Energy Talent Development - West Africa (ETD-WA) Activity | 72067424R00011

Opportunity Information: Apply for 72067424R00011

Energy Talent Development - West Africa (ETD-WA) is a USAID Power Africa grant opportunity designed to strengthen the human and institutional capacity needed for West Africa to shift toward a more sustainable, low-carbon energy system. The activity is meant to work directly with local institutions and professionals, using practical capacity-building approaches such as targeted trainings, workshops, and other skill-development interventions. Rather than funding large-scale infrastructure by itself, ETD-WA is positioned as a talent and capability accelerator that helps local actors become better equipped to plan, deliver, regulate, finance, and operate modern energy systems.

The activity is intentionally aligned with and supportive of Empower West Africa (EWA), Power Africa's flagship effort in the region focused on reducing energy poverty by expanding access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern electricity services. ETD-WA is described as a complement to EWA: where EWA has a broad scope across the power sector, ETD-WA narrows in on the capacity gaps that can slow progress, such as limited technical expertise, weak institutional systems, and insufficient workforce readiness. The basic idea is that the region's energy transition and access goals depend not only on projects and policies, but also on having enough skilled people and capable organizations to implement them well.

The opportunity sits within Power Africa's broader results framework, which frames the program's overall goal as advancing sub-Saharan African development through universal access to clean energy. That framework highlights three major development objectives: ending energy poverty, accelerating a carbon-free future, and strengthening competitive private sector investment and innovation in the energy sector. In practice, ETD-WA applicants are expected to identify and address specific capacity-building needs that will directly contribute to the objectives already laid out under EWA. These include improving utility performance to expand access, increasing off-grid generation and new connections, accelerating clean energy development and deployment, and enhancing private sector investment and innovation that supports domestic and regional energy infrastructure. A strong application would therefore tie proposed trainings or institutional strengthening directly to measurable improvements in these areas, such as better utility operations and planning, stronger regulatory and project-development skills, increased competence in renewable integration, or improved ability to structure and finance viable projects.

Eligibility is restricted to local entities based in specific West African countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Organizations registered in and primarily based in Nigeria are explicitly not eligible for this particular notice of funding opportunity, because USAID anticipates a separate opportunity for Nigerian organizations to implement locally led Power Africa activities. The solicitation also makes clear that USAID welcomes applications from organizations that have not previously received USAID financial assistance, and that faith-based organizations may apply on the same basis as other organizations, subject to applicable federal protections and requirements.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity under USAID (listed as USAID-Pretoria), with funding categorized under the energy sector and CFDA number 98.001. The opportunity number is 72067424R00011, with an original closing date of January 24, 2025. USAID anticipates making one award, with an award ceiling of USD 8,000,000. Interested eligible applicants are limited to submitting no more than one concept paper and one full application under this notice, which means organizations need to be deliberate about selecting a single, coherent program approach and partnership structure rather than splitting ideas across multiple submissions.

• The South Africa USAID-Pretoria in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Energy Talent Development - West Africa (ETD-WA) Activity" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 98.001.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-12-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-01-24. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $8,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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