This project is funded by Energising Development (EnDev) and initially ran for 2 years, from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2021 but has been extended until June 2023.

The EnDev III project's objective is to increase access to clean energy through pico-hydro schemes and clean cooking technologies in the most remote communities of Karnali & Sudurpaschim provinces.

The project aims to: i) provide electricity access to 8,100 people and 30 SMEs, creating 30 new jobs opportunity. Out of 30 SMEs, 10 will provide mechanised agro-processing facilities and ii) increase the access to improved cooking technology to 5,000 households through the higher tier, higher efficiency cookstoves and creating business opportunities for 5 entrepreneurs.

The project is expanding its infrastructure established during previous phases and SNV’s long-term experience in developing supply chains and markets. SNV will also support potential interested Improved Cookstoves (ICS) manufacturers for designing, developing and disseminating high-tier cookstoves under the Results Based Finance (RBF) framework. The major activities being implemented by this project, not limited to areas follows:

• Pico-hydro schemes will be introduced to provide electricity along with existing mechanised agro-processing facilities for remote communities, where neither connection to the national grid nor micro-hydropower (MHP) is feasible.

• Around 30 pico hydro systems, generating 90 kW of capacity, will be in place by installing new pico hydro systems or improving existing mechanical mills wherever appropriate.

• 1,350 HHs will have access to electricity and 900 HHs will benefit from mechanized agro-processing activities.

• 10 agro-processing entrepreneurs, 30 micro-enterprises and 120 part-time employment opportunities will be created/developed.

• A healthy market for improved/clean cooking for households in programme provinces will be developed.

• A total of 5,000 households will get improved cooking technology with behaviour change package for its regular use, and 5 enterprises and 75 part-time jobs will be strengthened/created.

Along with the activities implemented to support for increasing access through appropriate technologies, SNV is strengthening the local private sector and enhancing the capacity of selected rural municipalities of the programme provinces in overall energy planning and capacity-building activities to access the gap and provide the necessary capacity needs through technical assistance support. The activities include:

• Identification of 10-15 rural municipalities to collaborate for joint project implementation and strengthen their capacity to promote clean cooking technologies and pico-hydro schemes.

• Collaborate with rural municipalities for project implementation and strengthen their planning and monitoring capacity.

• Increased awareness at a local level to access renewable energy for households and support in generating employment opportunities and income through agro-processing.

• Identification of potential local financial institutions that are interested in financing, and support for the development of the financial model.

• Capacity development training for rural municipalities.

• Monitoring of installed systems and verification of functionality, etc.