Call for Proposals – PR Services for GOGLA 2024
Introduction
GOGLA is the global association for the off-grid solar energy industry. For more than 10 years we have been supporting our 200+ members to provide more than 400 million low-income and climate-vulnerable people with affordable, high-quality products and services; rapidly increasing customers’ productivity, connectivity, and resilience.
As the global association for the off-grid solar industry, GOGLA provides market insights, standards and best practice, and advocates for catalytic policies, programmes and investment. We know working with partners, our pioneering industry can improve the lives of 1 billion people by 2030.
The industry
Off-grid solar energy is renewable, standalone, affordable tech that can work without a grid connection. It is a vital solution to access energy and for productive use in rural, low-income communities, to ensure 24/7 access in weak grid environments and to enable climate resilience. It is widely considered the fastest and most cost-effective way to bring basic energy access to a large percentage of the over 600 million people still lacking access to electricity, so it plays a key role in achieving universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030, in line with SDG7 and the SE4ALL global initiative.
The off-grid solar family of technologies can provide:
- Reliable lighting through products like solar lanterns, solar kits, and solar generators.
- Access to information through radios, TVs, phones, and phone chargers
- Cooling and refrigeration through appliances like refrigerators, fans, and cold rooms
- Improved agriculture for smallholder farmers thanks to solar water pumps, solar mills, solar incubators, etc.
The technologies are used by households, as well as enterprises, farms, schools and health centres, providing opportunities for better livelihoods, improved income and green jobs. Productive Use of Renewable Energy (PURE) is critical for boosting incomes and jobs, and they drive economic and social development particularly in rural off-grid communities, providing solutions for agriculture and micro, small and medium sized enterprise (MSME).
Yet despite the industry’s potential for impact, it still requires support to achieve it. Macro-economic factors in Africa, with high interest rates and currency volatility, weak consumer affordability and low margins, as well as high operating costs combine to make the finances of the business model marginal. This has resulted in high risk and poor returns for debt providers and equity extremely scarce. Blended finance – with public funds catalysing private investment – is needed to harness the cycle of growth.
We also face a lack of understanding of the technology and its potential among key audiences. In energy circles, they may be aware and equate it to lighting, but many times consider it a sub-par temporary solution that cannot be equated with grid energy access. In climate circles, it doesn’t even feature as part of the picture in the Just Energy Transition and the technology’s role in meeting climate adaptation and resilience goals is not understood or considered.
Who are our audiences?
- Philanthropies and development partners, who need to work with GOGLA to continue and enhance financial and programmatic support for the sector and our work. These actors are critical for ensuring we achieve basic electricity access for all, and unlock the potential of off-grid solar for meeting other development and climate goals.
- Policymakers, who need to create and maintain a favourable regulatory environment in regions where GOGLA members are active. We want these stakeholders to understand the benefits of off-grid solar to help them meet their national electrification goals, and as an enabler of their other development priorities (e.g. agriculture, job creation and health).
- Impact and climate investors (current and potential) who we want to invest in and support the industry. We want these stakeholders to understand the opportunity the sector offers to patient investors who have a mandate to achieve impact and climate goals, while generating returns.
- Commercial investors (current and potential) who we want to provide commercial financing for our industry. We want these actors to be interested in the new opportunities for investment in the sector due to the fact that it is being de-risked (e.g. via upcoming policies and programmes etc), as they see successful innovations and exits by other investors, and as they see the significant potential for the industry and technology to scale.
- Organisations and policymakers working in the agricultural sector, who need to become aware of the potential of PURE for their space and of GOGLA’s role within it.
Our mission
Support our members to operate buoyant, sustainable, scalable, and impactful off-grid solar energy businesses.
Our vision
Over 1 billion lives improved with affordable, high-quality, small-scale solar energy products by 2030.
What do we need to achieve this year?
- Raise the profile of the off-grid solar industry and distributed renewable energy solutions as a critical way to end extreme energy poverty, and a key component of the Just Energy Transition. Why: to increase concessional financing for the sector by creating positive success and impact stories in ongoing international media and by amplifying key events and reports.
- Highlight the fundamental role of productive uses of renewable energy for policymakers in low-income countries to help modernise agriculture, enhance food and water security and support climate adaptation, health, safety, education, and more.
- Boost coverage for the 8th edition of the Global Off-Grid Solar Forum and Expo 2024 (GOGSFE 24), that will take place from the 8th to the 10th of October 2024 in Nairobi, co-hosted by the Government of Kenya and the World Bank Group’s Lighting Global Program. It is the leading meeting of the off-grid solar sector, providing a unique platform for knowledge exchange, networking and showcasing innovative products and services.
Scope of work
To ensure our reports/initiatives launched during the rest of 2024, including GOGSFE 24, are better covered by relevant national and global media outlets, GOGLA is looking for a PR agency to:
- Advise on media strategy, manage media relations, support the creation of press releases, press kits, opinion pieces, infographics, photo and video material, etc.
- Manage media engagement before, during and after GOGSFE 24, including
- placing content pieces in relevant media outlets;
- securing the participation of relevant media representatives at the event;
- facilitating engagements of representatives of the organizers and selected sponsors with attending journalists;
- compiling relevant media materials, including a press kit;
- monitoring media outlets and compiling reports for internal evaluation and reporting.
- Distribute press releases and identify additional media opportunities, securing coverage, monitoring results, analyzing outcomes and providing tips for improving.
Desired qualifications
We are looking for an agency with expertise influencing a global audience of decision-makers including government officials and development partners. Ideally, the agency will have strong African presence, contacts and expertise, as well as global media expertise covering EU and US.
Experience within the energy, renewables, climate and sustainability spaces is a huge plus.
Proposal submission guidelines
The proposal should include the outline of the proposed approach, work plan (including a calendar of proposed activity) and indicative budget breakdown, as well as at least 3 examples of previous work or case studies that relate to the project and convey why you are the right agency for this job.
The format of the proposal is flexible. It can be a pdf, a word document, a presentation or a link.
*We remain available to have a call to clarify doubts and bounce off initial ideas before submission to make sure the proposal is hitting the mark.
Please submit your proposal before 20 May 2024, 11.59pm CEST to Eva Roig, Sr. Communications Manager, at e.roig@gogla.org.