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Malawi
Bitesize Energy Portable Productive Power for Enhanced Energy Access and Productivity
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Despite its potential, Malawi's Mini-grid market remains in its infancy, facing barriers to realising full impact. These include, most notably, accurately forecasting Average Revenue per User (ARPU) and Average Weekly Time of Power (AWTP) when assessing potential locations, and initial low energy demand during evening hours, increasing battery storage costs. Building upon existing hardware and software developed by CREATIVenergie during Energy Catalyst 7, our approach stimulates impactful community demand for energy by integrating portable small-scale productive applications into a rental model that incorporates pay-per-use battery swapping, simultaneously generating local data on ARPU and AWTP to support accurate load projection analysis and de-risk prospective minigrid investments. To sustain operations, we will employ a two-tier 'franchisor-franchisee' model. As franchisors, Challenges Catalyst will partner with local aspiring mini-grid developers (MGDs) to act as 'franchisees', procure hub equipment, manage branding and set quality standards. Franchisees will own and operate the pay per use battery swap and PUE model, collecting ARPU and AWTP data and acting not only as the frontline for customer interactions, but also as community advocates for present and future energy needs. Guided by Malawi's Integrated Energy Plan, we will target communities where minigrids have been identified as the preferred electrification option. As we expand, we will also target more remote off-grid communities, inclusively recruiting and training local franchisees. This project includes the following key work packages: * Hardware and software development involves updating electronics hardware design, software design, casing design, prototyping, and testing for battery rental and management. * During the demonstrator implementation phase, tasks include installation, manufacturing hardware for trials, deploying and commissioning hubs, commissioning portable productive loads, installing communication systems, conducting trials, and data collection. Ongoing operation, maintenance, and data collection are also part of this phase. * Commercial implementation involves conducting baseline community and energy needs assessments, establishing franchisee relationships with MGDs for franchised hubs, providing commercial and franchisee training, mentoring, community marketing, implementing the hub model, and monitoring and evaluating hub performance. * The project focuses on MGD and government engagement, including convening a stakeholder technical advisory board, assessing data needs, developing an MGD value proposition, and establishing a complementary go-to-market strategy. * Franchise model development activities include establishing a franchise structure and legal framework, designing the franchisor business and revenue model, codifying operations and quality systems, optimising franchisee training and support programs, developing a marketing and branding strategy. * The development of a comprehensive business and financial plan.
CoolRun Malawi
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Agriculture is the key industry in Malawi; however, given the sub-tropical, climate, the cold supply chain for fruit, vegetables and other temperature sensitive goods is lacking. In most of Malawi, the electricity supply is unreliable, and the increasing cost of fossil fuels makes it expensive to operate internal combustion driven generators and compressors. The lack of a reliable, affordable, and available cold supply chain leads to high levels of wastage up to 50% of some crops harvested. In rural areas, farming is mostly on a subsistence basis and a female occupation. Farmers either sell their produce directly (or via resellers) at markets or roadside walking up to 2 hours to reach their pitch. Because the crop is not chilled, it cannot be easily sold to shops or supermarkets where higher prices could be realised. Our innovation is to develop a micro, affordable, mobile, sustainable refrigeration system comprising a modular refrigerated box cooled by Phase Change Material (PCM) panels. The crop is pre-cooled at a central location using a solar powered refrigeration unit that also cools the PCM panels. Temperature integrity is monitored via sensors that monitor GPS position and temperature and the data is transmitted to a cloud database for verification by supplier and customer alike. The design and development work will be undertaken by Aston University in conjunction with its SME partners Hubl Logistics, Enterprise Projects Ventures Limited (EPVL), Malawi Fruits and Engineeronics Ltd in the UK and Modern Farming Technology (MFT) in Malawi. EPVL will supply the systems and the prototype will be evaluated in the field by MFT and Malawi Fruits. MFT will assess any gender related issues with the design. A digital twin of the design will be developed at Aston and performance of the prototype will be compared to the digital twin which will inform the final design. Aston University will conduct studies of the impact of the technology on gender and unrepresented groups. Fruit and vegetable farming and selling in Malawi are activities divided based on gender with land ownership male dominated with females relegated to farming and sales. The technology is being developed with farming and selling enterprises in Malawi in mind to empower women to develop their enterprise and social standing by adding value to their activities. CoolRun enables users to cut waste dramatically providing more to sell and reach markets where prices are higher thereby generating greater returns.
Darwin Initiative
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
The Darwin Initiative is the UK’s flagship international challenge fund for biodiversity conversation and poverty reduction, established at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. The Darwin Initiative is a grant scheme working on projects that aim to slow, halt, or reverse the rates of biodiversity loss and degradation, with associated reductions in multidimensional poverty. To date, the Darwin Initiative has awarded more than £195m to over 1,280 projects in 159 countries to enhance the capability and capacity of national and local stakeholders to deliver biodiversity conservation and multidimensional poverty reduction outcomes in low and middle-income countries. More information at https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/the-darwin-initiative. This page contains information about Rounds 27 onwards. For information about Rounds 1 to 26, please see the Darwin Initiative website -https://www.darwininitiative.org.uk/
Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
Illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is a widespread and lucrative criminal activity causing major global environmental and social harm. The IWT has been estimated to be worth up to £17 billion a year. Nearly 6,000 different species of fauna and flora are impacted, with almost every country in the world playing a role in the illicit trade. The UK government is committed to tackling illegal trade of wildlife products and is a long-standing leader in efforts to eradicate the IWT. Defra manages the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, which is a competitive grants scheme with the objective of tackling IWT and, in doing so, contributing to sustainable development in developing countries. Projects funded under the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund address one, or more, of the following themes: • Developing sustainable livelihoods to benefit people directly affected by IWT, • Strengthening law enforcement, • Ensuring effective legal frameworks, • Reducing demand for IWT products. By 2023 over £51 million has been committed to 157 projects since the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund was established in 2013. This page contains information about Rounds 7 onwards. For information about Rounds 1 to 6, please see the IWTCF website -https://iwt.challengefund.org.uk/
Malawi Trade and Investment Programme
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
MTIP aims to stimulate a step change in Malawi’s growth by promoting higher value export sectors, cutting time and costs of trade and logistics, and raising international and domestic investment in new exports. Underpinning this will be a focused effort to improve the business enabling environment. Higher economic growth is expected to translate into sustained poverty reduction, creating new jobs and income generating opportunities and much needed revenue to fund the public services needed for a fast-growing population. Specifically, programme aims include reducing the costs of trade for Malawi by 10% and converting over 5,000 hectares of land to more productive high value export crops.
UK Aid Match II Fund
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
To support the achievement of the Global Goals through funding UK-based civil society organisations to deliver projects that assist in ending extreme poverty and building a better world by 2030. The programme will also provide opportunities for the UK public to engage in international development issues and have a say in how a portion of the aid budget is spent.
The Evidence Fund - 300708
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
The Evidence Fund procures and manages research and evaluations that primarily benefit ODA eligible countries. Most research and evaluations paid for by the Evidence Fund are country-specific, and all respond to requests for evidence to inform programme or policy decisions. Primarily serving research requests from HMG’s Embassies and High Commissions in ODA eligible countries, and from HMG policy and strategy teams, the Evidence Fund strengthens the evidence behind the UK’s priority international development investments and development diplomacy. The Evidence Fund also invests modest amounts of non-ODA, to strengthen the evidence behind wider UK foreign policy.
Maziko a Maphunziro (Foundations of Learning)
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
This programme is key to building human capital and supporting women and girls. The numeracy (maths) component of this programme, building on our previous programming, will work at fully national scale, reaching every primary school in Malawi with a modern maths curriculum reform that includes supply of learner’s workbooks. To address issues of both attendance rates and the ability of children to focus at school the programme will focus on climate interventions including climate-sensitive school feeding alongside small investments aimed at leveraging multilateral climate finance which Malawi struggles to access. Programme will support approximately 1,000 disadvantaged girls by funding scholarships to those accepted to secondary school but unable to attend for financial reasons.
WISH Dividend - successor programme to WISH 205241
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
To increase the use of family planning methods to reduce maternal deaths and prevent the use and access to unsafe abortion, including for marginalised and young women. To enable women and girls to safely plan their pregnancies and improve their sexual and reproductive health. To deliver UK commitments towards Universal Reproductive Health and Rights [SDGs 3.7 and 5.6]. To support a range of services including family planning, education and behaviour change, prevention of unsafe abortion and other integrated sexual and reproductive health services.
The Growth Gateway programme
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
To establish a coordinated and improved service to businesses exporting to, importing from and investing in developing markets and businesses from developing markets to access UK Government trade, investment and finance services that increases trade and investment to developing markets. The programme will prioritise for support businesses who through their operations and products can deliver positive environmental and development impact, and support for businesses and governments will include promoting climate sensitive approaches and international standards on environmental practice, and identifying and supporting opportunities for climate smart investment.
Transparency and Accountability to improve economic development and service delivery(TRACTION)
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
To improve accountability responsiveness in the delivery of public goods (including business environment) and services at local and national levels. This will be achieved through changes in the way government does business such as improvements in oversight in use of public finances, improvements in how budgets are allocated to reflect needs and more politicians seeking to legitimise themselves based on the delivery of public goods - both at election time and between elections.
Building Resilience and adapting to climate change in Malawi
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
This programme aims to strengthen the resilience of poor households in Malawi to withstand current and projected weather and climate-related shocks and stresses. This will in turn halt the annual cycle of humanitarian crises that blights people’s lives, harms poverty reduction efforts and swallows up resources. The UK will invest up to £90.5 million over eight years [2018-2027] to provide direct benefits to 1.7 million poor and vulnerable people in Malawi [approximately 300,000 households].The programme also supports environmental and resilience outcomes through reducing deforestation directly and indirectly.
Public Finance Resource Centre (PFRC)
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
The PFRC offers technical assistance to ODA eligible countries in the fields of tax, public financial management (PFM) and broader macro-fiscal work, including debt management. The PFRC is intended to mobilise flexible technical assistance more quickly than is currently available, responding to clear demand for such support from partner countries. The PFRC is one of 3 pillars of the UK Centre of Expertise for Public Finance to help partner countries access technical expertise.
Umoyo Wathu Health System Strengthening Programme
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
To reduce rates and inequalities in maternal, under-5 and new-born deaths; as well as reduce stunting in under-5s, by strengthening the quality and coverage of a package of essential health services through lower level district administration. The programme will increase the provision and uptake of quality, highly cost effective life-saving primary healthcare services provided free at the point of use, and so better protect the most vulnerable against the financial consequences of ill health. By 2028, the programme will contribute to reducing maternal mortality from 439 to 350 per 100,000 births; neonatal mortality from 27 to 22 per 1,000 live births; child mortality from 64 to 48 per 1,000 live births; stunting in children under five years of age reduced from 37% to 31%; and impact of communicable disease outbreaks and epidemics.
Tackling Serious and Organised Corruption in Malawi.(TSOC)
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
To enhance technical capacity and coordination of key Malawian law enforcement agencies including the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA), and the Police. The purpose of the programme is to increase the likelihood and severity of sanctions for serious and organised corruption and related crimes in Malawi. Collective action by non-state actors like civil society and the media in the fight against serious and organised corruption will also be supported by a component within this programme.
Bridge For Girls Education
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
Support for rural, disadvantaged girls in Malawi to pursue their aspirations – either in school or out of school. This is in form of scholarships and wrap-up mentorship for girls who have received good results in school, passed primary school and were admitted to secondary school but cannot afford it due to extreme poverty.
MECS - Modern Energy Cooking Services
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
MECS is the FCDO research and innovation programme that accelerates the uptake of clean and modern energy cooking practices in Africa, South Asia, and the Indo-Pacific, in alignment with the objectives of Sustainable Development Goal 7. Targeting the 2.1 billion people who still lack access to clean cooking solutions in developing countries (especially women), MECS develops research around modern energy cooking, funds pilots to scale up new clean cooking technologies and business models in developing countries, and conducts policy research to inform and influence national strategies and planning. MECS is delivered via two lead organisations - Loughborough University and the World Bank ESMAP – in collaboration with hundreds of regional and local downstream partner organisations (including 16 other universities). It contributes to International Climate Finance (ICF) objectives and is one of the main FCDO programmes contributing to the £1b Ayrton Fund for clean energy innovation.
British Council: Official Development Assistance (ODA) support
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Strengthening cultural and educational development by building skills and capacity and by creating new opportunities and connections with the UK