Utilities and Energy Business Models Expert

Description

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Project/Consultancy Title: Utilities and Energy Business Models Expert

Project Location(s): Sub-saharan Africa, preferably East Africa

Background:

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.

Energy 4 Impact (MC-E4I) is a Platform within Mercy Corps that seeks to reduce poverty in Sub Saharan Africa by accelerating access to clean energy, helping governments, businesses, and communities make better use of that expanded access, and working with the private sector to support the sustainability of these efforts. Energy 4 Impact supports the development and growth of privately owned SMEs, and micro businesses, which deliver renewable energy products and services to the poor in rural and urban settings. We advise energy access SMEs on commercial, financial and engineering matters and help them secure the resources they need to grow. We support companies, governments, and other institutions to pilot and test new products, business models, and expand into new markets.

This consultancy falls under the following two programmes:

• Productive of Use of Energy Pilot Design for KPLC (WB-KPLC) is a consultancy commissioned by the World Bank to support the Kenyan national utility: KPLC. The project will be to design a pilot for the utility that aims to test initiatives to stimulate electricity demand on the national grid, particularly in last mile communities. The research will involve key informant interviews, data analysis, business model assessment, and study design, with a set of final written deliverables outlining stakeholder engagement strategy and pilot implementation plan. Note that this programme is contingent on donor funding.
• The Powering Renewable Energy Opportunities (PREO) Powering Renewable Energy Opportunities (PREO) is a UK FCDO and IKEA Foundation funded programme that catalyses the growth of Productive Use of Energy (PUE) enterprises in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. PREO provides catalytic grant capital, technical assistance, knowledge management and PR support to early-stage PUE innovators to demonstrate their business model, thereby enabling them to gather critical business data, attract private capital and scaleup further. PREO has funded 43 PUE enterprises across sectors such as electric mobility, solar irrigation, cold storage, cooling for food, circular economy among others in sub-Saharan Africa. PREO is jointly implemented by The Carbon Trust and MC-E4I. PREO has recently concluded a call for proposals and is seeking the service of a PUE financing expert with demonstrated project management, climate finance, and geographic experience, to support evaluation of the grant applications and provision of support to successful grantees.

Purpose / Project Description:

WB-KPLC

The team seeks a consultant with extensive experience supporting utilities, particularly relating to their business model, financial viability, and stimulating customer electricity demand. They will have direct experience implementing such work in partnership with a utility – preferably in Africa. The consultant’s work will include analyzing team and organization structure, business strategy (both technical / engineering operations and customer engagement), business model finances / economics, assessment of issues faced by utility customers related to electricity use, identifying and forging external partnerships for utilities, providing written and verbal recommendations to utilities and government stakeholders.

PREO

The Consultant will:

• Score the applications received by in response to PREO CFP against the PREO investment criteria
• Draft Investment memos and present to the Investment committee as needed
• Actively engage in project management of companies that are awarded by PREO
• Support the wider PREO team on delivering knowledge products, technical assistance and other ad-hoc deliverables/ objectives
• Communicate as needed through emails, calls and other appropriate methods on the progress of activities

Consultant Objectives:

WB-KPLC

• Understand the status quo of KPLC’s business, as it relates to revenue, strategy, key performance metrics, team structure, decision making, and historic work on demand stimulation
• Forge partnerships for KPLC to implement initiatives
• A fully designed pilot is created and communicated to the relevant decision makers within the organization to maximise its potential for implementation and scale.

PREO

• Contribute to the development of PURE opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia
• Successfully manage PREO activities to achieve key program outcomes
• Realize the programme objectives across Evaluation, Portfolio construction, Project management, MLE, Knowledge Management, Technical Assistance and Marketing & Communications

Consultant Activities:

WB-KPLC

Work with the project Team Leader

• To conduct interviews and desk research on KPLC organisation and strategy relating to demand stimulation and the effectiveness of historic demand stimulation initiatives
• Analyse effectiveness of previous demand stimulation / productive use strategies from data supplied by KPLC
• Develop a partnerships framework and pilot design for KPLC to design, test, and scale PUE and demand stimulation initiatives in their network.

PREO

The Consultant will:

• Score the applications received by in response to PREO CFP against the PREO investment criteria
• Draft Investment memos and present to the Investment committee as needed
• Actively engage in project management of companies that are awarded by PREO
• Support the wider PREO team on delivering knowledge products, technical assistance and other ad-hoc deliverables/ objectives
• Communicate as needed through emails, calls and other appropriate methods on the progress of activities

Consultant Deliverables:

WB-KPLC

The consultant will deliver

• Contribution to and review of the project’s Inception Report (with the Team Leader)
• Numerical & written analysis of historic demand stimulation initiatives
• Critical review of the of the Assessment Report
• Stakeholder Mapping and Engagement Plan (with the Team Leader)
• Pilot Design and Implementation Plan (with the Team Leader)

PREO

The Consultant will:

• Deliver scored sheet of the portfolio companies allocated for evaluation
• Deliver investment memos at the prescribed quality standards
• Present Investment cases to IC
• Draft Monthly Project call notes following their discussion with the project companies they manage
• Contribute to Knowledge management by drafting key sections of the knowledge products
• Support or play a lead role in delivering Technical Assistance activities

Timeframe / Schedule:

WB-KPLC

Up to 38 days level of effort

February to June 2025

PREO

Up to 60 days level of effort

• February to May 2025: Grant application evaluations
• April 2025 to January 2026: Project management and other specified activities

The Consultant will report to:

Chris Browne, Head of Learning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Data Management

The Consultant will work closely with:

Relevant MC-E4I programmes teams including the PREO programme team.

Required Experience & Skills:

5-10 years of experience in relevant technical field (required)

WB-KPLC

• Minimum 5 years direct experience:

• implementing electricity business model, productive use, and/or demand stimulation work in partnership with utilities and other energy service providers – preferably in Africa

• performing analysis of business, financial, electricity consumption data for assessing viability of electricity businesses

• assessing issues faced by utility customers related to electricity use

• identifying and forging external partnerships for utilities

• providing written and verbal recommendations to utilities and government stakeholders.

• Has a strong network and working relationships with utilities and Government agencies in Kenya and other countries in Africa

PREO

• Bachelor’s or Master’s (preferred) in a related field, preferably in Business Management, Renewable energy, Finance
• Minimum 5 years of financial and management experience in renewable energy, productive use of energy and innovative energy financing models
• Substantial work experience in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia (preferable)
• Prior investment experience (preferably debt and equity or and/ or grant) in renewable energy, productive use of energy in sub-Saharan Africa a PLUS
• Deep network among private sector, public sector, commercial investors, donors & philanthropies preferable
• Strong team player

Experience and skills for the WB-KPLC assignment will be prioritized, but those listed for PREO are still necessary.

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**Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment OpportunityWe are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & EthicsMercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our stakeholders and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

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