In 2008, Lighting Africa conducted its first Development Marketplace Grant Competition, providing seed funding for innovations in off-grid lighting product development. Over $3 million was awarded to 16 winning projects that employed a range of business models and approaches to deliver improved lighting products to low-income consumers.
During the last 18 months, the Lighting Africa team conducted project supervision visits and provided technical assistance and support to help Development Marketplace winners meet their project implementation goals. Projects were completed in June 2010, and results are being documented. Impacts realized to date include: expanded use of improved lighting products; enhanced manufacturing, marketing, and distribution supply chains; reduced product cost and increased access to financing. Others include improved lighting quality for households, increased school retention and improved grades among children in homes with better quality lighting; increased income levels by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs); and reduced CO2 emissions. One beneficiary won UNEP’s Annual Sasakawa Environmental Prize.
The innovation grant approach was replicated in April 2008 by the Tanzania Rural Energy Agency (REA) in a nationwide competition. “Lighting Rural Tanzania” selected 10 winners, each of which received up to $100,000 in seed capital to develop and implement their ideas over a 12-month period.
