Call for Application - Technical Assistance Facility for companies offering clean cooking solutions in Uganda

CALL FOR APPLICATION 2025-2026 Application deadline: June 9, 2026 BIOMASS ENERGY AFRICA (2025-2027) Technical Assistance Facility for companies offering clean cooking solutions in Uganda Implemented by Hystra On behalf of The French Development Agency BACKGROUND During the Paris Clean Cooking Summit in May 2024, France pledged to invest €100 million by 2030 to promote a just and inclusive transition towards universal access to clean and efficient cooking solutions, and to reduce pressure on biomass and deforestation. The French Development Agency (AFD) seeks to play a catalytical role in achieving this ambition by launching a new initiative in East Africa, Biomass Energy Africa (BEA). BEA is a Technical Assistance (TA) program aimed at supporting companies, donors and investors involved in the clean cooking sector. It currently operates in Uganda and Tanzania until end of Q3 2027. Specifically, the program aims to: Offer tailored, on-the-ground TA to selected local companies to help them strengthen their business model, scale up and/or access financing – focus of this Call. Help donors and investors invest in or include these companies in their programs. Support governments and regulators (electricity, LPG) on their programs involving the private sector. BEA is coordinated by Hystra, a strategy consulting firm specialized in inclusive business model innovation and energy access. OBJECTIVES AND NATURE OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE BY BEA The BEA program aims to identify and support a cohort of 5-8 companies commercializing clean cooking solutions in Uganda and Tanzania that have strong potential for commercial growth – provided they receive the right type of tailored, on-the-ground TA. This Call for Projects applies only to Uganda. The objectives of the TA can be threefold: Strengthening companies’ operations and level of execution to accelerate sustainability and growth: Supply chain management, financial management, digitalization, marketing, sales & distribution, credit management, organizational restructuring, etc. Designing and piloting innovative value propositions or business models: Consumer intelligence, market research, business model innovation, economic modeling, rebranding or marketing materials redesign, pilot design, pilot management, etc. Supporting fundraising efforts: Analytical accounting (e.g. unit economics, profitability centers,), business growth planning and presentation, etc. Companies that actively incorporate gender into their strategic planning and internal operations will receive particular consideration. TA projects will be co-designed with selected companies. The nature and duration of TA projects will depend on companies and can range from a few weeks to more than a year. For example: Short-term intervention (3 months), e.g., to analyze sales data, conduct market research, redefine customer segmentation and selection process (vetting criteria, operating procedures, sales agent and call center retraining). Medium-term intervention (6-9 months): Auditing existing procedures in terms of inventory management, financial forecasting, distribution partnerships, etc. and putting in place new tools, procedures, training teams, hiring missing functions, etc. Longer-term intervention (over a year, in tranches): Combination of multiple interventions, with pilot design and in-field management, coaching of leadership or mid-level executives, etc. NB: the BEA program will support companies through the provision of TA and will not deliver grants or direct financial transfers to companies. SELECTION PROCESS Application window duration: September 29, 2025, to June 9, 2026 Please note that applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis on a first-come, first-served basis, within the program’s capacity. We therefore reserve the right to close the application window early if the entire budget has been allocated. If a project is selected, the subsequent phases, including project design, administrative and legal checks, and service provider selection, will take approximately 1.5 to 3 months, depending on the company’s readiness and the size of the project. Once the organization has been selected, the BEA project and the organization will co-define the TA project to be implemented. The TA project will be shaped by an in-depth assessment of the organization conducted by the BEA team, as well as a discussion with the organization. Therefore, the implemented project may not fully match the technical support needs initially presented by the organization in its application. The project selection will be finalized through the signature of a partnership agreement detailing the project, outlining the commitments and responsibilities of both parties. The TA will be co-coordinated and implemented by Hystra and its implementing partner(s). ELIGIBILITY BEA will offer on-the-ground, personalized operational support to selected companies. The goal is to select companies with sufficient maturity that are facing a clear