# Funding

Who funds NFE, on what terms and against what plan: funders tracker, term sheets, grant applications, the capital target, and how owner and grant money is recorded. Adapted from GitLab's Investor Relations and FP&A pages, scaled down.

# Fundraising Tracker

<table border="1" id="bkmrk-name-type-priority-s" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 3344.62px;"><colgroup><col style="width: 20.0238%;"></col><col style="width: 15.0179%;"></col><col style="width: 8.46246%;"></col><col style="width: 21.3349%;"></col><col style="width: 19.7855%;"></col><col style="width: 15.4946%;"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 29.7969px;"><td style="height: 29.7969px;">**Name**</td><td style="height: 29.7969px;">**Type**</td><td style="height: 29.7969px;">**Priority**</td><td style="height: 29.7969px;">**Status**</td><td style="height: 29.7969px;">**Owner**</td><td style="height: 29.7969px;">Remarks</td></tr><tr style="height: 46.5938px;"><td style="height: 46.5938px;">Arinda Family </td><td style="height: 46.5938px;">Recoverable Grant</td><td style="height: 46.5938px;">High</td><td style="height: 46.5938px;">[1k Contributed](https://opencollective.com/nfe/contributions/866412)</td><td style="height: 46.5938px;">  
</td><td style="height: 46.5938px;">  
</td></tr><tr style="height: 46.5938px;"><td style="height: 46.5938px;">Kimbowa Family</td><td style="height: 46.5938px;">Recoverable Grant</td><td style="height: 46.5938px;">High</td><td style="height: 46.5938px;">Offered 1k USD, not yet contributed</td><td style="height: 46.5938px;">  
</td><td style="height: 46.5938px;">  
</td></tr><tr style="height: 80.1875px;"><td style="height: 80.1875px;">Tushabe Family</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">Recoverable Grant</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">High</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">[10k USD Contributed on Dec 1st 2024](https://opencollective.com/nfe/contributions/862499)  
</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">  
</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">Added an addition ~1800 USD in October 2025</td></tr><tr style="height: 293.922px;"><td style="height: 293.922px;">[Mercy Corp Ventures](https://www.mercycorps.org/what-we-do/ventures)</td><td style="height: 293.922px;">Equity   
</td><td style="height: 293.922px;">medium</td><td style="height: 293.922px;">Reviewed [the deck](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1mNKqGWw_H6QyRjha-BIiT1UvxncdEzU3emUuIpv9T1g/edit?slide=id.p1#slide=id.p1) in May 2025.   
  
While the team liked the community angle, the key concerns were

1. The scalability of the model and
2. Traction (it's still early)

Requested to be added to investor newsletter

</td><td style="height: 293.922px;">Aaron Tushabe</td><td style="height: 293.922px;">We are no longer pursuing equity funders because as a co-op, we don't have equity to offer. </td></tr><tr style="height: 102.594px;"><td style="height: 102.594px;">[Energy Sector Management Assistance Program - ESMAP (World bank)](https://www.esmap.org/activities)</td><td style="height: 102.594px;">Grant</td><td style="height: 102.594px;">medium</td><td style="height: 102.594px;">  
</td><td style="height: 102.594px;">  
</td><td style="height: 102.594px;">Co-organises the Global Off-Grid Solar Forum &amp; Expo with GOGLA (see GOGLA row).

</td></tr><tr style="height: 80.1797px;"><td style="height: 80.1797px;">[Echoing Green Fellowship](https://echoinggreen.org/fellowship/apply/)

</td><td style="height: 80.1797px;">Recoverable Grant</td><td style="height: 80.1797px;">high</td><td style="height: 80.1797px;">Submitted on October 7th 2025. **Not selected** for the 2026 Fellowship.

</td><td style="height: 80.1797px;">Aaron Tushabe</td><td style="height: 80.1797px;">2026 Fellows were announced Sept 1, 2026.

</td></tr><tr style="height: 80.1875px;"><td style="height: 80.1875px;">[EEP Africa (Nordic Development Fund)](https://eepafrica.org/financing#innovation)

</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">Grant</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">high</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">Closed for 2025, planning to apply for 2026. Not sure when it opens again

Oct 28th 2026: the 2026 call (grants up to €500k, Uganda eligible, applicant registered 6+ months, co-financing required) closed on March 16th 2026 and we missed it. Watch eepafrica.org for the 2027 call, likely early in the year.

</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">Aaron Tushabe</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">Solarise Africa won a €1M EEP Africa grant for Zambia/Uganda on a similar "reliable power where the grid fails" case (USEA briefing, Oct 20th 2026).

</td></tr><tr style="height: 57.7969px;"><td style="height: 57.7969px;">[Africa Climate Change Fund](https://accf.afdb.org/en)

</td><td style="height: 57.7969px;">Grant</td><td style="height: 57.7969px;">  
</td><td style="height: 57.7969px;">  
</td><td style="height: 57.7969px;">  
</td><td style="height: 57.7969px;">  
</td></tr><tr style="height: 57.7969px;"><td style="height: 57.7969px;">[African Green Banks (AFBD)](https://www.afdb.org/en/topics-and-sectors/initiatives-and-partnerships/african-green-banks-initiative)

</td><td style="height: 57.7969px;">Grant + Debt</td><td style="height: 57.7969px;">  
</td><td style="height: 57.7969px;">  
</td><td style="height: 57.7969px;">  
</td><td style="height: 57.7969px;">  
</td></tr><tr style="height: 70.7422px;"><td style="height: 70.7422px;">[Alliance for Green Infrastructure (AFDB)](https://www.afdb.org/en/topics-and-sectors/initiatives-and-partnerships/alliance-green-infrastructure-africa)

</td><td style="height: 70.7422px;">Grants + Debt</td><td style="height: 70.7422px;">high</td><td style="height: 70.7422px;">Send an email to [<span class="adr" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(197, 209, 211); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(33, 41, 44); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 172, 255); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent;">info@africa50.com</span></span>](mailto:info@africa50.com)<span style="color: rgb(197, 209, 211); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(33, 41, 44); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;"> </span> on August 23rd. </td><td style="height: 70.7422px;">Aaron Tushabe</td><td style="height: 70.7422px;">  
</td></tr><tr style="height: 113.766px;"><td style="height: 113.766px;">[Beyond the Grid](https://beyondthegrid.africa/funding-rounds/)

</td><td style="height: 113.766px;">  
</td><td style="height: 113.766px;">  
</td><td style="height: 113.766px;">No open applications yet

https://beyondthegrid.africa/funding-rounds/

</td><td style="height: 113.766px;">  
</td><td style="height: 113.766px;">  
</td></tr><tr style="height: 57.7969px;"><td style="height: 57.7969px;">[US Department of Energy](https://www.energy.gov/osdbu/funding-opportunity-announcements-and-grants)

</td><td style="height: 57.7969px;">Grants</td><td style="height: 57.7969px;">  
</td><td style="height: 57.7969px;">  
</td><td style="height: 57.7969px;">  
</td><td style="height: 57.7969px;">  
</td></tr><tr style="height: 63.3906px;"><td style="height: 63.3906px;">[Nithio](https://nithio.com/borrow/)

</td><td style="height: 63.3906px;">Debt</td><td style="height: 63.3906px;">  
</td><td style="height: 63.3906px;">Needs at least 2 years of business to pass loan application</td><td style="height: 63.3906px;">Aaron Tushabe</td><td style="height: 63.3906px;">  
</td></tr><tr style="height: 130.586px;"><td style="height: 130.586px;">[Mission 300 (World bank)](https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/energizing-africa)

</td><td style="height: 130.586px;">  
</td><td style="height: 130.586px;">low</td><td style="height: 130.586px;">  
</td><td style="height: 130.586px;">  
</td><td style="height: 130.586px;">Focusing on power for remote and off grid communities so no aligned with our early stage objectives  
</td></tr><tr style="height: 113.781px;"><td style="height: 113.781px;">[Factor E](https://www.factore.com/contact)

</td><td style="height: 113.781px;">Equity</td><td style="height: 113.781px;">  
</td><td style="height: 113.781px;">  
</td><td style="height: 113.781px;">  
</td><td style="height: 113.781px;">We are no longer pursuing equity funders because as a co-op, we don't have equity to offer. </td></tr><tr style="height: 46.5938px;"><td style="height: 46.5938px;">Kiva.org

</td><td style="height: 46.5938px;">Debt</td><td style="height: 46.5938px;">  
</td><td style="height: 46.5938px;">  
</td><td style="height: 46.5938px;">  
</td><td style="height: 46.5938px;">Check back on August 15th</td></tr><tr style="height: 80.1719px;"><td style="height: 80.1719px;">[Digital Africa](https://www.digital-africa.co/)</td><td style="height: 80.1719px;">?</td><td style="height: 80.1719px;">  
</td><td style="height: 80.1719px;">Applied on June 17th 2025. Waiting for Feedback</td><td style="height: 80.1719px;">Aaron Tushabe</td><td style="height: 80.1719px;">  
</td></tr><tr style="height: 46.5938px;"><td style="height: 46.5938px;">[Aquarious Foundation](https://theaquariusfoundation.org/)</td><td style="height: 46.5938px;">Grant or Debt</td><td style="height: 46.5938px;">  
</td><td style="height: 46.5938px;">Applied on June 17th 2025. Waiting feedback</td><td style="height: 46.5938px;">Aaron Tushabe</td><td style="height: 46.5938px;">  
</td></tr><tr style="height: 96.9844px;"><td style="height: 96.9844px;">[Start-coop](https://www.start.coop/accelerator)</td><td style="height: 96.9844px;">Grant</td><td style="height: 96.9844px;">  
</td><td style="height: 96.9844px;">Applied on June 18th.

We did not qualify because we are not (yet) based in North America

</td><td style="height: 96.9844px;">Aaron Tushabe</td><td style="height: 96.9844px;">Expect $5k to $50k</td></tr><tr style="height: 63.3906px;"><td style="height: 63.3906px;">[LabStart](https://www.labstart.co/apply)</td><td style="height: 63.3906px;">Grant</td><td style="height: 63.3906px;">  
</td><td style="height: 63.3906px;">Submitted application on July 7th.

Not Accepted

</td><td style="height: 63.3906px;">Aaron Tushabe</td><td style="height: 63.3906px;">  
</td></tr><tr style="height: 35.3984px;"><td style="height: 35.3984px;">[CataCap](https://catacap.org/raisemoney/)</td><td style="height: 35.3984px;">Grant / DAF</td><td style="height: 35.3984px;">medium</td><td style="height: 35.3984px;">  
</td><td style="height: 35.3984px;">Aaron Tushabe </td><td style="height: 35.3984px;">  
</td></tr><tr style="height: 35.3984px;"><td style="height: 35.3984px;">[Mission300](https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/energizing-africa)</td><td style="height: 35.3984px;">Grant? </td><td style="height: 35.3984px;">  
</td><td style="height: 35.3984px;">  
</td><td style="height: 35.3984px;">Aaron Tushabe</td><td style="height: 35.3984px;">  
</td></tr><tr style="height: 147.383px;"><td style="height: 147.383px;">[Energy IoT Open Source](https://www.eiot.energy/)</td><td style="height: 147.383px;">Grant</td><td style="height: 147.383px;">  
</td><td style="height: 147.383px;">Pledged 3k by Arila Barnes (founder and CEO)</td><td style="height: 147.383px;">Aaron Tushabe</td><td style="height: 147.383px;">Received 2.8k in April 2026</td></tr><tr style="height: 164.172px;"><td style="height: 164.172px;">[Project Spark EU](https://project-spark.info/joint-innovation-facility-application-form/)</td><td style="height: 164.172px;">Grant</td><td style="height: 164.172px;">high</td><td style="height: 164.172px;">Submitted on September 15th 2025 with EnAccess and The Gym Rwanda

</td><td style="height: 164.172px;">Aaron Tushabe</td><td style="height: 164.172px;">Got feedback on Nov 21st 2025 that we did not meet the eligibility criteria but they didn't elaborate on which criteria  
  
</td></tr><tr style="height: 35.3984px;"><td style="height: 35.3984px;">[AMAP](https://sefaafrica.org/amap)</td><td style="height: 35.3984px;">  
</td><td style="height: 35.3984px;">medium</td><td style="height: 35.3984px;"></td><td style="height: 35.3984px;">  
</td><td style="height: 35.3984px;">  
</td></tr><tr style="height: 147.375px;"><td style="height: 147.375px;">Praxis</td><td style="height: 147.375px;">  
</td><td style="height: 147.375px;">High</td><td style="height: 147.375px;">Submitted on September 20th 2025.

</td><td style="height: 147.375px;">Aaron Tushabe</td><td style="height: 147.375px;">We did not get in. They thought we were among the top applicants and recommended we apply again next year.</td></tr><tr style="height: 113.781px;"><td style="height: 113.781px;">[UGEFA](https://agefa.eu/about/)</td><td style="height: 113.781px;">  
</td><td style="height: 113.781px;">medium</td><td style="height: 113.781px;"></td><td style="height: 113.781px;">Aaron Tushabe / Dansturn</td><td style="height: 113.781px;">Requires 2+ years of operations so we would need to apply via green volta</td></tr><tr style="height: 80.1875px;"><td style="height: 80.1875px;">Green Volta</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">Recoverable Grant</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">high</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">Waiting on Budget from NFE to confirm how much they can contribute

</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">Dansturn</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">  
</td></tr><tr style="height: 80.1875px;"><td style="height: 80.1875px;">Samuel Tondo</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">Recoverable Grant</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">high</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">Waiting on Budget from NFE to confirm how much they can contribute

</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">  
</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">  
</td></tr><tr style="height: 63.3906px;"><td style="height: 63.3906px;">[Digital Energy Challenge](https://digital-energy.eu/en/digital-energy-challenge-for-start-call-projects)</td><td style="height: 63.3906px;">Grant</td><td style="height: 63.3906px;">high</td><td style="height: 63.3906px;">Applied to the Tech Accelerator on June 17th 2026 (application 00298). Also started a Partnership application (00076) on June 12th.

Followed up with contact@afddigitalenergychallenge.com on Aug 25th; no reply yet.

Still no reply in NFE mail as of Oct 28th 2026. Chase again.

</td><td style="height: 63.3906px;">Aaron Tushabe</td><td style="height: 63.3906px;">Asked for €150k (€112.5k grant + €37.5k expert support).

</td></tr><tr style="height: 96.9844px;"><td style="height: 96.9844px;">[D-Prize](https://d-prize.org/#application-process)</td><td style="height: 96.9844px;">Grant</td><td style="height: 96.9844px;">high</td><td style="height: 96.9844px;">Submitted on October 28th 2025. **Not selected.**

</td><td style="height: 96.9844px;">Aaron Tushabe</td><td style="height: 96.9844px;">The 2026 competition is open again (reminder email Oct 12, 2026), so consider reapplying.

</td></tr><tr style="height: 80.1875px;"><td style="height: 80.1875px;">[MSISV](https://bookstack.nearlyfreeenergy.com/v)</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">Grant and Equity </td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">high</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">Email sent on Oct 16th 2025 to find out when applications will be open again

</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">Aaron Tushabe</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">  
</td></tr><tr style="height: 96.9844px;"><td style="height: 96.9844px;">Sunbird AI </td><td style="height: 96.9844px;">Fellowship</td><td style="height: 96.9844px;">  
</td><td style="height: 96.9844px;">They are offering a research program that could help us develop V1 of our autonomous microgrid

</td><td style="height: 96.9844px;">Aaron Tushabe </td><td style="height: 96.9844px;">  
</td></tr><tr style="height: 57.7969px;"><td style="height: 57.7969px;">[Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA)](https://www.afdb.org/en/topics-and-sectors/initiatives-partnerships/sustainable-energy-fund-for-africa)

</td><td style="height: 57.7969px;">Grant</td><td style="height: 57.7969px;">low</td><td style="height: 57.7969px;">No links to getting involved

</td><td style="height: 57.7969px;">Aaron Tushabe</td><td style="height: 57.7969px;">  
</td></tr><tr style="height: 80.1875px;"><td style="height: 80.1875px;">[Energy IoT Open Source](https://www.eiot.energy/)

</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">Donations</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">medium</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">EIoT can service as a fiscal sponsor to receive tax deductible US donations on our behalf.

</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">  
</td><td style="height: 80.1875px;">Need to register a US entity for this </td></tr><tr style="height: 29.7969px;"><td style="height: 29.7969px;">Funding Hope

</td><td style="height: 29.7969px;">Crowd funding</td><td style="height: 29.7969px;">medium</td><td style="height: 29.7969px;"></td><td style="height: 29.7969px;">Aaron Tushabe</td><td style="height: 29.7969px;">  
</td></tr><tr style="height: 46.5938px;"><td style="height: 46.5938px;">[Develop Ventures](https://www.developpp.de/en/funding-programme/startups/)

</td><td style="height: 46.5938px;">Grant matching </td><td style="height: 46.5938px;">medium</td><td style="height: 46.5938px;">Uganda not eligible right now

</td><td style="height: 46.5938px;">Aaron Tushabe </td><td style="height: 46.5938px;">Closes Dec 31 2025</td></tr><tr style="height: 130.578px;"><td style="height: 130.578px;">Carbon Credits

</td><td style="height: 130.578px;">  
</td><td style="height: 130.578px;">low</td><td style="height: 130.578px;">Initial meeting with Ashaba told us that this is going to be a long lead time option to explore.. at least 7 years before any credits are verified and bankable

</td><td style="height: 130.578px;">Aaron Tushabe</td><td style="height: 130.578px;">  
</td></tr><tr style="height: 63.3906px;"><td style="height: 63.3906px;">[DRK Foundation](https://www.drkfoundation.org/apply-for-funding/)

</td><td style="height: 63.3906px;">  
</td><td style="height: 63.3906px;">high</td><td style="height: 63.3906px;">Focusses on post pilot, pre-scale. I think we are not yet post pilot

</td><td style="height: 63.3906px;">Aaron Tushabe</td><td style="height: 63.3906px;">  
</td></tr><tr><td>[IEEE Smart Village (ISV)](https://smartvillage.ieee.org/join-us/)

</td><td>Grant (staged seed funding)</td><td>high</td><td>Intro email sent on Oct 20th 2026 to Abdullateef Aliyu (abdullateef@ieee.org), Africa Regional Working Group, cc smartvillagestaff@ieee.org. Asked whether grid-connected urban microgrids are in scope and requested a call.

Waiting for reply; follow up early November if no response.

</td><td>Aaron Tushabe</td><td>First round is usually up to $25k, with follow-on funding up to $200k after results.

Intake needs a 2-page concept note, lean canvas and 5-year cash flow forecast; the regional group mentors the proposal, then the Project Development Committee reviews it quarterly (6–8 weeks), then a contract is signed (2–4 weeks).

Most spend should go to income-generating assets, and the project must cover electricity, education and enterprise. Paid in tranches against progress reports.

Met ISV at PowerAfrica Nairobi, Sept 2026.

</td></tr><tr><td>[GOGLA: Global Off-Grid Solar Forum &amp; Expo (Kigali, Oct 27–29th 2026)](https://www.offgridsolarforum.org/page/6599350/access-to-finance)

</td><td>Event / investor matchmaking</td><td>high</td><td>Dansturn is in Kigali for OSEAS (Oct 26–27th). A free-pass request to Laura Bonilla (l.bonilla@gogla.org, Events), cc Megan Taylor (m.taylor@gogla.org), was drafted on Oct 21st but there's no sign it was sent as of Oct 28th.

Full pass is $1,650 and the expo-only pass is $50; no budget for either. The local-company investor roundtable is on Oct 29th.

</td><td>Dansturn / Aaron</td><td>Even if we can't attend: sign up for the GOGLA Virtual Pitchbook (seen by investors before and after the forum), and get the 2026 Off-Grid Solar Market Trends Report launched there.

GOGLA members get event discounts.

</td></tr><tr><td>[USEA Solar Innovation Challenge &amp; Business Pitch](https://www.useaug.org)

</td><td>Pitch / event</td><td>medium</td><td>Applied on Aug 15th 2026 to pitch the RPM at the USEA National Solar Expo (Aug 26–28th). USEA acknowledged on Aug 20th, but we got no decision despite follow-ups on Aug 20th and 25th.

</td><td>Aaron Tushabe</td><td>Next Expo is Aug 25–27th 2027; ask to be on the pitch list early.

Check whether NFE is a USEA member; every weekly briefing pushes membership.

</td></tr><tr><td>[GET.invest Finance Readiness Support](https://www.get-invest.eu/finance-access-advisory/finance-readiness-support/)

</td><td>Advisory (technical assistance)</td><td>high</td><td>Not applied. Runs year-round in rounds; the last round closed on Oct 20th 2026, and feedback comes 6–8 weeks after each round closes.

</td><td>Aaron Tushabe</td><td>Free support for early-stage, locally owned companies: financial model, pitch deck, investor introductions. Apply at apply.get-invest.eu.

</td></tr><tr><td>[EU Delegation to Uganda (Uganda–EU Business Forum)](https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/uganda_en)

</td><td>Investor pitch / EU programmes</td><td>medium</td><td>The forum ran Oct 20–21st 2026 and we missed the pitch session, which needed a minimum raise of €0.5M. Ministers used it to court EU energy investors.

</td><td>Aaron Tushabe</td><td>Send an intro to Cristina Banuta (Cristina.BANUTA@eeas.europa.eu) framing Garuga plus scale-up as €0.5M+, and ask about EU programmes for Ugandan energy SMEs.

</td></tr><tr><td>[Transforming Energy Access (UK Ayrton Fund)](https://tea.carbontrust.com/)

</td><td>Grant</td><td>medium</td><td>No open call found (Oct 2026). The UK extended the Ayrton Fund. Its Beyond-Zero project (locally repairable, expandable storage replacing generators) is led by Acele Africa.

</td><td>Aaron Tushabe</td><td>Watch for calls; explore partnering with Acele Africa.

</td></tr><tr><td>[ASCENT Project Preparation Facility (World Bank / COMESA)](https://www.comesa.int/call-for-proposals-ascent-ppf-private-sector-support-window/)

</td><td>Grant (project preparation) + TA</td><td>low</td><td>Not eligible yet: needs 3+ years of operations, $150k+ minigrid revenue, an active financing deal and 20% co-financing. The first cycle closed on Aug 31st 2026.

</td><td></td><td>Grants of $50k–200k. Revisit in 2027–28.

</td></tr><tr><td>[UECCC Solar Loan Program](https://www.ueccc.or.ug/)

</td><td>Debt (consumer finance via banks)</td><td>low</td><td>Not explored. Household and business solar credit through participating banks.

</td><td></td><td>Possible way to finance Garuga household connections later.

</td></tr></tbody></table>

# Recoverable Grant Term Sheet - 50k Example

**1. Grantor (Funder):**

Green Future Foundation (GFF)

**2. Grantee (Recipient):**

Nearly Free Energy Co-op (NFE)

**3. Purpose of Grant:**

To fund the capital expenditure and initial setup of a 20 kW solar microgrid serving 50 households in \[Community Name\], Uganda.

**4. Grant Amount:**

$50,000 USD

**5. Disbursement Schedule:**

- 40% upfront upon signing agreement
- 30% upon installation of core infrastructure
- 30% upon commissioning and first billing cycle

### **⚖️ 6. Recoverability Clause (Repayment Terms):**

<table id="bkmrk-trigger-repayment-te"><thead><tr><th>**Trigger**

</th><th>**Repayment Terms**

</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>If the microgrid achieves <span class="s1">**≥ $1,000/month in net revenue**</span> for 6 consecutive months within 3 years

</td><td>Grantee repays the full grant amount over 4 years, at 0% interest

</td></tr><tr><td>If the project is not commercially viable by year 3 (e.g., &lt; $1,000/month in net revenue)

</td><td>No repayment is required

</td></tr><tr><td><span class="s1">If the grantee </span>**secures follow-on grant investment**<span class="s1"> **of** &gt; $100,000</span>

</td><td>Grantee repays full grant or 10% of the investment value, whichever is lower

</td></tr></tbody></table>

---

**7. Use of Funds:**

- Solar panels, batteries, smart meters, inverters
- Site preparation and installation labor
- Community training and billing setup
- Product development for Microgrid OS

**8. Reporting Requirements:**

Quarterly reports for 3 years on:

- Energy generated and distributed
- Financial performance
- Number of customers served
- Maintenance issues and resolutions

**9. Intellectual Property (IP):**

All software or monitoring systems developed under this project must remain open-source and licensed under AGPL or GPL or any other [Free Software license](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html)

**10. Dispute Resolution:**

Mediation first, then arbitration in Uganda under the Uganda Centre for Arbitration and Dispute Resolution (CADER).

# Google for Startups Accelerator –Application

#   


---

## 1. Applicant Contact Information

1. What is your full name (first and surname)?
2. Your Business/Company Email Address
3. What is your role?
4. Preferred Contact Number
5. Contact Number Type

---

## 4. Additional Information

15. Why are you interested in joining this program? How can Google help?

Response:  
Nearly Free Energy builds community-owned microgrids to deliver affordable, reliable electricity in underserved communities. Our mission is to lower energy costs while improving resilience through decentralized systems.

As we scale beyond pilots, we are increasingly using software and AI for distribution, forecasting, billing, and reliability. Google can help us accelerate this by enabling scalable microgrid OS development on GCP with advanced analytics and AI.

16. How did you hear about this program?

Response:  
LinkedIn startup and AI founder community.

17. If selected, are you interested in participating in possible interviews with local press outlets, as requested?

Response:  
Yes.

18. Please list any past accelerator or startup program participation.

Response:  
Please list links to any press coverage, awards or nominations.

n/a

https://enaccess.org/open-source-energy-access-community-showcase-with-aaron-tushabe/

21. Do you want to receive updates or communication from the Accelerator program about other programs within Google?

Response:  
Yes.

---

## 5. AI &amp; Technology

22. How is your company primarily leveraging AI?

Response:  
We are building AI as an intelligent grid operator for our microgrids—optimizing distribution, forecasting demand, managing battery dispatch, and detecting anomalies. We are also developing agents to automate support, billing, and outage notifications.

23. What are the key 1–3 challenges that your company is facing in adopting AI?

Response:  
(1) Limited high-quality real-time energy data; (2) Integrating AI with physical infrastructure and edge devices; (3) Cost-efficient deployment in low-resource environments.

24. What kind of data does your AI model use?

Response:  
Energy consumption data; meter readings; system performance data; environmental and load patterns.

25. What data do you use as part of your AI solution?

Response:  
Smart meter data, usage logs, battery and solar performance data, and system telemetry.

26. How would you categorize your product?

Response:  
AI-enabled energy infrastructure platform.

27. Do you have a dedicated AI team?

Response:  
Cross-functional team with growing AI specialization.

28. In 2 sentences, explain what problem you are solving with AI.

Response:  
Energy systems lack real-time intelligence to manage distributed supply, storage, and demand, leading to outages and inefficiency. We use AI as a grid operator to optimize distribution, forecast demand, manage storage, and automate customer interactions.

29. AI maturity

Response:  
Early production-stage AI with live data pipelines and initial models in deployed microgrids, transitioning toward autonomous operations.

30. What kind of AI does your product use?

Response:  
Currently AI-assisted development; roadmap includes predictive analytics, time-series forecasting, and optimization models for demand, dispatch, and anomaly detection.

31. Cloud platform

Response:  
Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

33. Which Google products are you using?

Response:  
GCP (Compute Engine, Cloud Run, Cloud Storage) and BigQuery.

34. Do you use AI/ML today?

Response:  
Yes—AI-assisted development and early data-driven monitoring, with planned rollout of forecasting, optimization, and automated operations.

35. System architecture

Response:  
Edge devices (smart meters via RS-485/Modbus) feed data to local controllers, then to GCP (Cloud Run, Storage). BigQuery supports analytics. We are adding AI for forecasting, anomaly detection, and optimization within a modular microgrid OS.

36. Accelerator goal

Response:  
Build an AI-driven microgrid OS that autonomously balances supply/demand, forecasts load, optimizes battery use, and manages operations. This includes agent workflows for forecasting, anomaly response, billing, support, and outage alerts, targeting improvements in uptime, cost/kWh, and customer experience.

---

## 6. Traction &amp; Financials

40. Investors

Response:  
Founder, friends, and family.

41. MRR

Response:  
~$120–$150 MRR from a live pilot (~UGX 450,000–550,000/month), with expansion pipeline.

42. Revenue source

Response:  
Electricity sales (NFE-owned) plus upcoming SaaS fees and revenue share from partner-owned microgrids.

---

## 7. Product &amp; Market

47. Stage

Response:  
Live pilot with revenue (10 customers) and active expansion pipeline.

48. Customer

Response:  
Primary: developers, landlords, and community operators. End users: residents benefiting from reliable power, automated billing, and improved service.

49. Customers now

Response:  
10 paying customers on a live pilot microgrid, with expansion pipeline.

50. Business model

Response:  
(1) NFE-owned: revenue from electricity sales; (2) Partner-owned: SaaS fee per connection + % of energy sales; plus maintenance and value-added services.

51. Industry

Response:  
Energy / Climate Tech

52. Verticals

Response:  
Climate tech; energy infrastructure; smart grids.

53. Company description

Response:  
Nearly Free Energy advances energy resilience, reliability, and abundance through community-owned solar and battery-backed smart microgrids. Grid-connected systems improve stability by managing peak load.

54. Problem

Response:  
Electricity is unreliable, costly, and lacks real-time intelligence. Peak demand strains grids, while communities lack local control.

55. Solution

Response:  
Grid-connected, community-owned microgrids with an AI-driven OS that optimizes distribution, manages peak load, automates operations, and improves reliability and cost.

---

## 8. Team

60. Full-time founders

Response:  
1

61. Founder

Response: Aaron Tushabe – Co Founder

Hillary Arinda - Co founder   
Dansturn Kimbowa - Co Founder

65. Employees

Response: 2

---

## 9. Uploads

66. Pitch deck

Response:  
\[\][NFE Pitch - Funders.pdf](https://bookstack.nearlyfreeenergy.com/attachments/61)

67. Links

Response:  
N/A

68. Photos

[PXL\_20251217\_100220589~2.jpg](https://bookstack.nearlyfreeenergy.com/attachments/62)  
\[PENDING\]

69. Logo

Response:  
[NFE site logo.png](https://bookstack.nearlyfreeenergy.com/attachments/63)

---

## 10. Consent

70. Submit
71. Communications

# Google.org Impact Challenge: AI for Government Innovation

## Nearly Free Energy (NFE) – Draft Application

---

## I. Organization and Submitter Info

**1. Organization Name**  
Nearly Free Energy

**2. Country**  
Uganda (with operations expanding to East Africa and pilot work in the United States)

**3. Classification**  
Social Enterprise

**4.a Founded**  
2024

**4.b Annual Budget (USD)**  
~$50,000 (early-stage, pilot operations)

**4.c Full-time Employees**  
2

**5.a Website**  
[https://nearlyfreeenergy.com](https://nearlyfreeenergy.com/) (or placeholder)

**6. Google.org funding before**  
No

**7. Discovery**  
Social Media (LinkedIn)

**8. Primary Contact**  
Aaron Tushabe – Co-Founder

---

## II. Impact

**11. Project Name**  
AI-Powered Distributed Grid Intelligence for Public Infrastructure

**12. Topics**  
Resilience; Economy (public infrastructure and affordability)

**13. Geographic Scope**  
County / Municipal; National (scalable)

**14. Regions**  
EMEA; North America

**15. Stage**  
Prototype (live pilot with paying users)

---

### 16. Problem Statement

**16.a**  
Public electricity systems in rapidly growing urban and peri-urban areas are increasingly unreliable, expensive, and unable to manage real-time demand fluctuations. Utilities lack visibility into distributed consumption and have limited tools to optimize load, leading to frequent outages, inefficient infrastructure investment, and constrained economic activity.

**16.b**  
This project directly affects grid load balancing, demand forecasting, outage response, and infrastructure planning workflows within utilities and regulatory bodies. It introduces real-time decision support and automation into how public electricity systems are monitored, managed, and optimized.

**16.c**  
The challenge is significant and growing at a global scale. In 2013, approximately 1 billion people lacked access to electricity, with another 1 billion connected to unreliable grids. By 2023, global electrification efforts reduced those without access to ~600 million, but the number of people connected to unreliable grids has surged to an estimated 3 billion. In South Africa, recurring load shedding disrupts economic activity and essential services, while in Lagos, Nigeria, widespread reliance on 24/7 diesel generators drives high costs and severe air pollution. These trends highlight a critical gap: expanding access alone is not enough—there is an urgent need to improve reliability through intelligent, flexible grid systems.

---

### 17. Proposed Solution

**17.a**  
We are building an AI-powered distributed grid intelligence platform that serves as a real-time control layer for national electricity systems—turning community-scale microgrids into coordinated assets that improve reliability, reduce peak demand, and expand affordable access.

**17.b**  
The platform integrates smart meter and telemetry data (RS-485/Modbus), edge controllers, and GCP (Cloud Run, BigQuery) with AI models for time-series forecasting, demand optimization, anomaly detection, and agentic workflows. These AI agents continuously analyze grid conditions and autonomously trigger actions such as battery dispatch, demand response, outage alerts, and customer support, enabling dynamic, real-time system optimization.

**17.c**  
We have demonstrated feasibility through a live pilot microgrid with paying users, where we collect real-time energy data and operate a working system that improves uptime, visibility, and load balancing. Early results show smoother demand curves and reduced dependence on unstable grid supply.

**17.d**  
To ensure adoption, we are designing the platform as a government-integrated system with dashboards, APIs, and reporting aligned to utility workflows such as grid planning, outage management, and demand response. We are engaging regulators and utilities to enable distributed energy resources to function as coordinated grid assets within national systems.

---

### 18. End Beneficiaries

**18.a**  
Urban and peri-urban households, small businesses, utilities, and regulators.

**18.b**  
We incorporate feedback through pilot deployments, user billing data, and direct engagement with communities and operators.

**18.c**  
Initial reach: hundreds of users, scaling to tens of thousands across multiple deployments over 36 months.

---

### 19. Expected Outcomes

**19.a**  
Improved electricity reliability, reduced outages, and more efficient grid utilization.

**19.b**  
Metrics: uptime, cost per kWh, peak load reduction, customer satisfaction.

**19.c**  
Failure signals: no measurable improvement in reliability, low adoption by utilities, or inability to integrate with existing workflows.

**19.d**  
Expected improvements include 20–40% reduction in peak load stress and significant improvements in uptime.

---

### 19. Expected Outcomes

**19.a**  
This solution will improve public electricity services by increasing reliability, reducing dependence on diesel generation, and enabling governments and utilities to manage distributed energy resources as coordinated grid assets. It will expand access to clean, affordable, and reliable electricity while improving planning and operational efficiency.

**19.b**  
Key metrics include: number of people with improved reliable electricity access; MWh of distributed energy storage deployed; reduction in peak grid load (%); uptime improvements (%); reduction in diesel generator usage; and number of utilities/regulators actively using platform data for planning.

**19.c**  
Failure indicators include: inability to scale deployments; low adoption by utilities or regulators; no measurable improvement in reliability or peak load reduction; or lack of engagement from DER operators and ecosystem partners.

**19.d**  
Within 12 months, we aim to enable deployment of at least 1 MWh of distributed energy storage across Africa through direct deployments and partner-led adoption. Within 36 months, we target improving access to reliable, clean electricity for at least 1 million people by scaling autonomous microgrids and supporting an open ecosystem of DER operators using our platform.

---

## III. Innovative Use of Technology

**21. Why is your proposed solution necessary to address the problem versus currently available alternatives?**  
Current approaches either expand centralized grid capacity (slow, capital-intensive) or deploy isolated off-grid systems (limited coordination, no grid support). Existing tools lack real-time, system-wide intelligence and cannot integrate distributed energy resources (DERs) into utility operations. Our solution introduces an AI-driven control layer that coordinates microgrids as grid assets—enabling forecasting, automated dispatch, and demand response. This uniquely improves reliability at scale, reduces peak stress without new generation, and provides governments with actionable, real-time planning data.

**20. Technologies**  
GCP (Cloud Run, BigQuery), smart meters, edge computing, time-series AI models, optimization algorithms.

**21. Why needed**  
Existing systems lack real-time intelligence and integration of distributed energy resources.

**22. Dataset**  
Yes

**23. Data access**  
Through smart meters, utility collaboration, and anonymized operational data.

**24. Ethics**  
We use anonymized data, ensure transparency, and align with responsible AI principles.

**25. Open source**  
Yes

**26. How might you leverage Google's pro bono technical support and expertise to accelerate project outcomes?**  
We will leverage Google’s AI and cloud expertise to build and scale our distributed grid intelligence platform. Specifically, we seek support in developing robust time-series forecasting and optimization models, designing agentic AI workflows for autonomous grid operations, and optimizing our architecture on GCP (BigQuery, Cloud Run) for real-time data processing at scale. We also aim to learn from Google’s experience operating highly reliable, large-scale infrastructure (e.g., data centers) to inform how we design resilient, fault-tolerant energy systems. Additionally, we would benefit from guidance on responsible AI deployment, model evaluation, and integration with public sector data workflows to ensure reliability, scalability, and government adoption.  
We will leverage Google’s AI and cloud expertise to build and scale our distributed grid intelligence platform. Specifically, we seek support in developing robust time-series forecasting and optimization models, designing agentic AI workflows for autonomous grid operations, and optimizing our architecture on GCP (BigQuery, Cloud Run) for real-time data processing at scale. We would also benefit from guidance on responsible AI deployment, model evaluation, and integrating our system with public sector data workflows to ensure reliability, scalability, and government adoption.  
AI model optimization, scaling infrastructure, and system architecture design.

---

## IV. Feasibility

**27. Why is your organization uniquely positioned to lead this project?**  
Nearly Free Energy uniquely combines hands-on microgrid deployment with AI-driven software development in emerging markets. We operate a live pilot with real users and data, giving us practical insight into grid constraints, customer behavior, and operational challenges. Our team spans energy systems, embedded hardware, and cloud/AI engineering, enabling end-to-end execution from meters to models. We are also actively engaging regulators and utilities on DER policy and integration, positioning us at the intersection of infrastructure, data, and government adoption—where this problem must be solved.

**29. Describe the work you have done to demonstrate the technical feasibility of your approach.**  
We have deployed a live pilot microgrid with ~10 paying customers, instrumented with smart meters (RS-485/Modbus) and cloud ingestion to GCP (Cloud Run, BigQuery). We collect continuous telemetry (kWh, voltage, load profiles) and run initial analytics for load visibility and anomaly detection. We have tested controlled battery dispatch to smooth peak demand and validated end-to-end data pipelines (edge → cloud → dashboards). Success metrics include sustained data uptime (&gt;95%), accurate load measurement, improved peak smoothing on pilot circuits, and reliable billing/alert workflows. These results demonstrate feasibility of real-time data-driven operations and AI-assisted optimization.

**30. Key technical risks, dependencies, maintenance, and mitigation strategies**  
Key risks include hardware integration variability, intermittent connectivity, data quality gaps, and model performance in low-data environments. Adoption depends on utility/regulatory alignment and integration with existing workflows. Ongoing needs include device maintenance, data pipeline reliability, and model monitoring. Mitigations: modular, standards-based design (Modbus/REST); offline-first edge control with local fallbacks; redundancy and buffering for connectivity; continuous data validation and monitoring; phased model rollout with human-in-the-loop; training and SLAs with partners; and close coordination with regulators/utilities to ensure smooth integration and sustained operations.

**31. Policy, administrative, privacy, and logistical risks and mitigation**  
Policy risk: delays or uncertainty in DER interconnection and PPA frameworks. Mitigation: early engagement with ERA/utility stakeholders, alignment to existing codes, and pilot-based regulatory sandboxes.  
Administrative risk: slow procurement/adoption within public entities. Mitigation: lightweight pilots, clear ROI metrics, and integration with existing workflows and reporting.  
Privacy/data risk: handling consumer energy data. Mitigation: data minimization, anonymization, role-based access, encryption in transit/at rest, and compliance with local data protection laws.  
Logistical risk: installation/maintenance at scale. Mitigation: standardized hardware kits, local partner installers, remote monitoring, and SLA-driven support.

**32. How will public servants be trained, supported, and incentivized to adopt and use this solution as part of their regular workflows?**  
Government entities are not primary users of the platform; their role is to create enabling regulatory frameworks that build trust in DER operators. We will support regulators through targeted briefings, data-sharing dashboards, and policy workshops that translate system insights into actionable regulation. By providing clear visibility into demand patterns, grid impact, and reliability improvements, we enable regulators to confidently design and enforce DER policies. Incentives for adoption come from improved oversight, better planning data, and the ability to expand reliable electricity access without additional public infrastructure investment.

**33. Provide additional detail about 3-5 key project team members, especially those in technical roles.**  
Microgrid/Energy Systems Engineer – designs and operates DER systems, battery dispatch, and grid integration.  
Backend/Cloud Engineer – builds scalable data pipelines and APIs on GCP (Cloud Run, BigQuery).  
Data Scientist/ML Engineer – develops forecasting, optimization, and anomaly detection models.  
Embedded/IoT Engineer – integrates smart meters (Modbus/RS-485) and edge controllers.  
Operations/Deployment Lead – manages field installation, partner coordination, and system reliability at scale.  
Policy &amp; Partnerships Lead – drives regulatory engagement (e.g., ERA), supports DER policy development, secures government buy-in, and enables partner operators in new markets to navigate regulation and scale deployments.

## VI. Scalability

**36. Based on your previous selection, detail how you’d replicate success beyond your initial proposal.**  
We will scale through a dual approach: direct deployments and an open ecosystem model. We will standardize our microgrid architecture (hardware + AI software) into repeatable deployment kits and publish the platform as open source, enabling local DER operators to adopt and deploy in their markets. We will partner with utilities and regulators to integrate these systems into national grids, creating a coordinated network of distributed assets. As we scale, we will expand our team across engineering, partnerships, and operations to support multi-country deployments and ecosystem growth.

**37.a Financial sustainability**  
Sustained via electricity sales (10–30% gross margins) from NFE-owned microgrids, plus SaaS fees and revenue share from partner-operated systems. As deployments scale, recurring revenues from energy and platform services cover operations, maintenance, and continued expansion without grant funding.

**37.b Technical sustainability**  
Cloud-native architecture on GCP with automated monitoring and CI/CD; offline-capable edge controllers ensure resilience. Open-source platform enables contributions from partners/operators. Standardized hardware kits and SLAs support maintenance, while local partners handle installation and support at scale.

**38. What key learnings, datasets, models, codebases, or other artifacts will your project generate, and how will you share them with other organizations to help advance the field?**  
We will generate real-world energy datasets (anonymized usage, demand response, grid performance), AI models for forecasting and optimization, and an open-source microgrid OS. Our company culture is to work in the open—we already publish our work via our website and public wiki (nearlyfreeenergy.com; bookstack.nearlyfreeenergy.com). We will continue sharing code, documentation, and operator playbooks to enable other DER operators and governments to replicate and build on our approach globally.

## VII. Project Budget and Timeline

**41. Funding Request**  
$2,500,000

---

**42. Personnel &amp; Staffing — $600,000**  
Covers salaries for core team: AI/ML engineers, backend/cloud engineers, energy systems engineers, and operations staff. Includes hiring additional technical talent to build forecasting, optimization, and agentic AI systems, as well as project management and field deployment coordination.

**43. Technology Development — $300,000**  
Development of AI models (forecasting, optimization), software platform (microgrid OS), APIs, dashboards, and data pipelines. Includes costs for software engineering, model training, testing, and integration with edge devices and utility systems.

**44. Infrastructure &amp; Deployment — $1,900,000**  
Procurement and deployment of smart meters, edge controllers, and battery-integrated systems for pilot and scale-up sites. Battery storage is a primary cost driver, with an estimated requirement of ~1.5 kWh per household at approximately $450 per kWh deployed. This category covers battery capacity, installation materials, field operations, connectivity, and cloud infrastructure (GCP compute, storage, and data processing).

**45. Partnerships &amp; Ecosystem Growth — $150,000**  
Government engagement, regulatory workshops, and partnership development with utilities and DER operators. Includes ecosystem-building activities, training sessions, and support for onboarding partners to deploy and operate microgrids using the platform.

**46. Monitoring, Evaluation &amp; Overhead — $50,000**  
Measurement of impact metrics (uptime, peak reduction, access), reporting, and program evaluation. Includes minimal indirect costs such as administration, coordination, and compliance (kept under 5%).

# Funding target: ten Reliable Power Microgrids (Oct 2026)

> **Provisional, 21 Oct 2026.** Owner: Aaron Tushabe. NFE's working fundraising target for the revised funders' pitch. Nothing here is committed: the allowances are planning figures until site assessments and EPC quotes come in, and the [funders' pitch page](https://nearlyfreeenergy.com/funders-pitch/) stays unchanged until the deployment milestones are set.

## The target

**US$500,000 of total programme capital** to target **ten new Reliable Power Microgrids** in Uganda over an indicative **18 months**:

- **7 Commercial RPMs** (70%, within the 60–80% commercial mix) and **3 Residential RPMs**
- **US$315,000** for installations, and **US$185,000** for monitoring, project preparation, delivery capacity, software, working capital and contingency
- **US$550,000** if we want room for a fourth residential site while keeping the full contingency

## Illustrative portfolio

| Deployment type | Number | Indicative battery size | Installed allowance each | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smaller Commercial RPM | 3 | 30–40 kWh | US$15,000 | US$45,000 |
| Medium Commercial RPM | 3 | 60–80 kWh | US$25,000 | US$75,000 |
| Large Commercial RPM (Worship Harvest scale) | 1 | ~120 kWh | US$45,000 | US$45,000 |
| Residential RPM | 3 | Site-dependent | US$50,000 | US$150,000 |
| **Installations** | **10** | | | **US$315,000** |
| Monitoring, preparation, delivery, software, working capital, contingency | | | | US$185,000 |
| **Programme total** | | | | **US$500,000** |

The commercial allowances cover solar, inverters and installation, not just the battery, and average about US$23,600 per commercial site.

## How the figure was reached

| Step | Target | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| First pass | US$600,000 | 7 commercial + 3 residential sites; about US$430,000 for installations |
| Checked against NFE's July 2026 SRNE supplier price list | US$650,000 | Equipment for a ~120 kWh / 60 kW / 40 kWp commercial system came to about US$30,750 before the remaining installation costs, so the plan allowed US$45,000 per commercial site and US$50,000 per residential site |
| Worship Harvest treated as one of the larger sites, not the average (Aaron) | **US$500,000** | Commercial sites split into 3 smaller, 3 medium and 1 Worship Harvest-scale; the US$185,000 non-installation budget kept |

## Assumptions and caveats

- **Residential scope is the biggest uncertainty.** US$50,000 per site assumes modest communities with usable existing distribution. Larger communities, extensive new wiring or longer backup would raise it. It needs its own sizing review.
- **Allowances, not quotes.** Every installation figure waits on site assessments and EPC quotations.
- **No offsets assumed.** Customer deposits, future revenue and uncommitted loans are not counted against the requirement.
- **Exchange rate.** The allowances are in dollars, while local quotes come in shillings and the shilling has been volatile ([Macro outlook](https://bookstack.nearlyfreeenergy.com/link/154)). For comparison, the Worship Harvest model CAPEX of UGX 120–145m is roughly US$29–35k at about UGX 4,150 per dollar, so the US$45,000 allowance leaves room for a complete deployment.
- **Sources of capital.** The draft treats this as total programme capital that could combine grants and project finance. ChatGPT's draft also mentions "patient equity", but the [Fundraising Tracker](https://bookstack.nearlyfreeenergy.com/link/16) records that NFE no longer pursues equity funders because, as a co-op, it has no equity to offer. Settle the wording before the pitch goes out.

## Draft pitch line

> NFE is raising US$500,000 to target ten new Reliable Power Microgrids in Uganda, with 60–80% of deployments serving commercial facilities and the remainder serving residential communities. Over an indicative 18-month programme, this capital will fund customer assessments, microgrid installations, and the software and operating capacity needed to deliver reliable electricity as a service.

*ChatGPT's wording, with the figure updated from US$650,000 to the revised US$500,000.*

## Still to settle

- [ ] Deployment milestones for the pitch (needed before the web page changes)
- [ ] Residential site sizing review
- [ ] 7 + 3 sites (US$500,000) or room for a fourth residential site (US$550,000)
- [ ] Which sources of capital to name in the pitch
- [ ] Save the final pitch revision (v0.1 is in Aaron's ChatGPT session) here or in Nextcloud, then update the web page

Related: [NFE Commercial Reliable Power Microgrids](https://bookstack.nearlyfreeenergy.com/link/146) · [Commercial RPM economics and bankability](https://bookstack.nearlyfreeenergy.com/link/189) · [Commercial RPM decision log](https://bookstack.nearlyfreeenergy.com/link/187) · [Fundraising Tracker](https://bookstack.nearlyfreeenergy.com/link/16)

*Source: Aaron's ChatGPT working session "[Commercial RPM Modeling](https://chatgpt.com/share/6ad9401b-630c-83e8-8b7f-81442a96aec3)", 21 Oct 2026.*

# Financial Model Game plan - Q2

---

# **🎯 The 3 Goals**

1. **Microgrid unit economics model**
2. **Fundraising narrative**
3. **Stress test your monetization models (Owned vs Partner)**

---

# **🧭 Phase 1 (Week 1–2): Build Financial Clarity (Foundation)**

## **1) Microgrid Unit Economics Model**

### **What you’re building**

<span class="s3">A </span>**per-site financial model**<span class="s3"> that answers:</span>

> “If we deploy one microgrid, does it make money?”

---

## **Step 1: Define core inputs**

Start simple (don’t overcomplicate):

### **Costs (CapEx)**

- Battery (e.g., 10kWh setup)
- Inverter
- Installation (+20%)
- Metering hardware
- Any fixed setup costs

### **Revenue**

- Avg monthly revenue per household
- Number of households (e.g., 10 → 100 → 360)
- Tariff (or effective price per kWh)

### **Operating costs (OpEx)**

- Maintenance
- Staff/ops allocation
- Platform/software (NFE OS)
- Losses / non-payment buffer

---

## **Step 2: Build outputs**

You want 5 key metrics:

- Monthly revenue per site
- Monthly profit
- Payback period (months)
- Gross margin (%)
- Cash flow over time

---

## **Step 3: Answer key questions**

- How long to recover CapEx?
- What happens if:
    
    
    - Usage drops 20%?
    - Costs increase 15%?
- <span class="s1">What is your </span>**minimum viable scale per site**<span class="s1">?</span>

---

## **Deliverable**

👉 A simple Google Sheet model (I can help you structure this next)

---

# **🧭 Phase 2 (Week 2–3): Stress Test Your Two Models**

Now apply the model to your two strategies:

---

## **Model A: NFE-Owned Microgrid**

### **What to evaluate**

- Total capital required per site
- Revenue collected directly
- Payback period
- Cash constraints (how many sites you can deploy)

### **Key insight you want:**

> “How fast can we scale before we run out of cash?”

---

## **Model B: Partner-Owned Microgrid**

### **What to evaluate**

- Your revenue:
    
    
    - Flat fee per customer
    - +5% of electricity sales
- Your costs:
    
    
    - Ops + maintenance

### **Key insight:**

> “Is this a high-margin, low-capex business?”

---

## **Compare side-by-side**

<table id="bkmrk-metric-nfe-owned-par"><thead><tr><th>**Metric**

</th><th>**NFE-Owned**

</th><th>**Partner Model**

</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Capital required

</td><td>High

</td><td>Low

</td></tr><tr><td>Margin

</td><td>High (long-term)

</td><td>Lower but steady

</td></tr><tr><td>Risk

</td><td>Higher

</td><td>Lower

</td></tr><tr><td>Speed of scale

</td><td>Slower

</td><td>Faster

</td></tr></tbody></table>

---

## **Strategic output**

You should be able to say:

- “We lead with Partner model to scale fast”
- or
- “We prioritize Owned model for long-term value”

<span class="s2">👉 This becomes </span>**core to your pitch**

---

# **🧭 Phase 3 (Week 3–4): Build Your Fundraising Narrative**

Now turn your numbers into a <span class="s3">**story investors understand**</span>

---

## **1) Problem (you already do this well)**

- Unreliable grids
- Diesel backup risks
- Growing urban demand

---

## **2) Solution (tighten this)**

- “Community microgrids that turn backup power into primary infrastructure”

---

## **3) Business Model (now backed by numbers)**

Use your model to clearly show:

- Revenue per site
- Margin
- Payback

---

## **4) Traction**

- Pilot (10 homes)
- Phase 2 (100 homes)
- Pipeline (360 apartments)

---

## **5) Scaling Strategy (THIS is key)**

From your analysis:

Example:

- Phase 1: Pilot + validate
- Phase 2: Scale via partner model
- Phase 3: Selectively own high-value sites

---

## **6) Use of funds**

Your model should let you say:

- “$300K deploys X sites”
- “Each site generates $Y/month”
- “Break-even in Z months”

---

## **Deliverable**

👉 A clean 8–10 slide pitch (or 1–2 page memo)

---

# **🧭 Phase 4 (Week 4–6): Add Financial Discipline**

This replaces what a CFO would start doing.

---

## **1) Monthly financial tracking**

Track:

- Revenue per site
- Cost per site
- Collection rates
- Downtime

---

## **2) Define 5 core KPIs**

For NFE, I’d suggest:

- Revenue per customer
- Cost per customer
- Payback period per site
- System uptime (%)
- Collection efficiency (%)

---

## **3) Cash planning (critical)**

Build a simple view:

- Cash today
- Monthly burn
- Months of runway

---

# **⚠️ Critical mindset shift**

You’re moving from:

> “We are building microgrids”

to:

> “We are deploying capital into energy assets that must return money”

That shift is what investors care about.

---

# **🧩 How this all connects**

- **Unit economics → proves viability**
- **Model comparison → defines strategy**
- **Narrative → unlocks capital**
- **Tracking → sustains growth**

# Owner's capital, grants and related parties

# Owner's capital, grants and related parties

> **Planned: not yet written.** Owner: Aaron Tushabe. Trigger: the accountant decides how recoverable grants and family contributions are classified, or the next funder disbursement arrives, whichever comes first.

What we already do:
- Owner contributions, and expenses an owner paid personally, go to **Owner's Capital**: 3110 (Aaron Tushabe) and 3120 (Hillary Arinda). They're never income and never repaid.
- Grants and donations from anyone else go to **4230 Grants and Donations**.

What this page will cover:
- Owner loans, kept separate from owner's capital.
- **Recoverable grants** ([Fundraising Tracker](/link/16), [term sheet](/link/41)): are they a liability or income? Still open.
- Restricted funds tracked by site (cost centre).
- An annual related-party declaration, and the rule that a conflicted owner doesn't approve their own transaction.
- A calendar of reporting due to funders.