About

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is inviting applications for the SAREP Partnership Fund (SPF) will support market-based transformative solutions to enable the clean energy transition, particularly by engaging the private sector, local organizations, and new and underutilized partners.

It will also harness innovative business models, solutions, technologies, resources, experiences, and networks of relationships that exist across stakeholders. SPF will achieve this by catalyzing country and regional activities to complement the technical assistance provided by SAREP. SPF aims to expand and maximize the impact of USAID resources in an innovative and sustainable manner through the SPF activities designed, owned, and implemented by grantees under the SAREP Program.

Objectives

• Through this APS, SPF is inviting applications to fund qualified organizations for supporting activities and programs consistent with the SAREP’s purpose of improving access to affordable, secure, reliable, and sustainable energy, and its four objectives. All proposals must address one or more of SAREP’s four objectives:

  • Objective 1: Enhanced regional energy markets and integration. SAREP will facilitate development of regional power markets, improve coordination and planning, strengthen national and regional institutions, drive consensus on power trade, and institutionalize a supporting framework and mechanisms. The expected outcome is increased cross-border electricity trade in the region by transitioning to tri- and multilateral power trade and a regionally integrated grid that will lead to an energy-secure South Asia. 

  • Objective 2: Increased deployment of advanced energy solutions and systems. SAREP will enhance and accelerate deployment of clean energy technologies for transition to net zero emissions by helping partner countries reach near-term climate goals and avoid locking in longerterm emissions trajectories. These technologies include renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy storage, off-grid, behind-the-meter technologies and smart appliances, electric vehicles, green hydrogen, and solutions and tools to support renewable energy integration including market products among others. 

  • Objective 3: High-performing modern utilities. SAREP will enable modernization of transmission, system operation and distribution utilities in the region to improve their technical, financial, and operational performance, grid resilience, enhance customer service, and promote adaptability to new technical advancements. The expected outcome is modern, financially viable utilities that enable clean energy transition and efficient energy markets. 

  • Objective 4: Transparent, best-value procurement and private sector investment mobilized. SAREP will facilitate increased private sector investments and enhance domestic and international finance for clean energy deployment. SAREP will also enable improved procurement processes and governance, adoption of best-value procurement practices, promote PPP models, and improve bankability of clean energy projects.

Funding Information

• Maximum ceiling amount is $250,000.

• Duration of award Up to 12 months, but not to exceed February 16, 2026.

Eligible Activities

• To achieve the results outlined under the four technical objectives, the SAREP Partnership Fund will support the types of activities illustrated below:

  • Pilot demonstrations 

  • Incubation support 

  • Feasibility studies, detailed project reports, and market assessments 

  • Knowledge management and dissemination 

  • Policy advocacy and consensus building 

  • Knowledge sharing, exchange, and institutional capacity development 

  • Developing business models and innovative solutions, and structuring of innovative financial transactions to enable clean energy transition 

  • Design and deploy new decision-making tools

Ineligible Activities

• The SAREP Partnership Fund cannot be utilized for the following activities: 

  • Support expansion of capacity or extend the operational life of carbon-intensive fossil fuelbased energy projects (e.g., oil, fossil [natural] gas, and coal). Support for natural gas for household energy access projects, in particular clean cooking projects, can be considered, if no cleaner options are feasible

  • Purchases of restricted goods, such as agricultural commodities, motor vehicles, pharmaceuticals, contraceptive products, pesticides, used equipment, or fertilizers without the previous approval of the USAID Task Order Contracting Officer (TOCO) 

  • Purchase of prohibited goods under USAID regulations, including but not limited to police or law enforcement equipment, abortion equipment and services, weather modification equipment, luxury goods, and gambling equipment 

  • Purchases of any equipment or services from specific companies, or their subsidiaries and affiliates, including Huawei Technologies Company, ZTE Corporation, Hytera Communications Corporation, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, and Dahua Technology Company (“Covered Technology”)

Required Documents 

• Applicants must submit documents to support their eligibility to receive foreign grants. 

  • Have internal controls and processes to safeguard assets and protect against fraud and waste 

  • Have written and well-articulated ethics/conflict of interest policies 

  • Have sound financial systems and accountability with up-to-date accounts consistent with local laws and regulations 

  • Be willing to abide by all applicable USAID regulations and complete, sign, and abide by all required certifications, including the Branding and Marking requirements 

  • Be willing to report on achievements and outputs in line with RTI’s approved monitoring and evaluation plan 

  • Already has or commit to secure a SAM Unique Entity ID (UEI) number if the anticipated grant award is $25,000 or more.

Eligibility

• The SAREP Partnership Fund grants can be provided to private sector/for-profit entities; notfor-profit organizations; nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); civil society organizations; business service organizations; industry, trade, or other private sector associations; educational/training or academic institutions; and think tank/research entities which are eligible to receive foreign funded grants in accordance with applicable local regulations. Government and or quasi-government (parastatal entities) are not eligible to apply for and receive grants funded under this APS. All applicants will be bound by various USAID regulations as relevant and set forth in the US Code of Federal Regulations and Automated Directive System.

• Grantees should be registered in any of the countries not expressly prohibited in ADS 310 and should be legally authorized to operate in the country/ies where performance of grant activities are proposed.

• To be eligible for funding grantees must: 

  • Have no real or apparent conflicts of interest that could jeopardize the impartiality of the selection process or arise and affect project implementation. Applicants will be required to proactively declare any such potential conflicts so that they are mitigated in advance of applicant consideration. Any such conflicts can be personal, business, or finance related 

  • Be legally authorized to receive foreign funded grants and conduct activities in the country for which application is made and accordingly demonstrate compliance with all applicable local legal and regulatory requirements such as but not limited to: 

    • In the case of India, comply with applicable provisions of the Foreign Contributions Regulations Act FCRA and have an active and valid FCRA registration valid at least for 6 months as of the date of application 

    • In the case of Nepal, comply with provisions of The Social Welfare Act, 2049 (1992), and / or Associations Registration Act, 2034 (1977) and / or The Income Tax Act, 2002 (2058), as may be applicable 

    • In the case of Bhutan, comply with regulations and norms of Civil Society Organization Authority (CSOA), Bhutan and the Bhutan Royal Monetary Authority, as may be applicable

    • In the case of Sri Lanka, have the mandatory registrations and approvals from the relevant Government Ministry. In addition, comply with regulations specified by External Resources Department under the Ministry of Finance and provisions specified by Voluntary Social Service Organizations (Registration and Supervision) Act, No. 31 of 1980 as amended, as may be applicable 

    • In the case of Maldives, comply with regulations and provisions of Ministry of Youth, Sports & Community Empowerment and the Associations Act 1/2003, as may be applicable 

    • In the case of Bangladesh, comply with the provisions of Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulations Act, 2016, as may be applicable.

Post Date: February 03, 2025