The lack of access to modern energy services condemns billions of people in the developing world to live in absolute poverty. Today, almost one third of humanity have no lights in the evening, unhealthy cooking equipment, limited access to modern communications, inadequate education and health facilities and not enough power for their work and businesses.
While governments can help large utilities through effective policies and incentives, grid extension in rural areas is often not cost effective. Only 40% of the new energy provision required for universal access is likely to be by grid extension.
Small stand-alone renewable technologies can meet the energy needs of rural communities more effectively. Hence, the remaining 60% of the solution is the natural domain of small and medium enterprises. This is the sector in which GVEP operates. We help local businesses to achieve lasting access to clean energy and to improve the quality of life for thousands of people.
To take off and become self-sustaining and successful, energy businesses need access to enabling resources, such as technology, skills, capital and delivery network. Our programmes are designed to help SMEs overcome these gaps. We provide them with technical and business advice and link them with financial institutions to access the capital they need to deliver real results in their communities.
GVEP brings the energy businesses the enabling resources they need to grow and thrive:
- Technology
GVEP provides technical training and advice, assistance with product sourcing and manufacturing, facilitates access to technical advice and offers prizes, such as financing and business advice, to innovation contest winners.
- Skills
GVEP trains entrepreneurs in business planning, sales and marketing, record keeping, helping them to develop their businesses and gain access to capital.
- Capital
GVEP trains financial institutions on renewable energy and entrepreneurs on how to deal with financial institutions, offers loan guarantees, operates business plan competitions to provide capital and is launching an impact investment fund focusing on energy businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.
- Delivery network
GVEP uses its local knowledge to advise entrepreneurs about alternative suppliers, buyers/ distributors/markets and technology/ product offerings, and collaborates with entrepreneurs in purchasing and sales opportunities.
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