Strengthening Entrepreneurial Ecosystems for Clean Cooking

Efforts to promote clean cooking, which utilized renewable energy sources like electricity, solar, and wind instead of polluting and non-renewable energy such as wood, charcoal, and diesel, gained traction worldwide.

Overview

In Bangladesh, the SEE-CC project (Strengthening Entrepreneurial Eco-System for Clean Cooking), funded by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), was implemented by SNV in collaboration with the Government of Bangladesh. The project aimed to create an enabling environment for clean cooking in Bangladesh by building skills, sharing information, and engaging key stakeholders such as SREDA (Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority) and IDCOL (Infrastructure Development Company) in the National Action Plan (NAP) 2030. This initiative led to improved access to renewable energy for the MECA (Market for Energy-efficient Clean Appliances) and contributed to the stability of the cookstove sector.

Aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 5, 7, 13, 11, and 17, the SEE-CC program targeted the provision of clean cooking solutions to at least 140,000 households, 35,000 buyers, and 60 local micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in three districts of Bangladesh: Gazipur, Faridpur, and Jhenaidah.

The SEE-CC project successfully identified and profiled e-cooking SMEs, which included local, national, and international companies. It established partnerships following a market participatory approach, incorporating Access to Finance and a Results-Based Financing (RBF) model to foster the MECA market and enhance access to clean energy. The project worked with key stakeholders from both the public and private sectors to sustain an efficient energy market in the MECA environment.

As part of its efforts, the project introduced a unique RBF model within the Access to Finance framework to strengthen the local entrepreneurial ecosystem of national and local MECA marketers. This model supported the expansion of MECA marketers in distributing clean and safe cooking products to rural households. Furthermore, the SEE-CC project provided support through the Innovation Grant Fund (IGF) to facilitate further market development. The RBF and IGF financing models addressed business gaps and constraints in the MECA market based on geo-cluster locations.

Throughout its duration, SNV implemented capacity-building initiatives for public and private sector partners, which included training in clean cooking technologies, awareness-raising activities, and ensuring the availability of e-cooking products at the last mile in Bangladesh. Additionally, to foster an entrepreneurial environment led by women and youth and to raise awareness about market systems for clean cooking in Bangladesh, SNV launched the Clean Cooking Incubator (CCI). This program provided mentorship, financial resources, and technical expertise to start-up companies, focusing on expanding clean cooking initiatives and promoting new and innovative ideas aimed at increasing access to cleaner and more efficient cooking solutions. It emphasized local socio-economic empowerment, opportunity creation, gender, and social inclusion as cross-cutting issues.

Objectives

The objectives of this project were:

• To develop a pipeline for MECA SMEs identification and build partnerships.

• To ensure access to finance for SME development i) Result base finance; ii) innovation grant fund.

• To enable the environment by strengthening key stakeholders’ capacity for business and knowledge development.