Contracts for Innovation: Clean Energy Demonstrators in Tanzania

To lead a project you must:

• be an organisation of any size
• work alone or with the subcontracted skills and expertise of others from business, research organisations, research and technology organisations, or the third sector (charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups)
• carry out the demonstration or field testing in Tanzania for a minimum of three months duration

Contracts will be awarded to a single legal entity only. The majority of the project work and key deliverables must be completed by the applicant. Subcontractors can be used.

Organisations do not have to be registered in the UK to lead a project but must be a registered organisation. We will undertake viability and due diligence checks before awarding a contract.

Projects must:

• start on 1 April 2025
• end by 31 March 2026
• last between 6 months and 12 months
• have costs of between £200,000 and £800,000, inclusive of VAT
• involve demonstrating or field testing of your innovation in Tanzania for a minimum of three months duration, with in-country users in real life operating conditions
• demonstrate local partnerships, for example, with subcontractors who are based in Tanzania
• ensure Tanzania is the primary beneficiary of the innovation
• be compliant with ODA funding

Your application must have at least 50% of the contract value attributed directly and exclusively to R&D services, including solution exploration and design.

The aim of this competition is to develop innovative clean energy demonstrators in Tanzania.

This is to contribute to:

• an inclusive and clean energy transition
• extend the benefits of clean energy to all
• meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7 and 13

These goals are:

Sustainable Development Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

Sustainable Development Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

A key aspect of this competition is to leverage local partnerships with organisations in Tanzania. Your project must:

• leverage local partnerships with organisations in Tanzania
• contribute to Sustainable Development Goals 7 and 13
• involve demonstrating or field testing of your innovation in Tanzania for a minimum of three continuous months, with in-country users in real life operating conditions
• contribute to the reduction or mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions
• ensure Tanzania is the primary beneficiary of the innovation
• be compliant with ODA funding
• demonstrate impact to either local communities or local organisations
• propose an end of life plan for the technology developed with this funding

Your project must also utilise existing local supply chains if available, and where reasonable. For example, if there is a local supplier of a particular component, and it’s at a reasonable price, we would expect them to be the supplier used for the project. If the cost is significantly lower, the use of the supplier would need to be justified for the cost and shipping of parts from other countries.

You must demonstrate a credible and practical route to market, so your application must include a plan to commercialise your results.

Your project must focus on at least one of the following Ayrton Challenge Areas:

• next generation solar: enable new, sustainable, locally manufacturable solar PV supplies, reducing the emissions and transport costs of solar expansion
• smart energy systems: accelerate a series of related technologies which enable more efficient and effective network delivery of energy
• energy storage: create and commercialise innovative battery technologies and associated business models for generator displacement and mobility applications in developing countries and emerging economies
• clean hydrogen: scaling zero carbon thermal gas production and uses, reducing remaining need for fossil fuels in hard to abate sectors
• modern cooking services: unlocking the transition from biomass to genuinely clean cooking, delivering major health and environmental benefits
• inclusive energy and leave no one behind: ensure that the benefits of the clean energy revolution reach the poorest and most marginalised, for example, women, people with disabilities, refugees or Internally Displaced People (IDPs), healthcare patients in unelectrified clinics
• sustainable cooling for all: helps to meet growing global cooling demand in a warming world, in a sustainable way
• zero emissions generators: replace fossil fuelled generators in an increasing number of use-cases with Zero Emissions alternatives

An online briefing event was held on Tuesday 19 November 2024. Click here to view the recording.

Click here to download briefing slides.

If you would like help in finding a project partner or subcontractor, contact Innovate UK Business Connect’s Energy team or our Global Alliance team.