Call for Proposals – ASCENT PPF Private Sector Support Window

We are pleased to announce the launch of the firstCall for Proposals under the ASCENT Project Preparation Facility (PPF) Private Sector Support Window. The ASCENT PPF is a USD 25M facility funded by the World Bank Group and hosted within the COMESA Secretariat’s Project Implementation Unit, with Cygnum Capital serving as PPF Manager. The Facility was created to address a persistent bottleneck in energy-access markets: the under-investment in project preparation that prevents promising companies from attracting commercial and catalytic financing. What support is available? On-demand technical assistancedelivered through a prequalified Roster of Experts, covering areas such as feasibility studies, financial modelling and investment readiness, transaction advisory and legal structuring, digitalisation and credit risk management, ESG and E&S due diligence, carbon finance, and productive use of energy, among others. Grants of USD 50,000–200,000(larger requests may be considered subject to enhanced due diligence), disbursed in tranches against pre-agreed milestones, for project preparation and business development activities directly linked to a financing transaction. Grant funding will be considered only where the required expertise is not available through the PPF Roster of Experts. Who is eligible? The window is open to private-sector DRE and clean cooking companies that: Are registered in at least one of the 16 eligible ASCENT countries (Burundi, Comoros, DRC, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia); Have been in operation for at least three years, with paying customers and a at least USD 250,000 for SHS and USD 150,000 for Minigrid, Clean Cooking and Productive Use Energy (PUE) Have an experienced management team, including a full-time CEO and at least one senior functional leader; Are actively engaged with one or more investors or lenders on a concrete financing transaction; and Can demonstrate a minimum of 20% co-financing (cash or verifiable in-kind, with in-kind capped at 10% of the total project budget).

Please note this window supports project preparation only; it does not fund primary technology development, proof-of-concept work, or standalone working capital. NGOs, research institutions, government ministries, UN agencies and other public-sector entities are not eligible as lead applicants. Applications are accepted from13thJuly 2026. First submission cycle closes on 31stAugust 2026.Applications received after this date will be considered in subsequent submission cycles. Apply through the online application portal:https://lnkd.in/dXEB3GgG Applications must be submitted in English; each company may submit one application per call window. The portal allows you to save a partial application and return to it before final submission. Applications will be screened for completeness and eligibility, evaluated competitively against published criteria, and submitted to the PPF Selection Committee for approval. Applicants will be notified of the outcome following completion of the approval process. The full Application Guidelines, including eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria, the documents checklist and the Roster of Experts service categories, are available on the ASCENT PPF website –www.ascent-ppf.cygnumcapital.com. Questions may be submitted through the online platform or the dedicated clarification email address: ascentppf@cygnumcapital.com We would be grateful if you could share this announcement with companies and networks in your ecosystem that may be a strong fit. Call for Proposals – ASCENT PPF Private Sector Support Window ASCENT PPF_CfP_Application Guidelines_Private Sector Companies Window