SERVICES OF LOCAL COORDINATION PARTNER AND LOCAL TA IMPLEMENTATION PARTNER

Call for Expression of Interest (EoI)

Hystra has received funding from the French Development Agency (the "AFD"), and intends to use part of this amount to make payments under the Biomass Energy Africa project.

The Candidate’s Services will consist of supporting the local coordination and implementation of the AFD’s Biomass Energy Africa (BEA) program: Lot 1 - Local Coordination Partner and Lot 2 - Local Technical Assistance (TA) Implementation Partner. N.B., Candidates can apply to one of the lots or both. In case they apply for both, a single EoI should be submitted for both lots.

Hystra invites Candidates to express their interest in providing the Services described above.

This Call for Proposals is addressed to:

X Consulting firms
X Individual consultants
X NGOs
X NGOs and consulting firms in consortium

The eligibility criteria for AFD financing are specified in Article 1.3 of the "Procurement Guidelines for AFD-Financed Contracts in Foreign States," available online on the AFD website: http://www.afd.fr.

Candidates may only submit one application in their own namecovering any subcontractors including other local TA providers and external subject matter experts. If a Candidate submits or participates in multiple applications, all such applications will be rejected.

Interested Candidates must provide information demonstrating that they are qualified and experienced to carry out the requested Services. In this respect, they should provide the CVs of all experts and documented evidence of recent and similar assignments attesting to their qualifications. A maximum of 15 past experiences shall be presented by Candidates. Determination of the similarity of the experiences will be based on their respective relevance relative to the services to be performed, as described above.


Background and objective

AFD

The French Development Agency Group (AFD Group), which includes AFD, Proparco, and Expertise France, is a public institution that finances, supports, and accelerates transitions toward a fairer and more sustainable world. As France’s platform for official development assistance and sustainable development investment, AFD work with partners to build shared solutions with and for populations in the Global South.

Through grants, loans, guarantee funds, and debt-relief and development contracts, AFD finances projects, programs, and studies, while supporting its partners in the Global South in strengthening their capacities. Its subsidiary Proparco promotes private investment, while Expertise France is dedicated to mobilizing French public expertise.

All information regarding AFD, including its Code of Ethics—which service providers are invited to consult—is available at the following link: www.afd.fr.

Hystra

Hystra is a strategy consulting firm dedicated to social and environmental impact, founded in 2009 following the observation that innovations that could improve the living conditions of many people exist but fail to scale and reach critical mass, thus maintaining a marginal impact.

Our work involves designing and implementing initiatives that have the potential to accelerate the growth of these innovations. To achieve this, we collaborate with multinational companies, local businesses, social entrepreneurs, impact investors, foundations, and public sector actors.

Hystra's experience in the clean cooking sector spans multiple years of research, advisory, and implementation support for both private and public sector clients. By working closely with governments, international development organizations, NGOs, and private enterprises, Hystra has developed a deep understanding of the barriers to scaling clean cooking solutions, from affordability and distribution to consumer adoption and behaviour change.

Hystra will implement the Biomass Energy Africa program, funded by the French Development Agency (AFD), in Uganda and Tanzania between 2025 and 2027.

AFD’s commitment to clean cooking and objectives of the BEA program

Access to clean cooking solutions remains limited in East Africa. In 2020, only 14% of the population had access to clean and efficient cooking solutions, while 49% had electricity. Tanzania and Uganda have over 100 million people without access, with just 5.4% and 6% of their populations using clean cooking technologies in 2021. Transitioning to clean cooking solutions is critical for public health, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting natural resources, and improving living conditions, particularly for women and children. Both Tanzania and Uganda are finalizing new 5- to 10-year national strategic plans, reflecting strong government commitment to advancing clean cooking solutions.

During the Paris Clean Cooking Summit in May 2024, France pledged to invest €100 million by 2030 to promote a just and inclusive transition towards universal access to clean and efficient cooking solutions, and to reduce pressure on biomass and deforestation. The French Development Agency (AFD) seeks to play a catalytical role in achieving this ambition by launching a new initiative in East Africa, Biomass Energy Africa (BEA) with the objective to contribute to the transition to universal access to clean and efficient cooking by promoting commercial clean cooking solutions.

BEA is a TA program aimed at supporting companies, donors and investors involved in the clean cooking sector. It currently operates in Uganda and Tanzania until end of Q3 2027. Specifically, the objectives of the program are to:

1. Offer tailored, on-the-ground TA to selected local companies to help them strengthen their business model and operational excellence, scale up and/or access financing. In Uganda, the program will identify and support 3-5 companies commercializing clean cooking solutions that have strong potential for commercial growth.

2. Help donors and investors invest in or include these companies in their programs.

3. Support governments and regulators on their programs involving the private sector.

BEA is implemented by Hystra, a strategy consulting firm specialized in inclusive business model innovation and energy access based in France.

In this context, the objective of this Call for Proposals (CfP) is to select service providers for the two following lots:

1. A local coordination partner for Uganda that will act as the BEA program’s in-country focal point under Hystra’s direction, and be responsible for the program’s local coordination including monitoring and reporting (on all three objectives above), stakeholder engagement, and managing local logistics and administration.

2. A local TA implementation partner for Uganda that supports the co-design of TA interventions, provides direct TA to companies supported by BEA (objective 1 above) – through its own employees and through collaborations with other local TA providers and external subject matter experts (who have to be listed comprehensively in technical proposition) – and identifies and solicits support from other experts beyond the pre-established list, on an ad-hoc basis, if required.

N.B., Candidates can apply to one of the lots or both. In case they apply for both, a single EoI should be submitted for both lots.


Scope of work

The local coordination partner will act as the BEA program’s in-country focal point with supervision from Hystra and will be responsible for:

Monitoring and reporting on BEA program’s progress

Stakeholder engagement: Liaising with local financial institutions and governmental actors

Managing local logistics and administration to ensure smooth operations on ground and financial oversight.

The local TA implementation partner will be responsible for ensuring the effective delivery of TA projects. Its role will include:

Attending initial diagnostic calls and supporting the co-design of the TA projects for selected companies (initial and future) and/or identifying and evaluating new companies.

Implementing activities and possibly collaborating with other TA and service providers, where relevant.

Overseeing field activities (including logistical coordination of meetings, workshops, and field visits) and reporting progress on TA activities and results of each TA intervention.

Supporting local stakeholder engagement related to TA program delivery including companies, service providers, investors, and government entities, to ensure smooth project execution.

Identifying, together with Hystra, additional expertise or service providers as needed, for ad hoc contracting.


Areas of expertise

The expected areas of expertise for the Local Coordination Partner include:

Experience engaging private companies in technical or financial TA programs for clean cooking in East Africa

Project monitoring and reporting

Experience and deep understanding of working with local financial institution, investor networks and governmental actors

Operational support and assistance

Logistics coordination and field visit management

Project documentation and reporting


The expected areas of expertise for the Local TA Implementation Partner include:

Strengthening companies’ operations and level of execution to accelerate sustainability and growth

Manufacturing: Process optimization, quality control, logistics, compliance.

Supply chain and logistics management: Demand planning and procurement, sourcing strategy, inventory optimization, cash management, distribution network design.

Financial management and control: Budgeting, cash flow forecasting, cost control, risk management.

Credit and risk management: structuring credit, portfolio monitoring, collections strategy.

Organizational development and restructuring: Governance models, role definition, performance management system.

Digital transformation: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)/Customer Relationship Management (CRM) deployment, data management, process automation, digital sales channels.

Marketing and sales execution: Go-to-market strategies, channel development, pricing tactics, customer acquisition, agent training and shadowing, sales analysis, trade marketing.

Designing and implementing innovative value propositions or business models

Consumer and market insights: Consumer research (quantitative / qualitative / mix) and ad hoc market research (research on competition, sales channels, etc.), segmentation and needs assessment.

Product/service Innovation: Iterative product development, human-centred design, technology adaptation.

Business model design: Value proposition design, distribution model innovation, partnerships structuring, growth planning (scaling pathways, sustainability planning).

Economic & Financial Modelling: Unit economics, scenario analysis, break-even modelling.

Branding and Communication Design: Rebranding strategies, marketing materials development, storytelling.

Operational project management and monitoring

Legal, policy and regulatory compliance: certifications and standards, legal structuring and documents, intellectual property and licensing, customer protection.

Supporting fundraising efforts

Investor engagement and storytelling: Pitch deck preparation, investment memoranda, narrative building.

Capital structuring and readiness: Debt vs. equity structuring, carbon credits, grant leverage, blended finance knowledge.

Due Diligence Preparation: Compliance, governance, financial reporting, impact measurement readiness.


Competencies required

The Client will also assess the relevance of the Call for Proposals for the Local Coordination Partner against the following criteria:

Experience: 10+ years of experience in a similar role or within a development project.

Knowledge of clean cooking and access to energy sectors.

Personal experience with the private sector.

Access to network of service providers, financial institutions and governmental actors in Uganda’s clean cooking ecosystem.

Financial knowledge: Experience in managing delegated funds and knowledge of Sustainable Finance issues (public and private).

Microsoft Office suite of software.

Languages: Proficiency in English and Swahili (both written and spoken). Knowledge of a local dialect is a plus.

The Client will also assess the relevance of the Call for Proposals for the Local TA Implementation Partner against the following criteria:

Clean cooking expertise: Proven experience (5+ years).

Project leadership & management: Proven experience (10+ years) in successfully executing pilot projects/program development, ensuring timely delivery of milestones, and managing resources efficiently.

Strategic business development: Experience supporting technically and financially local private sector SMEs.

Access to network of experts, service providers and other partners in Uganda’s clean cooking ecosystem that can support on TA delivery.

Field operations & logistics management: Experience overseeing field operations and managing logistics to ensure smooth execution of project activities.

Analytical & reporting skills: Tracking project progress, analyzing data, and providing clear and concise reports to the client.

Microsoft Office suite of software

Languages: Proficiency in English and Swahili (both written and spoken). Knowledge of a local dialect is a plus.

Hystra will draw up a shortlist of candidates, preselected on the basis of the EoIs received, to whom it will send the Call for Proposals (including the Terms of Refernce) for the performance of the required services.

Expressions of Interest must be submitted by email to the address indicated below, no later than 20th October 2025.

Contact person: Adrien DARODES, Chitraksh SHARMA

Phone: +33 6 07 36 78 03, +33 6 52 77 50 93

Email: adarodes@hystra.com, csharma@hystra.com

Interested Candidates may obtain further information by email, at the address mentioned above.