PFAN Project Matchmaking Support

Name of the organisation:

PFAN is hosted by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP).

Brief description of the matchmaking platform:

The Private Financing Advisory Network was initiated in 2006 by the UNFCCC and CTI, and is a global network of business and climate finance consultants. PFAN offers no-cost business coaching and investor matchmaking services to promising entrepreneurs developing resource-efficient, clean energy projects or projects with adaptation benefits in low- and middle-income countries. Since its launch, PFAN has helped over 110 projects raise more than US$ 1.5 billion in investment.

Benefits and services offered through this platform:

We offer free one-on-one coaching to help entrepreneurs improve their business plans, their financial models and their investment pitch. When a project is evaluated as ready for investment, the entrepreneur can be invited to pitch it to investors at a regional Financing Forum, or receive direct, one-on-one investment facilitation services from the Investment Facilitation Team.

Processes to access and make use of this platform:

Project developers can apply for PFAN support through our website: www.pfan.net/submit-a-proposal. Our call for proposals is open permanently and project developers can apply whenever they wish; they may also submit multiple proposals. In every region where we work (Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Central America and the Caribbean, Central Asia and Eastern Europe, Pacific) an evaluation round is held every quarter. Deadlines for upcoming evaluation rounds are published on our website.

Terms, conditions and costs involved in applying to make use of this platform:

There are no costs involved in applying for PFAN’s services.

Eligibility criteria for innovators/entrepreneurs:

PFAN accepts applications for projects in low- and middle-income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Central America and Caribbean Islands (see below for a full list of eligible countries).

To be eligible for PFAN support, your project or business must provide climate change adaptation benefits, or offer or use resource efficient technologies, products or services, including, but not limited to, the activity areas below. PFAN is technology neutral, which means we do not prefer any technology over any other.

Proposals should demonstrate that the project is commercially and technically viable, and requires no or only minimal grant funding. If your project currently receives grant funding or has done so in the past, that does not affect eligibility.

Project developers should be looking for between US$ 1 million and 50 million in investment. This may be disbursed in smaller tranches as requested (only for Energy Access and Rural Electrification Projects – clean cook stoves, solar home systems, mini grids – an exception is made, and the investment ask can lie between US$500 thousand and US$50 million. This too may be disbursed in smaller tranches as requested).