Contracts for Innovation: Local Partnerships Clean Energy Demonstrators

This is a Contracts for Innovation competition funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).

The aim of the competition is to accelerate the innovations needed to create new or improved clean energy access in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, the Indo-Pacific region, or South and Central America.

The competition also seeks to create a just and inclusive energy transition by integrating gender equality, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI) to ensure the benefits of clean energy are extended to all, in line with sustainable development goals (SDGs) 7 and 13.

The activities supported by the project must be completed by 31 March 2027.

Projects must contribute to:

• An inclusive and clean energy transition
• Extending the benefits of clean energy to all
• Meeting SDGs 7 and 13
• A just transition to ensure GEDSI

These goals are:

Sustainable Development Goal 7:

• Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.

Sustainable Development Goal 13:

• Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

A key aspect of this competition is leveraging local partnerships with organisations in the focus ODA-eligible country.

Your project must:

• Involve demonstrating or field testing your innovation in an ODA-eligible country for a minimum of three months, with in-country users in real-life operating conditions
• Clearly demonstrate local partnerships, for example, with subcontractors based in the focus ODA-eligible country
• Ensure the ODA-eligible country is the primary beneficiary of the innovation
• Be compliant with ODA funding

Your application must allocate at least 50% of the contract value directly and exclusively to R&D services, including solution exploration and design. R&D can also include prototyping and field testing the product or service.