Kigali, Rwanda – Today, the Cooking Energy Business Growth Fund (CEBGF) for Rwanda announced the 14 winners selected for grant support for their innovative approaches to environmentally friendly cooking energy solutions. CEBGF is part of the ‘Reducing Climate Impact of Cooking in Rwanda through improved cooking energy systems (ReCIC) Project under the Energising Development (EnDev) Programme. EnDev’s ReCIC Project is co-funded by the European Union (EU) and the German government (BMZ). The CEBGF winners were announced today May 17, 2022, during the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) Forum being held in Kigali, Rwanda. Competing entrepreneurs participated in a competitive process of submission of application, screening, detailed technical evaluation, due diligence, business plan preparation, and pitching to present their innovative cooking energy solutions, to a panel with representatives from the Government of Rwanda and the donors, to vet their business cases and development impact potentials. The pitches presented by entrepreneurs showcased their innovative solutions in cooking energy, as well as details of how they intend to use the CEBGF grant, to improve not only their products but also grow their businesses, to higher profitability. Winners of the fund include a variety of cooking energy innovations, including improved cooking stoves production, stove testing, briquettes and pellets production, as well as marketing and distribution of the products; and are varied in geographical locations of operations across the country, with eight located in Kigali City and 2 from the Western Province, 2 from the Eastern Province, 1 from the Southern Province and 1 from the Northern Province of Rwanda. These entrepreneurs, who won the CEBGF grant funding also received business development support including a business assessment, business training, and individualized consulting over the past 2 months; and will continue to receive constant follow-up and support from SNV and GIZ, to ensure their business plans are implemented. In line with Rwanda’s Biomass Energy Strategy, which aims to reduce the percentage of households that use firewood by 30% before 2024, and entirely phase-out the use of charcoal in urban areas, the Cooking Energy Business Growth Fund (CEBGF) for Rwanda was created to provide necessary resources to innovative businesses, who are creating solutions to problems created by traditional cooking methods. In Rwanda today, more than 97% of all households rely on traditional cooking systems, like firewood and charcoal. This has created several problems, including indoor air pollution from firewood and charcoal, which results in respiratory problems and can be associated with 1.6 million deaths around the world each year, disproportionately affecting women and children. As per a 2020 estimate by the world Bank, traditional way of cooking in smoky/inefficient stoves results in poor health (and death), women’s lost productivity, and climate problems, with a global annual cost of USD 1.4 Trillion, 0.8 Trillion and 0.2 Trillion, respectively. The Cooking Energy Business Growth Fund (CEBGF) is made up of a series of partners to create the most successful initiative possible. Inkomoko Entrepreneur Development, Rwanda’s leading business development provider, offered capacity-building support through an accelerator program, including training, business assessment, investment readiness, and pitch preparation. The 14 winners announced today will receive a grant investment of 10 to 40 million RWF per winner from SNV to partly support the implementation of the presented business ideas in line with the business plans. During today’s ceremony, the top 3 overall winners, namely 1) Eco-Green Solution Ltd., 2) BioMassters Limited, and 3) Enviro Green Conserve Company Ltd., in the order of ranking received 2 million RWF, 1.5 million RWF, and 1 million RWF, as additional appreciation prizes, respectively. The remaining 11 winners are 1) EM T Xavier Company Ltd, 2) Ado Green Conserve Company Ltd, 3) Urumuri Energy Group Ltd, 4) Oak Investments Ltd, 5) Muhanga Improved Local Technologies Company Ltd (MILTEC), 6) MPA (Modern Poterie Art), 7) Inganzo Pottery Company Ltd, 8) Energie Domestique (ENEDOM), 9) Quincaillerie Advento Ltd, 10) Green Hanga Ltd, and 11) Safer1 Ltd. The 14 winners were selected from 89 applicants and extensive screening, followed by a technical evaluation for 64 entrepreneurs, due diligence for 20, and business plan preparation, pitching, and approval processes for the announced final winners. ABOUT ENDEV AND THE RECIC Project EnDev is a strategic partnership of like-minded donors and partners to support access to modern energy. Access to modern energy is a prerequisite for social and economic development. EnDev works in more than 20 countries around the globe. In Rwanda, the cooking energy component of EnDev, “Reducing Climate Impact of Cooking in Rwanda through improved cooking energy systems action” (ReCIC) Project, is implemented by GIZ and SNV and funded by the European Union and (EU) Germany’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (BMZ). For more information, visit: www.endev.info/ ABOUT SNV SNV Netherlands Development Organisation is a not-for-profit international development organisation that makes a lasting difference in people living in poverty by helping them raise incomes and access to basic services. SNV has a local presence in around 24 countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, with a team of more than 1,297 staff. SNV in Rwanda delivers advisory services to local organisations throughout the country, helping to realise the national development goals in the Agriculture, Energy, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene sectors. The company’s core business is strengthening the capacities of local organisations in the private and public sectors to localise capacity development services and upscale activities. SNV applies market-based solutions to reducing poverty and promoting good governance. For more information about SNV Rwanda, visit: www.snv.org/country/rwanda ABOUT GIZ As a service provider in international cooperation for sustainable development and international education work, GIZ has over 50 years of experience in a wide variety of areas, including economic development and employment promotion, energy and the environment, and peace and security. GIZ works with businesses, civil society actors, and research institutions, fostering successful interaction between development policy and other policy fields and areas of activity. GIZ has 23,614 employees, almost 70 percent of whom are national staff, who work in around 120 countries. As a recognized development service provider, we currently have 483 development workers in action in partner countries. For more information about GIZ, visit: www.giz.de/en ABOUT INKOMOKO Inkomoko Entrepreneur Development is Rwanda’s leading business development service provider that has served the needs of Rwandan businesses since 2012, providing business training, consulting, and access to affordable finance. With over 130 staff in 7 offices, Inkomoko’s business accelerator has helped more than 25,000 entrepreneurs in Rwanda run their operations more efficiently and strategically. On average, entrepreneurs in Inkomoko’s accelerator increase their annual revenues by 80%. Inkomoko is the Rwandan affiliate of African Entrepreneur Collective, a network of business accelerators and loan funds with a mission to create jobs and improve lives. AEC has operations in Rwanda, Kenya, and Ethiopia. For more information, visit: www.inkomoko.com
