Promoting Rural Energy Technology Entrepreneurs in Ethiopia

December 6, 2019

Local enterprises working on the production and selling of rural energy technologies (RETs) are receiving training through the UNDP supported entrepreneurship development programme, which has trained over 30,000 current and aspiring entrepreneurs since its launch in 2013.

The training brings together UNDP’s intervention around renewable energy and with its entrepreneurship development programme.

The selected enterprises number over 200 and are mostly run by youth and women based in all the 9 regional states with specific focus on the rural areas.

Under its energy portfolio, UNDP has been supporting the Ministry of Water Irrigation and Electricity (MoWIE) of Ethiopia to partner with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Development Bank of Ethiopia and UNCDF in order to significantly strengthen the role of the private sector in promoting RETs for household use as well as the productive sector.

The initiative is expected to promote innovation around the availability of renewable technology in the rural area. It will do this through targeted entrepreneurship trainings, providing start-ups with business advice and mentoring as well as building an enabling environment, and incubation support for enterprises working on RETs. These enterprises work in in a number of areas including solar, improved cook stoves, wind , hydro, biomass fuels and biogas , energy technologies for the home as well as institutions .

The trained enterprises will have the chance to compete for special grant award and also have access to technical assistance and global expertise.

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GEF-UNDP joint press release : Promoting Sustainable Technologies to Meet Ethiopia’s Growing Energy Need