Senior Energy Access Advisor at Mercy Corps

Project Description

• The consultant will provide business development support (BDS) and capital raising advisory services to SMEs on various E4I programs in Nigeria and the rest of SSA, including Get.invest FRS and PREO. The consultant may also occasionally be asked to support on the preparation of reports and publications, and on the technical design of concept notes and business development proposals.

Get.invest FRS

• GET.invest is a European program that mobilises investment in clean energy in developing countries. It supports project developers and companies with investment readiness and links them with financiers. Managed by GIZ, it is funded by the European Union, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Austria. GET.invest Finance Readiness Support (FRS) enables locally owned and managed clean energy businesses to access finance. The service provides early-stage energy SMEs in SSA and other developing regions with hands-on, in-depth business model and capital raising advice. Nigeria is one of the top priority countries for Get.invest. E4I is one of 8 advisory organizations chosen to deliver FRS.

PREO

• Powering Renewable Energy Opportunities (PREO) catalyzes the growth of PUE enterprises in SSA and Asia. The program, which is funded by FCDO and IKEA Foundation, has been running since 2018 and runs until September 2027. PREO provides grant capital and technical assistance (TA) for early-stage PUE innovations and shares the learnings through a knowledge management platform. It helps SMEs and other organizations to test and demonstrate PUE business models, thereby enabling them to gather critical business data, attract private capital and scale up further. PREO has funded over 30 PUE organizations in SSA across sectors such as electric mobility, solar irrigation, cold storage, and the circular economy. PREO is jointly implemented by the Carbon Trust and E4I.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

• The consultant will offer advisory services to SMEs:

Business Development Support (BDS)

• Support companies on their business strategy, including business model development, customer value proposition, unit economic analysis, sales growth, and market positioning and expansion.
• Provide engineering advice on technical system design and possibly procurement of equipment.
• Build the capacity of companies in supply chain management.
• Support the development of internal tools and processes to increase operational efficiency, including on budgeting and forecasting.
• Assist companies in developing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and other business analytics to support fundraising.

Capital Raising Advisory

• Help companies develop their funding strategy and identify the type and amount of capital required.
• Help companies develop investor-facing materials, including pitch decks, teasers and financial models.
• Identify potential funders and investors.
• Coach companies on pitching to investors and partners.
• Introduce companies to potential investors and support them in negotiations on contracts and term sheets.
• Assist companies in going through investor due diligence.

DELIVERABLES

We will agree deliverables with the consultant as below:

• BDS deliverables for the companies e.g critiqued business model, progress report for donor. Ultimately the goal of the BDS is to help the companies create sustainable business models and, in the case of Get.invest, directly support in capital raising.
• Capital Raising Advisory deliverables for the companies e.g financial model and investor materials, introductions to # investors, progress report for donor. Ultimately the goal is to help 1-2 companies get accepted for financial intake by potential financiers and then reach financial close.
• Other deliverables related to energy access reports and publications, and designing business development concepts and proposals.

Experience
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• At least 8 years’ experience in at least one and preferably several of the following areas:
  • Energy project development, operations, financing or appliances
  • Advisory, management or strategic consulting
  • Early-stage business building and capital raising
• Experience working with rural and off-grid business models in Africa and other developing markets.
• Experience working in a fast-moving entrepreneurial environment and an understanding of the unique challenges faced by local businesses.

Qualifications

• Graduate or Postgraduate Degree in Business Management, Economics, Finance, International Development, Energy, Environment, Climate Change, Engineering or other relevant subject.

Skills And Knowledge

• Ability to mentor early-stage energy companies and help them develop commercial, financial and technical solutions.
• Ability to manage multiple company engagements and meet deadlines.
• Strong network in energy access space, including SMEs, investors and donors.
• Strong understanding of the off-grid market, entrepreneurial space, and impact investing sectors, preferably in an African context.
• Ability to critique and develop financial models.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Fluent English.

Personal qualities

• Team player.
• Problem solver.
• Attention to detail and a focus on results.
• Ability to think outside the box, to see the big picture and connect the dots.
• Ability to prioritize and multi-task.
• Willingness to occasionally travel internationally.
• Passion for working in the development and impact sector.