For full details, please consult the Terms of Reference (ToR) and Applicant Handbook linked below.
How much should each project cost?
Up to £500,000 per financial year, per project (i.e., the budget ceiling for two years would be £1,000,000). Higher budget projects may be considered on an exceptional basis depending on proposed activities and value for money against expected outcomes.
What type of activities are we looking to fund?
The following project areas have been identified for funding within this call for proposals:
- Developing a structured approach for healthcare electrification: Strengthening Nigeria‘s healthcare electrification efforts by developing a national roadmap, conducting feasibility studies, and designing sustainable frameworks for energy access in healthcare facilities. Activities will include capacity building for government institutions, identification of scalable renewable energy solutions, and strategies to attract investment. The project will ensure reliable energy supply for essential services while reducing reliance on fossil fuels and supporting Nigeria’s climate commitments.
- Advancing community-led renewable energy frameworks: Empowering communities to actively participate in renewable energy project development by strengthening the capacity of Rural Electricity Users Cooperative Societies (REUCS). Activities will include developing sustainable models for community leadership, governance, and participation to ensure equitable and long-term access to clean energy in rural areas and economic clusters.
- Run-of-River Small Hydropower (SHP) project preparation for community energy access: Unlocking Nigeria’s small hydropower potential by conducting feasibility studies, environmental and social impact assessments, and capacity-building activities. This project will focus on preparing scalable and sustainable run-of-river SHP solutions to enhance energy access in rural and underserved communities.
- Pilot projects and proof of concept for decentralised renewable energy and grid integration technologies: Supporting the development and testing of innovative renewable energy technologies such as biomass, small-scale concentrated solar power (CSP), hydrogen, and hybrid systems, alongside advanced grid integration models like virtual power plants (VPPs) and swarm electrification. Activities will validate technical and financial viability while providing replicable frameworks for scaling these solutions.
- Technical engineering skills for electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) and Distributed Energy Resource (DER) developers; enabling renewable energy integration: Enabling Renewable Energy Integration: Building the technical capacity of DisCos and DER developers to integrate and manage renewable energy systems. Activities will include targeted training programs, development of grid-hosting capacity assessment tools, and the creation of frameworks to optimize the integration of distributed renewable energy resources into Nigeria’s electricity system.
Each of these projects has specific expected outputs and interventions. Nigeria-UK PACT welcomes creativity, expansion and additional suggestions from the market that cover the stated interventions as a minimum. Applicants may submit proposals for more than one project, noting that each project is distinct, and that each proposal should address only one project. Each proposal will be assessed independently.
Projects will be selected through a one-stage open and competitive call.
How long can each project be?
Project durations differ and guidelines are provided within each project’s detailed terms of reference. Typically, projects will run for 12-18 months. All projects are assumed to have a start date in June 2025.
Can a consortium apply?
Yes, we welcome applications from consortia. As of 2024, organisations registered as for-profit organisations are eligible to be the lead Implementing Partner of a proposal/consortium, however, projects must be delivered on a not-for-profit basis. We encourage consortia to have at least one local partner.
What type of organisations can apply?
We invite all organisations with relevant experience and expertise in delivering technical assistance and capacity-building projects in the clean energy transition sector to register. This could be think-tanks, consultancies, academic institutions, community organisations, NGOs, professional associations, or any similar organisations that have the knowledge, skills and experience to deliver an eligible project.
Proposals led by private sector entities are now welcomed for UK PACT (a change from 2023), however, conditions apply.
Government agencies and Government departments are not eligible to receive UK PACT funding.
In our commitment to the localisation of delivery, additional consideration will be given to consortia which include local organisations, women-owned entities, youth-owned entities, and entities owned by people with disabilities.
What type of costs are eligible?
All projects must be delivered on a not-for-profit basis. Eligible costs will include:
- Consultancy and/or staff time required to deliver activities.
- Reasonable travel and subsistence costs.
- Other costs directly related to activities and outputs (workshops, seminars, production of reports, translation etc.).
We cannot award funding for infrastructure, hardware, or for tangible assets.
For further details, please refer to the UK PACT Applicant Handbook and Budget Template which reflect FCDO grant management rules applicable to this programme.
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