Global Distributors Collective Joins Effort to Bring Clean Energy and Appliances to More Homes and Businesses Worldwide
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Global Distributors Collective joins efforts to expand access to clean energy and essential appliances.
The Global Distributors Collective (GDC) is the newest member of the Energy Access Institutions Facility, an initiative led by CLASP to help more people gain access to reliable and affordable energy.
Extensive network and wider reach
For nearly a decade, GDC has worked with locally owned businesses (or ‘last mile distributors’), globally, to get efficient products like solar-powered lights, clean cookers, and water filters, to underserved homes and communities. By partnering with the Facility, GDC joins a group of like-minded institutions committed to delivering energy access across the continent.
GDC’s impact is significant. Its network includes 300 distributors across more than 60 countries, which collectively reach more than 60 million people with beneficial household products, including essential sustainable energy products. These distributors operate at the ‘last mile’; the elusive final stretch between services and the often rural, low-income or otherwise marginalized people trying to access those services.
Focused scope for meaningful impact
GDC’s unique selling point is its strong focus on small, locally owned businesses, many of which face a lot of challenges growing or attracting investment. The Collective helps by providing practical training, tools, and support to help these businesses strengthen their operations; making industry knowledge available and more readily accessible; and linking businesses to investment opportunities. Equally important, GDC amplifies the voices of those businesses in decision-making spaces at the global level, where they have traditionally lacked a seat at the table.
Last-mile distributors are vital to connecting the billions of people worldwide who still lack access to potentially transformational energy products. GDC’s partnership with the Facility will enable us to ramp up our work providing support and services that strengthen and grow these businesses—ultimately helping them to reach even more underserved customers.
Jessica Utichi
Head of the Global Distributors Collective
We’re excited to welcome GDC to the Facility. Their unique blend of local expertise and experience, as well as their perspective on last-mile energy access in different geographies, will help us create a more practical, people-centered approach to energy and appliance access, and strengthen our role in supporting those leading the way.
Emmanuel Aziebor
Senior Director Africa, CLASP
The Facility partners with institutions that strengthen off-grid energy markets and help companies succeed and deliver not just electricity, but the skills, tools, and appliances that allow families and businesses to benefit from it. With GDC on board, the coalition is even better positioned to reach more people with solutions that work.
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About the Energy Access Institutions Facility
The Energy Access Institutions Facility, or “The Facility,” is a joint donor initiative to support and strengthen the institutions that are essential for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7, universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy by 2030. The Facility is supported by DOEN Foundation, British International Investment, Good Energies Foundation, the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida), and the UK Government via the Transforming Energy Access (TEA) platform and is managed by CLASP.
This material has been funded by UK International Development from the UK Government; however, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK Government’s official policies.