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This document is a Request for Proposals (RfP) and Terms of Reference (ToR) issued by the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) to procure event logistics, branding, and coordination services for the 2024 Energy Access Investment Forum (EAIF).

The Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the booking of a venue and catering services for the ARE Energy Access Investment Forum (EAIF) 2026, scheduled for April 21-23, 2026, in Nairobi, Kenya.

ENGIE Energy Access identifies a critical funding gap and strategic misalignment in the effort to achieve universal energy access in Sub-Saharan Africa. The report argues that current grant funding is too limited, fragmented, and often diverted from core household electrification toward higher-tier or niche goals. It proposes four strategic shifts: refocusing on basic household access (Tier 1–2), tailoring financial instruments to specific market segments, increasing the share of grants in the capital mix to approximately 50%, and transitioning to coordinated programmatic platforms with standardised administration.

The document establishes a business case for gender equality in the decentralised renewable energy (DRE) sector, asserting that women-led businesses are often as profitable as or more profitable than those led by men. It provides a framework of recommendations for DRE companies, civil society organisations (CSOs), and investors to improve gender equality at the community, organisational, and investor levels. The report includes 17 case studies from various global regions demonstrating the impact of gender-sensitive interventions, such as solar kiosks in Togo, feminist microgrid development in Haiti, and technical training for women in Brazil.

The NREA Toolkit is a detailed guide for the creation and operational management of national renewable energy associations. It covers the entire organizational lifecycle, from initial business planning and legal incorporation to membership development, strategic communication, and good governance. The document provides frameworks for financial management, resource mobilization, and evidence-based advocacy to influence public policy. It also outlines a six-step process for implementing data activities to support industry benchmarks and advocacy efforts.

The report provides a comprehensive overview of India's decentralised renewable energy (DRE) landscape, detailing deployment statistics, government schemes, and the role of R&D in driving innovation. It highlights the transition of DRE from basic lighting to productive livelihood applications and identifies 'weak-grid' areas as a significant growth market. The document emphasizes the necessity of harmonized international standards to prevent market spoilage and facilitate global trade. It also showcases the 'transformational journeys' of Indian companies expanding into Sub-Saharan Africa, leveraging digital technologies like Pay-as-you-Go (PayG) and standardized mini-grid models to address energy poverty.

The 'Air Aware' youth statement highlights the severe impact of air pollution on young people in Johannesburg, particularly in low-income areas like Alexandra, Soweto, and Diepsloot. It identifies waste burning, household fuel use, transport emissions, and industrial pollution as primary sources of contamination that lead to respiratory illnesses and cardiovascular strain. The document demands a transition toward health-centered air quality management, reliable waste collection to end illegal burning, clean mobility infrastructure, and the formal inclusion of youth in environmental governance to achieve a 'Vision 2030' of cleaner skies and green jobs.

The document details SEforALL's five-outcome Theory of Change aimed at achieving SDG7 through gender-sensitive action, global commitments, policy standards, financial mobilization, and direct energy installations. It reports cumulative results including the leveraging of 3.6 billion USD directly and 2.7 billion USD indirectly for energy access and clean energy transitions.

In 2021, at least 3.43 billion people across 54 high-impact countries faced cooling access challenges. The rural poor population at high risk grew to 355 million, driven largely by the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on poverty, with India, Nigeria, and Bangladesh having the highest numbers. The urban poor population increased to 732 million, with China and India accounting for 36% of that growth. Additionally, the lower-middle income segment grew to 2.34 billion people, a group at risk of adopting inefficient cooling devices that could increase greenhouse gas emissions. Conversely, the middle-income population decreased by approximately 140 million people, primarily driven by declines in China and India.

The Gender and Energy Compact is a coalition led by UNIDO, ENERGIA, and GWNET, supported by several governments, to ensure women have equal opportunity to lead and benefit from the energy transition and equal access to sustainable energy services. The coalition targets five key outcomes: eliminating energy and time poverty for women, adopting gender-responsive energy policies, increasing resources for women-led businesses, improving career advancement for women in the energy sector, and enhancing the availability of sex-disaggregated data. Signatories are expected to submit individual commitments by 2030 to support SDG7 and SDG5.

Insufficient cold chain logistics and unreliable electricity access are estimated to leave approximately 2.7 billion people without dependable vaccine access. In Sub-Saharan Africa, a significant portion of health facilities lack reliable power, undermining healthcare quality and vaccine efficacy. To mitigate these gaps, organizations like Gavi and UNICEF are deploying solar-powered refrigeration, while the World Bank provides financing for health system strengthening and cold chain equipment.

The Global Tracking Framework establishes a baseline and monitoring system for the SE4ALL 2030 goals. While the world saw significant gains between 1990 and 2010, population and economic growth have diluted these impacts, making 'business as usual' insufficient. Achieving the goals will require an additional $600–800 billion in annual investment, bold policy shifts such as phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, and critical progress in 'high-impact' countries, particularly China and India.

Amida Adiatu Bangura describes how SEforALL's Healthcare Electrification Project provided 24/7 solar electricity to one hospital and 25 community health centres in Sierra Leone, eliminating reliance on unreliable diesel generators and reducing the need for dangerous patient transfers. The project also promoted gender equality by training 11 women in solar installation and renewable energy skills.

The document highlights that over 3.2 billion people in 52 high-impact countries face cooling access challenges, with 1.05 billion at high risk. It advocates for a shift from equipment-based projections to a needs-based approach covering thermal comfort, food security, and healthcare. The report recommends national action plans, public-private partnerships, and targeted financing for the most vulnerable populations to ensure equitable access to sustainable cooling.

The report 'Taking the Pulse 2019' identifies a total financing need of $6.4 billion by 2030 to achieve SDG 7 in Madagascar, the Philippines, and Uganda. It breaks down these needs by technology—mini-grids, standalone solar systems, and improved cookstoves—and by capital type, including grants, equity, debt, and affordability gap funding. The analysis highlights that while grid electrification remains important, off-grid solutions are essential for reaching isolated populations. The report provides specific projections for each country, noting that Uganda has seen success in standalone solar, the Philippines relies heavily on mini-grids due to its geography, and Madagascar faces severe infrastructure and affordability challenges. It concludes with policy recommendations for development partners, governments, and investors to mobilize the necessary capital and create enabling regulatory environments.

The report analyzes Kenya's efforts to achieve universal energy access through various 'energy safety nets' (ESNs), distinguishing between interventions for physical access (connections) and those for sustainable use (affordability). Key electricity initiatives include the Slum Electrification Project (SEP), the Last Mile Connectivity Project (LMCP), and the Lifeline Tariff. For cooking, it reviews the Mwananchi Gas Project and the Kenya Off-grid Solar Access Project (KOSAP). The study highlights a significant gap in clean cooking access (14%) compared to electrification (64%) and argues that ESNs would be more sustainable if integrated into existing social assistance frameworks like the National Safety Net Programme (NSNP). It recommends a more precise targeting of the lifeline tariff, increased gender mainstreaming, and the adoption of results-based financing to optimize costs and impact.

The report analyzes four Energy Safety Nets in Mexico: differentiated electricity tariffs, Oportunidades Energéticas, the Fondo de Servicio Universal Eléctrico (FSUE), and a pilot program for subsidized LPG. It finds that while electricity tariffs provide broad support, they are inefficiently targeted. Other targeted programs, such as Oportunidades Energéticas and the LPG pilot, were short-lived and lacked significant impact on shifting households to cleaner fuels. The FSUE has provided thousands of connections but faces data gaps and is currently on hold. The study recommends targeting electricity subsidies using social assistance registers and expanding the FSUE to include clean cooking technologies.

The document defines Energy Safety Nets (ESNs) as government-led approaches to close the affordability gap for essential energy services, including electricity and clean cooking fuels. It distinguishes between ESNs for physical connections (one-off transfers) and those for ongoing consumption (recurring transfers). The guide outlines various targeting methods—geographic, social, economic, and demographic—and delivery mechanisms such as cash transfers, vouchers, and reduced tariffs. It emphasizes the need for gender-responsive design, robust evaluation, and high-level policy coordination to achieve universal energy access as outlined in Sustainable Development Goal 7.

The document introduces updates to the OnSSET tool to move beyond the assumption of 100% grid reliability. It proposes two proxies for the cost of non-supplied electricity: a parametric Cost of Non-Served Energy (CNSE) penalty and a diesel back-up system model. Testing in eastern Uganda shows that incorporating these reliability costs shifts the 'least-cost' preference from grid extension toward off-grid solutions, with the diesel back-up approach causing more significant shifts in technology mix and increasing total estimated investment by approximately 20%.

The report identifies significant energy gaps in Nigeria's healthcare system, noting that 40% of primary healthcare centres (PHCs) lack electricity. It proposes a phased roadmap to electrify 10,000 functional PHCs by 2030, estimating a total cost of $525 million for CAPEX and OPEX over 15 years. The document analyzes three delivery models—traditional equipment ownership, service-based, and a proposed hybrid model—recommending the hybrid approach for Type 2 PHCs to balance private sector efficiency with public sector constraints. Key recommendations include the creation of a centralized dynamic database for health facility energy status and the use of blended financing to mitigate risks for private energy service companies.