INVITATION FOR PRE-QUALIFICATION FOR THE GLOBAL CLEANTECH INNOVATION PROGRAMME (GCIP) NIGERIA GRANT FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN THE CLEANTECH SECTOR

1.0       INTRODUCTION The Global Clean-tech Innovation Programme (GCIP) is a United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)-led programme, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), promoting clean-tech innovation and entrepreneurship to address the most pressing climate and environmental challenges. In Nigeria, GCIP is implemented in collaboration with the Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB) and the Government of Nigeria, represented by the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (FMSTI) and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA). Clean-tech enterprises can lead the transition toward sustainable low-carbon economies while creating new jobs and empowering women and youth. Despite having limitless potential for innovation, clean-tech small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often find it difficult to bring their clean-tech solutions to market because they face serious commercialization and scale-up barriers, encountering the technical and financial “valley of death”.

GCIP bridges this “valley of death” by providing competition-based business acceleration services for innovative clean-tech start-ups and SMEs, linking enterprises to private sector investors and fostering innovative and entrepreneurship ecosystems. GCIP Nigeria has three components, in line with the GCIP Framework, which has been designed based on the current needs of developing countries and GCIP partner countries, including Nigeria, as well as recommendations from the GEF’s independent evaluation of GCIP conducted in 2018 and with feedback from the previous nine GCIP country projects implemented between 2013 and 2019.

The three components of the GCIP projects includea.

a) Focus on early-stage innovative clean-tech solutions and acceleration support related to entrepreneurship and business skills training.

b) Strengthening the capacities of clean-tech innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem stakeholders and fostering co-operation between them.

c) Engagement with the GCIP global coordination child project to ensure programme coordination and coherence.

The functions of Rural Electrification Agency in this project are tied to component one of the GCIP which is to design and operationalize the financial mechanism for disbursement to the most qualified SMEs who have undergone rigorous incubation phases. The outcome is such that the most suitable enterprises are selected through a transparent and effective evaluation process drawing from the Agency’s experience with clean-tech rural electrification schemes. Thus, this program shall include four phases namely;

a) The Call for proposals

b) The Request for Grants

c) A Pitchathon

d) Grant Disbursement

2.0       SCOPE OF WORK

2.1       This is a call for proposal for innovative clean-tech enterprises to receive seed funding for business upscale. As part of the post-acceleration stage of the program, assistance in four related but not necessarily linear dimensions: advanced business growth and commercialization, investment readiness, market readiness, and technology readiness. Tailored financial assistance is to be provided to enterprises based on evidence of sales traction, financial profitability, problem solving ability and strong commitment to business continuity. In line with this, clean-tech innovations are broadly categorized into six (6) lots representing eligible technologies for the GCIP project

LOT 001: Energy Efficiency Innovations

LOT 002: Innovations in Waste Beneficiation

LOT 003: E-mobility innovations

LOT 004: Renewable Energy Innovations

LOT 005: Innovations in Green Buildings

LOT 006: Innovations in advanced Materials and Chemicals

2.2       The grant framework is primarily targeted at incubated enterprises and as such, priorities would be given to enterprises that have scaled through acceleration with verifiable and performance-based evidence from reputable incubation hubs.

2.3       The project would be funded through a one-off capital grant to be disbursed to SMEs who have enough sales evidence and traction with strong commitment for business continuity.

3.0       ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

3.1       Applicants would be required to submit genuine copies of the following documents as proof of eligibility

i. Evidence of Registration of business name with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)

ii. Evidence of Registration with a relevant tax authority in Nigeria with tax Identification number

iii. Statement of financial affairs

iv. Evidence of registration with a reputable Nigerian Incubation Hub (Submission of a reference letter from a recognized incubation/innovation/acceleration hub, written on their letterhead, duly signed by a management staff and stamped with a company stamp)

v. Sworn Affidavit:

a)and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for each JV Partner should be provided for Joint Venture (JV) Partnership,

b) not be in receipt of or the subject of any form of insolvency or bankruptcy, proceedings or the subject of any form of winding up petition or proceedings;

c) not have any director who has been convicted in any country for any criminal offense relating to fraud or financial impropriety in any country;

d)accompany bid with an affidavit disclosing whether or not any GCIP implementing or executing entity member of staff or project steering committee member is a former or present director, shareholder or has any pecuniary interest in the SME;

e)confirming that all information presented in its bid are true and correct in all particulars;

vi. Duly executed Power of attorney or Board Resolution authorizing a designated owner/co-owner of the company to act as a representative and to bind the company by signing all bids, contract agreement, and other documents with REA on behalf of the company, duly signed by the chairman and secretary

vi. Provide 2 reference letters from a professional contact who has known the applicant for over 2 years 

vii. Covering/forwarding letter on the company’s letterhead Paper, bearing among other things the Registration Number (RC) as issued by Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Contact Address, Telephone Number (Preferable mobile No,) and email address. The letterhead paper must indicate the names and Nationalities of the Directors of the Company at the bottom of the page duly signed by the authorized person of the company.

3.2       Applicants are required to fulfill the following company requirements and provide documents as proof.

i. A detailed company’s corporate profile showing the company's operational and service areas ii. Provide an overview of personnel/staff involved in the business, showing org. chart, CEO, Directors, etc. with CV of key management & technical personnel included. Also in inclusion must be:

a. Incorporation of gender in administration. i.e (special consideration would be given for Female-led SMEs or at least 35% female representation in managerial cadre)

b. Incorporation of youth in administration. i.e. (special consideration for at least 35% youth representation in administrative and managerial cadre)

c. 2 experts (at least 1 female) with a minimum of 3 years’ experience relevant to the implementation of the chosen clean-tech solution.

iii. Submit a business proposal:

a, Stating the reason for the chosen lot

b. Demonstrating a critical need for the technology provided (e.g. carbon and Global Warming Potential (GWP) reduction, energy efficiency, job creation, rural/urban development etc.)

c. Addressing the critical need for the grant and identifying areas for intervention

d. Identifying value additions i.e. business models, cost comparison, technological advantages etc.  in comparison with existing non clean-tech and clean-tech alternatives (if applicable)

e. Demonstrating the profit potential of the business such that it could sustain itself over the long term and shall not require a continuous subsidy covering operations costs and/ or end-user consumption costs with market demand assessment/market survey attached.

f. Demonstrate consideration for direct and indirect carbon emissions in the design and deployment of the solution

g. Proof of Ownership or evidence of the Patent for the Technology or Authority of the Patent Owner/s to demonstrate the Technology (Where Applicable) is mandatory. Evidence of acknowledgement of application for patency may also be eligible

4.0       RESPONSE TO INVITATION FOR PREQUALIFICATION

4.1       Interested applicants are requested to respond to this invitation for pre-qualification – with all required documents as stated in section 3.0 through the following E-Application portal: https://applicant.gcip.rea.gov.ng/

4.2       Submission deadline is 12 am (WAT) on 17th of June 2024. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered. Documents sent by hand will not be accepted.

4.3       Further instructions on the prequalification document are available on the web-based Application Platform

4.4       Deadline for submitting requests for clarifications or questions/queries about the contents of the Prequalification application is 27th of May 2023. Answers to questions/inquiries will also be posted on the Application Platform.

4.5 Response to applications shall be received not later than 3 days after the application deadlines. Successful applicants shall receive a notification email from REA

5.0       OPENING OF PREQUALIFICATION RESPONSES

5.1       Further information on the opening will be provided on the platform to each applicant upon submission of the application

6.0       EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS

6.1       The Agency shall employ the use of the criteria and requirements defined in the Evaluation criteria attached to the prequalification document to evaluate the qualification of the Applicant

6.2       The focus of this evaluation would be on the preliminary eligibility criteria of individual SMEs.

6.3       Following the success of the evaluations, individual SMEs shall be reached out to, via mail and web platform informing them of their successful prequalification. This is to be followed by the technical and financial evaluations under the Request for Grants stage.

6.4       An invitation to Request for Grant (RfG) shall be sent to the pre-qualified applicant via the web platform and emails containing the bidding documents and other associated templates

7.0       IMPORTANT GENERAL INFORMATION

7.1       Prequalification responses must be in English language and signed by an official authorized to do so by the applicant

7.2       Each applicant is limited to one (1) lot.

7.3       Applicants are required to submit application on or before the closing date of the portal.