SFERE Call for Applications – Clean Cooking Market Partnerships (Result 2)
Project: Sustainable Forestry and Efficient Renewable Energy for Improved Livelihoods (SFERE)
Objective: Selection of qualified private energy companies to partner in implementing Result 2 – promotion of clean cooking solutions in Rwanda through Improved Cookstoves (ICS) and sustainable biomass fuels.
1. Introduction / About the Project
The SFERE project, implemented by LuxDev in collaboration with the Government of Rwanda, aims to strengthen forest landscape resilience and improve livelihoods of communities dependent on biomass energy. It focuses on three results: forest restoration, clean cooking promotion, and income diversification.
This call for applications specifically addresses Result 2: increasing the use of improved cookstoves and sustainable biomass fuels in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas. Selected companies will partner with LuxDev to demonstrate an inclusive market model in which trained youth and women groups act as local distributors. These groups will be supported with seed capital to purchase clean cooking technologies and sustainable fuels from selected companies, sell them locally, and reinvest revenues. Companies and groups will both receive technical assistance, while companies will benefit through increased market access, demand growth, last-mile distribution efficiency, and at the end of entrepreneurship development modules, the participating companies will pitch their business models in front of judging panel, and the winners will be supported in implementing their business model.
The initiative contributes to Rwanda’s clean cooking transition, improved livelihoods, and environmental sustainability. Rutsiro and Rubavu districts will serve as the proof-of-concept areas for national scale-up upon successful implementation.
2. Objectives of the Call
LuxDev invites expressions of interest from private energy companies producing Improved Cookstoves (Tier 3 and above) and/or sustainable biomass fuels (pellets, briquettes). A total of 10 companies—5 for cookstoves and 5 for fuel technologies or with both—will be selected as official project partners.
3. Eligibility Requirements and Evaluation Criteria
To be considered eligible, companies must meet the following screening and evaluation criteria. These will be verified through document review, scoring, and due diligence visits to the company premises.
|
Eligibility and Evaluation Criteria |
Description |
|
Reduction of Firewood Use |
Company must reduce firewood consumption or provide alternative cooking energy (excluding LPG and electricity). |
|
Legal Registration |
Company must be legally registered with RDB or RCA and provide a registration certificate. |
|
Product Standards (Tier 3+) |
Company must produce improved cookstoves of Tier 3 or above, justified by RSB certification. |
|
Operational History |
Company must have operated for at least one year and demonstrate commercial revenues. |
|
Economic & Institutional Viability |
Company must be robust with adequate staff, assets, and financial sustainability. |
|
Customer Base & Business Model |
Company must demonstrate a functional customer base and inclusive business model. |
|
Market Development Contribution |
Company must promote sustainable clean cooking market growth and avoid market distortions (e.g., free distributions). |
|
Management Participation |
Company leadership must be committed to participate in project-related trainings and planned activities. |
|
AAAAQ Standards |
Solutions must meet Availability, Accessibility, Affordability, Acceptability, and Quality standards. |
|
Market & Partnership Capacity |
Company must be willing to work with women and youth groups for local distribution of ICS and Fuels |
|
Physical Presence |
Company must have a verifiable physical address (office, manufacturing plant, or factory). |
|
Policy Alignment |
Compliance with Rwanda’s Energy Policy and relevant ministerial guidelines. |
4. Submission Guidelines
Interested companies should submit their Expression of Interest with the following attachments:
• Company profile and Letter of “Expression of Interest”.
• RDB/RCA registration certificate.
• RSB certification Mandatory (for ICS producers) and Fuel Technologies’ standard paper if any (Option)
• Physical business location.
Note: Email Subject format “Expression of Interest_of _Your company name_for SFERE project”
Applications must be submitted not later than 7th November, 2025,
to info@epdrwanda.com and copy emmanuel@epdrwanda.com