Implementation plan: Outline the steps you will take to execute the project, including timelines and key milestones.​
   • Technology and geographic scope: Specify the technologies to be used and the location of implementation.​
   • Partnerships: Identify any partners involved and their roles.​
   • Target beneficiaries: Describe who will benefit from the project and how.​
   • Monitoring and evaluation: Explain how you will track progress and measure success.​
   • Sustainability plan: Provide a strategy for maintaining the project’s impact after the grant period ends.​
   • Team Bios: Include brief biographies of key team members responsible for implementing the project, highlighting their relevant experience and roles.
2. Budget (max 2 pages, pdf format):
   • List anticipated expenses, such as staff time, equipment purchases, travel, and other direct costs.​
   • Indicate any in-kind contributions your organization will provide (e.g., existing equipment, volunteer time).​
   • Present the budget in your organization’s standard format; reformatting is not necessary.​

Submission

Submission instructions:

1. Submit both documents separately via this form link 
2. File naming convention:
   • Project proposal: [CONTRACTOR_NAME: PURE Demonstrator Project] _ Proposal_ RFP YYYY-MM-DD
   • Budget: [CONTRACTOR_NAME: PURE Demonstrator Project] _Budget_ RFP YYYY-MM-DD

Interested parties must:

1. Register as a CLASP Consulting Partner .
2. Complete the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire

All candidates must fill out the PQQ. The PQQ is a thorough due diligence screening aimed at gathering legal and financial information on prospective partners/vendors. If questions are not applicable, please type “N/A” and go to the next question. While the form can be saved, we recommend completing it in one sitting to avoid potential complications. You will be notified once you submit the PQQ.

Organizations that have already completed the PQQ do not need to complete it again unless the structure of the business has changed. If you are unsure, please email info@efficiencyforaccess.org with subject line: PURE Demonstrator Project.

CLASP is an equal opportunity employer that celebrates diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. CLASP’s goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the citizens we serve. CLASP complies with all federal, state and local employment law in the countries we operate and is committed to providing equal opportunity for all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, disability, political affiliation, personal appearance, family responsibilities, matriculation, genetic information, military or protected veteran status, credit information or any other characteristic protected under federal, state or local law.

Each person is evaluated based on personal skill and merit. CLASP’s policy regarding equal employment opportunity applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, job assignments, promotions, working conditions, scheduling, benefits, wage and salary administration, disciplinary action, termination, and social, educational and recreational programs.